Jack Lalanne Dead at 96

1/23/11: Fitness guru. Brought the idea of living a healthy lifestyle into people's homes with the Jack Lalanne show. One of the first mainstream advocates of women's fitness. He was 96.




SOURCE:  http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=10&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit= 

John Dye Dead at 47

1/13/11: Co-starred on Touch By An Angel on CBS as the Angel of Death. He died of heart failure at 47.










SOURCE:   http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=10&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit=

David Nelson Dead at 74

1/11/11: Co-starred with his parents and little brother Rick on the popular television show 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,' Died of complications of colon cancer. He was 74.

Nelson was born in New York City and moved to Los Angeles with his parents, where he attended Hollywood High School and the University of Southern California. 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet' aired on ABC from 1952 to 1966; Nelson's film credits included 'Peyton Place,' 'The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,' 'The Big Circus' and 'The Big Show.'

SOURCE:  http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=10&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit=  

Peter Yates Dead at 81

1/09/11: Director of films 'Bullitt', 'Breaking Away', and 'The Hot Rock'. Yates will famously be remembered as the mastermind behind the truly amazing chase scene in Bullitt. You can see the complete Peter Yates Movie List here on Ranker.

SOURCE: http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=10&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit=  

Gerry Rafferty Dead at 63

1/4/11: The 'Stuck In The Middle With You' and 'Baker Street' singer/songwriter died after a long illness. His family said he passed away peacefully.




SOURCE:  http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=11&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit= 

Anne Francis Dead at 80

1/3/11: Best known for her roles in the 1950s science-fiction film "Forbidden Planet" and the 1960s television series "Honey West," died on complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 80.




SOURCE:  http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=11&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit=  

Pete Postlethwaite Dead at 64

1/3/11: Academy Award nominated actor succumbed to cancer after months of treatment. Remembered for roles in James and the Giant Peach, Romeo and Juliet, Brassed Off, and nominated for an Oscar for In the Name of the Father. Once called by Steven Spielberg as "the greatest actor in the world."



SOURCE:  http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2011-famous-deaths-list/famous-celebrity-deaths-list?page=11&format=BLOG&sortby=&sortdir=&limit=  

Hotel for the Dead Opens in Tokyo

A facility to temporarily house bodies until funerals have been arranged has recently opened in Tokyo.

Dubbed a "business hotel for the dead," the facility was established by Tokyo-based nonprofit organization LISS System, which has arranged funerals and estate settlements for 17 years. The building called LISS Center Shin-Kiba is three stories with a floor space of 550 square meters and can hold a maximum of 37 bodies.

Bodies are identified with bar codes to avoid mix-ups, and the room is equipped with anti-bacterial lights. The facility also has Japanese-style rooms so families can discuss the funeral arrangements in relative comfort. The center's staff is available to give advice on choosing a mortician and deciding on funeral details.


Rates at the "business hotel" run 7,350 yen a night, or 3,675 yen for 12 hours. Renting a room for a funeral costs 2,100 yen an hour.

There are not many other NPOs that have built such a well-equipped facility for the dead.

"Bereaved families usually are rushed to decide on a mortician and often have problems later regarding the funeral," Nyokai Matsushima of LISS System said.

"We want the families to have time to think, so they can decide on a satisfactory ceremony while their deceased relatives have a place to rest (temporarily) at our 'business hotel.'"

SOURCE

Man Accused of Breaking Into Funeral Home

Joshua E. Stedman, 26, who is reportedly homeless and living in Elgin, Illinois, was charged with felony burglary. He is accused of breaking into a funeral home in downtown Elgin. Police said about 12:10 a.m. Friday, December 24th, 2010, Stedman entered Wait Ross Allanson Funeral and Cremation Service at 51 Center St. and rifled through personal effects of the deceased. The only thing he removed from the building was a laptop computer power cord, police said.

SOURCE

State Board of Iowa Disciplines Two Funeral Homes

Two northeast Iowa funeral homes have been disciplined by the State Board of Mortuary Science.

According to the board, Charles Geilenfeld, director for Geilenfeld Funeral Home in Oelwein, was accused of letting his funeral director's license expire in April 2008 and not reinstating it until November 2009. While his license was inactive, Geilenfeld continued to provide mortuary services. He was assessed a civil penalty of $500 and placed on one year's probation.

Grau Funeral Home in Elgin and director Joshua C. Grau were accused of failing to get proper authorization before embalming and cremation while he was associated with Leonard Funeral Home, which is no longer licensed.

The funeral home and Grau were reprimanded, assessed a $1,000 civil penalty and given a year's probation.

SOURCE