Sunday End of July Obituaries

 Obituary:  Basketball great Bill Russell, 88, has reportedly died.  He was one of the greatest players ever in the history of the NBA, and he was widely admired off the court as well.  He was from an era where athletes knew how to conduct themselves at all times and not trying to get in the tabloids.  Okay, I know about Wilt Chamberlain and his alleged promiscuity, but he admitted to this years and years after he left sports, and then after the fallout,  he was sorry as hell he ever said anything.

Anyway, back to Russell:

Over a 15-year period, beginning with his junior year at the University of San Francisco, Russell had the most remarkable career of any player in the history of team sports. At USF, he was a two-time All-American, won two straight NCAA championships and led the team to 55 consecutive wins. And he won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.

During his 13 years in Boston, he carried the Celtics to the NBA Finals 12 times, winning the championship 11 times, the last two titles while he was also serving as the NBA's first Black coach.

"Bill Russell's DNA is woven through every element of the Celtics organization, from the relentless pursuit of excellence, to the celebration of team rewards over individual glory, to a commitment to social justice and civil rights off the court. Our thoughts are with his family as we mourn his passing and celebrate his enormous legacy in basketball, Boston, and beyond," the Celtics said in a statement.

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Another obituary of note: Actress Nichelle Nichols, known for her role on Star Trek,  has died.  She was 89 years old and died from natural causes, according to her son:

Nichols is widely known for participating in one of the first interracial kisses on US television when her character kissed James T. Kirk, portrayed by White Canadian actor William Shatner. In an interview with CNN in 2014, Nichols said the kiss scene "changed television forever, and it also changed the way people looked at one another."

After "Trek's" three-season run, Nichols dedicated herself to the space program. She helped NASA in making the agency more diverse, helping to recruit astronauts Sally Ride, Judith Resnik and Guion Bluford, among others.

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Yet another obit of note: Actress Pat Carroll, 95, often seen on television, died yesterday:

Patricia Ann Carroll was born on May 5, 1927, in Shreveport, Louisiana. When she was 5, she and her family moved to Los Angeles. At age 20, she served as a Civilian Actress Technician for the army, writing, producing and directing all-soldier productions. She graduated from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in 1949.

Carroll’s first professional appearance had come in 1947 alongside Gloria Swanson in a regional stock production of A Goose for a Gander. This led to more stock company roles, and she also sharpened her comic chops by performing in nightclubs and resorts.

Carroll’s off-Broadway debut came in 1950 in Come What May. Shortly after, she began landing television work on Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Red Buttons Show and The Saturday Night Revue.