Celebrity picks for Derby Dead Pool 2007: V

 

Van Buren, Abigail (Died in 2013)
Born 4 July 1918  (Sioux City, Iowa, USA)
Agony aunt (born Pauline Esther Friedman) who wrote the long-running "Dear Abby" column which was syndicated to a number of US newspapers. Her twin sister, Esther Pauline Friedman (clearly their parents were somewhat short of inspiration when it came to names), was also an agony aunt.
[Picture of Abigail Van Buren]

 

Van Buren, Steve
Born 28 December 1920  (La Ceiba, Honduras)
Honduran, a former American footballer with the Philadelphia Eagles.
[Picture of Steve Van Buren]

 

Van Dyke, Dick
Born 13 December 1925  (West Plains, Missouri, USA)
Actor and TV presenter who is best known in America for "The Dick Van Dyke Show", and on this side of the pond for his butt-clenchingly awful attempt at a Cockney accent in "Mary Poppins".
[Picture of Dick Van Dyke]

 

Van Halen, Eddie
Born 26 January 1955  (Nijmegen, Netherlands)
Dutch guitarist, co-founder of the rock group Van Halen. Has suffered health problems in the last few years, which have affected his output somewhat.
[Picture of Eddie Van Halen]

 

Van Kirk, Theodore 'Dutch'
Born 27 February 1921  (Northumberland, Pennsylvania, USA)
The navigator of the Enola Gay when it dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
[Picture of Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk]

 

Van Patten, Dick
Born 9 December 1928  (New York, New York, USA)
US actor & dog food promoter. Suffered a major stroke in 2006.
[Picture of Dick Van Patten]

 

Vanderbilt, Gloria
Born 20 February 1924  (New York, New York, USA)
Became a multi-millionaire heiress at just 15 months old, and later became an artist, actress & socialite.
[Picture of Gloria Vanderbilt]

 

Varah, Chad Chad Varah is no longer with us
Born 12 November 1911  (Barton upon Humber, England)

Died 8 November 2007  (Basingstoke, Hampshire, England)

Age at death: 95  (read death notice)
Anglican clergyman, story-writer on the "Eagle" comic, and founder of the Samaritans.
[Picture of Chad Varah]

 

Varallo, Francisco (Died in 2010)
Born 5 February 1910  (La Plata, Argentina)
The only surviving player from the first football World Cup Final in 1930, when he played for Argentina in their 4-2 defeat against Uruguay.
[Picture of Francisco Varallo]

 

Varney, Reg (Died in 2008)
Born 11 July 1916  (Plaistow, London, England)
Comic actor (now retired), most famous for playing Stan Butler in the sitcom "On the Buses".
[Picture of Reg Varney]

 

Vaughan, Peter
Born 4 April 1923  (Shropshire, England)
TV actor - played Grouty, the Mr. Big of Slade prison in "Porridge".
[Picture of Peter Vaughan]

 

Vaughn, Robert
Born 22 November 1932  (New York, New York, USA)
Actor, best known for either his role in The Man from U.N.C.L.E or to British audiences nowadays in the TV show Hustle. He is also the only surviving member of The Magnificent Seven.
[Picture of Robert Vaughn]

 

Vegas, Johnny
Born 11 September 1971  (St Helens, Lancashire, England)
Lardy, husky-voiced comedian and former potter. Real name Michael Joseph Pennington.
[Picture of Johnny Vegas]

 

Venables, Terry
Born 6 January 1943  (Dagenham, London, England)
Former England football player & manager and screenwriter, who wrote the ITV detective series Hazell.
[Picture of Terry Venables]

 

Versace, Donatella
Born 2 May 1955  (Reggio di Calabria, Italy)
Fashion designer, head of the Versace clothing empire.
[Picture of Donatella Versace]

 

Vidal, Gore (Died in 2012)
Born 3 October 1925  (West Point, New York, USA)
Essayist, novelist, playwright and outspoken political commentator. Co-wrote the script for the classic 1959 film "Ben-Hur", but was denied the credit for it.
[Picture of Gore Vidal]

 

Videla, Jorge Rafael
Born 21 August 1925  (Mercedes, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Former President of Argentina between 1976 & 1981, and the man who lead the military junta which specialised inhuman rights abuses, tortures & "disappearances". Now under house arrest.
[Picture of Jorge Rafael Videla]

 

Vigoda, Abe
Born 24 February 1921  (New York, New York, USA)
Tall, well-built character actor, noted for his roles as mobster Sal Tessio in "The Godfather" and Det. Sgt. Fish in "Barney Miller". Was erroneously declared dead in the early 1980s.
[Picture of Abe Vigoda]

 

Vincent, Jan-Michael
Born 15 July 1944  (Denver, Colorado, USA)
Despite a successful Hollywood career throughout the '60s & '70s, Vincent is more likely to be remembered for his portrayal of the vigilante Stringfellow Hawke who kept the US safe during the '80s using only a state-of-the-art attack helicopter known as Airwolf. America's diminished impunity to the whims of megalomaniacs may be at the root of Vincent's subsequent decline into alcoholism and drug abuse.
[Picture of Jan-Michael Vincent]

 

Virgo, John
Born 3 March 1946  (Salford, Lancashire, England)
Snooker player, turned TV commentator & presenter.
[Picture of John Virgo]

 

von Bülow, Claus
Born 11 August 1926  (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Wealthy British-based financier, who hit the headlines when he was convicted in 1982 of attempting to murder his wife, but later had his conviction quashed.
[Picture of Claus von Bülow]

 

von Bülow, Sunny (Died in 2008)
Born 1 September 1932  (Manassas, Virginia, USA)
American heiress & socialite, who has been in a vegetative coma since 1981, when she was the victim of an unsuccessful murder attempt.
[Picture of Sunny von Bülow]

 

von Habsburg, Otto (Died in 2011)
Born 20 November 1912  (Reichenau, Austria)
Crown Prince of Austria.
[Picture of Otto von Habsburg]

 

von Sydow, Max
Born 10 April 1929  (Lund, Skane, Sweden)
Swedish actor, who has achieved fame both at home and abroad.
[Picture of Max von Sydow]

 

von Trapp, Werner Werner von Trapp is no longer with us
Born 21 December 1915  (Austria)

Died 11 October 2007  (Waitsfield, Vermont, USA)

Age at death: 91  (read death notice)
One of the Trapp Family Singers, whose real-life story inspired "The Sound of Music".
[Picture of Werner von Trapp]

 

Vonnegut, Kurt Kurt Vonnegut is no longer with us
Born 11 November 1922  (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA)

Died 11 April 2007  (New York, New York, USA)

Age at death: 84  (read death notice)
Sci-fi author whose novels also tend to convey an anti-authoritarian theme. His most famous work is undoubtedly "Slaughterhouse-Five", written in 1969.
[Picture of Kurt Vonnegut]

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