The following deaths of notable individuals related to American television occurred in 2017.
January Date Name Age Notability SourceJanuary 2Richard Machowicz51Former Navy SEAL and host of Discovery Channel's Future WeaponsObituary for Richard "Mack" Machowicz, Business Insider, 1/4/2017January 5Sam Lovullo88Producer (co-creator of Hee Haw)Obituary for Sam Lovullo TVNewsCheck, Associated Press, January 6, 2017January 6Francine York80American actress, model, and fitness activist, notable for playing Lydia Limpet on Batman, Venus DeMilo in Bewitched, a regular role as Lorraine Farr Temple on Days of Our Lives, and guest roles in Shirley Temple's Storybook, The Mindy Project and Hot in Cleveland; recurring roles on All My Children, One Life to Live, and Santa Barbara"Francine York, Alluring Actress of the 1960s, Dies at 80", The Hollywood Reporter (January 6, 2017)January 10Tony Rosato62Canadian actor, most noteworthy for being a cast member on SCTV and Saturday Night LiveObituary for Tony Rosato, Toronto Star, January 11, 2017January 12William Peter Blatty89American Oscar-winning screenwriter and author/novelist whose best-selling thriller novel The Exorcist became the basis for the franchise that included the film and TV series."William Peter Blatty, Author of 'The Exorcist,' Dies at 89", Variety (January 13, 2017)January 13Dick Gautier85American-born Canadian actor, singer, voice actor, comedian, game show panelist, author and artist, notable for playing Hymie the robot on Get Smart, Robin Hood in When Things Were Rotten, and the voice of Rodimus Prime in the Transformers television series universe"Dick Gautier, Hymie the Robot on 'Get Smart,' Dies at 85", The Hollywood Reporter (January 14, 2017)January 15James Reiher73Fijian professional WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, better known as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka"Wrestler Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka dead at 73", New York Daily News (January 15, 2017)January 19Loalwa Braz63Brazilian singer/songwriter and former member of Kaoma (appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and Sabado Gigante)Miguel Ferrer61American actor (Dr. Garret Macy on Crossing Jordan, Owen Granger on NCIS: Los Angeles, and Albert Rosenfield on Twin Peaks; other starring roles include Shannon's Deal, Broken Badges, On the Air, Cruel Doubt, The Stand, LateLine, Bionic Woman and The Protector)."Miguel Ferrer, Star of NCIS: Los Angeles and Crossing Jordan, Dies at 61", People, January 19, 2017Jim Fagan72American voiceover artist best known for the announcer of NBA on NBC and WWE."Jim Fagan, professional voice, WVU alum, passes away", WV MetroNews, January 19, 2017January 21Maggie Roche65American singer/songwriter and member of the family trio The Roches (TV credits include Tiny Toon Adventures, Saturday Night Live, and Tracey Takes On)"The Roches' Maggie Roche Dead at 65", Pitchfork (January 21, 2017)January 22Connor Vernon63Meteorologist who worked at Alabama stations WTVY-TV and WDHN in Dothan (the latter from 2014 until his death), and WSFA in Montgomery"Alabama Meteorologist Dies at 63", TV Spy (January 22, 2017)January 25Mary Tyler Moore80American Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, activist, and businesswoman, best known as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Richards on her self-titled series, as well as co-founder of MTM Enterprises, among numerous other series and telefilm creditsJanuary 26Mike Connors91American actor, notable for playing Joe Mannix in the 1967-75 series Mannix, as well as lead roles in Tightrope! and Today's FBIMike Connors, 'Mannix' Star, Dies at 91, Variety (January 26, 2017)Barbara Hale94American actress, notable for playing Della Street in the Perry Mason TV series and subsequent film versions.January 27Stan Boreson91Comedian and TV personality, best known as the host of King's Klubhouse on KING-TV/Seattle for 12 yearsJanuary 31Frank Pellegrino72Actor and restaurateur, best known as Frank Cubitoso on The Sopranos
February Date Name Age Notability SourceFebruary 6Irwin Corey102American improviser, comedian, actor and humorist (TV credits include The Phil Silvers Show and The Donald O'Connor Show, numerous game shows, and promos for WJAR-TV/Providence and WTMJ-TV/Milwaukee)February 7Richard Hatch71Actor, best known as Captain Apollo in the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica and Tom Zarek in its 2004 remake'Battlestar Galactica' star Richard Hatch dies at 71, WNEM-TV, Associated Press, February 7, 2017February 11Chavo Guerrero Sr.68Professional wrestler who worked in the Universal Wrestling Federation, the American Wrestling Association, and the WWE from 1970 to 2010; oldest WWE Cruiserweight Champion; father of Chavo Guerrero Jr.Howard Leeds97Canadian-born American television producer, writer, and creator (notable for creating and producing My Living Doll, Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Small Wonder, The Brady Bunch, Silver Spoons, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, and Hello Larry; writer for Bewitched, Bachelor Father, My Three Sons, Meet Millie, Make Room for Daddy, and Barney Miller; co-writer on specials featuring Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Benny Hill, among others)"Howard Leeds, Writer and Producer on 'Brady Bunch,' 'Facts of Life' and 'Silver Spoons,' Dies at 97", The Hollywood Reporter (March 1, 2017)February 12Jay Bontatibus52American actor (The Young and the Restless, General Hospital and Days of Our Lives)"Y&R Alum Passes Away At 52", Soap Opera Digest, February 14, 2017Al Jarreau76American Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, notable for recording the theme song from Moonlighting and appearing as himself on The Soul Man"Al Jarreau, celebrated vocalist and Milwaukee native, dies at 76", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (February 12, 2017)February 13Bruce Lansbury87British-born American television/film producer, founder of Bruce Lansbury Productions, and "Vice President of Creative Affairs" (as shown on closing credits) for Paramount Television (Notable work includes The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, Wonder Woman, Knight Rider, The Fantastic Journey, The Brady Bunch, Happy Days, The Odd Couple, and producer/co-writer on Murder, She Wrote, starring his sister, Angela)Bruce Lansbury, TV Producer and Brother of Angela Lansbury, Dies at 87, The Hollywood Reporter; accessed February 15, 2016.February 16Jim Myers79WWE Hall of Fame professional wrestler better known as George "The Animal" SteeleFebruary 17Warren Frost91Actor, best known as Will "Doc" Hayward on Twin Peaks. Also recurring roles on Seinfeld and Matlock and guest spots on Another World, Loving, and As the World Turns."Warren Frost, Who Played Doc Hayward on 'Twin Peaks,' Dies at 91", The Hollywood Reporter, February 17, 2017Nicole Bass52Professional wrestler who worked with the WWE and Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s and a member of Howard Stern's Wack Pack; guest roles on The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and Guiding LightFebruary 18Oreal Perras74Former WWWF and NWA professional wrestler, better known as "The Russian Bear" Ivan KoloffThe Russian Bear Ivan Koloff Passes Away At 74 TopRopePress.com, February 18, 2017February 20Brenda Buttner55American business/financial news reporter (correspondent on Bulls & Bears, host of The Money Club, and contributor on Your World with Neil Cavuto) and reporter for KRNV-DT/RenoFebruary 23Ward Chamberlin95Executive with WETA-TV/Washington, D.C. and WNET/New York City and original chairman of Corporation for Public BroadcastingObituary for Ward Chamberlin, Jr., The Washington Post, February 25, 2017.Alan Colmes66American political commentator and TV/radio personality (co-host of Hannity & Colmes, frequent guest on The O'Reilly Factor, Red Eye, The Greg Gutfeld Show, and Fox News Watch)Fox News Channel's Alan Colmes Dies at Age 66 Fox News Channel, February 23, 2017February 25Neil Fingleton36English-American actor and basketball player, notable for playing Mag the Mighty in Game of Thrones"Game of Thrones Actor Neil Fingleton Dies at 36", Variety (February 26, 2017)Bill Paxton61American film/television actor and filmmaker, notable for portraying characters roles such as Frank Roake on Training Day, John Garrett in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Bill Henrickson in Big Love, Billy Joe Robb in Fresno and Randolph McCoy in Hatfields & McCoys; guest roles on Miami Vice, The Hitchhiker, Tales from the Crypt, Frasier, narrator on JFK: The Day That Changed Everything, and appearances in music videos for Barnes and Barnes ("Fish Heads", which he also directed), Pat Benatar ("Shadows of the Night") and Limp Bizkit ("Eat You Alive")"Bill Paxton, 'Aliens' and 'Twister' Actor, Dies at 61", The Hollywood Reporter (February 26, 2017)Chez Pazienza47American TV producer at cable news channels MSNBC and CNN; Los Angeles stations KCBS, KNBC and KCAL; and Miami stations WTVJ and WPLGRon Savage63Anchor/reporter at WJBK/Detroit and volunteer firefighter/EMT for the Milford Fire DepartmentFox 2 anchor and reporter Ron Savage dies suddenly WJBK (Fox 2), February 27, 2016February 26Joseph Wapner97Former Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, who became better known as the Judge on The People's Court from 1981 to 1993 and Judge Wapner's Animal Court; appeared as an alternative version of himself (as a "Soviet Judge") in Sliders, and an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to resolve a dispute between the host and David Letterman"Judge Joseph Wapner of 'People's Court' dead at 97", CNN (February 26, 2017)February 27John Harlan91Announcer (Password, Name That Tune)INT: Celebration of Life set for voice-over announcer John HarlanFebruary 28Paul Kangas79Anchor of Nightly Business Report 1979–2009
March