Notable Deaths Of 2012

Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3ERobert%20Hegyes%2C%20the%20actor%20best%20known%20for%20playing%20Jewish%20Puerto%20Rican%20student%20Juan%20Epstein%20on%20the%201970s%20TV%20show%20%E2%80%9CWelcome%20Back%20Kotter%E2%80%9D%20%28with%20John%20Travolta%2C%20pictured%29%2C%20died%20of%20cardiac%20arrest%20on%20Jan.%2026.%20He%20was%2060.

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U.S.%20House%20of%20Represenatives%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBill%20Janklow%2C%20a%20flamboyant%20politician%20who%20left%20a%20lasting%20mark%20on%20South%20Dakota%20politics%20by%20serving%20four%20terms%20as%20governor%20but%20resigned%20as%20the%20state%E2%80%99s%20congressman%20after%20causing%20a%20fatal%20traffic%20accident%2C%20has%20died.%20He%20was%2072.%20

Spencer%20Platt%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBob%20Anderson%2C%20an%20Olympic%20fencer%20for%20the%20United%20Kingdom%2C%20died%20Jan.%202%20at%20age%2089.%20He%20was%20a%20renowned%20film%20fight%20choreographer%20who%20worked%20on%2C%20among%20other%20films%2C%20the%20original%20%E2%80%9CStar%20Wars%E2%80%9D%20trilogy.

Al%20Messerschmidt%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EMike%20Colalillo%2C%20the%20last%20Medal%20of%20Honor%20recipient%20in%20Minnesota%2C%20died%20at%20age%2086.%20Colalillo%20received%20the%20nation%E2%80%99s%20highest%20military%20honor%20for%20bravery%20in%20combat%20for%20killing%20or%20wounding%2025%20Germans%20and%20helping%20a%20seriously%20wounded%20comrade%20to%20safety%20during%20a%20fierce%20firefight%20near%20Untergriesheim%2C%20Germany%2C%20on%20April%207%2C%201945%2C%20toward%20the%20end%20of%20World%20War%20II.

Photo%20by%20Rob%20Carr%2FGetty%20Images

Photo%20by%20Kevin%20Winter%2FGetty%20Images

Photo%20by%20Jim%20McIsaac%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EHall%20of%20Fame%20catcher%20Gary%20Carter%2C%20whose%20single%20for%20the%20New%20York%20Mets%20in%20the%201986%20World%20Series%20touched%20off%20one%20of%20the%20most%20improbable%20rallies%20in%20baseball%2C%20died%20Feb.%2016.%20He%20was%2057.%20

Photo%20by%20Scott%20Gries%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EActor%20Ben%20Gazzara%20died%20in%20Manhattan%20from%20pancreatic%20cancer%20on%20Feb.%203%2C%202012.%20He%20was%2081.%20

Photo%20by%20Doug%20Pensinger%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3ECanadian%20freestyle%20skier%20Sarah%20Burke%20died%20Jan.%2019%2C%20nine%20days%20after%20crashing%20at%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20superpipe%20during%20a%20training%20run%20in%20Utah.%20She%20was%2029.%20

Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3ESherman%20Hemsley%2C%20best%20known%20for%20his%20role%20as%20George%20Jefferson%20in%20the%2070%E2%80%B2s%20sitcom%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Jeffersons%E2%80%9D%20died%20July%2024.%20He%20was%2074.%20

-%2FAFP%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3ENASA%20astronaut%20Sally%20K.%20Ride%2C%20the%20Space%20Shuttle%20Challenger%20crew%20member%2C%20poses%20in%20January%201983%20in%20Johnson%20Space%20Center%2C%20Houston.%20Ride%2C%20the%20first%20American%20woman%20in%20space%2C%20died%20from%20pancreatic%20cancer%20on%20July%2023%2C%202012.%20She%20was%2061.%20

Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EActor%20Andy%20Griffith%20died%20on%20July%203%2C%202012.%20He%20was%2086.

Photo%20by%20Astrid%20Stawiarz%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3ENora%20Ephron%2C%20the%20Oscar-nominated%20filmmaker%20and%20director%20behind%20such%20hits%20as%20%E2%80%9CWhen%20Harry%20Met%20Sally%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9CSleepless%20in%20Seattle%2C%E2%80%9D%20died%20June%2026.%20She%20was%2071.%20

Photo%20by%20Chris%20Trotman%2FGetty%20Images%20for%20USOC%3Cbr%20%2F%3EArtist%20LeRoy%20Nieman%20%28credit%3A%20Chris%20Trotman%2FGetty%20Images%20for%20USOC%29%20%0D%0AArtist%20LeRoy%20Nieman%20signs%20autographs%20at%20the%20100%20Days%20to%20Vancouver%20Celebration%20on%20November%204%2C%202009%20at%20the%20Rockefeller%20Center%20in%20New%20York%20City.%20

Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EDisco%20queen%20Donna%20Summer%2C%20whose%20pulsing%20anthems%20such%20as%20%E2%80%9CLast%20Dance%2C%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%9CLove%20to%20Love%20You%20Baby%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9CBad%20Girls%E2%80%9D%20became%20the%20soundtrack%20for%20a%20glittery%20age%20of%20sex%2C%20drugs%2C%20dance%20and%20flashy%20clothes%2C%20died%20May%2017.%20She%20was%2063.

Photo%20by%20Michael%20Buckner%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EThe%20body%20of%20Mary%20Kennedy%2C%2052%2C%20the%20estranged%20wife%20of%20Robert%20F.%20Kennedy%20Jr.%2C%20was%20discovered%20in%20her%20Mount%20Kisco%20home%20on%20May%2016%2C%20and%20suicide%20is%20believed%20to%20be%20the%20cause%20of%20death.

Photo%20by%20Spencer%20Platt%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EMaurice%20Sendak%2C%20the%20children%E2%80%99s%20book%20author%20and%20illustrator%20of%20%E2%80%9CWhere%20the%20Wild%20Things%20Are%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20Night%20Kitchen%2C%E2%80%9D%20died%20on%20Tuesday%2C%20May%208%2C%202012.%20He%20was%2083.

Photo%20by%20Michael%20Buckner%2FGetty%20Image%3Cbr%20%2F%3EArtist%20Thomas%20Kinkade%2C%20%28pictured%2C%20right%29%20whose%20brushwork%20paintings%20of%20idyllic%20landscapes%2C%20cottages%20and%20churches%20have%20been%20big%20sellers%20for%20dealers%20across%20the%20United%20States%2C%20died%20April%206%20at%20age%2054.

Photo%20by%20Evan%20Agostini%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3ELegendary%20CBS%20Newsman%20Mike%20Wallace%2C%20who%20won%20his%2021st%20and%20final%20Emmy%20Award%20at%2089%2C%20died%20April%207%20in%20the%20New%20Canaan%2C%20Conn.%2C%20care%20facility%20where%20he%20had%20lived%20the%20last%20few%20years%20of%20his%20life.%20He%20was%2093.

Photo%20by%20Andrew%20Burton%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EConservative%20media%20publisher%20Andrew%20Breitbart%2C%20who%20was%20behind%20investigations%20that%20led%20to%20the%20resignations%20of%20former%20Rep.%20Anthony%20Weiner%20and%20former%20U.S.%20Agriculture%20Department%20official%20Shirley%20Sherrod%2C%20died%20in%20Los%20Angeles%20on%20March%201%2C%202012.%20He%20was%2043.%20

Photo%20by%20Frederick%20M.%20Brown%2FGetty%20Images%3Cbr%20%2F%3EDavy%20Jones%2C%20lead%20singer%20of%20The%20Monkees%2C%20died%20on%20February%2029%2C%202012.%20He%20was%2066.