June 2008's Honoured Dead

· Carlin, George, 71: profane and prolific comedian whose 'Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television' routine led to a landmark Supreme Court indecency ruling in 1978; slated to receive (posthumously) the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor; Santa Monica, CA, June 22, 2008.

· Charisse, Cyd, 86: dancer and actress who waltzed through MGM musicals of the 1950s, notably with Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon (1953) and Silk Stockings (1957), and Gene Kelly in Brigadoon (1954); she was married to the singer Tony Martin for 60 years; Los Angeles, CA, June 17, 2008.

· d'Harnoncourt, Anne, 64: historian of modern art and director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1982-2008; Philadelphia, PA, June 2, 2008.

· Diddley, Bo, 79: pioneer rock n' roll guitarist and songwriter who combined rhythm and blues with rock and roll in a unique beat; best known for his songs 'Who Do You Love,' and 'Bo Diddley;' Archer, FL, June 2, 2008.

· Ferrer, Mel, 90: actor, director and producer who starred in the films Lili (1952), War and Roses (1956) and The Sun Also Rises (1957), and appeared on television in Falcon Crest (1981-84); directed Audrey Hepburn, his fourth wife, in several movies; Santa Barbara, CA, June 2, 2008.

· McKay, Jim, 86: television sports journalist who covered 10 Olympic Games for ABC television, and hosted the series Wide World of Sports (1961-98); Monkton, MD, June 7, 2008.

· Russert, Tim, 59: television journalist who moderated the political affairs show Meet the Press (1991-2008), and served as NBC's Washington Bureau Chief; earlier, served as chief of staff (1977-82) for NY (D) Sen. Daniel Moynihan, and counselor (1983-84) to NY Gov. Mario Cuomo; Washington, DC, June 13, 2008.

· Saint-Laurent, Yves, 71: French fashion designer who transformed fashion, notably emphasizing pants and military-inspired peacoats in early collections, and often drawing inspiration from street styles as well as artists such as Picasso and Matisse; Paris, France, June 1, 2008

· Tudor, Tasha, 92: author and illustrator of nearly 100 children's books; Mother Goose (1944), and 1 is One (1956) named Caldecott Honor books for her illustrations; Marlboro, VT, June 18, 2008.

· Winston, Stan, 62: Academy Award-winning special effects and make up artist, best known for his dinosaur creations in the Jurassic Park films (1993 & 1997), and work on The Terminator films (1984, 1991 and 2003); Malibu, CA, June 15, 2008.