Elvis Menayese
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WFAE
Volunteers donate their time in communities across our region, whether at a homeless shelter, a food bank, or an after-school program. Charlotte resident Connie Oliphant, 86, was one of those people. According to an American Red Cross Survey, just over half of Americans lack basic swimming skills, and over the past four years, the retired teacher worked to help change that. A few weeks before she unexpectedly died last weekend, Oliphant shared insight about her coaching methods that gives adults life-saving skills and confidence in the water.
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David Hume Kennerly/APCheney, who extolled the power of the presidency, died Monday, according to a statement from his family. The cause was complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. -
LendingTree/HandoutLendingTree CEO Doug Lebda died Sunday in an ATV accident. The Charlotte-based company announced his death Monday morning. Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996, and it has since grown into one of Charlotte’s most prominent homegrown financial companies. Scott Peyree, who has been LendingTree’s president and chief operating officer, was appointed CEO effective immediately.
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Bob Fernandez was a 17-year-old sailor on board the USS Curtiss during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that propelled the U.S. into World War II. -
The poet and activist was a leading figure of the Black Arts Movement. Giovanni was working on her upcoming book of poetry, set to publish in the fall. -
The affable, smooth-talking game show host of "Wheel of Fortune," "Love Connection" and "Scrabble" later became a right-wing podcaster. -
Arthur Frommer, who revolutionized travel with his 1957 guidebook "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day," has died at 95, his daughter confirmed Monday. -
Bela Karolyi coached several renowned gymnasts, including Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug and Julianne McNamara. But he was known for harsh methods of training. -
Jamison was a dance star who led the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to new heights. -
Jenkins, whose signature tune was "You'll Sing A Song," received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was known worldwide for her call-and-response songs. -
Bobby Allison, whose life was full of tragedy even as he became one of the most celebrated NASCAR drivers of all time, died on Saturday. The Hall of Famer was 86. -
The versatile actor had hundreds of screen credits to his name, including "Platoon," "The Rock" and "Final Destination." -
Ben, Kirk Herbstreit's certified emotional support animal, had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Audiences grew to love the 10-year-old golden retriever who appeared on TV with his owner.
MORE NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL OBITUARIES
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The political assassination of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman was a shock to the people of the state and the country.
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Wilson, who died at age 82, was the creative force behind The Beach Boys. He wrote and produced many hits, including "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows." Originally broadcast in '88 and '98.
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Brian Wilson, the troubled genius behind The Beach Boys, has died at age 82. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with biographer Peter Ames Carlin about Wilson's legacy.
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Jennifer Lyell, a prominent whistleblower within the Southern Baptist Convention who brought national attention to sexual abuse within the church, has died. She suffered from a series of strokes.
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The Beach Boys' co-founder, songwriter and producer transformed pop music into high art and became America's answer to The Beatles' Lennon and McCartney in the process. -
Sylvester Stewart, better known by his stage name Sly Stone, has died at 82. His band Sly and the Family Stone combined psychedelic rock, doo-wop, gospel and surf to create a new sound.
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Born in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a journalist. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle, which inspired The Day of the Jackal. -
Frederick Forsyth, former MI6 agent and bestselling author of "The Day of the Jackal," has died at age 86. His thrillers, rooted in real-world reporting and espionage, reshaped the genre.
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The musical visionary led a multi-racial funk band that produced five Top 10 hits in the late 1960s and early '70s. -
Stanley Nelson, the editor of a small-town weekly newspaper in Louisiana, exposed secrets about unsolved murders by the Ku Klux Klan. Nelson died this week at the age of 69. -
The Emmy-winning composer/arranger worked with a 35-piece orchestra for 27 years, creating music for The Simpsons. Clausen died May 29. Originally broadcast May 14, 1997.
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Many of White's books chronicled his own experiences as a gay man, making an indelible impression on gay culture and how LGBTQ experiences were understood more broadly at the dawning of the AIDS health crisis.
