I'll admit the crass level on putting this latest passing in this thread is high....
http://gothamist.com/2009/11/08/wburg_party.phpBrooklyn Drummer Dies After Fall Down Elevator Shaft in Williamsburg
The man who died was Gerhardt (Jerry) Fuchs, drummer for the bands The Juan Maclean and Maserati (and former drummer for !!!); the latter just recently ended a tour. A friend writes that he is survived by his parents, two sisters, a brother, and "an impressive canon of records on which he's performed, countless mouth-agape audiences in awe of his work, dozens of heart-crushed former bandmates, and an endless parade of true friends around the world."