Debi Austin, featured in anti-smoking 'Voicebox' ad, dies

Deborah "Debi" Austin, a Californian who became a symbol of the anti-smoking movement for her powerful role in advocacy and education, died last week. She was 62.

Austin, of Canoga Park, is perhaps best known for her role in a public-awareness television ad in the mid-1990s and later spots she filmed after being diagnosed with cancer of the larynx and receiving a laryngectomy.

"They say nicotine isn't addictive," Austin says in one ad, taking a drag of her smoke. "How can they say that?"

Her raspy voice, poised demeanor in the face of adversity, and dark hole in her throat are unforgettable.

In recent years, Austin continued filming advertisements for anti-smoking groups and died Friday after a two-decade bout with cancer, according to a statement from her family.

"True to Debi's spirit, she was a fighter to the end and leaves a big hole in our hearts and lives. Debi will be remembered fondly by who those who love her to be caring, courageous, very funny and always there to offer advice or lend a hand," according to the statement from the family provided by Allison+Partners.

"She was passionate and outspoken about what she believed in and deeply touched all who knew her or heard her story."

Animal rights activist Pat Derby dies at 70

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details

Pat Derby, a former Hollywood animal trainer turned animal rights activist, has died. She was 70. 

Derby, who later devoted her life to protecting and rescuing exotic and performing animals, died Friday of complications related to throat cancer in San Andreas, 70 miles southeast of Sacramento and the site of a 2,300-acre animal sanctuary she helped establish.  

A native of England, she moved to the United States at age 12 and eventually followed her hopes of Hollywood stardom to California.  

She began training animals in show business instead, working with Flipper and Lassie, as well as automotive manufacturer Lincoln Mercury’s iconic cougars, but became disillusioned with what she regarded as inhumane treatment of performance animals.  

In 1984, she co-founded the Performing Animals Welfare Society, an animal rights advocacy organization, with her longtime partner Ed Stewart.  

The couple helped pass a landmark California law for standards of animals in captivity in the mid-1980s and continued to lobby for a ban on elephants in traveling shows, a practice they considered cruel.  

Derby and Stewart opened the first of three sanctuaries in 1985, which over the years housed wolves, bears, lions, and tigers and elephants. 

One of the sanctuary’s residents, a 9,000-pound African elephant named Ruby, retired there in 2007 after a stint in a circus and a 20-year stretch at the Los Angeles Zoo. After an emotional debate involving animal rights activists, Ruby's fans and city leaders, a donation from TV game-show host Bob Barker helped secure the elephant's transition to the compound. Ruby died in 2011. 

Derby was known to have a special affection for the elephants, at times sleeping in the animals’ barn to be near them. 

“I cannot imagine living without elephants,” Derby told the Modesto Bee in 2004. “Unless they could all go back to the wild and live there.”

A complete obituary will follow at latimes.com/obits.

For the record, 5:20 p.m., Feb. 20: A previous version of this post said that Pat Derby was 69. She was 70.

ALSO:

Zhuang Zedong, 72, helped get 'ping-pong' diplomacy rolling

Huell Howser, 67, TV host profiled California people and places

Jerry Buss, 80, Lakers owner who brought 'Showtime' success to L.A.

-- Christine Mai-Duc

Huell Howser never 'wanted story to be about him,' assistant says

Public television star Huell Howser, who died early this month of prostate cancer, did not talk openly about his illness because "he never wanted the story to be about him," his assistant said.

The host of the TV series “California’s Gold,” which focused on unique and commonplace locales around the state, died last week at his home in Palm Springs.

“He always wanted to be seen as a storyteller,” said Ryan Morris, his assistant of seven years. “And never wanted the story to be about him.”

Howser had ambitious plans last year for the show that he ended up having to cancel, Morris said. `One of those stories would have been on the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, which was booked and canceled several times over the summer because of his illness.

“That was one of the most difficult moments for Huell emotionally,” Morris said Thursday. “Huell always wanted to do that story.”

Morris said though Howser never spoke to him specifically about the cancer, he would sometimes have long conversations about mortality and getting older.

'Dear Abby' advice columnist Pauline Phillips dies at 94

Pauline Friedman Phillips, who as Abigail Van Buren -- "Dear Abby" — for more than 40 years dispensed advice to newspaper readers worldwide on everything from snoring spouses to living wills, has died. She was 94.

Phillips died Wednesday in Minneapolis after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, according to a statement from Universal Uclick syndicate.

The youngest of four daughters of Russian immigrants, Pauline Esther Friedman and her identical twin, Esther Pauline, who became advice columnist Ann Landers, were born in Sioux City, Iowa, on July 4, 1918. Phillips once said that as children, “We thought all those firecrackers and skyrockets were just for us.”

PHOTOS: 'Dear Abby' columnist Pauline Friedman Phillips | 1918-2013

Perhaps those pyrotechnics were a harbinger of things to come for the vivacious, popular Friedman twins — "Popo” and “Eppie” — who were destined to become two of the most famous and influential women of their generation.

For 71 years, she was married to Morton B. Phillips, scion of the National Pressure Cooker Co. (Presto). From an office in their Beverly Hills home, she continued to edit the column into her 80s, although in later years daughter Jeanne Phillips  took over much of the writing.

“I started out editing her,” Jeanne Phillips said in 1999, “and now she edits me.” She plans to “continue the good work my mother started as long as I'm able. It provides a service people absolutely need.”

HOLLYWOOD STAR WALK: Dear Abby

The improbable saga of “Dear Abby” began in 1955 when Phillips was an affluent homemaker in Hillsborough, Calif., with time on her hands, doing volunteer work and playing mah-jongg. Her twin, who'd just been hired by the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate to take over the Ann Landers column, began forwarding some of her letters to her for replies.

Always extremely close, the sisters were thrilled to be collaborating on an advice column.

Phillips soon started her own advice column for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Her twin sister died in 2002.

A full obituary will follow at latimes.com/obits.

ALSO:

Natalie Wood death probe found new evidence, sources say

Huell Howser died of prostate cancer, death certificate says

More possible victims of tattoo artist accused of molestation sought

-- Beverly Beyette

Photo: Advice columnist Ann Landers, right, and twin sister Pauline Friedman Phillips, who wrote "Dear Abby," in June 1986 at their 50th high school reunion in Sioux City, Iowa. Phillips died Wednesday at 94. Credit: John Gaps III / Associated Press

Robert Citron, treasurer at center of O.C. bankruptcy, dies

Robert L. Citron, the soft-spoken Orange County treasurer whose bad bets on exotic Wall Street investments resulted in what in 1994 was the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, died Wednesday.

He was 87. 

Until the 1994 financial collapse, Citron was a low-key bureaucrat who won praise from Orange County supervisors for earning much higher yields from the county's complex array of investments than many other government agencies.

But after interest rates shifted, the county investment fund was hit by losses totaling more than $1.64 billion. The county declared bankruptcy in December 1994, sending shock waves through the municipal finances markets and Wall Street.

A grand jury investigation would later find that Citron, who over the years won so many awards for his investment skills, relied upon a mail-order astrologer and a psychic for interest rate predictions as the county's treasury began to falter.

Citron eventually pleaded guilty to six felony charges for skimming money from Orange County cities, schools and other agencies into county government accounts. He served a year in jail, where he was allowed to work in the commissary.

A third-generation Californian, Citron was born in Los Angeles in 1925 and grew up in Burbank. Because he had asthma as a child, his family moved out of the smog into the town of Hemet. His father, Jesse, was a doctor who earned a measure of fame for being liquor-loving W.C. Fields' physician who weaned him off Scotch.

Citron rose through the ranks of the county's treasury department to become county treasurer-tax collector, a post he has held for 24 years. He lived in Santa Ana, just a few miles from work, and was famous for his long hours.

In a 1994 interview, his wife, Terry, told The Times that the weekends were hardest for her husband because he could not go to work.

"He can barely stand the weekend at home," she said. "He can't wait to get back. I think he'd go crazy without that job."

ALSO:

Ex-Santa Ana councilman calls D.A. biased in sexual assault case 

Family of special-needs child gets $950,000 in teacher abuse case 

Maker of porn films gets 4 years in prison in federal obscenity case

-- Scott Reckard and Shelby Grad

Photo: Robert Citron in a 2004 file photo. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Huell Howser memorial, sunset salute to be held at Griffith Observatory

Admirers of Huell Howser will gather at Griffith Observatory on Tuesday for a sunset memorial organized by City Councilman Tom LaBonge. 

Huell, a beloved staple in California public television, died Sunday, prompting an outpouring of appreciation from fans and public figures alike. 

"Huell had a tremendous enthusiasm for California landmarks like the Griffith Observatory," LaBonge said in a statement. "And now we must say goodbye to our own California landmark, Huell Howser."

Huell Howser: Career in pictures

The ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m., at the steps of the observatory, where there will be speeches given in tribute until 5:07 p.m., when there will be a sunset salute.

As the host of programs like "California's Gold," "Visiting,"  and "Road Trip," Howser was known for his down-home demeanor and contagious enthusiasm ("Would you look at that!") for the subjects he covered, which ranged from well-known California travel destinations to obscure roadside attractions and intriguing everyday people.

ALSO:

Yosemite National Park plan seeks to ease crowding and traffic

$12,000 reward for Gold Rush-era jewel box stolen from museum

Woman fatally poisoned toddler with chili powder, authorities say

-- Wesley Lowery

Follow Wesley Lowery on Twitter and Google+.

Photo: Huell Howser at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancster. Credit: Howser Production Company / KCET

Huell Howser's 'Gold' archives preserved by Chapman University

In 20 years of traversing the state for his program "California Gold," Huell Howser took his viewers to the Mojave Desert to learn the story of the world's tallest and oldest Joshua tree, to the Eastside of L.A. to explore the history of mariachi and to the small Kern County town of Wasco to see and smell acres and acres of rosebushes.

And now, years' worth of Howser's work has been digitized and made available to be viewed for free online, which he requested when he donated his "California Gold" archive to Chapman University in Orange.

Howser -- a California television icon described in a Times obituary as "traditional and unflashy -- highlighting familiar and off-the-beaten-track" locales for his public television programs -- died Sunday night at 67.

"Huell Howser was a beloved California icon, a true original and a truly good man," Chapman President James L. Doti said in statement issued Monday. "He loved California so very much, and above all he loved people: their life stories, their interests, their passions. And, of course, people adored him with equal intensity."

In recent years, Howser donated several pieces of real estate and his personal art collection to the university, in addition to the video archives. Among the real estate is his "Volcano House," a Midcentury Modern domed structure that sits atop an ancient cinder-cone volcano in the Mojave Desert. The university plans to use the home for study tours and projects by faculty and students in such disciplines as environmental science, astronomy and film.

Chapman planned to award Howser an honorary doctorate and will do so posthumously at its May commencement.

The university has also organized a showcase of Howser's artifacts on the main floor of the Leatherby Libraries, as well as set up a memorial wall online alongside the video archives.

Huell Howser: Fans mourn his death, share favorite videos [Talkback LA]

There has been an outpouring of tributes Monday for TV personality and California chronicler Huell Howser, who died.

As The Times' Greg Braxton reported:

Howser, 67, one of public television's most iconic figures, died Sunday night, his assistant Ryan Morris said. No other details were given.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of Huell's passing," Al Jerome, president and chief executive of KCET, said in a statement. "This is a tremendous personal and professional loss to his friends and colleagues as well as his legions of fans. Throughout his more than two decades with KCET, Huell inspired everyone at the station with his enthusiasm and storytelling about this great state in which we live. Huell was able to brilliantly capture the wonder in obscurity. From pastrami sandwiches and scarves loomed from lint to the exoticism of cactus gardens and the splendor of Yosemite -- he brought us the magic, the humor and poignancy of our region. We will miss him very much."

Huell Howser: Career in pictures

Howser's death came only weeks after the Nov. 27 announcement that he was retiring and not recording any more original episodes of "California's Gold."

Fans have been sharing their favorite videos from YouTube as well as their memories of Howser.

Here are some reflections on Howser curated from social media:

 

Share your memories below.

ALSO:

Hertzberg changes course, backs Feuer for L.A. city attorney

FBI to excavate possible Speed Freak Killers site in Central Valley

Boater arrested after running aground, faces intoxication charge

Photo: Huell Howser on top of the Golden Gate Bridge in 2009. Credit: KCET

Iron Butterfly’s Lee Dorman died of natural causes, coroner says

A bassist for the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, who was found dead Friday in a vehicle outside his Laguna Niguel home, died of natural causes, the Orange County coroner's office said Saturday.

No autopsy is planned for Lee Dorman, 70, who was part of the band when it recorded "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida," a 17-minute heavy metal track that caught the attention of the counterculture market. The album of the same name stayed on the national sales chart for 2-1/2 years, and a three-minute version was a top 40 hit.

Iron Butterfly was formed in San Diego in 1966 and recorded an album before Dorman joined a revised lineup that included guitarist Erik Braunn, keyboardist and singer Doug Ingle and drummer Ron Bushy.

PHOTOS: Notable deaths of 2012

In 1968, the group recorded "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida," a 17-minute heavy metal track that "was nothing short of a pop monument," The Times said in 1988, "the song of the moment" that caught the attention of the counterculture market. The album stayed on the national sales chart for 2-1/2 years and a three-minute version was a top 40 hit.

By the 1970s, another guitarist, Larry Reinhardt, had joined Iron Butterfly. When the band soon broke up, Dorman and Reinhardt formed Captain Beyond with Rod Evans from Deep Purple and other musicians.

Captain Beyond recorded three albums that reflected rock, heavy metal and jazz influences, and scored something of an FM hit with the song "Sufficiently Breathless." Without Dorman, a new version of Iron Butterfly formed in 1974 and recorded albums without commercial success.

Douglas Lee Dorman was born in 1942 in St. Louis and had long suffered from heart problems, which ended his music career, according to the All Music Internet database.

As of 1988, he was leading boat cruises off Southern California and working as a bar manager.

ALSO:

Phonehenge West creator sentenced to 18 months in jail

California ban on gay conversion therapy put on hold

End of the world party wraps up early in West Hollywood

— Ashley Powers

Photo: This April 9, 1969, photo shows members of Iron Butterfly, from left, Erik Brann, Ron Bushy, Lee Dorman and Doug Ingle. Dorman, the bassist for psychedelic rock band, has died at age 70. Credit: Associated Press

Singer in famed Vietnamese musical family dies in O.C.

As the eldest son, born to Vietnam's most legendary singing family, Duy Quang stepped lithely on stage and held his audience enthralled. His voice amplified the ballads of yesteryear, many from his father, composer Pham Duy, who knew how to tug at listeners' hearts when writing about folk life, the spiritual or the profane.

So when news spread Wednesday of Duy Quang's death, at age 62, after suffering from lung cancer, stores in Little Saigon shuffled their displays to highlight his music, spurred to fame by his father's words.

"He is beloved for what comes out of his mouth when he sings. His voice is velvet. It could still warm us," said Ky Phat, Duy Quang's friend for more than 40 years.

As editor of Orange County-based Tre magazine, devoted to youth and pop culture, he had met the singer in Saigon when he booked him for his club, Queen Bee.

In the last decade, Duy Quang operated his own club, having returned to Vietnam like his father, continuing a minstrel life. The singer, a father of three, flew back to Orange County recently to seek advanced treatment for his illness.

Industry peers began to visit him daily at Orange Coast Memorial Hospital in Fountain Valley. He died at a nearby medical facility.

They admired Duy Quang and his siblings - Duy Minh, Duy Hung, Duy Cuong and Thai Hien - who in 1969 launched a band, the Dreamers, which played at concert halls for decades, selling out shows worldwide.

ALSO:

Drug lord’s daughter deported to Mexico

Ex-O.C. cop guilty of stealing from charity football league 

Homeless population declines in L.A. County, U.S. says

-- Anh Do

Twitter: @newsterrier

Photo: Duy Quang. Credit: Courtesy of Ky Phat.