Those We Lost

In addition to his partner of 17 years, Gregg Driben, McGonnell is survived by his mother, Carmel McGonnell; brothers, Paul and Aiden; and sister, Karen.

TP McKenna
1929-2011
Irish actor TP McKenna, famous for his roles in The Avengers and Straw Dogs, passed away in London on February 13th, following a long illness. He was 81.

Thomas Patrick McKenna, better known as TP, was born on September  7, 1929 in Mullagh, Co. Cavan, Ireland. He attended Mullagh School and St Patrick’s College, Cavan, where he perfected his soprano voice in Gilbert and Sullivan operas and became interested in theater.

McKenna first worked with Ulster Bank. When he was transferred to Dublin, he joined the Shakespeare Society and the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society. In 1953, the bank wanted to transfer him to the quiet town of Killeshandra in Cavan, but McKenna quit the job to pursue a professional acting career.

McKenna acted in over 70 stage roles between 1953 and 1964, joining the Abbey Theatre and performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre Company. This led to television roles on shows such as The Saint, Jason King, Dr Who, The Sweeney, and Minder. He also acted in movie adaptations of the James Joyce novels Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, as well as films Red Scorpion and Straw Dogs.

McKenna is survived by sons Ralph, Kilian, Breffni, Stephen and daughter  Sally, daughter-in-law Karin,  grandsons Tom & Finnian, three brothers, five sisters extended family and  friends. McKenna’s wife May White, whom he married in 1955, passed away in 2006. He was laid to rest alongside her in Mullagh, Ireland.
– K.M.

Gary Moore
1952-2011
Renowned musician Gary Moore passed away on February 6, 2011 in Estepona, Spain, following  a heart attack. He was 58.

Robert William Gary Moore was born April 4, 1952 in Belfast, Northern Ireland – one of five children born to Bobby Moore, a promoter, and his homemaker wife, Winnie. He moved to Dublin in 1968, and joined the band Skid Row in 1969. While his time with Skid Row was brief, it brought him into contact with Phil Lynott, a founding member of Thin Lizzy, and a friend and collaborator until Lynott’s death in 1986.

After leaving Skid Row, Moore released his first solo album in 1973, Grinding Stone. He followed this with a brief stint with Thin Lizzy in early 1974, recording the lead guitar on “Still in Love with You” from the band’s fourth album, Nightlife. It would be the first of three stints with the band: he temporarily replaced guitarist Brian Robertson on the band’s 1977 tour of the United States, and rejoined from 1978-1979 to record Black Rose: A Rock Legend with the band.

Throughout his forty-year-career, Moore toured and recorded with a variety of artists and released 20 solo studio albums, the last being 2008’s Bad for You Baby. He also recorded three albums with Coliseum II between 1976 and 1977, and numerous live albums.

Moore is survived by his four children: daughters Saoirse and Lily; sons Jack and Gus; and his partner Jo.
 – K.R.

Charles Nolan
1957-2011
Designer Charles Nolan passed away on January 31, 2011 in his Upper West Side Manhattan home at age 53. The cause was cancer of the head and neck.

Nolan was born on June 5, 1957. The fifth of nine children born to Philip Francis and Elizabeth Frances Nolan, he was raised in Brooklyn and Massapequa, NY. Nolan possessed an interest in fashion from a young age, once staying up all night to watch a royal wedding, mostly to see the gown. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, he worked for Frank Tignino, Bill Haire, Bill Blass, Christian Dior, and Ellen Tracy before becoming the head designer of Anne Klein in 2001, revitalizing the collection.

In 2003, Nolan left Anne Klein to volunteer for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. A year later, he established his own label, setting up a shop on 30 Gansevoort Street and selling his designs at Saks Fifth Avenue. To showcase his clothing’s wearability, Nolan preferred to hire regular people as models, including a retired police detective and swimmer Dara Torres.

Nolan is survived by his partner, Andrew Tobias; his father Philip Francis Nolan;  and eight brothers and sisters
– K.R.

​
Nster.com