Eddie Rabbitt b. 1941. d. 1998 (lung cancer)
Singer - Every Which Way But Loose, I Love a Rainy Night

Yitzak Rabin b. 1922 d. 1995 (assassinated)
Israeli Prime Minister

Gilda Radner (Wilder) b. 1946 d. 1989 (ovarian cancer)
Actress/comedian - SNL, married to Gene Wilder

Prince Rainier III b. 1923 d. April 6, 2005 (heart, lung and kidney failure)
Monaco monarch who married Grace Kelly in 1956

John Raitt b. 1917 d. February 20, 2005 (complications from pneumonia)
Musical theatre - Carousel, Oklahoma, Pajama Game; father of Bonnie Raitt

Dack Rambo b. 1941 d. 1994 (AIDS)
Actor - Jeff Sonnet on Guns of Will Sonnett; twin of Dirk

Dirk Rambo b. 1941 d.1967 (fire)
Twin of Dack

Patsy Ramsey b. 1956 d. June 24, 2006 (ovarian cancer)
Mother of slain child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey

Ayn Rand b. 1905 d. 1982
Writer/Philosopher - Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged

Sally Rand b. 1903 d. 1979 (heart failure)
Fan dancer, actress

Sue Randall b. 1935. d. 1984
Actress - Miss Landers on Leave It To Beaver

Tony Randall b. 1920 d. May 17, 2004 (complications from a prolonged illness)
Actor - Felix Unger on The Odd Couple

Basil Rathbone b. 1892 d. 1967
Actor - Sherlock Holmes

Thurl Ravenscroft b. 1914 d. May 22, 2005 (prostate cancer)
Actor - Voice of Tony the Tiger

Lou Rawls b. 1935 d. January 6, 2006 (lung cancer)
Singer - Lady Love

Aldo Ray b. 1926 d. 1991
Actor

James Earl Ray b. 1928 d. 1998 (liver failure)
Confessed assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. He quickly recanted his confession

Johnnie Ray b. 1927 d. 1990 (liver failure)
Singer - Cry

Martha Raye b. 1916 d. 1994
Comedian

Gene Rayburn b. 1917. d. 1999 (heart disease) Game show host -The Match Game

Sam Rayburn b. 1882 d. 1961 (cancer)
US Speaker of The House

Maureen Reagan b. 1941 d. August 8, 2001 (cancer)
Activist - daughter of President Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan b. February 6, 1911 d. June 5, 2004 (pneumonia)
President of the United States 1980-1988

Harry Reasoner b. 1923. d. 1991 (heart attack)
Journalist and host of 60 Minutes

Otis Redding b. 1941 d. 1967 (plane crash)
Musician - Sittin on the Dock of the Bay

Orville Redenbacher b. 1907 d. 1995
Popcorn Pioneer

Lynn Redgrave b. 1943 d. 2010 (breast cancer)
Actress - Oscar nominated for "Georgey Girl" also did Weight Watchers commercials

Alan Reed b. 1920 d. 1977
Actor - Voice of Fred Flintstone

Donna Reed b. 1921 d. 1986 (pancreatic cancer)
Actress - The Donna Reed Show

Jerry Reed b.1937 d. 2008 (emphysema)
Country Musician, Actor/ co-starred in Smokey and the Bandit

Oliver Reed b. 1938 d. 1999 (heart attack)
Actor - Bill Sykes in Oliver!

Robert Reed b. 1932 d. 1992 (AIDS)
Actor - Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch

Harold Henry "Pee Wee" Reese b. 1918 d. 1999 (cancer)
Baseball Player - The Brooklyn Dodgers

Christopher Reeve b. September 25, 1952 d. October 10, 2004 (complications of infection)
Actor/advocate - Superman and advocate for stem cell research

Dana Reeve b. 1961 d. March 6, 2006 (lung cancer)
Widow of actor Christopher Reeve

George Reeves b. 1914 d. 1959 (suicide? - gunshot wound to the head with a 9mm Luger pistol)
Actor - Superman

Steve Reeves b. 1926 d. 2000 (complications from lymphoma)
Actor and Body Builder - Mr. Universe

Donald Regan b. 1919 d. June 10, 2003
Secretary of the Treasury and Chief of Staff under Pres. Ronald Reagan

William Rehnquist b. 1924 d. September 3, 2005 (thyroid cancer)
Associate Justice United States Supreme Court 1972-2005, Chief Justice 1986-2005

Hugh Reilly b. 1915 d. 1998 (emphysema)
Actor - Paul Martin on Lassie

Estelle Reiner b.1914 d. 2008 (natural causes)
Actress/ also Mother of Rob and wife to Carl Reiner

Lee Remick, b. 1935 d. 1991 (cancer)
Actress

Duncan Renaldo b. 1904 d. 1980 (lung cancer)
Actor - The Cisco Kid

Brad Renfro b. 1982 d. January 15, 2008
Actor - Mark Shay in The Client

Michael Rennie b. 1909 d. 1971
Actor - Klaatu in Day the Earth Stood Still

Judith Resnick b. 1950 d. 1986
Space shuttle Challenger astronaut

Tommy Rettig b. 1941 d. 1996 (heart attack)
Actor - Jeff on Lassie

Charles Revson b. 1906 d. 1975
Revlon Founder

Alejandro Rey b. 1930 d. 1987 (cancer)
Actor

Madlyn Rhue b. 1935 d. December 16, 2003 (pneumonia and multiple sclerosis)
Actress - "Bracken's World" as Marjorie Grant

Buddy Rich b. 1917 d. 1987
Drummer

Candace Rich b. 1950 d. 2008
Writer, author, webmaster, beloved Sister - created FiftiesWeb.com and others

Ann Richards b. 1933 d. September 13, 2006 ( esophageal cancer)
Governor of Texas 1991 - 1995

Elliot Richardson b. 1920 d. 1999 (brain hemorrhage)
Attorney General of US who refused to fire Archibald Cox so Nixon fired him

J. P "Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr. b. 1930. d. February 3, 1959 (plane crash)
Singer - Chantilly Lace

Natasha Richardson b. 1963 d. March 18, 2009 (brain damage due to a sking accident)
Tony Award winning Actress - from an acting dynasty Family

Sir Ralph David Richardson b. 1902. d. 1983 (stroke)
Actor - Alexander Gromeko in Dr. Zhivago

Eddie Vernon Rickenbacker b. 1890 d. 1973 (heart failure)
America's "Ace of Aces"

Nelson Riddle b. 1921 d. 1985 (cardiac and kidney failure)
Composer and orchestra leader

Bobby Riggs b. 1918 d. 1995 (prostate cancer)
Tennis player - famous match with Billy Jean King

Michael Ritchie b. 1938 d. April 16, 2001 (complications of prostate cancer)
Director - Fletch, Downhill Racer

John Ritter b. 1948 d. September 11, 2003 (aortic dissection - heart)
Actor - "Three's Company" - son of Tex Ritter (below)

Tex Ritter b. 1905 d. 1974
Western Actor

Phil Rizzuto b. 1917 d. August 13, 2007 (pneumonia)
New York Yankee shortstop and Baseball Hall of Famer

Harold Robbins b. 1916 d. 1997 (heart failure)
Writer

Jerome Robbins b. 1918 d. 1998 (stroke)
Choreographer - West Side Story

Oral Roberts b. 1918 d. 2009 (natural causes)
Christian Minister, author, televangelist and founder of Oral Roberts University

Pernell Roberts b. 1928 d. 2010 (pancreatic cancer)
Actor - portrayed Adam Cartwright on "Bonanza" '59-'65 and Dr John McIntyre on "Trapper John"

Edward G. Robinson b. 1893 d. 1973 (cancer)
Actor best known for portraying a gangster in numerous roles

Jason Robards b. 1922 d. December 26, 2000 (metastasized lung cancer)
Actor - Dashiell Hammett in Julia

Eddie Robinson b. 1919 d. April 3, 2007 (Alzheimer's disease)
Head football coach for 56 years at Grambling State University

Jackie Robinson b. 1919 d. 1972
Baseball Hall of Famer, 1962

Max Robinson b. 1939 d. 1988 (AIDS)
Journalist - First full-time black evening news anchor, ABC

Sugar Ray Robinson b. 1921 d. 1989
Boxer

Vickie Sue Robinson d. 2000 b. 1955
Singer (disco) - Turn theBeat Around

Laurance Rockefeller b. 1910 d. July 7, 2004 (pulmonary fibrosis)
Billionarie philanthropist

Nelson Rockefeller b. 1908 d. 1979 (heart attack)
US Vice President and Governor of New York


Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller b. 1948 d. July 16, 2006 (blood disorder)
Arkansas politician, billionaire great-grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller

Norman Rockwell b.1894 d. 1978
Artist

Gene Roddenberry b. 1921 d. 1991 (heart attack)
Producer/writer - Star Trek

Peter Rodino b. 1909 d. May 7, 2005
House Judiciary Committee chairman who directed the impeachment investigation of Nixon

Richard Rodgers b. 1902 d. 1979
Composer

Fred Rogers b. 1928 d. February 27, 2003 (stomach cancer)
Television's "Mister Rogers"

Ginger Rogers b. 1911 d. 1995 (diabetic coma)
Dancer/Entertainer

Roy Rogers, (Leonard Franklin Slye) b. 1911 d. 1998 (congestive heart failure)
Cowboy Actor/Singer/Entertainer - "King of Cowboys"

William P. Rogers b. 1909 d. January 2, 2001
Eisnehower's Attorney General (1957–1961) and Nixon's Secretary of State

Esther Rolle b. 1920 d. 1998 (diabetes)
Actress - Florida Evans on The Good Times

Howard Rollins b. 1950 d. 1996 (lymphoma)
Actor - Virgil Tibbs in TV version of In the Heat of The Night

Ruth Roman b. 1923 d. 1999
Actress

Cesar Romero b. 1907 d. 1994
Actor - Joker on TV's Batman plus many other roles

George Romney b. 1907 d. 1995 (heart attack)
Chairman of American Motors, Governor of Michigan, Secretary of HUD (1969-1972)

David Rose b. 1909 d. 1990
Composer - "The Stripper" and music of TV themes

Judd Rose b. 1955 d. 2000 (brain cancer)
Journalist

Ethel Rosenberg b. 1915 d. June 19, 1953 (executed)
Convicted Spy

Julius Rosenberg b. 1918 d. June 19, 1953 (executed)
Convicted Spy

Judith Rossner b. 1935 d. August 9, 2005
Author - Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Carl T. Rowan b. 1925 d. 2000
Journalist/columnist

Dan Rowan b. 1922 d. 1987 (lymphatic cancer)
Comedian - Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In

Mike Royko b. 1932 d.1997 (brain aneurysm and strokes)
Columnist

Pete Rozelle b. 1926 d. 1996 (brain cancer)
NFL commissioner from 1960-1989

Jerry Rubin b. 1938 d. 1994 (killed while jaywalking)
Activist - One of the Chicago Seven

Jack Ruby b. 1911 d. 1967
Shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald

Wilma Rudolph b. 1940 d. 1994
Olympic athlete - 3 Golds in 1960 for track and field

Louis Rukeyser b. 1933 d. May 2, 2006 (multiple myeloma)
Journalist - Wall $treet Week With Louis Rukeyser

Janice Rule b.1931 d. October 17, 2003 (cerebral hemorrhage)
Actress - Bell, Book and Candle

Dean Rusk b. 1909 d. 1994
US Secretary of State from 1961-1969 under JFK and LBJ

John Russell b. 1921 d. 1991
Actor - Marshal Dan Troop on the Lawman

Nipsey Russell b. 1924 d. October 2, 2005 (cancer)
Poet laureate of television - Hollywood Squares, The $50,000 Pyramid, and Match Game

Rosalind Russell b. 1908 d. 1976 (cancer)
Actress - Auntie Mame

Irene Ryan b.1902 d. 1973 (stroke)
Actress - Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies

Tim Russert b. 1950 d. 2008 (heart attack) Political Commentatory and host of NBC's Meet the Press