Notable October deaths

Notable October deaths, In Memoriam This month we lost an astronaut, a racecar driver, an iconic actor and a Motown legend. Click through to read about the notable people who passed away in October.

Tom Clancy
Died Oct. 2 (b. 1947)

Tom Clancy,  whose high-tech, Cold War thrillers such as "The Hunt for Red October" and "Patriot Games" made him the most widely read and influential military novelist of his time, died at age 66. His 17th novel, "Command Authority," is due out in December.

Nicholas Oresko
Died Oct. 4 (1917)

Nicholas Oresko  was a United States WWII veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Ruth R. Benerito
Died Oct. 5 (b. 1916)

Ruth Rogan Benerito  was an American chemist and inventor best known for her work related to the development of wash-and-wear cotton fabrics.

Patrice Chéreau
Died Oct. 7 (1944)

Patrice Chéreau  was a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer.

David E. Jeremiah
Died Oct. 7 (1934)

David E. Jeremiah was a United States Navy Admiral who served as Vice Chairman and also Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Metro Prystai
Died Oct. 8 (1927)

Metro Prystai  played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks and also the Detroit Red Wings. He left the NHL following the 1958 season.

Rod Grams
Died Oct. 8 (1948)

Rod Grams  served as a Republican in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He spent many years in television and radio broadcasting before launching a career in politics.

Scott Carpenter
Died Oct. 10 (1925)

Scott Carpenter  as an American test pilot and astronaut. He was one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April 1959.

Cal Smith
Died Oct. 10 (1932)

Cal Smith   born Calvin Grant Shofner was a country musician. He began his music career at the age of 15.

María de Villota
Died Oct. 11 (1980)

María de Villota   was a Marussia Formula One test driver from Spain. She was found dead. De Villota had a horrific accident during a testing session in England last July in which she lost her right eye.

Wally Bell
Died Oct. 14 (1965)

Wally Bell was an umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1992 to 1999 and in both major leagues from 2000 to 2013.

Sean Edwards
Died Oct. 15 (1986)

Sean Edwards  was an English professional racing driver, whose career highlight was winning as co-driver of the 2013 Nurburgring 24 Hours. He died as a passenger in a private testing incident at a raceway in Queensland, Australia.

Maxine Powell
Died Oct. 14 (1915)

Maxine Powell  was responsible for developing the charm, grace and style of Motown Records’ artists during the Detroit label’s 1960s heyday. She was 98 when she passed away at a hospital in Southfield, Mich.

Ed Lauter
Died Oct. 16 (1938)

Ed Lauter whose long, angular face and stern bearing made him an instantly recognizable figure in scores of movies and TV shows during a career that stretched across five decades, died at the age of 74.

Rene Simpson
Died Oct. 17 (1932)

Rene Simpson  was a former player, coach and longtime captain of Canada's Fed Cup tennis team. Simpson died after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. She was 47.

Tom Foley
Died Oct. 18 (1929)

Tom Foley, the former speaker of the U.S. House from Washington state, died of complications from a stroke. He was 84.

Allan Stanley
Died Oct. 18 (1926)

Allan Stanley  was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who began his career with the New York Rangers and went on to play for several more teams in the NHL.

Bum Phillips
Died Oct. 18 (1923)

Bum Phillips  was an American football coach for high school, college and professional levels.

Don James
Died Oct. 20 (1932)

Don James  was the head coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1992. He died of pancreatic cancer.

Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr.
Died Oct. 21 (1923)

Bud Adams Jr., owned the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League franchise. He died of natural causes at his home in Houston.

Major Owens
Died Oct. 21 (1936)

Major Owens was a New York politician and a prominent member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2007.  Owens died of renal and heart failure. He was 77.

Frank Perconte
Died Oct. 24 (1917)

Frank Perconte was a non-commissioned officer during World War II in the United States Army.

Antonia Bird
Died Oct. 24 (1951)

Antonia Bird  was an English television drama and feature film director. Bird died from a rare anaplastic thyroid cancer

Reggie Rogers
Died Oct. 24 (1964)

Reggie Rogers  was a professional American football defensive tackle who played four seasons in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, the Buffalo Bills, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ana Bertha Lepe
Died Oct. 24 (1934)

Ana Bertha Lepe  was a Mexican actress and third runner up at the Miss Universe contest in 1953. Who was crowned Miss USA 1953?

Manolo Escobar
Died Oct. 24 (1931)

Manolo Escobar  was a Spanish singer. He was also an actor and performed in multiple musicals. He was 82 when he died.

Manna Dey
Died Oct. 24 (1919)

Manna Dey  born Prabodh Chandra Dey was one of Bollywood's best-loved singers. He passed away at age 94 after a prolonged illness.

Hal Needham
Died Oct. 25 (1931)

Hal Needham  was an American stuntman and film director. He died shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.

Marcia Wallace
Died Oct. 26 (1942)

Marcia Wallace  was an actress, voice artist and comedian. She was best known for her role as which character on "The Simpsons"?

Leonard Herzenberg
Died Oct. 27 (1931)

Leonard Herzenberg  was an immunologist, geneticist and professor at Stanford University.

Lou Reed
Died Oct. 27 (1942)

Lou Reed  was an American musician, singer and songwriter. A year after starting his solo career, he had a hit song "Walk on the Wild Side"

Ike Skelton
Died Oct. 28 (1931)

Ike Skelton  born Isaac Newton was the U.S. Representative for Missouri's 4th congressional district for from 1977 to 2011. He lost his seat in 2011 to who?