Bud Abbott b. 1896. d. 1974 (cancer)
Actor - Half of Abbott and Costello

Ralph David Abernathy b. 1926 d. 1989 (cancer)
Civil Rights leader

Bella Savitzky Abzug b. 1920. d. 1988 (complications of heart surgery)
Congresswoman from New York

Roy Acuff b. 1903. d. 1992 (congestive heart failure)
Singer - Known as King of Country Music

Ansel Adams b. 1902. d. 1984 (heart failure and cancer)
Photographer

Don Adams b. 1923 d. September 25, 2005 (pulmonary infection)
Actor - Maxwell Smart on Get Smart

Douglas Adams b. 1952 d. May 11, 2001 (heart attack)
Author - Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Edie Adams b.1927 d. 2008 (cancer)
Comedian/Actress-spokesperson for Muriel Cigars

Mason Adams b. 1919 d. April 26, 2005
Actor - Charlie Hume on "Lou Grant"

Nick Adams b. 1931. d. 1968 (suicide-disputed)
Actor - The Rebel

Spiro T. Agnew b. 1918. d. 1996 (leukemia)
Vice-President of the United States

Alvin Ailey Jr. b. 1931. d. 1989 (AIDS)
Dancer

Claude Akins b. 1926 d. 1994 (cancer)
Actor - Sheriff Elroy S. Lobo on B.J. and the Bear

Leon Askin b. 1907 d. June 3, 2005
Actor - General Burkhalter on Hogan's Heroes

Hafez al-Assad b. 1931 d. June 10, 2000
President of Syria

Carl Albert b. 1908 d. 2000
Speaker of the US House from 1971-1977

Eddie Albert b. 1908 d. May 26, 2005 (pneumonia)
Actor - Oliver Douglas on Green Acres

Edward Albert Jr. b. 1951 d. September 22, 2006 (lung cancer)
Actor - Don Baker in Butterflies Are Free

Jack Albertson b. 1907 d. 1981
Actor - The Man on Chico and the Man

Robert Alda b. 1914. d. 1986 (stroke)
Actor and Father of Alan Alda

Shana Alexander b. 1925 d. June 23, 2005 (cancer)
Pioneering Journalist - Point-Counterpoint segments on 60 Minutes

Gracie Allen b. 1902. d. 1964 (heart attack)
Actress and wife of George Burns

Irwin Allen b. 1916. d. 1991 (heart attack)
Producer of films and TV

Mel Allen b. 1913. d. 1996
Yankee sportscaster

Rex Allen b. 1920 d. 1999 (had a heart attack and fell down behind a parked car, which then ran over him)
Actor - Dr. Bill Baxter on Frontier Doctor

Steve Allen b. 1921 d. 2000
Comedian/author/musician - First Host of the Tonight Show

Duane Allman b. 1946 d.1971 (motorcycle accident)
Singer - Allman Brothers

June Allyson b. 1917 d. July 8, 2006 (pulmonary respiratory failure and acute bronchitis)
Actress - The Glenn Miller Story and Strategic Air Command

Robert Altman b. 1925 d. November 20, 2006
Director - M.A.S.H. and Gosford Park

Lyle Martin Alzado b. 1949 d. 1992 (brain cancer)
Football Player

Stephen Ambrose - b. 1936 d. October 13, 2002 (lung cancer)
Author/historian - Band of Brothers; chronicler of "greatest generation" and WWII

Don Ameche b. 1908 d. 1993 (prostate cancer)
Actor - Art Selwyn in Cocoon

Morey Amsterdam b. 1908 d. 1996 (heart attack)
Actor - The Dick Van Dyke Show

Eddie Anderson b. 1905 d. 1977 (cancer)
Actor - Rochester on Jack Benny Show

Herbert Anderson b. 1917 d. 1994
Actor - Father on Dennis the Menace

Jack Anderson b. 1922 d. December 17, 2005 (Parkinson's disease)
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist

Lew Anderson b. d. May 14, 2006 (prostate cancer)
Actor and musician - Clarabell on Howdy Doody Show

Marian Anderson b. 1897 d. 1993
Opera singer

Laverne Andrews b. 1915 d. 1967 (cancer)
Singer - The Andrews Sisters

Maxene Anglyn Andrews b. 1918. d. 1995 (heart attack)
Singer - The Andrews Sisters

Stanley Andrews b. 1891 d. 1969
Actor - The Old Prospector on Death Valley Days

Tige Andrews b. 1920 d. January 27, 2007 (cardiac arrest)
Actor - Capt. Greer on the Mod Squad

Tod Andrews b. 1914 d. 1972 (heart attack)
Actor - Maj. John Singleton Mosby on the Gray Ghost

Walter Annenberg - b. 1908 d. October 1, 2002 (pneumonia)
Founder of TV Guide, Sixteen magazines; U.S Ambassador to the U.K.

Yasser Arafat b. 1929 d. November 10, 2004 (mystery blood disease)
Palestinian leader

Eddie Arcaro b. 1916 d. 1997 (liver cancer)
Jockey - Won 2 Triple Crowns

Eve Arden b. 1909 d. 1990 (cancer/heart failure)
Actress - Our Miss Brooks

Roone Arledge b. 1931 d. 12/5/2002 (prostate cancer)
TV producer and pioneer - Wide World of Sports, Nightline, 20/20

Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong b. 1900 d. 1971 (heart attack)
Musician

Desi Arnaz b. 1917 d. 1986 (lung cancer)
Actor - Husband of Lucille Ball

Eddy Arnold b.1918 d. 2008 (natural causes)
C&W Musician- baritone voice helped change Nashville

Bea Arthur b.1922 d. 2009 (cancer)
actress/comedienne Emmy awards for hit tv shows Maude & The Golden Girls

Arthur Ashe b. 1943 d. 1993 (AIDS)
Tennis Player

Isaac Asimov b. 1920 d. 1992 (heart and kidney failure)
Science Fiction Writer

Fred Astaire b. 1899 d. 1987 (pneumonia)
Actor/Dancer - Top Hat with partner Ginger Rogers

Chet Atkins b. 1924 d. June 30, 2001 (cancer)
Guitarist - a founding father of Nashville sound

Robert Atkins, M.D. b.1931 d. April 17, 2003 (complications from a head injury due to fall on ice)
Diet guru of no carb fame

Charles Atlas b. 1892. d. 1972
Body builder

Red Auerbach b. 1917 d. October 28, 2006 (heart attack)
Coach - legendary winning coach of the Boston Celtics

Gene Autry b. 1907 d. 1998 (cancer)
Singer/actor/businessman

Richard Avedon b. 1923 d. October 1, 2004 (brain hemorrhage)
Photographer - Known for black and white celebrity photos