A Look Back At the Obituaries From December 2015

SACRAMENTO (CBS13/AP) — Each month, CBS13 is taking a look back on those we've lost. This is a list featuring one person for each day in December.

This month's list features a Nobel Prize winner, a two-time near-Supreme Court Justice, and a high-flying luchador.

DEC. 1
Jim Loscutoff, 85

He is the only Celtics player to have his name, and not uniform number, retired "for his leadership and all-around excellent play."

Affectionately nicknamed "Loscy" or "Jungle Jim," Loscutoff was the team's first-round draft pick out of Oregon in 1955. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in his career.

After he retired in 1964, Loscutoff and his wife, Lynn, founded Camp Evergreen, a children's day camp in Andover.

DEC. 2
Sandy Berger, 70

Berger was White House national security adviser from 1997 to 2001, when the Clinton administration carried out airstrikes in Kosovo and against Saddam Hussein's forces in Iraq. Berger, a lawyer, also was deeply involved in the administration's push for free trade, and in the response to al-Qaida's bombing of American embassies in East Africa.

DEC. 3
Scott Weiland, 48

Weiland, who was dogged by substance abuse problems throughout his career, rose to fame as the frontman of Stone Temple Pilots, which became one of the most commercially successful bands to come out of the early 1990s grunge rock movement. The band's 1992 debut album, "Core," was an insta-hit and sold 8 million units. The hit single "Plush" won the Grammy for best hard rock performance.

DEC. 4
Robert Loggia, 85

A solidly built man with a rugged face and rough voice, Loggia fit neatly into gangster movies, playing a Miami drug lord in "Scarface," which starred Al Pacino; and a Sicilian mobster in "Prizzi's Honor," with Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner. He played wise guys in David Lynch's "Lost Highway," the spoofs "Innocent Blood" and "Armed and Dangerous," and again on David Chase's "The Sopranos," as the previously jailed veteran mobster Michele "Feech" La Manna.

It was not as a gangster but as a seedy detective that Loggia received his only Academy Award nomination, as supporting actor in 1985's "Jagged Edge." He played gumshoe Sam Ransom, who investigated a murder involving Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges.

Loggia gave an endearing comic performance in Penny Marshall's 1988 "Big," when he danced with Tom Hanks on a giant piano keyboard.

DEC. 5
Chuck Williams, 100

A two-week trip to Paris in 1953 inspired him to open his first Williams-Sonoma store in Sonoma, California, three years later.

He filled the shop off Sonoma's town square with pots and pans, white porcelain ovenware, country earthenware and other French cooking tools.

Williams' first store was such an enormous success that in 1958, he relocated to a 3,000-square foot store in San Francisco, next to the city's bustling Union Square shopping district.

DEC. 6
Holly Woodlawn, 69

Born Harold Danhakl, she took on the name Holly Woodlawn after running away from home and hitchhiking to New York City, where she became one of Andy Warhol's drag queen "superstars." Her story was immortalized in the first lines of the Lou Reed song "Walk on the Wild Side."

Woodlawn received critical acclaim for her film roles, but she couldn't find mainstream success. She made a modest comeback in the 1990s with the rise of queer and independent movies, and she recently appeared in the TV comedy "Transparent."

DEC. 7
Martin E. Brooks, 90

Brooks played scientist Dr. Rudy Wells on the 1970s series "The Six Million Dollar Man" and its spinoff, "The Bionic Woman." His other credits included "The Philco Television Playhouse" in the 1950s, "Combat!" in the 1960s and "Knots Landing" in the 1990s.

DEC. 8
Douglas Tompkins, 72

The co-founder of The North Face and Esprit clothing companies who bought up large swaths of land in South America's Patagonia region to keep them pristine died from severe hypothermia in a kayaking accident in Chile

DEC. 9
LaBreeska Hemphill, 75

Originally from Flat Creek, Alabama, she got her introduction to music through her singing family, the Happy Goodman Family, and sang onstage at the historic Ryman Auditorium at age 9.
She married Joel Hemphill of West Monroe, Louisiana, in 1957 and in 1966, they signed their first recording contract. The Hemphills were among the most successful gospel acts through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, earning multiple Dove Awards.

DEC. 10
Dolph Schayes, 87

Schayes was the franchise player for the old Syracuse Nationals from 1948-1963 and was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. He revolutionized the post position, always in perpetual motion instead of just planting himself in the paint.

As a 16-year-old freshman center, Schayes led New York University to the NCAA Final Four. He played his entire 16-season career with the Syracuse franchise, scoring 18,438 points and snaring 11,256 rebounds from 1949-64.

The 6-foot-8 Schayes was a seminal figure in the game. With a deadly two-handed, high-arcing set shot that he stubbornly used well into the era of the jump shot, he helped redefine the big man in the NBA.

DEC. 11
John Williams, 53

John "Hot Rod" Williams was a key player for the 1988-89 Cavs, who went 57-25 during the regular season, only to be eliminated by Michael Jordan's last-second jump shot in Game 5 of the first-round series.

"'Hot Rod' was the guy that willingly and pridefully drew the toughest defensive assignment," the Cavaliers said in a statement. "He was the kind of talented, unselfish and versatile player and person that earned the respect of everyone around him, including his teammates and opponents, and those who knew and worked with him off the court as well."

DEC. 12
Rose Siggins, 43

Siggins played a legless character on "American Horror Story: Freak Show." On her website, Siggins wrote that she was "born with a rare genetic disorder known as sacral agenesis" in which her legs were deformed and the feet pointing in opposite directions. The condition causes abnormal fetal development of the lower spine. Siggins' legs were amputated.

Siggins wrote that she went on to have a normal childhood, get married and have two children: a son, Luke, and a daughter, Shelby Cecilia.

DEC. 13
Phil Pepe, 80

A longtime New York Yankees beat writer who chronicled franchise greats from Mickey Mantle to Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter, Pepe also authored dozens of books on some of the biggest names in sports. He covered such famous athletes as Muhammad Ali and Walt Frazier during a prolific career that spanned generations.

DEC. 14
Leander Shaw, 85

The Florida Supreme Court's first African-American chief justice, Shaw was appointed to the court following scandals in the 1970s that led to changes in how justices were selected. Justices had been elected until an investigation into allegations that some were improperly influenced by people who donated to their campaigns.

"Leander Shaw was one of a handful of judges who helped restore the public's faith in the Supreme Court and who transformed it into one of the most respected courts in the nation," current Chief Justice Jorge Labarga said in the news release. "This was no small feat after the scandals of the 1970s."

DEC. 15
Doug Willis, 77

Willis followed Ronald Reagan from the governor's office to the presidential campaign trail and covered Jerry Brown's first stint as governor during a three-decade career writing about California politics for The Associated Press.

Colleagues recalled him as a congenial but fierce competitor who never forgot a fact or let sources off the hook.

DEC. 16
Juan Banos, 64

Known by his ring name Lizmark—inspired by his childhood fascination with a German battleship—he brought style and moves to lucha libre wrestling in the 1970s.

DEC. 17
Mary Anne deBoisblanc, 90

A primitive folk artist from Labadieville known for her paintings of life in Louisiana's Acadiana region, deBoisblanc was a self-taught artist. Her son said she took up painting as therapy during a childhood illness.

Her works have been described as "sophisticated primitive" at exhibitions at the Louisiana State Archives, the West Baton Rouge Museum and Tulane University. They display diverse aspects of rural Cajun life and history.

DEC. 18
Cheney Joseph, 73

Joseph joined the faculty of the LSU Law Center in 1972, with a focus on criminal law and procedure. He worked as vice chancellor for academic and student affairs under three law school chancellors. He worked as Gov. Mike Foster's chief lawyer during the governor's first term, from 1996 to 2000.

DEC. 19
Dickie Moore, 84

Moore played on the Montreal teams that won five Stanley Cups in a row from 1956 to 1960, a group that boasted Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Jean Beliveau, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Doug Harvey and goalie Jacques Plante.

Moore spent several of his 12 seasons in Montreal patrolling the left wing on a line with the Richard brothers, Maurice and Henri. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. He shared the retirement of the No. 12 jersey by the Canadiens with Yvan Cournoyer.

DEC. 20
Kevin Carroll, 61

For him, family was anyone in need. He would always find a way to be there for his children and grandchildren. While some who find success turn inward, he instead helped make the lives of everyone around him better, whether it was with his self-professed corny jokes, his neverending supply of magic tricks, playing his ukulele, or simply being a shoulder to cry on when times got tough.

DEC. 21
Arlin Adams, 94

A longtime stalwart of the federal bench in Philadelphia, Adams was considered at least twice for the U.S. Supreme Court. President Gerald Ford considered him for the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975. He was one of two finalists but lost out to John Paul Stevens.

Adams was also President Richard Nixon's second choice for the high court in 1972, behind William H. Rehnquist, who went on to become chief justice.

DEC. 22
Daisy Elliott, 98

The Detroit Democrat spent nearly two decades in the state House and co-sponsored the 1976 legislation that became the law banning discrimination in employment and housing in Michigan. Elliott also was a co-author of the 1963 Michigan constitution, which created the Michigan Civil Rights Commission.

DEC. 23
Albert Witte, 92

In an oral history recorded at the school in 2008, Witte said he interviewed Clinton on a Sunday at the Fayetteville Country Club. He joked that the future president reminded him of the comic-strip character Li'l Abner.

"He's about the same height. He had that big mass of hair, and but the most striking comparison was that he had what clearly was his high school graduation suit on," Witte said. But the committee hired Clinton in 1973 and Hillary Clinton in 1974 as law school faculty.

DEC. 24
Alfred Gilman, 74

Dr. Gilman shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Dr. Martin Rodbell of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for their discovery of G proteins. Such proteins help in the process of receiving signals from outside the cell and activating responses.

DEC. 25
Robert Spitzer, 83

Dr. Spitzer's work on several editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the D.S.M., defined all of the major disorders "so all in the profession could agree on what they were seeing," said Williams, who worked with him on D.S.M.-III, which was published in 1980 and became a best-selling book.

Gay-rights activists credit Dr. Spitzer with removing homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in the D.S.M. in 1973. He decided to push for the change after he met with gay activists and determined that homosexuality could not be a disorder if gay people were comfortable with their sexuality.

DEC. 26
Jim O'Toole, 78

The lefty started the opening game of the 1961 World Series, losing to Yankees ace Whitey Ford 2-0. He also lost Game 4 to Ford, as a New York team featuring Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Yogi Berra won the series in five games. O'Toole gave up four earned runs over 12 innings.

DEC. 27
Dave Henderson, 57

Henderson was best known for his home run in the 1986 AL Championship Series for Boston. With the Red Sox one strike from elimination in Game 5, Henderson hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth against the California Angels to send the series back to Boston. The Red Sox won Games 6 and 7 to advance to the World Series.

But beyond his memorable playoff moment, Henderson was a reliable contributor to four teams that reached the World Series and played 14 seasons total in the majors. His greatest success came from 1988-91 with Oakland. During that four-year stretch, the A's went to the World Series three times.

DEC. 28
Murray Weissman, 90

After serving in the Navy during World War II, Weissman worked as a publicist for ABC and CBS. He moved to movies in the mid-1960s and oversaw Universal's release of "Jaws" in 1973. He began specializing in awards campaigns in the 1990s, representing dozens of best picture Oscar contenders along with hit shows such as "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men."

DEC. 29
Frank Malzone, 85

A member of the Red Sox hall of fame since 1995, he played in Boston for 11 seasons from 1955-65. He hit 131 homers with 716 RBIs during that stretch, the most of any third baseman in club history. The six-time All-Star finished his career in 1966 with the California Angels.

He was often seen in spring training, many times riding a golf cart along with former Boston pitcher Luis Tiant, pausing to take pictures and chatting with fans at the club's complex in Fort Myers, Florida. He visited Fenway Park often after he retired from his work as a scout, instructor and in the team's front office.

DEC. 30
Doug Atkins, 85

Atkins was a four-time all-NFL selection who made eight Pro Bowl appearances during a 17-year NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. His 6-foot-8 frame created major matchup problems for opponents. He was a part of NFL championship teams with Cleveland in 1954 and with Chicago in 1963.

DEC. 31
Wayne Rogers, 82

Rogers' army surgeon Trapper John on "M.A.S.H." was one of the most beloved characters - and half of one of the most beloved duos - in TV history, despite the actor's appearing in only the first three of the show's 11 seasons on CBS.

The two skilled doctors, Hawkeye and Trapper, blew off steam between surgeries pulling pranks, romancing nurses and tormenting their tent-mate Frank Burns, with a seemingly endless supply of booze and one-liners at the ready.