The Globe bids farewell to the stars we lost in 2010.

Publication: Globe
Date: 3 January 2010

The Globe often has a story in contention for Meanest Story of the Week, but not this time around. They take up most of the cover in tribute to people who died this year, and all they have is pictures with no teaser headlines about tragic secrets or the like. The list includes several people whose deaths wer not mentioned in the Globe before this issue. In no particular order, the names are:

• Tony Curtis
• Dennis Hopper
• John Forsythe
• Rue McLanahan
• Elizabeth Edwards
• Barbara Billingsley
• Leslie Nielsen
• Gary Coleman

And the only person on the list who I will print a picture of here, not out of any disrespect for the others but out of special respect for her. 'Cos she's purdy.

• Miss Lena Horne

Best wishes to the family and friends of all the people on this list, from a fan.

Late to the party alert:R.I.P. Tom Bosley and Barbara Billingsley

Publication: National Examiner
Date: 8 October 2010

The low-rent Examiner is the only supermarket rag to comment on the passing of two TV icons, Tom Bosley and Barbara Billingsley. Bosley died on the 19th, a Tuesday, which means it makes sense that his story should be a week late.

Barbara Billingsley died on a Saturday two weeks ago, so her story could have been in the supermarket rags in the previous edition. Better late than never, I guess.

Breaking news:Barbara Billingsley dead at 94

If I were superstitious, coincidences would mean more to me than they do. That said, I will note that the correct death predictions this year have been a little eerie.

In late May, the tabloids had no correct predictions. A week later, Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper and Rue McLanahan had all died.

In September, I printed the nine month review and remarked that the tabloids, most especially the Three Wicked Step Sisters, had added a lot of names to the list, but still there were only three correct predictions. One day later, Tony Curtis was dead.

This morning, I brought up that the Enquirer said Elizabeth Edwards would be dead within six months and that was six months ago, so swing and a miss for The Flagship. But the Enquirer was the first to give a warning of impending demise for Ms. Billingsley almost exactly nine months ago, though they didn't tell us how long she had.

The numbers are now five correct predictions out of a total of fifty eight this year. I fully expect there may be more to die this year, but I also expect the vultures to mention more people who still have years of life ahead of them. They are batting a miserable .086, after all.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Barbara Billingsley, from a fan.

Brave Last Days Alert: Rue McClanahan, Dick Clark, Dennis Hopper, Barbara Billingsley - UPDATED

Publication: National Examiner
Date: 8 Feb. 2010

For the first time this year, a supermarket tabloid has put a Brave Last Days story on the front page, mentioning four celebrities by name. Technically, it's a Sad Last Days alert, but I won't split hairs. All the names have appeared before on the covers or on the tabloid websites regarding health problems, one is new to this blog.

There have been stories of health problems for Rue McClanahan, but none of them said she was near death before. As always, this blog wishes nothing but the best for anyone mentioned in one of these posts.

UPDATE: Rue McClanahan died on June 3, 2010.

Dick Clark is also mentioned.

Likewise Dennis Hopper. It's odd to me how this counterculture character gets mentioned along with folks from much more mainstream entertainment.

UPDATE: Dennis Hopper died on May 29, 2010.

And last but not least, Barbara Billingsley gets her picture on the cover.

UPDATE: Barbara Billingsley died on October 16, 2010.

Brave Last Days Alert: Barbara Billingsley

Publication: National Enquirer (online)
Date: 25 Jan. 2010

Beginning to detect a pattern here. Once again, The Flagship decides not to post a Brave Last Days Alert on the cover, but does have it front page on the website. According to them, TV mom Hall of Famer Barbara Billingsley doesn't have long, and she called both Wally and the Beav to say goodbye and let them know how proud she was of them. (She knows they are really actors and not actual kin, and The Flagship plays it like a very sweet gesture and not a sign of senile dementia.)

I was a little surprised to find out how old Barbara Billingsley is. There is some disagreement among sources, but everybody agrees she was born before 1920, so she's somewhere between 91 and 94. Best wishes to Ms. Billingsley and her families, both real and fictional.