Notable deaths in Pittsburgh and Western Pa. in 2021

A look back at some notable Pittsburgh-area people the world lost in 2021.

Joanne Rogers, a concert duo pianist and wife of the late Fred Rogers

“She wasn’t going for the spotlight but she was very happy to respond to the national and worldwide interest in what Fred was offering to the world,” said Hedda Sharapan, a consultant to Fred Rogers Productions and a senior fellow at the Fred Rogers Center in Latrobe. “She gave the world another sense of who Fred was through her humor and her humorous stories about him.”

Rogers died Jan. 14 at her Squirrel Hill home. She was 92.

She became the face of her husband’s legacy after his 2003 death, supporting books and documentaries on news programs and late-night talk shows. She provided voices for some of the characters on Fred’s first TV program, Pittsburgh’s “The Children’s Corner,” a precursor to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” where she made a few appearances as Mrs. Rogers.

Charles Grodin, Pittsburgh-born actor and writer

A Highland Park native, Grodin gained famed for his role in the 1972 comedy “The Heartbreak Kid,” in which he played a newlywed who abandons his bride on their honeymoon for Cybill Shepherd.

Grodin died May 18 in his Connecticut home after a battle with bone marrow cancer. He was 86.

Grodin appeared in a string of notable films from the 1970s onward, including “Midnight Run,” “The Woman in Red” and “Heaven Can Wait.” On Broadway, he starred with Ellen Burstyn in the long-running 1970s comedy “Same Time, Next Year.”

Henry Parham, a member of the only all-Black unit in the D-Day invasion

Parham was a member of the all-Black 320th Very Low Altitude Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion, the only Black combat unit to take part in the D-Day invasion, and the only barrage balloon battalion to land on the beaches.

He died July 4 at the VA Hospital in Oakland. He was 99 and lived in Wilkinsburg.

Parham’s battalion ended up serving 140 days in France, including a stint in Cherbourg protecting Gen. George Patton’s Third Army. A commendation by Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower cited the 320th for the “splendid manner” in which it carried out its duties.

Tunch Ilkin, former Steelers tackle and sports broadcaster

Ilkin, who lived in Upper St. Clair, spent four decades with the Steelers, first as a player for 13 years and later as a broadcast analyst.

He was diagnosed with ALS in September 2020. He finished out the season and stepped away from the booth to focus on his health in June. He died Sept. 4 at age 63.

“It was always a joy to be around him,” said broadcast partner Bill Hillgrove. “Tunch was always positive. As an analyst, he always knew what to look for, he knew about the matchups that would be favorable or unfavorable for the Steelers. It was fun just being around the guy.”

Dr. Freddie Fu, renowned orthopedist and sports medicine pioneer

Fu founded UPMC’s sports medicine program and was physician for Pitt’s sports teams for some 30 years. He was the longtime chair of the orthopedic surgery department, and he developed techniques and procedures that changed the way in which such surgeries were done.

Fu, 70, died Sept. 24.

“When people found out where I worked, they would share delightful stories about Dr. Fu,” Dr. Robin West, an orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon, said during a memorial service. “He didn’t care if you were a sports star, coal miner or politician — he treated everyone the same.”

Howard Hanna Jr., Pittsburgh real estate magnate

Howard Hanna Jr., the man behind the green and yellow signs, began what would become a real estate empire in a single office in 1957. By the time of his death nearly 70 years later, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services was the country’s fourth-largest real estate company.

Hanna died Sept. 25 at age 101.

“Pittsburgh has lost a business pioneer and a civic leader,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at the time. “Howard Hanna began in humble beginnings, and through hard work, he changed the real estate industry.”

Bill Virdon, Pirates center fielder in the 1960 World Series team

Virdon, dubbed “Quail” by broadcaster Bob Prince for his penchant for beating out infield hits, was the leadoff hitter and Gold Glove center fielder for the Pirates’ 1960 World Series champion team. He went on to manage four major-league teams.

Virdon died Nov. 23. He was 90.

He is best known for his Game 7 grounder in the 1960 World Series that took a bad hop and hit Yankees shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat in the bottom of the eighth inning. Virdon reached safely, then scored on Roberto Clemente’s two-out infield single. Hal Smith followed with a three-run homer to give the Pirates a 9-7 lead, setting the stage for Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off homer to win the world championship.