Raymond Parks, the owner of NASCAR record setter Red Byron’s car, died on Sunday, June 20, in Atlanta. Parks, who was born on June 5, 1914, was also well known as a moonshine runner who later helped start NASCAR by winning the first two NASCAR championships.
Peter Keefe, creator of the popular 1980 animated series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, died of throat cancer on May 27, 2010 in Rochester, NY. The New York Times reports the cartoon series paved the way for other popular animated Japanese-style animated cartoon shows.
Country singer and entrepreneur Jimmy Dean died on June 13, 2010 in Henrico County, Virginia. The New York Times reports, “(Donna Mead Dean) told The Associated Press that Mr. Dean had health problems but was still functioning well, so his death came as a shock. She said he was eating in front of the television. She left the room for a time and came back and he was unresponsive.”
John Wooden, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach, died on June 4, 2010. Wooden is known for winning ten NCAA championships as UCLA’s basketball coach over the span of 12 years.
Rue McClanahan died yesterday from a stroke that resulted in a fatal brain hemorrhage. She was known as the Golden Girls TV character “Blanche” to her fans, a role that won McClanahan an Emmy Award in 1987.
