Stories related to: death

Ol' Blue Eyes is still doing it his way—or his heirs' way, to be more precise. Frank Sinatra's family has inked a deal with Warner Music Group to ensure the singer's return on the 10th anniversary of his death: A postage stamp and new CD and DVD collections are coming out, as is a digital resurrection of the Pack Master turned ad pitchman, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »

Browsing airplane catalogs already hints at a certain crazed desperation. But just in case that yapping businessman on your flight pushes you into a homicidal rage, Jezebel points out that SkyMall merch can also facilitate murder (first, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery): Lawn Aerator Sandals: 1.5-inch spikes covering the soles easily dig holes in your lawn. Happily, they also turn a swift kick deadly. More »

In a medical culture seemingly aimed at reviving and resuscitating, the slow medicine approach instead allows elderly patients to weigh the risks and burdens of treatment against the likelihood that it will significantly extend their lives. For many seniors, the philosophy offers the freedom to choose comfort over cure, dying without the companionship of machines, the New York Times reports. More »

A ferry taking passengers home from a nighttime party capsized yesterday in Brazil, killing at least 15 people, AP reports. Dozens more were missing in the Solimoes River, one of the Amazon's largest tributaries. Most of those killed were women. Some passengers swam to shore and others were picked up by nearby boats. The ferry, which was carrying at least 80 people, was grounded earlier this year after failing an inspection. More »

Severe storms spawned twisters in America's heartland today, knocking out power, toppling tractor-trailers, and killing seven people in Arkansas, the AP reports. Up to 25 tornadoes also hit Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, a state where hail smashed windshields and storms derailed railway cars. “It just seems like we’re getting pounded,” one official said. More »

Greenies who bought organic in life can become more organic in death, the AP reports. Brits have enjoyed the eco-friendly funeral for years, but now cardboard coffins and natural fibers for corpses are catching on Stateside. "People are trying to think about what's the best way to live and with that, what's the best way to die," one funeral director said. More »

Cameron Diaz's father Emilio died suddenly from pneumonia yesterday, according to TMZ. The bubbly actress found his death "shocking" since her 58-year-old father, who had a bit part in his daughter's hit There's Something About Mary , was reportedly in "terrific health" until he developed a bad case of the flu.  More »

Think of it as a safe deposit box for the dearly departed: A website in California allows subscribers to store digital versions of important stuff—wills, photos, credit card numbers, bicycle lock combinations, you name it—so beneficiaries don't have to scramble after the funeral, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Sounds farfetched, but AssetLock.net soon expects to have 1 million American and international clients. More »

It's not easy being dead—just ask Laura Todd. The Tennessee woman is one of an estimated 12,000 people a year the government declares dead—often because of a typo in the Social Security database—when they're still very much alive, MSNBC reports. The error can create a financial mess and is just shy of impossible to correct. More »

In the wake of the death last week of a passenger on an American Airlines jet, one expert on in-flight health has this to say to sickly would-be travelers: “Do not fly.” Air travel can exacerbate illness, and though many airlines contract with ground-based medical support, flight attendants are not nurses, and airplanes often have only minimal medical equipment aboard, CNN reports. More »

The plastic surgeon who operated on the mother of rapper Kanye West days before her Nov. 10 death told CNN's Larry King yesterday that his Los Angeles-area practice has been "almost destroyed" by bad publicity following the tragedy. But Dr. Jan Adams, former host of the TV series Plastic Surgery: Before and After said he will continue practicing. More »

Death won't stop Comcast's founder from being paid: A deal signed last week ensures that his heirs will receive checks for five years after Ralph J. Roberts, 87, dies, the AP reports. They will also get unpaid funds from his annual performance-based bonus, and his wife will receive health and welfare assistance for life. Roberts, whose 2006 salary was $1.8 million, remains on Comcast's board of directors. More »

Choreographer Michael Kidd, creator of some of the most enduring dance steps on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died of cancer at age 92, the New York Times reports. Kidd, who won five Tonys and an honorary Oscar, is best known for his choreography in the 1954 film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and in the musicals Finian's Rainbow , Guys and Dolls, and Destry Rides Again .  More »

Chet Fitch got the last laugh on family and friends again, this time from beyond the grave. The 88-year-old, who died in the fall, arranged to have 34 Christmas cards sent this year, all marked with a return address of Heaven. "I asked Big Guy if I could sneak back and send some cards," Fitch wrote. "At first he said no; but at my insistence he finally said, 'Oh well, what the heaven, go ahead but don't (dawdle) there.'" More »

Perry Kucinich, the 52-year-old youngest brother of Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis, was found dead today in his Cleveland home, the Plain Dealer reports. His body was found face-down this morning by another brother, Larry, the AP and CNN report. Authorities found no evidence of foul play. More »

The questions have echoed through the ages, ever since people started dying and leaving behind loved ones able to express the sentiment: Why? Why now? Now what? Writing for the Newsweek/Washington Post website "On Faith," Sally Quinn points her readers to the extraordinary eulogy Erik Kolbell delivered last week at the funeral of 38-year-old Amy Rosenblatt Solomon. More »

Soft rock singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg died yesterday morning at his home in Maine after a three-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 56. Fogelberg was most popular in the '70s and early '80s with hits like "Longer," "Leader of the Band," "Same Old Lang Syne," and "The Power of Gold." His songs were known for their emotional weight and captivating story lines. More »

Rapper Pimp C, half of the chart-topping duo UGK, was found dead in his Los Angles hotel room yesterday, and authorities have found no signs of foul play. Paramedics responded to a 911 call yesterday morning to discover Pimp C, 33, dead in bed, fully clothed. No drugs or related paraphernalia were found, and it appears he was alone when he died, authorities said. More »

US funeral homes each year put nearly 1 million gallons of embalming fluid into the ground along with the departed, wrap them in tons of metal and concrete—and charge a fortune for it. All of which makes “green burial” a sensible and fast-growing alternative, the Chicago Tribune reports. Green burial sites replace tree-cleared cemeteries with woodlands, eliminate embalming, and use simple pine caskets. More »

Robert Goulet, whose deep baritone and matinee-idol looks propelled him to fame in the 1960s, died yesterday while waiting for a lung transplant. Goulet, 73, became a star almost overnight when he debuted as Lancelot in the Broadway production of Camelot , the LA Times reports, and  went on to a long, successful career as a singer, actor and Vegas headliner. More »