OUTTOWN: RIP BITZ 2011

This year we lost some prominent ILLI MOians in the various fields of arts and entertainment as well as local STL figures. Below are a list of some of those people.

LATE DECEMBER 2010

St. Louis native and former Minnesota Vikings and Illinois State offensive tackle Brandon Joyce was a member of the St. Louis Rams' 2010 off season. He was the son of St. Louis Football Cardinals punter Terry Joyce. He was 26.

JANUARY

St Louis Black Rep actress/employee Jennifer Beavers (nee Jennifer Wright).Her age was not reported.

Former Negro Leagues and major league baseball player George Crowe known during his nine-season major-league career as "Big George," played 157 games for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959-61 before retiring. He was 89.

FEBRUARY

Former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, who played on the Super Bowl Champ Team in 1985, was 50.

St. Louis native Jay Landesman, founder of the famed Crystal Palace nightclub and a man who took "tea with Bette Davis, cocktails with Bessie Smith and LSD with Timothy Leary," was 91.

St Louis Cardinals owner Andrew N. "Drew" Baur, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' ownership group, was 66.

MARCH

Francis R. Slay, a restaurant owner and the father of current St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, was Democratic committeeman for the 23rd Ward for 45 years, a former state representative, and the city's recorder of deeds for eight years.He was 83.

St Louis Cardinals legend Marty Marion dubbed "Mr. Shortstop," prior to Ozzie Smith, helped to bring four Cardinals pennants and three World Series championships in the 1940s. He was 94.

Don Clark was a former KPLR TV Channel 11 anchor in the 1970s and 80s and later worked for the Brooklyn police department. He was 60.

Chicago native disco singer Loleatta Holloway, known for the 1980 hit "Love Sensation," which was incarnated into Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch’s 1991 No. 1 single, “Good Vibrations.” She was 64.

Patrice Thimes, the youngest sister of STL singer Denise Thimes. She was 39,a few days shy of her 40^th,

Richard E. Ashburner, manager of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus for over 20 years. He was 57.

APRIL

Gene Slay, relative to St Louis Mayor Slay, was a state high school wrestling champ from the near South Side who grew up to become a political power broker and successful head of a nationwide transportation. He was 83

Steve Mizerany, the zany appliance dealer who roller-skated through his store and squealed pitches over STL radio and TV commercials. He was 87 .

MAY

STL Nightclub bartender Monty Fannon Chance.He was 26.

JUNE

St Louis based jazz singer Mae Wheeler aka Lady Jazz had been a fixture in the St. Louis Jazz scene for over 50 years. She also established the Not-for-profit organization known as PAAR, booking and talent agency serving the under-represented talent in the St. Louis area. She was 79.

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Chicago native gospel singer Delois Barrett Campbell's of the Barrett Sisters and lead singer of Roberta Martin Singers, who achieved greater prominence in “Say Amen, Somebody,” George T. Nierenberg’s acclaimed 1982 documentary about Chicago gospel legends. She was 85.

The Rev. William Barnaby Faherty chronicled the history of St. Louis, Catholics and Jesuits. He wrote about the Missouri Botanical Garden and Henry Shaw, its founder.He wrote a novel "A Wall for San Sebastian.” MGM made it into a movie in 1968, "Guns for San Sebastian,." He was 96.

SEPTEMBER

Bob Cassilly was an American sculptor and entrepreneur. Based in St. Louis, he was best known as the founder of City Museum. His works include hippos for a playground in Riverside Park in Manhattan and two turtles for Turtle Park in St. Louis. He was 61.

OCTOBER

Jim Cain, a music impresario who was manager of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, helped run a music conservatory and helped start the Mississippi River Festival. He was 81.

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James Williams, known professionally as "Jay Doubleyou" worked in radio in St. Louis in the 7o's & 80's.

NOVEMBER

St Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch became the only pitcher in Cardinals history to throw two no-hitters. His death came less than a week after he threw out the first pitch at Game 7 of the 2011 World Series. He was 61.

Ed Macauley, who led St. Louis University to the NIT basketball title in 1948, was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed." He was 83.

DECEMBER