2024 Year in Review!

 

2024 will soon come to a close.  As has become tradition here, it's time to look back on all the fresh dirt that this blogger explored over the last year.  I wasn't sure of the exact numbers myself, but suffice it to say, I was very surprised.

In 2024, this blogger visited 72 graves in 12 states and Washington, DC.  This brings the total to date to 639 famous graves in 32 states and DC.  Next year, we go for 700.

Many of this year's notable graves have already been chronicled here, including Cokie Roberts, Pearl S. Buck, and Philip McKeon.  We've also highlighted some of the more unusual graves we discovered this year, including Stephanie Zimbalist, who is still very much alive, and Ed Headrick, who now exists as a frisbee.

Before we end the year, here's a quick look at some of the other graves we found, who may be blogged in the near future.

Allen Ludden
Game Show Host/Betty White's Husband
Graceland Cemetery
Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Trivia: The location of Betty's ashes remains a mystery.  Urban legend has it that they were secretly buried or scattered here.

Bob Evans
Restauranteur
Mound Hill Cemetery
Gallipolis, Ohio
Trivia: The headstone is shaped like one of his restaurants.

Chris Farley
Actor/Alleged Comedian
Resurrection Cemetery
Madison, Wisconsin
Trivia: Farley died of a drug overdose while entertaining a hooker.  She took photos of his dead body and sold them to the National Enquirer.

Frank Lloyd Wright
Architect
Unity Chapel Cemetery
Wyoming, Wisconsin

Trivia: Like Judy Garland and Anton Yelchin, Wright has two graves.  In 1985, his remains were exhumed from this location and cremated.  Some were re-interred here, while others were buried with his wife in Arizona.  Additionally, this location is but a few miles from one of America's greatest roadside attractions, House on the Rock, which was created by rival architect Alex Jordan, Jr.  Allegedly, Wright told Jordan that he would never amount to anything.  In response, Jordan created the attraction to prove him wrong.  Today, it attracts more than 500,000 visitors every year.

Mark Gruenwald
Comic Book Artist
Ripley's Believe it or Not!
Williamsburg, Virginia
Trivia: Gruenwald was a comic book artist who lived for his work.  Upon his death, his body was cremated, and his ashes were used in the production of the comic book seen below.  

Not pictured: Aaron Burr, Jr., Alan Freed, Anna Anderson, Anne Baxter, Audrey Roth, Barbara Baxley, Bernard Henry Kroger, Charles Atlas, Charles Coburn, Charles Colson, Charles Durbing, Charles Hinton, Jr., Cokie Roberts, David Frisch, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, Ed Headrick, Efrem Zimbalist, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Eileen Brennan, Eugene Stoner, Frederick Branch, Geraldine Ferraro, Henry John Heinz, Henry John Heinz II, Henry John Heinz III, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, James Gamble, Joe Lieberman, Joe Pepitone, John Cephas, JFK, John Gotti, John Philip Sousa, Johnny Appleseed, Joseph Cotten, Kunta Kinte, Leo the MGM Lion, Leon Uris, the John List Family, Louis Lowery, Lucky Luciano, Marilyn Marie Johnson Eastman, Mario Cuomo, Martha Moxley, Martin Balsam, Mary "Kitty" Menendez, Mary Travers, Nancy Kulp, Nancy Parsons, Patricia Cotton, Pearl S. Buck, Peter Kurten, Philip McKeon, Prescott Bush, Robert Williams Daniel, Robert Novak, Scott Hall, Stephanie Zimbalist, Tom Thumb, Victor Borge, Walter Matt Jefferies, William Higgins, and William Procter.

Happy holidays!  This blog will return in January 2025.

The DC Madam

 

"I am not going back to prison.  I will commit suicide first."

If you lived in the Washington, DC area in the early 2000s, you're likely to remember Deborah Jeane Palfrey, affectionately dubbed the DC Madam by the local media. In 2008, she was found guilty of money laundering and racketeering after a four-year hands-on investigation into her escort agency, Pamela Martin and Associates (PM&A), whose clients included national politicians and local celebrities.

She was born in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania on March 18, 1956.  When she was a teenager, her family moved to Orlando, Florida, where she later attended Rollins College, earning her degree in criminal justice.  No, really.  After graduation, she moved to San Diego, taking a job as a paralegal.

It was through her clients in America's Finest City that Palfrey first became involved in the escort business.  She felt that she could run such a service much more efficiently than any of her legal clients had done, so she began recruiting her all-star team.  Her first arrest came in 1990, when she was charged with pimping, pandering, and extortion.  She fled to Montana but was brought back for trial and was ultimately convicted in 1992.  She would spend the next 18 months in prison. Following her release, Palfrey opened PM&A in Washington, DC.

Upon her conviction in 2008, Palfrey was informed that she could spend the next 55 years in prison.  Two weeks later, on May 1, she was found dead at her mother's mobile home in Tarpon Springs, Florida.  Fearing a return to prison, Palfrey had ultimately decided to take her own life.  Her body was found hanging in a tool shed behind her mother's home.  Following an autopsy, her death was ruled a suicide.

Deborah Jeane Palfrey was laid to rest in the family plot at Cycadia Cemetery in Tarpon Springs.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• A year after her death, Palfrey's lawyer Montgomery Blair Sibley, who was disbarred following the trial, released his tell-all book on the case.  You can pick up a copy of Why Just Her: The Judicial Lynching of the DC Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, from Amazon.
  
  
• ABC News went through Palfrey's phone records, which contained the names of nearly 15,000 clients.  Ultimately, they decided not to release any of those names, stating that none of them were "sufficiently newsworthy."  Phew!
  
  
• In 2007, Senator David Vitter of Louisiana acknowledged that he had been one of Palfrey's clients.  With his depressed wife standing by his side, Vitter called a press conference, wherein he admitted "his failings," but ultimately refused to step down.  You can check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• Palfrey's younger sister, Roberta Lynn, will one day join her in this dual plot.
  
  
• Following her death, Palfrey's conviction was vacated by the court.

That Guy - Star Wars, Flash Gordon, Superman 4.......

 

"In a sense, my career's been downhill ever since.  Fans still come to greet me at the stage door with action figures of my character and embarrassing photographs for me to sign."

William Hootkins is not exactly a household name.  When I visited his grave in Dallas a few years back, I knew him as Porkins, one of the many rebel pilots who did not survive the original Star Wars. 

I was in the cemetery paying my respects to some more notable internments, when I saw his listing on Find a Grave, and thought, what the heck.  It turns out this guy has been in a ton of my favorite movies and I never made the connection.  But first, a little back story.

He was born in Dallas on July 5, 1948.  He attended private school, where he first became interested in acting.  Upon graduation, he enrolled in Princeton University, where he initially majored in astrophysics before transferring to oriental studies, all the while participating in the school's theatrical productions. Upon graduation, he followed his friend John Lithgow's advice and moved to England, where he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. 

It was there in 1976 that he was cast as Porkins, a small role that would ultimately define his career.  He'd continue working in England for the next twenty years, appearing in some of the biggest films of the day.  In 1980, he appeared as Munson, lab assistant to the eccentric Dr. Hanz Zarkov in Dino De Laurentis's Flash Gordon.  The following year, he appeared as Major Eaton in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark.  In 1987, he appeared in the critically panned Superman 4: The Quest for Peace, playing Harry Howler, an American arms tycoon.  Finally, in 1989, he played the corrupt Lieutenant Eckhardt in Tim Burton's Batman.

Hootkins in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman 4: The Quest for Peace, and Batman.

By 2005, Hootkins had relocated to California, where he was being treated for pancreatic cancer.  He ultimately died on October 23rd.  He was just 57 years old.

William Hootkins was laid to rest at Sparkman/Hillcrest Memorial Park in Dallas.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• As a teenager, Hootkins was in the same drama group as future box office star Tommy Lee Jones, whom he was felt was far more handsome than himself.  He once famously stated "I supported from then on."
  
  
• When he was just 15 years old, Hootkins was interviewed by the FBI following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  His teacher at the time, Ruth Paine, was a Russian national and friend to Oswald's wife Marina.  It was later discovered that unbeknownst to the family, Oswald had stored his rifle in Paine's garage, the same one he'd later use to kill the president.
  
  
• Other notable Sparkman internments include Mickey Mantle, Ross Perot, Tom Landry and Mary Kay Ash.
  
  
• When Lieutenant Eckhardt goes to kill Jack Napier at Axis Chemicals in the first few minutes of Batman, Hootkins appears with a scruffy beard.  Moments later, when Napier shoots him, he appears completely clean shaven.

Paul Walker - Too Fast, Too Furious

 

"Maybe this is just horrible bad, but I think I've had enough successes to where the journey is more important to me now.  There's no guarantee, no matter what.  We've got one run in life."

Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California on September 12, 1973.  He was born to a family that had already seen its share of fame.  His father, Paul III, was an amateur boxer and two-time Golden Gloves champion while his mother Cheryl was a fashion model.  His paternal grandfather, Paul II, had also been a professional boxer, while his other grandfather was a racecar driver.

He began his acting career when he was just 13 years old, appearing in the long-forgotten horror comedy film Monster in the Closet.  Bigger roles would follow, including a short-term stint on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless.  It got him noticed in Hollywood, leading to roles on the big screen, including Varsity Blues and She's All That, both released in 1999.

In 2001, he was cast as Brian O'Connor in The Fast and the Furious, spawning a franchise that today includes 12 feature films and an animated series.  Really.  Walker would only appear in six and a half of these films however.

On November 30, 2013, Walker attended a fundraising event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide (see Trivia below).  He was joined by friend Roger Rodas, a fellow racing enthusiast and investment banker.  The two left the event in Rodas's 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, reaching speeds up to 93 MPH in a 45 MPH zone.  Rodas lost control of the car, which, after crashing into a concrete lamp post, burst into flames.

Both men died in the crash.  An autopsy would later determine that Rodas died on impact, while Walker would die in the fire.  Both of their bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Walker was cremated and his ashes were buried at famed Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.  Don't bother asking the front office for directions though, because they don't give them.

Court of Liberty Section
Gardens of Heritage

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Paul Walker, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• The crash occurred at 28385 Constellation Road in Valencia.  It is today a macabre tourist attraction, even receiving its own page on Roadside America.
  
  
• Walker died halfway during production of the seventh film in the series, aptly titled Furious 7.  His brothers were employed to help finish the project.  Producers also made use of CGI.
  
  
• Walker founded the non-profit organization Reach Out Worldwide following a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti.  It is a collaboration between first responders, medical technicians, and construction experts who travel the globe in response to natural disasters.  For more information on how you can support this worthy organization, please visit roww.org. 
  
  
• Walker was raised in the Mormon faith, later becoming a devout Christian, graduating from Village Christian High School in 1991.  "I'm a Christian now," he later said.  "The people I don't understand are atheists.  I go surfing and snowboarding and I'm always around nature.  I look at everything and think, who couldn't believe there's a God?  Is this all a mistake?  It just blows me away."
  
  
• Rapper Wiz Khalifa wrote and produced the single See You Again for the Furious 7 soundtrack as a tribute to Walker.  You can check out the video on YouTube.
  
  
• Walker's life was chronicled in the 2018 documentary I am Paul Walker.  Check out the trailer on YouTube.

Peter, Paul, and Mary Travers

 

"People say to us 'oh we grew up on your music' and we often say, sotto voce, 'so did we.'"

Mary Allin Travers was born in Louisville, Kentucky on November 9, 1936.  Her parents were journalists who moved the family to New York City just two years later.

She grew up in Greenwich Village, where, as a teenager, she found herself drawn to the burgeoning folk music scene.  She attended the progressive Little Red School House, but dropped out in the 11th grade to join her first group, the Song Swappers.  She stayed with them for six years before catching the ear of Bob Dylan in 1961.

That year, he teamed Mary with fellow folk musicians Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey.  Between 1961 and 2009, Peter, Paul, and Mary would release nearly 50 albums and 29 hit singles.  This blogger would discover them through their hit The River of Jordan, covered by Lorna Patterson in the 1980 cinematic masterpiece Airplane!.

In 2004, Mary was diagnosed with leukemia. She underwent a bone marrow transplant the following year, which led to a temporary remission, but she ultimately passed away on September 16, 2009.  She was just 72 years old.

Mary Travers was laid to rest at Umpawaug Cemetery in Redding, Connecticut.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• The inscription on Mary's headstone reads "Voice of a generation that echoes through the ages."  
  
  
• At the height of their fame, the trio appeared as mystery guests on the popular game show What's My Line, brought to you by Kellogg's.  You can watch the 1963 episode in its entirety (complete with commercials) on YouTube.
  
  
• Mary was co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival, an annual event still conducted each year in Rhode Island.
  
  
• Mary was a frequent performer on the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day MDA Telethon.  Here she is in 1975 being introduced by the host himself and performing The Song is Love.
  
  
• The day after her death, Brian Williams filed this retrospective report for MSNBC.  Shockingly, he didn't claim to have known her or to taught her how to sing.
  
  
• Can't make it to Connecticut yourself?  Vlogger Fascinating Graveyard posted this video of the grave.

The Roots Graveyard?

 

In January 1977, approximately 140 million Americans tuned in to the eight-part television mini-series Roots, based on author Alex Haley's book of the same name.  Spanning more than 100 years, it tells the story of Haley's ancestors, abducted from Africa and sold into slavery in Colonial America.

The main protagonist, Kunta Kinte (played by Levar Burton), was a fictional character based on one of Haley's Gambian ancestors.  Upon arriving in America, he was sold into slavery, eventually working on a plantation in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.

Today, that land has been reclaimed and turned into Loriella Park, which features hiking trails, a swimming pool, a frisbee golf course and more.  One area that remains undisturbed is the former slave graveyard.  While the headstones are no more, many historians and Roots aficionados believe that Haley's ancestor, who died around 1822, is among those buried in this sacred plot.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Roots: The Saga of an American Family, was one of 1976's top-selling books.  It spent 46 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List.  You can pick up a copy on Amazon.
  
  
• Haley eventually passed away in 1992 at the age of 70.  He was buried on the grounds of his childhood home in Henning, Tennessee, which today serves as the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center.
  
  
• The series had hundreds of well-known actors and others who were just starting out.  Many of them have since passed away, and some of those graves have been profiled by this blog.  You can re-visit Robert Reed, Vic Morrow, Carolyn Jones and Roxie Roker.
  
  
• Can't make it to Virginia to see for yourself?  Vlogger VA Travels posted an eight-minute walking and drone tour of the park and the burial grounds.  Check it out on YouTube.

Arnold Horshack!

 

Ronald Gabriel Paolillo was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 2, 1949. He was the son of Gabriel and Carmel, the former of whom died of lung cancer when Ronald was just ten years old.  He graduated from high school in 1967 and attended the University of Connecticut at Storrs.  Intent on becoming an actor, he made his way to Hollywood, where he changed his name to Ron Palillo.

In 1975, he was cast in his signature role, that of Arnold Horshack on the sit-com Welcome, Back Kotter.  It was his first television role.  The series ran for four seasons totaling 94 episodes.  The final episode was a back-door pilot that would serve as a starring vehicle for Paolillo, but the new series was never produced.

In the 1980s, he made guest appearances on many popular shows of the day, including The Love Boat, Chips, and of course, Murder, She Wrote.  He also appeared in a number of feature films, including Friday the 13th, Part 6: Jason Lives (1986) and the charmingly titled Snake Eater (1989), an action vehicle for Lorenzo Lamas.  Apparently the movie was a success, because later the same year, he reprised his role in its sequel, Snake Eater 2: The Drug Buster.

In 1991, he returned to the New York stage, where he played Mozart in Amadeus and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, among many other roles.  He was also a talented stage director, releasing his first full-length play, The Lost Boy, in 2006.  It told the story of Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie.

In 2012, Paolillo was living in Palm Beach, Florida with his partner of 41 years, Joseph Gramm.  It was there that he suffered a heart attack on August 14th.  Although he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.  He was just 63 years old.  A memorial tribute, hosted by Cagney and Lacey star Tyne Daly, was held in New York City later that year.

Ron Paolillo was laid to rest in Saint Larence Cemetery in West Haven, Connecticut.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Paolillo was the second Sweathog to pass away in 2012, the first being Robert Hegyes, who also died of a heart attack.
  
  
• In the early 1980s, Paolillo became a voice actor for several Saturday morning cartoons, including Laverne and Shirley in the Army.  He provided the voice of Sargeant Squealy, a talking pig.  Think I'm making this up?  You can watch an episode in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Paolillo was also an illustrator who worked on the children's book The Red Wings of Christmas with fellow former child star Wesley Eure.  You can pick up a copy on Amazon.  He illustrated a second children's book with author Michael Mele entitled A Gift for the Contessa, which is also available on Amazon.
  
  
• In 1983, Paolillo cut a public service announcement for The Alcoholism Center in Chicago.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• In the 1990s, Paolillo returned to the University at Connecticut, this time as a professor.
  
  
• Remember Celebrity Boxing?  It was a guilty pleasure back in 2002.  During the second season, Paolillo fought a fellow TV nerd about three decades younger, Saved by the Bell's Dustin Diamond.  You can watch the fight in its painful entirety on YouTube.