Ron Fletcher Dies at 90; Opened First West Coast Pilates Studio in Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills location attracted famous faces, helping to popularize the fitness regime that combines yoga and calisthenics.

Ron Fletcher, who opened the first West Coast Pilates studio in Beverly Hills in 1972, died of congestive heart failure last week at his home in Stonewall, Texas. He was 90.  Few people outside of New York, where the Pilates method of exercise was developed, knew about the fitness regime until Fletcher opened his studio above a salon on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive. It attracted 1970s celebrities such as Candice Bergen, Barbra Streisand, Raquel Welch and Cher.  Click here to read Fletcher’s obituary from the Los Angeles Times. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.

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Margie Petersen, Co-Founder of the L.A. Petersen Automotive Museum, Dies in Beverly Hills

The longtime philanthropist raised millions of dollars for children's charities and cancer research.

Margie Petersen, who co-founded the Petersen Automotive Museum with her late husband, publishing magnate Robert Petersen, died in her Beverly Hills home Friday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 76.  Born in New York, Petersen (née McNally) worked as a model and actress in television commercials, including spots for Ivory Soap and Coca-Cola. During her marriage, Petersen spearheaded many philanthropic efforts with her husband, having worked with the Music Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Orphanage Guild and Childhelp U.S.A.  Petersen was an active participant in projects aimed at battling cancer. She helped raise millions of dollars for a women’s cancer research center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. In…

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Rapper 'Heavy D' Dead at 44

Beverly Hills police discovered the famed musician having difficulty breathing at his Beverly Hills apartment building Tuesday.

Dwight Arrington Meyers, known as the rapper “Heavy D,” died Tuesday at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Lt. Mark Rosen of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Meyers was 44.  BHPD officers were dispatched to the 400 block of North Maple Drive in Beverly Hills at about 11:25 a.m. Tuesday regarding a report of an “unconscious person” laying on the walkway of a building.  Upon arrival, police discovered Meyers conscious and communicative, but having difficulty breathing. Beverly Hills Fire Department paramedics arrived on the scene and transported Meyers to the hospital, where he died.  An investigation by Beverly Hills police detectives revealed that Meyers was returning home from shopping and experienced difficulty …

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Hollywood Agent Dies in Beverly Hills Home

Sue Mengers stood out as a female agent in a field dominated by men. She died in her Beverly Hills home after a long illness. Mengers was 79.

Columbo Actor Dies in Beverly Hills Home

Peter Falk died Thursday at the age of 83.

Actor Peter Falk, famous for his lead role in the television series Columbo, died in his Beverly Hills home Thursday night. He was 83 years old. In his portrayal as Lt. Columbo, Falk was known as the trenchcoat-wearing detective with the trademark phrase, “Just one more thing…” He also had a memorable role as the grandfather and narrator in the film The Princess Bride. With both lead and supporting roles in multiple television shows and movies, the New York native earned 12 Emmy and two Oscar nominations during his career. Falk had been in failing health for the past several years with dementia. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge named his wife, Shera Danese Falk, as conservator over the actor's affairs in 2009 due to his deteriorating …

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Marie Cunningham

12:24 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011

The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies...I wanted Peter Falk to be my grandpa and read me stories when I was sick!   more ›

Legendary Designer Bijan Pakzad Dies

His exclusive boutique was one of the first shops to open on Rodeo Drive.

Bijan Pakzad, the famed fashion designer to heads of state, business moguls and movie stars, died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 71 years old. Pakzad opened his exclusive fashion boutique, Bijan, on North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills in 1976 when the only other businesses on the street were a gas station and a few clothing stores. "He worked very hard for this city," Manijeh Messa, who had worked with Pakzad for 44 years, said Monday at Bijan. "He loved Beverly Hills." Flowers and cards had been arriving at the store all day, along with emails from loyal Bijan customers and friends such as former President George W. Bush and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "The whole world is going to miss him…

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Fans Mourn Death of Elizabeth Taylor

The legendary actress died Wednesday morning from congestive heart failure.

As news spread of Elizabeth Taylor's early-morning death, a swarm of media and fans began to gather at the film icon's Walk of Fame star in Hollywood. Taylor, 79, died of congestive heart failure at 1:28 a.m. Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She had been hospitalized for more than a month. Taylor's children—Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd and Maria Burton—were with her at the hospital when she died, according to her publicist, Sally Morrison. The two-time Oscar winner is also survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Olivia Funtanellas, who was visiting from San Francisco, stopped by Taylor's star after she heard the news in a text from her mom. “I didn’t think it would be …

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