Robert Bruce Hegyes (pronounced Hedyesh; May 7, 1951 – January 26, 2012) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of high school student Juan Epstein on the 1970s American sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and as detective Manny Esposito on the 1980s American crime drama Cagney & Lacey. He is the cousin of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi.
Michael G. Bryson (August 22, 1942 – May 22, 2012) was a news and sports reporter and editor from Des Moines, Iowa and the elder brother of travel writer Bill Bryson. He co-authored a book The Babe Didn't Point: And Other Stories About Iowans and Sports with his son Michael G. Bryson Jr in 1989. He wrote The Twenty-Four-Inch Home Run in 1990.
Bryson was an editor and associate publisher of the Sun Press Newspapers in Hawaii from 1979 to 1986. He covered the New York Mets in 1969 while a sports reporter for the Associated Press. He was a news reporter for the Des Moines Register and Tribune from 1970 to 1979. He attended Drake University.
Terry Teene (February 6, 1942 – March 9, 2012) [sometimes alternatively spelled as Terry Teen] was an American musician, vocalist, songwriter, and entertainer, most commonly known for the early 1960s novelty hit "Curse of the Hearse". According to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, he recorded over 300 distinct songs and played on 100 or more released recordings, performing as a "major artist" on 25 of them. He has recorded under 70 names and appeared in over 500 nightclubs, by his own count.
John Cowles Jr. (May 27, 1929 – March 17, 2012) was an American editor and publisher, son of John Cowles Sr. (1898–1983). Cowles sat on the boards of directors of the Associated Press and Columbia University's Pulitzer Prizes and had been CEO of Cowles Media Company, founded by his grandfather and until 1998 the parent of the Star Tribune.
André Nelis (29 October 1935 – 9 December 2012) was a sailor and Olympian. He was born in Borgerhout, Belgium. He sailed in the Finn dinghy class, and won a silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and bronze at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Competing in the Finn Gold Cup, Nelis won in 1956 and 1961; finished second in 1958, 1959, and 1960; and came third in 1957 and 1962.
Jacqueline Mazéas (10 October 1920 – 9 July 2012) was a French athlete who competed mainly in the discus event. She was born in Denain, Nord. She competed for France in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, United Kingdom in the discus where she won the bronze medal.
Wendell D. Garrett (October 9, 1929 – November 14, 2012) was an American historian, expert on Americana and American-origin decorative arts and editor.
Henry Oscar "Hank" Lampe (April 8, 1927 – October 28, 2012) was an American government official, stockbroker, civic activist and Republican politician who represented Arlington, Virginia, in the Virginia General Assembly for two years.
Richard Lawrence "Larry" Stevenson (December 22, 1930 – March 25, 2012) was the inventor of the kicktail, the bent-upwards end of a skateboard, which made most of today's skateboarding tricks possible and essentially revolutionized the sport.
Jim Drake (1929 – 2012) was an American aeronautical engineer who is widely credited with the invention of the sport of Windsurfing. He patented his windsurfing concept in 1968. Drake conceptualized, designed and hand built the first board and articulating sail rig prototype in his garage. He started the sport's first company, Windsurfing International. He produced multiple championship winning windsurfing board designs throughout his career, as well as created a popular offshoot of windsurfing with the world's first un-masted wing sail. Drake would go on to become an altruistic figure head for the sport he pioneered over the course of his lifetime.