RIP

The man who voiced the robot from "Lost in Space" back in the 60s has died.

Dick Tufeld died peacefully at an L.A. area hospital -- this according to Dick's "Lost in Space" co-star Bill Mumy.

According to Mumy, Tufeld -- a cancer survivor -- suffered from Parkinson's disease. He was 85 years old.

Mumy tells us, "Everything just caught up to him" -- adding, "He lost his wife a few years ago and lost his pep after that."

Joe Paterno -- the legendary former football coach at Penn State University -- died this morning at the age of 85 ... this according to his family.

His family released a statement that reads, "He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

The front page of the website for the Penn State athletic department was updated with simply a picture of Paterno (see below).

Jerry Sandusky, the longtime assistant coach facing sexual abuse allegations that led to Paterno's dismissal at Penn State, called his death a sad day ... and Paterno "had the courage to practice what he preached" about toughness, hard work and clean competition.

In November 2011, his son Scott announced Paterno had a treatable form of lung cancer.

JoePa, as he was known, holds the record for most victories by a Division I football coach with 409.

Legendary R&B singer Etta James -- famous for her hit songs "At Last" and "Something's Got a Hold on Me" -- has died.

The singer -- whose health was on a rapid decline the last few years -- was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010. She also suffered from dementia and Hepatitis C.

Her live-in doctor announced the singer was "terminally ill" last month, after her leukemia was declared incurable.

Etta died at a hospital in Riverside, California ... her manager confirmed.

She won 6 Grammys in her lifetime -- including Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 1994 -- and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Freestyle skiing legend Sarah Burke -- a 4-time X Games gold medal winner -- died today from injuries sustained during a recent skiing accident.

The 29-year-old Canadian crashed hard during a training session at the Park City Mountain Resort superpipe in Utah on January 10.

According to reports, Burke went into cardiac arrest shortly after the accident -- but was resuscitated and airlifted to a nearby hospital ... where she underwent major surgery to repair a tear in a major artery.

But Sarah's injuries proved to be too severe and she was placed on life support. Sarah's publicist confirms she died today, surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Cheetah the chimpanzee -- who reportedly played Johnny Weissmuller's sidekick in the 1930s "Tarzan" films -- passed on to the great jungle in the sky last week after suffering kidney failure ... this according to the primate sanctuary that he called home.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida -- where Cheetah had been living since the 1960s -- made the announcement, saying, "It is with great sadness that the community has lost a dear friend and family member."

It was not a Merry Christmas in the Osbourne home yesterday -- their beloved chihuahua Martin died.

Kelly Osbourne passed on the sad news via Twitter yesterday, writing, "today is a sad day in the Osbourne family house hold we lost R dog martin of 14 years. Devastated does not quite sum it up! #NotSoMerryXmas"

On Sharon's website, Martin is described as "a sophisticated little creature. Shunning the affection of women, Martin prefers the love of a good man."

Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane are throwing down big $$$ to cover funeral expenses for a fellow Atlanta rapper -- who was brutally gunned down last week -- lavishing their fallen comrade with elaborate memorial arrangements.

Rapper Slim Dunkin (center) -- real name Mario Hamilton -- was shot and killed Friday night inside an Atlanta recording studio ... after a verbal altercation with an unidentified man turned deadly.

Now, a rep for Waka and Gucci tells TMZ, the rappers are pooling their assets to ensure Slim is laid to rest in the best way possible ... with an elaborate funeral that includes a white horse-drawn carriage, massive white floral arrangements, and a white dove release ceremony.

We're told Slim's family will cover some funeral costs -- but Waka and Gucci are paying for the lion's share.

Bobby Brown's dad passed away today after a long bout with cancer ... sources close to the family tell TMZ.

According to a family source, Herbert Brown -- known affectionately as Pop -- had been ill of quite a while. He was 82.

Emmy Award-winning actor Harry Morgan -- who played Colonel Potter on the series M*A*S*H -- died this morning in his L.A. home ... this according to the actor's son.

His son Charles told the NY Times ... Morgan was recently treated for pneumonia -- thought it's unclear if that was a cause of death.

Morgan had an illustrious TV career -- also starring in "Dragnet," "Pete and Gladys," "December Bride," and "Hec Ramsey."

Morgan is survived by his wife Barbara, three son's from his previous marriage, and eight grandchildren. He was 96.

Bill McKinney -- who starred in the famous "Squeal like a pig" scene in "Deliverance" (below) -- has died after a battle with lung cancer.

McKinney's Facebook page contains a statement ... reading, "Today our dear Bill McKinney passed away at Valley Presbyterian Hospice."

The statement continues, "An avid smoker for 25 years of his younger life, he died of cancer of the esophagus. He was 80 and still strong enough to have filmed a Doritos commercial 2 weeks prior to his passing, and he continued to work on his biography with his writing partner."

Aside from playing the crazy, rapist Mountain Man in "Deliverance" -- he also starred in 7 Clint Eastwood flicks ... including "The Outlaw Josey Wales."

Comedian Alan Sues -- who starred in "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" back in the 70s -- has died, TMZ has learned

Alan -- who also appeared in the infamous 1964 Twilight Zone episode "The Masks" (below) -- passed away last night. So far, a cause of death is unknown.

"Laugh-In" creator George Schlatter tells TMZ, "Alan was a dear man and good friend, and a forcefield of energy and laughs. Every situation he was in added an element of humor and danger because you never knew what he was going to do, but you knew it was going to be funny."

Alan was 85.

Comedian Patrice O'Neal died Tuesday morning ... as a result of a stroke he suffered back in October ... this according to his friends at the "Opie and Anthony" radio show.

O'Neal had been a staple in the comedy world for years -- and performed at the "Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen" back in September.

O'Neal was a regular guest on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show -- and appeared on several TV shows such as "Chappelle Show," "The Office," and "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn."

Opie just tweeted, "Yes it's true that our pal Patrice O'Neal has passed away. The funniest and best thinker I've ever known PERIOD."

O'Neal was 41.

10:33 AM PST -- Patrice's rep, Matt Frost, tells TMZ ... "It is with terrible sadness we must report that Patrice O’Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00 AM due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19."

Frost adds, "Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side. Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo; his step daughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia."

"The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family’s request for privacy at this difficult time."

Charlie Sheen has released a statement about the death of Patrice O'Neal -- saying, "The world at large lost a brilliant man today."

Sheen says he only met O'Neal just a few days before the comic roasted him at the Comedy Central Roast back in September ... but says, "I will forever be inspired by his nobility, his grace and his epic talent."

"Patrice had that rare 'light' around him and inside of him."

Sheen concluded, "My tears today are for the tremendous loss to his true friends and loving family."

Patrice passed away this morning, as a result of the stroke he suffered back in October.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death early Monday morning in the Netherlands ... and cops say his own brother has been arrested as a suspect.

Cops were called to an apartment in the city of Rotterdam early this morning where they discovered 24-year-old Halman bleeding from a stab wound. Officers were unable to revive him.

Cops later arrested Halman's 22-year-old brother in connection with the murder.

Halman has played sparingly for the Mariners, appearing in 44 games over the past two seasons.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Greg and his brother had been living together at the apartment -- and a woman was staying with Greg at the time of the murder.

Cops say the woman was the person who called authorities and identified Greg's brother as the murderer.

9:54 AM: The Mariners just released a statement -- claiming, “The Mariners family is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Greg Halman ... Our thoughts and prayers go out to Greg’s family.”

Lana Wood, Natalie Wood's sister, says she never believed Robert Wagner's version of the events that led to Natalie's death.

Lana tells TMZ ... she believes Robert wasn't honest with cops when they interviewed him about Natalie's death.

Lana also says she's not buying the story that Natalie was trying to secure a dinghy and fell overboard because she was deathly afraid of water -- to the point she wouldn't even go in her pool.

Lana says Sheriff's detectives have interviewed her about the case and they specifically wanted to know if the relationship between Natalie and Robert was "volatile."

The guy who played the lead trumpeter in the Munchkin band in "The Wizard of Oz" died yesterday at the age of 93 ... reducing the number of living "munchkins" down to 3.

Karl Slover -- who played multiple munchkin roles in the 1939 classic -- passed away in a Georgia hospital after going into cardiopulmonary arrest.

Standing just 4-foot-5, Slover was actually one of the shortest Munchkins ... and even appeared at a "Wizard of Oz" event in Chicago just last week.