2015 roll call: Notable deaths in the central San Joaquin Valley

The list of people with central San Joaquin Valley ties who died in 2015 ranges from worldwide legends to youths whose tragic deaths focused outrage on senseless violence.

The worldwide legends both trace their fame to Las Vegas: Jerry Tarkanian, who launched and ended his college basketball career at Fresno State but won a national championship (and fought the NCAA) at UNLV; and Kirk Kerkorian, the Fresno native whose hotel-building helped shape Sin City.

There are other ways to make a legend, and many on the list did it through their devotion to the region, including Alfonso Hernandez, Les Kimber, Rosellen Kershaw, Bob Carter and Bob Duncan.

The Valley’s educational community lost pillars, including Fresno City College president Tony Cantú and Doc Buchanan, who shaped Clovis Unified.

The arts community, too, including former poet Philip Levine and artist FranCisco Vargas.

There were coaches who carved record-setting careers, including Mary Brown, Bill Musick and Bert Holt.

And there were the tragic deaths, including 9-year-old Janessa Ramirez and 21-year-old Deondre “Day Day” Howard.

Here are some of the notable Valley people who died in 2015:

January

▪ Jesus Luna, 70, pioneer of the Fresno State Chicano and Latin American studies program. Jan. 5

▪ Alfonso Hernandez, 64, founder, Chicano Youth Center. Jan. 6.

▪ Lesly H. “Les” Kimber, 80, co-founded the California Advocate newspaper. Jan. 10

▪ Janessa Ramirez, 9, a young girl hit by stray bullet in a Fresno shooting, touching off an outpouring of community support and anger over violence in the city. Jan. 18

▪ Capt. David E. Leue, 87, who served 32 years in the Navy, finishing as chief of staff at Lemoore Naval Air Station, then founded a solar company and left a detailed account of his war service in two books. Jan. 25

February

▪ Charles Tingey, 74, founder of Colliers International in Fresno. Feb. 1

▪ Daniel Green, 31, Exeter police officer allegedly slain by his ex-wife. Feb. 6

▪ Jerry Tarkanian, 84, legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach who got his start as a player at Fresno State and ended his coaching career with the Bulldogs. Feb. 11

▪ Philip Levine, 87, former U.S. poet laureate, Pulitzer Prize winner and Fresno State professor emeritus of English. Feb. 14

March

▪ Eugene Junette, 84, founder of Play It Safe International Inc. March 7

▪ Truman Campbell, 86, partner in Silver Dollar Hofbrau, attorney and Republican Party advocate. March 14

▪ Bill Musick, 77, former Fresno City College football and wrestling coach. March 15

▪ Robert Piccinini, 73, Save Mart Supermarkets owner. March 23

▪ Allan Fisher, 80, founder of Mission Care Group/Visalia humorist. March 30

April

▪ Harry Baker, former Madera County supervisor and longtime Oakhurst-area civic leader who in his final years faced molestation charges. April 3

▪ Tony Cantú, 64, Fresno City College president, longtime professor and administrator. April 5

▪ Carole Gastonian, 80, Penny Candy store owner. April 20

▪ Ted Frame, 86, Coalinga lawyer who represented west Fresno County farmers. April 24

May

▪ Grace Lee Whitney, 85, actress (“Star Trek”) and singer. May 1

▪ Bruce Farris, 88, Fresno Bee sportswriter and Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame member. May 6

▪ Dean Potter, 43, mountaineering sports legend (died in Yosemite National Park BASE jumping accident with Graham Hunt, 29). May 16

June

▪ Robert “Bob” Carter, 87, attorney and business leader, Leon S. Peters Award winner. June 1

▪ Jim Piper, 78, retired Fresno City College professor, writer and filmmaker. June 5

▪ Kirk Kerkorian, 98, native Fresnan and billionaire who built some of Las Vegas’ biggest hotels, tried to take over Chrysler and bought and sold MGM at a profit three times. June 15

▪ Dr. Juan Reyes, 67, teaching professor at UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program. June 16

▪ Max Robinson, 82, former Fresno County counsel. June 23

▪ Danny Villanueva, 77, Univision co-founder who graduated from Reedley College (then Kings River Community College). June 18

▪ Arthur Drolette, 89, founding member of Fresno Dixieland Society. June 24

▪ Clarence Jesse “Peter” Bennett, 92, cattle rancher/philanthropist. June 26

July

▪ Willie Smith, 69, Fresno attorney who advocated for minorities. July 21

▪ Jim Manning, 87, Dodge dealer in Dinuba for 50 years. July 16

▪ James Rosetta, 95, co-owner of Fresno Ag Hardware. July 23

August

▪ Elvey Perkins, 85, city of Clovis’ first black employee/retired field services superintendent. Aug. 3

▪ Michael A. Bierman, 66, Fresno city chief administrative officer through much of the 1990s. Aug. 10

▪ Floyd “Doc” Buchanan, 91, superintendent of Clovis Unified School District for 31 years. Aug. 11

▪ Rosellen Kershaw, 91, community activist and volunteer. Aug. 20

▪ Mary Brown, 82, former San Joaquin Memorial girls basketball coach and Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame member. Aug. 28

▪ Deondre “Day Day” Howard, 21, former Edison High star athlete/Fresno City College baseball, killed in unsolved shooting that elicited an outpouring of community support and outrage over violence in the city. Aug. 29

September

▪ Lorraine Person, 92, lifelong educator/advocate for seniors’ rights. Sept. 1

▪ Charlie Waters, 82, Korean War combat veteran and veterans advocate. Sept. 3

▪ FranCisco Vargas, 64, Fresno art scene fixture/muralist. Sept. 7

▪ Earl “The Pearl” Watson, 90, World War II hero, doorman at famous Hollywood hotel and Fresno community activist. Sept. 13

▪ Herbert Nelson Piper, 94, veterinarian. Sept. 15

October

▪ Rudy Wagner Jr., 68, known as “The Chicken Man,” owner of Rudy Jr.’s Chicken Man restaurant. Oct. 1

▪ Edward Lund, 54, curator/art gallery technician, killed in crash during bike ride. Oct. 3

▪ Robert A. Minick, 87, retired Fresno State economics professor. Oct. 10

▪ Lowell Carruth, 77, retired Fresno attorney for 51 years. Oct. 23

▪ Mary Maughelli, 79, founding member of Gallery 23/Fresno artist. Oct. 24

▪ Laurie West, 52, former Fresno radio personality. Oct. 28

▪ Robert Loquaci, 92, Madera farming leader. Oct. 31

November

▪ Kathy Barberich, 67, longtime Fresno Bee reporter and columnist. Nov. 1

▪ Francine “Fran” Blackney, 65, passionate Clovis business advocate and innovator in youth business. Nov. 7

▪ Robert E. “Bob” Duncan, 94, longtime Fresno businessman, Leon S. Peters Award winner and prominent benefactor of Fresno State. Nov. 11

▪ Dr. Harry B. Moordigian, 76, longtime local dentist/major Fresno State supporter. Nov. 11

▪ Dee Jordan, 87, Fresno State philanthropist. Nov. 17

▪ Eddie Crain, 39, NorthPointe Community Church children’s pastor. Nov. 22

▪ Willard G. “Bill” Clark, 85, rancher/founder of World Wide Sires and Clark Center of Japanese Art and Culture. Nov. 22

▪ Ronald Metzler, 78, farmer, former president of Bulldog Foundation, founding member, California Association of Winegrape Growers. Nov. 24

December

▪ Bert Holt, 82, former Fresno State baseball player, longtime College of the Sequoias coach and Major League Baseball scout. Dec. 4

▪ Charlie De Grange, 9, Fresno boy who lived courageous life with rare brain tumor. Dec. 6

▪ Marco Lopez, 42, of Hanford, a critical-care nurse and three-year SkyLife veteran; paramedic Kyle Juarez, 37, of Fresno, a nine-year veteran at American Ambulance who spent the last three years on the SkyLife team; and teacher Kathryn Ann Brown, 40, of Springville, the patient being transported on a SkyLife helicopter that crashed in Kern County. Also killed was pilot Thomas Hampl, 49, of Bend, Ore. Dec. 10

▪ Dr. Alex Moir, 53, chief of the department of family and community medicine at UCSF Fresno, killed in a skiing accident. Dec. 19

▪ Bob Der Mugrdechian, 95, who in retirement wrote and published the story of his family, “Anooshavan: The Intrepid Survivor,” covering nine generations and 250 years. Dec. 24

▪ Dave Henderson, 57, former Dos Palos High star who played in the major leagues from 1981-94 and Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame member. Dec. 27

▪ Gary Meadors, 76, Dinuba High graduate who founded Goodguys Rod and Custom Association. Dec. 27

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 1:17 PM with the headline "2015 roll call: Notable deaths in the central San Joaquin Valley."