List of notable brain tumor patients

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United States Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania (right) is a long-term brain tumor survivor who continues to serve in public office.
United States Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania (right) is a long-term brain tumor survivor who continues to serve in public office.

This article provides a list of notable people who had a primary or metastatic brain tumor (either benign or malignant) at some point in their lives, as confirmed by public information. Tumor type and survival duration are listed where the information is known. Blank spaces in these columns appear where precise information has not been released to the public. Medicine does not designate most long term survivors as cured.

To put survival periods in context, a Norwegian hospital reviewed 1,218 patient records from 1960–1994 and reported median survival times for several tumor types over this 35 year period as listed in the table below.[1]

According to the United States National Cancer Institute, an estimated 18,500 new cases and 12,760 deaths occurred nationwide in 2005. These high overall mortality rates are due to the prevalence of aggressive types such as glioblastoma multiforme. Nearly 14% of new brain tumor diagnoses occur in persons under 20 years of age.[2]

Tumor type Median survival
Glioblastoma multiforme 12 months (1.0 years)
Anaplastic astrocytoma 25 months (2.1 years)
Astrocytoma (low grade) 95 months (7.9 years)
Oligodendroglioma 74 months (6.2 years)
Mixed glioma 65 months (5.4 years)
Medulloblastoma 109 months (9.1 years)
Brain stem tumors 9 months (0.8 years)
Pineal region tumors 60 months (5.0 years)

Contents

[edit] Acting

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Margo Albert 1917–1985 Mexican-born film actress and dancer. [3]
Tony Anholt 1941–2002 An actor best known for his role as Charles Frere in the 80s TV series Howards' Way. [4]
Pamela Britton 1923–1974 An actress who played Lorelei Brown on the television program My Favorite Martian. 2 weeks [5]
Patrick Cargill 1918–1996 British film and television actor who had been in ill health since being treated for a brain tumour and died a year later. Initially his death was blamed on a 'hit and run' accident [6]
Bert Convy 1933–1991 Stage, film and TV actor/host. 15 months [7]
Ross Davidson 1949–2006 An actor who played Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. glioblastoma multiforme 20 months [8]
Brenda De Banzie 1915–1981 British actress of stage and film; died during or after surgery on a benign brain tumour. [9]
Esmeray Diriker 1950–2002 A singer and actress. [10]
Sandy Duncan 1946— Tony Award nominated Broadway actor, television star. 1971– [11]
Linda Gary 1944–1995 Voice artist for Scooby Doo and other animated series. [12]
Brian Glover 1934–1997 An actor and former professional wrestler and teacher. [13]
Richard Greene 1918–1985 An actor best known as the star of the long running British TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood. 3 years [14]
Olivia Hamnett 19??–2001 English born Australian actor. [15]
Susan Hayward 1917–1975 Academy Award-winning film actress. 2 years [16]
Richard Jordan 1938–1993 An actor of stage, screen and film. [17][18]
Martin Kemp 1961— An actor and former pop musician with brother Gary Kemp in the band Spandau Ballet. 1995— [19]
Arthur Kennedy 1914–1990 Stage and film actor; Tony Award winner. [20]
Lois Kibbee 1922–1993 An actress best remembered for her role of Geraldine Weldon Whitney Saxon on the TV soap opera The Edge of Night. [21]
Alan Lake 1940–1984 An actor and widower of actress Diana Dors. Committed suicide. [22]
Eugene Gordon Lee 1933–2005 Child actor who played Porky in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) comedies. metastatic tumor [23]
Katherine Locke 1910–1995 A leading Broadway actress in the late 1930s. [24]
Meredith MacRae 1944–2000 A TV actress/host. [25]
Victor Maddern 1926–1993 A supporting actor on film. [26]
Lea De Mae 1976–2004 A pornographic model and actress. glioblastoma multiforme 4 months [27]
Joseph Maher 1933–1998 Irish-born stage actor and film/TV character actor. [28]
Irish McCalla 1928–2002 A film and television actress best known as the title star of the 1950s TV series Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. under 18 months [29]
Buster Merryfield 1920–1999 The actor who played Uncle Albert in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses. [30]
Bueno de Mesquita 1918–2005 A comedian, actor and stage artist, known for his ability to make funny faces; lung cancer also (probable metastasis). [31][32]
Greg Morris 1933–1996 African-American television actor (Mission: Impossible series). [33]
Pola Negri 1894–1987 A Polish-American silent movie actress, famous for playing a femme fatale role. Refused treatment; died of pneumonia. 2 years [34]
Jerry Paris 1925–1986 An actor and director best known for his role as Jerry Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show. [35]
Pat Paulsen 1927–1997 Comedian, starred on the Smothers Brothers television show in the 1960s. [36]
Slim Pickens 1919–1983 Rodeo clown turned film actor (Dr. Strangelove). [37][38]
Kate Reid 1930–1993 Noted Canadian actress of stage, film and television. [39]
Mark Ruffalo 1967— American film actor. The operation to remove the benign tumor caused him temporary partial paralysis. acoustic neuroma 2001— [40]
Irene Ryan c. 1902–1973 An entertainer who found success in vaudeville, radio, film and television. Never told of tumor; died after suffering a stroke onstage while performing in Pippin, her Broadway debut. [41]
Zachary Scott 1914–1965 American film actor; specialized in villains (Mildred Pierce) [42][43]
Alexis Smith 1921–1993 Canadian-born film, stage, musical theatre and television actress. [44]
Michelle Stafford 1965— An actress best known for her role as Phyllis Summers Abbott Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. 1985— [45]
Werner Stocker 1955–1993 Bavarian Film Award (Bayerischer Filmpreis) for Best Young Actors shared with Dana Vávrová for Herbstmilch; featured role in television's Highlander: The Series. [46]
Kinuyo Tanaka 1910–1977 A Japanese film actress and director. [47]
Anya Taranda 1915–1970 A model, showgirl, actress and wife of renowned songwriter Harold Arlen. [48]
Elizabeth Taylor 1932— Academy Award winning actor, star of numerous films. meningioma 1997– [49]
Bobby Van 1928–1980 Broadway musician and actor. [50]
Henry Victor 1892–1945 A character actor (played "Hercules") in the 1932 film, Freaks. [51][52]
Kim Walker 1968–2001 An actress whose most notable role was as Heather Chandler in the film Heathers. malignant glioma under 2 years [53]
Penelope Dudley Ward 1914–1982 British actress and socialite; wife of acclaimed film director Carol Reed [54]
Johnny Wayne 1918–1990 Canadian comedian/entertainer (Wayne and Shuster). [55]
Bill Williams 1915–1992 A movie actor who starred as Kit Carson in the 1950s TV series Adventures of Kit Carson. [56]
Jeff Winkless 1941–2006 Composer, TV and voice actor. [57]
Lee Ae-Jung 1987–2007 a Korean teenage actress encephaloma [58]

[edit] Business

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
James Batten 1936?–1995 Chief Executive Officer of Knight-Ridder publishing. 1 year [59]
Raymond Bonham Carter 1929–2004 A banker who became a director of S G Warburg & Co and the father of actress Helena Bonham Carter. He became quadriplegic and partially blind after an operation to remove a non-cancerous brain tumor. 25 years [60]
Reginald Lewis 1942–1993 Chief Executive Officer of TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc, the first African-American run company to have over $1 billion in annual sales. [61]
Gerry Pencer 1945–1998 Chief executive officer of Cott Beverages. Mr. Pencer and his family became significant philanthopists of brain tumor research and medicine. glioblastoma multiforme 8 months [62]
Rene Rivkin 1944–2005 A stockbroker convicted for insider trading. multiple meningioma [63]
Dawn Steel 1946–1997 First female top executive of a major Hollywood studio. 20 months [64]
Preston Robert Tisch 1926–2005 Businessman, former Postmaster General and half-owner of the New York Giants. [65]

[edit] Film, television and radio

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Alan Berg 1934–1984 A liberal talk radio host in Denver, Colorado, who broadcast his program on KOA. He was murdered in 1984 and his story formed the basis of the Oliver Stone film Talk Radio. 8 years [66]
Jack Brickhouse 1916–1998 A sports broadcast announcer. 6 months [67]
Tom Cheek 1939–2005 A radio broadcaster who announced Major League Baseball games for the Toronto Blue Jays. [68]
Dan Curtis 1928–2006 An Emmy Award winning director and producer of television and film. 4 months [69]
Chuck Howard 1933–1996 A former producer at ABC Sports and winner of 11 Emmy Awards. [70]
Ted Husing 1901–1962 A pioneer radio sportscaster. 6 years [71][72]
Eleanor Mondale 1960— Cable television host on the E! network, daughter of former United States Vice President Walter Mondale glioma with astrocytoma cells June 2005— [73]
Andrew Olle 1947–1995 A presenter on Australia's ABC. glioblastoma multiforme 1 week [74]
Judd Rose 1955–2000 Emmy Award winning television news reporter, co-anchor of CNN Newsstand. astrocytoma ~6 years [75]
Gene Siskel 1946–1999 Film critic for the Chicago Tribune; television partner of fellow critic Roger Ebert. under 1 year [33]
Julia Somerville 1947— A TV news anchor and reporter who has worked for BBC News and ITN. 1992— [76]
François Truffaut 1932–1984 Film director famous for The 400 Blows. [77]
Stan Zemanek 1947–2007 An Australian radio broadcaster and television personality, best known for presenting a night time show on radio station 2UE. glioblastoma multiforme 15 months [78]

[edit] Military

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Jaime Milans del Bosch 1915–1997 A Lieutenant General in the Spanish Army who was dismissed in 1981 for his role in the failed coup d'état of 23 February 1981 (23-F). [79]
Bob Braham 1920–1974 The most highly decorated airman of the RAF in World War II. [80]
William S. Donaldson 1945–2001 A United States Navy pilot, founder of the Associated Retired Aviation Professionals (ARAP) and a famous critic of the US Government's TWA flight 800 investigation. 7 months [81][82]
Seyni Kountché 1931–1987 A military officer who led a 1974 coup d'état that deposed the government of Niger's first president, Hamani Diori. He ruled the country as military head of state from 1974 to 1987. [83]
Thomas W. Steed 1904–1973 A military officer in the United States Army Air Corps and United States Air Force. During World War II he commanded the 456th Bomb Group (Heavy) throughout its combat service. meningioma [84]
Leonard Wood 1860–1927 A physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army and Governor General of the Philippines. parasagittal meningioma [85]

[edit] Miscellaneous

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Jon Bannenberg 1929–2002 A designer of over 200 yachts. [86]
Ben Bowen 2002–2005 Huntington, West Virginia child, attracted a great deal of media attention and fundraising efforts. ATRT 1 year [87]
Margaret Brown 1867–1932 Socialite, philanthropist, and activist. Survivor of the Titanic disaster. Portrayed in the 1964 film The Unsinkable Molly Brown and the 1997 film Titanic. [88]
Johnnie Cochran 1937–2005 Prominent defense attorney. 1 year [89]
Robert W. Funk 1926–2005 An academic theologian, author and founder of the controversial Jesus Seminar. [90]
Katharina Hammerschmidt 1943–1975 A member of the Baader-Meinhof Gang, one of the most significant terrorist organisations in post-war West Germany. [91]
Henry Kock 1952–2005 A horticulturist at the University of Guelph Arboretum. 18 months [92]
Anatoli Levchenko 1941–1988 Research cosmonaut. [93]
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent 1906–1968 Member of the British royal family [94]
Marshall McLuhan 1911–1980 Communications theorist and educator. 11 years [95]
Enric Miralles 1955–2000 An architect whose largest work is the Scottish Parliament Building. [96]
John Cardinal O'Connor 1920–2000 The eleventh bishop (eighth archbishop) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York [97]
Deke Slayton 1924–1993 One of the original seven United States astronauts. [98]
Craig Shergold 1979— A former brain cancer patient who is most famous for receiving over 33 million greeting cards, earning him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. He fully recovered, but the cards are still coming and are no longer welcome. 1989— [99]
Doris Tate 1924–1992 Prominent activist in the victims' rights movement, mother of murder victim Sharon Tate. metastatic tumor [100]
Charles Whitman 1941–1966 Ascended the University of Texas at Austin's 27-story tower in 1966, and shot passersby in the city and on the campus below before being shot dead by Austin Police. Tumor found on autopsy. [101]
Richard Wild 1912–1978 Former Chief Justice of New Zealand (1966–1978) [102]
Mary Hayward Weir 1915–1968 A steel heiress and socialite. [103]
Frank Wills 1948–2000 The security guard who uncovered the break-in that led to the Watergate scandal. [104]

[edit] Music

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
William "Cat" Anderson 1916–1981 A jazz trumpeter who played with Duke Ellington's orchestra. [105]
Luther Allison 1939–1997 Blues guitarist. metastatic tumor less than 1 year [106]
David M. Bailey 1966– Contemporary Christian songwriter and musician. Glioblastoma July 1996– [107]
Bill Black 1926–1965 Rock and roll bass player, recorded with Elvis Presley during 1954–1958. [108]
Davey von Bohlen 1975— A musician and songwriter. meningioma 2000— [109]
Ray Bumatai 1952–2005 A musician, comedian and voice actor. glioblastoma 3 years [110]
Gregg Burge 1957–1998 A tap dancer and choreographer [111]
A. J. Croce 1971— A singer-songwriter and the son of singer-songwriter Jim Croce. 1975— [112]
Celia Cruz 1925–2003 Cuban salsa singer, important figure in Afro-Cuban music. [113]
William Finn 1952— Tony Award winning Broadway songwriter. Finn wrote the show A New Brain about his experiences. 1992— [114]
Sergio Franchi 1926–1990 Italian-American singer; world-renowned tenor [115][116]
Marie Fredriksson 1958— The lead singer of the Swedish pop duo Roxette 2002— [117]
George Gershwin 1898–1937 Jazz and classical music composer, co-wrote many stage musicals and film scores. glioblastoma multiforme 1 month [118]
Lou Gramm 1950— A rock music vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist for the rock band Foreigner. 1996— [119]
Bill Haley 1925–1981 Leader of one of the first rock and roll bands, The Comets. 2 years [120][121]
George Harrison 1943–2001 Lead guitarist of the Beatles. metastatic tumor [122]
Simon Jeffes 1949–1997 A guitarist, composer and arranger who was a member of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. under 2 years [123]
Barney Kessel 1923–2004 Jazz guitarist who played with Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Elvis Presley, and the Beach Boys. [124]
Otto Klemperer 1885–1973 Conductor; father of actor Werner Klemperer. 40 years [125]
John Loder 1946–2005 A sound engineer, record producer and founder of Southern Studios. under 2 years [126]
John Mack 1926–2006 Principle oboist with the Cleveland Orchestra. [127]
Brian MacLeod 1952–1992 A musician, songwriter and music producer, best known as a member of the bands Chilliwack and The Headpins. under 3 years [128]
Bob Marley 1945–1981 Reggae legend. metastatic tumor [33]
Johnny Mercer 1909–1976 Songwriter and lyricist. [129]
Ethel Merman 1908–1984 Legendary Broadway singer and actress. glioblastoma multiforme 10 months [130][131]
Robert Moog 1934–2005 Inventor of the modern music synthesizer. glioblastoma multiforme [132]
Ted Mulry 1947–2001 Singer, songwriter and musician, who formed the band Ted Mulry Gang (TMG). [133]
James Murphy 1967— Heavy metal guitarist, played in a number of different groups. pituitary macro-adenoma 2001— [134]
Wayne Osmond 1951— Singer, second oldest of the Osmond brothers. 1994— [135]
Junior Parker 1932–1971 Blues singer. [136]
Frank Patterson 1938–2000 A classically-trained Irish tenor. [137]
Lucia Popp 1939–1993 An operatic soprano. [138]
Louis Prima 1910–1978 An entertainer, singer, actor, and trumpeter known as the King of the Swingers. He never recovered from an operation to remove a benign brain-stem tumor, which left him in a coma for nearly three years. [139]
Rainer Ptacek 1951–1997 Guitarist, singer and songwriter. [140]
Lou Rawls 1933–2006 Soul, jazz, and blues singer. Noted philanthropist. metastatic tumor 7 months [141]
Buddy Rich 1917–1987 A jazz drummer and bandleader. [142]
Chuck Schuldiner 1967–2001 Former guitarist and singer for the band Death, former guitarist for Control Denied. Influential figure in the development of death metal. pontine glioma 2 years [143]
Sam Sneed 1968— A record producer and rapper. 1999— [144]
Tammi Terrell 1945–1970 Singer, duettist with Marvin Gaye on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and other hit singles. 2 years [145]
Russell Watson 1966— An English tenor, who has released popular albums of operatic-style songs. 2006— [146]
Sandy West 1959–2006 A musician, singer-songwriter and drummer. Metastatic Lung Cancer [147]
Kai Winding 1922–1983 A trombonist and jazz composer. [148]
Webster Young 1932–2003 A jazz trumpeter and cornetist. [149]

[edit] Politics and government

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Lee Atwater 1951–1991 Chairman of the United States Republican National Committee. glioblastoma multiforme 1 year [150]
William Casey 1913–1987 Director of the Central Intelligence Agency 5 months [151]
Chakufwa Chihana 1939–2006 Trade unionist and politician. 1 month [152]
Alan Clark 1928–1999 A British Conservative politician, historian and diarist. [153]
Clair Engle 1911–1964 United States senator from California. Late in his illness he broke a filibuster and helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Wheelchair bound and no longer able to speak, he raised his hand to his eye to signal his vote ("aye"). 1 Year [154]
Wayne Goss 1951— Former premier of Queensland, Australia. His tumor thwarted a potential career in federal politics. 1997— [155]
Paul B. Henry 1942–1993 An evangelical Christian, professor of political science, and politician [156]
David Hermelin 1936–2000 United States ambassador to Norway. 1 year [157]
Ted Kennedy 1932– United States Senator. malignant glioma 2008– [158]
Peter Law 1948–2006 Welsh politician, independent MP and AM. [159]
Clare Booth Luce 1903–1987 American politician and diplomat; also an editor, playwright, social activist & journalist [160]
Jean-Philippe Maitre 1949–2006 A politician and former President of the Swiss National Council. [161]
Gladys Marín 1941–2005 A political activist and former president of the Communist Party of Chile. glioblastoma multiforme [162][163]
Robert Evander McNair 1923–2007 A former governor of South Carolina. 50 days [164] [165]
Lennart Meri 1929–2006 A former president of Estonia. 7 months [166]
Mo Mowlam 1949–2005 Britain's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. 7 years [167]
Bob O'Connor 1944–2006 Former Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. CNS lymphoma [168]
Arlen Specter 1930— United States senator from Pennsylvania. 1993— [169]
Mike Synar 1950–1996 United States congressional representative from Oklahoma. glioblastoma multiforme 5 months [33]
Frank Tejeda 1946–1997 United States congressional representative from Texas. 1 year [170]
Joop den Uyl 1919–1987 Former prime minister of the Netherlands from 1973 until 1977, as a member of the social-democratic PvdA party. [171]

[edit] Science

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Max Abraham 1875–1922 A physicist and contemporary of Einstein and Lorentz. [172]
William Bright 1928–2006 A linguist who specialized in Native American and South Asian languages and descriptive linguistics. He is the father of Susie Bright. [173]
Édouard Brissaud 1852–1909 A physician and pathologist. His tumor was unsuccessfully operated on by Sir Victor Horsley. [174]
Thomas Donaldson 1945–2006 A mathematician and cryonics advocate. [175]
Rhodes Fairbridge 1914–2006 A geologist and expert on climate change. [176]
Paul Feyerabend 1924–1994 A philosopher of science. under 1 year [177]
Thor Heyerdahl 1914–2002 Marine biologist famous for the Kon-Tiki expedition and other journeys that reproduced ancient technology and demonstrated the feasibility of ancient sea migrations. under 1 year [178]
J. Allen Hynek 1910–1986 An astronomer, professor, and ufologist. [179]
Norman Levinson 1912–1975 A mathematician. [180]
John von Neumann 1903–1957 Hungarian mathematician who made numerous contributions to many fields, including quantum physics, functional analysis, set theory, economics, computer science, numerical analysis, hydrodynamics (of explosions) and statistics. under 1 year [181]
John Vlissides 1961–2005 A software scientist specialising in object oriented technology, design patterns and software modelling. [182]
Aleksandr Zinovyev 1922–2006 A logician, sociologist, writer and satirist. [183]

[edit] Sports

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Lyle Alzado 1949–1992 NFL football player. Made public statements attributing his tumor to anabolic steroids, a claim not supported by medical research. CNS lymphoma [184]
Lance Armstrong 1971— Cycling champion who won the Tour de France seven consecutive times after diagnosis and treatment for testicular cancer that spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. metastatic tumor 1996— [185][186]
Kevin Berry 1945–2006 A butterfly swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. [187]
Angelo Bertelli 1921–1999 An American football quarterback. [188]
Bobby Bonds 1946–2003 A right fielder in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1981, primarily with the San Francisco Giants. Father of Barry Bonds. [189]
Ken Brett 1948–2003 A Major League Baseball pitcher. [190]
José María Buljubasich 1971— Football goalkeeper. 2006— [191]
Richard Burns 1971–2005 Race car driver, Rally world champion astrocytoma 2 years [192]
Matt Cappotelli 1979— A professional wrestler. [193]
Richard Chelimo 1972–2001 Track champion from Kenya, former 10,000 meter world record holder. [194]
Maurice Colclough 1953–2006 Rugby player, played a noteworthy role in England's grand slam win in 1980. [195]
Dan Duva 1951–1996 Boxing promoter behind over 100 world championship bouts. primary brain tumor [196]
Josh Gibson 1911–1947 Negro League baseball player, famous home run hitter with the highest career batting average in league history. 4 years [197]
Tim Gullikson 1951–1996 Champion doubles tennis player and coach of Pete Sampras. [198]
Scott Hamilton 1958— A figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. pituitary gland 2004— [199]
Craig "Ironhead" Heyward 1966–2006 An American football running back who played in the National Football League. chordoma 8 years [200]
Heiko Herrlich 1971— German soccer player, UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup winner brain tumor 2000— [201]
Terry Hoeppner 1947–2007 Indiana University, Miami (Ohio) University Head Football Coach 18 months (2005-2007) [202]
Dick Howser 1936–1987 Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. 1 year [203]
Emlyn Hughes 1947–2004 Soccer player, European Cup winner of 1977, also known from the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport. 15 months [204]
Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie 1933–2006 English cricketer 4 months [205]
"Badger" Bob Johnson 1931–1991 Ice hockey coach, won the 1991 Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 2 months [206]
Walter Johnson 1887–1946 An right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. [207][208]
Eric Liddell 1902–1945 Olympic gold medalist in track, portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire. [209]
Jushin Liger 1964— A professional wrestler. 1996— [210]
Reginald Lisowski 1926–2005 A professional wrestler known as "The Crusher". [211]
Wayne Maki 1944–1973 A a professional ice hockey player and an early star of the Vancouver Canucks club in the NHL. under 5 months [212][213]
Peter May 1929–1994 An English cricketer who played for Surrey, Cambridge University and England. [214]
Frank Edward "Tug" McGraw 1944–2004 Major league baseball pitcher. glioblastoma multiforme 9 months [215]
Lenny "The Guv'nor" McLean 1949–1998 Champion bare knuckle fighter, undefeated in 3000 fights. Also acted small roles in films including The Fifth Element. metastatic tumor [216]
Bobby Murcer 1946–2008 Major league baseball player, broadcaster. 19 months [217]
Johnny Oates 1946–2004 Major league baseball catcher and manager. glioblastoma multiforme 3 years [218]
Kim Perrot 1967–1999 Basketball player, WNBA Houston Comets. metastatic (lung cancer) [219]
John Prentice 1926–2006 A former football player and Scotland manager. [220]
Remy Presas 1936–2001 The founder of Modern Arnis, a popular Filipino martial art. 10 months [221]
Dan Quisenberry 1953–1998 Major league baseball pitcher, mostly as a closer; noted for unusual "submarine" pitching style. 9 months [222]
Bobby Robson 1933— A former football player and England manager. [223]
Glenn Roeder 1955— An English football manager and former player. 2003— [224][225]
Pete Rozelle 1926–1996 NFL commissioner. [33]
Wilma Rudolph 1940–1994 Olympic gold medalist in track. [226]
Nick Sanborn 1935–1999 Automobile racer. [227]
Robert Stone 1956–2005 A rugby league player and official who played for the St. George Dragons. 17 months [228]
Earl Strom 1927–1994 A basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for three years in the American Basketball Association (ABA). [229]
Fritz Von Erich 1929–1997 Wrestler and wrestling promoter of independent promotion WCCW. [230]
John Vukovich 1947–2007 Major League Baseball infielder and third base coach. 18 months [231]
Dick Wantz 1940–1965 A relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels. 1 month [232]

[edit] Visual arts

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Kevyn Aucoin 1962–2002 A make-up artist and photographer. pituitary gland tumor [233]
Fred Conlon 1943–2005 A sculptor. glioblastoma 8 months [234][235]
Arthur 'Weegee' Fellig 1899–1968 A photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography. [236]
Eva Hesse 1936–1970 Abstract sculptor. [237]
Philip Iverson 1965–2006 An expressionist painter. [238]
Lynn Kohlman 1946— A fashion model, photographer, and author. glioblastoma multiforme 2002— [239][240]
Owen Merton 1887–1931 A painter in the Post-Impressionist representational style, primarily through watercolor landscapes and seascapes. [241]
Bob Parent 1923–1987 Jazz photographer whose works appeared in Life and Downbeat. [242]
Ferdinand Preiss 1882–1943 Art deco sculptor who specialized in ivory and bronze. [243]
Eero Saarinen 1910–1961 Architect best known for the gateway arch in St. Louis, Missouri. [244]
John Willie 1902–1962 A fetish photographer and bondage artist. [245]

[edit] Writing

Name Life Comments Diagnosis Survival Reference
Barbara Albright 1955–2006 An author of about 25 food and knitting books. [246]
Duygu Asena 1946–2006 An author and activist for women's rights. 2 years [247]
Susan Bergman 1957–2006 Best known for her 1984 book Anonymity, also sister of Anne Heche. 3 years [248]
Joseph Reylan B. Viray 1977— An educator from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, a kapampangan and tagalog poet. Meningioma [249]
Reginald Horace Blyth 1898–1964 An author and devotee of Japanese culture. [250]
Bebe Moore Campbell 1950–2006 An author whose books dealt with race and mental health issues. [251]
Raymond Carver 1938–1988 Short story writer and poet. metastatic tumor [252]
Hugh Cook 1956— Author of fantasy series Chronicles of an Age of Darkness. [253]
Carl Foreman 1914–1984 A screenwriter and film producer. [254]
Robert Forward 1932–2002 Physicist and science fiction writer. 4 months [255]
John Galsworthy 1867–1933 A Nobel prize winning novelist and playwright whose works include The Forsyte Saga. [256]
Veronica Geng 1941–1997 A writer, humorist and former editor of The New Yorker. 13 months [257]
Johnny Gunther 1929–1947 Teenage brain tumor patient, son of novelist John Gunther. Johnny's illness became the central theme of his father's book Death Be Not Proud. 14 months [258]
Frigyes Karinthy 1887–1938 An author, playwright, poet, journalist and translator. [259]
Stephen Knight 1951–1985 An author who was known for his books criticising the Freemasons. He started having seizures in 1977 and in 1980, agreed to take part in a BBC documentary TV program Horizon on epilepsy. The producers arranged for a brain scan, which showed up a tumour. This was removed but returned in 1984 and despite further surgery he died in 1985. 5 years [260]
Jonathan Kwitny 1941–1998 A writer and investigative journalist. [261]
Lynda Lee-Potter 1935–2004 Columnist for the British newspaper Daily Mail. [262]
Paulo Marques 1948–2006 A journalist and broadcaster. [263]
Terence McKenna 1946–2000 Writer and counterculture figure. glioblastoma multiforme under 1 year [264]
William Vaughn Moody 1869–1910 A dramatist and poet. [265]
Ivan Noble 1967–2005 BBC journalist and science writer who published columns about his experience with the illness, author of Like a Hole in the Head (Hodder & Stoughton 2005) ISBN 0-340-86428-1 glioblastoma multiforme 2 1/2 years [266][267]
Chaim Potok 1929–2002 Author and rabbi best known for his 1967 novel The Chosen. 2 years [268]
Timothy Reuter 1947–2002 A historian who specialized in the study of medieval Germany [269]
David Shaw 1943–2005 A