ROBERT MERLE, 95, author, Un Animal doué de raison (inspiration for The Day of the Dolphin), 3/27
ALISTAIR COOKE, 95, Masterpiece Theatre host, 3/30
SCOTT HELVENSTON, 38, ex-Navy SEAL, Hollywood personal trainer, 3/31
PAUL ATKINSON, 58, The Zombies original guitarist, 4/1
JOAN RICHMAN, 64, CBS producer (oversaw coverage of Apollo space program), 4/2
LEONARD REED, 97, tap dancer (inventor of the Shim Sham Shimmy), 4/5
VICTOR ARGO, 69, actor (Taxi Driver), 4/6
NIKI SULLIVAN, 66, Buddy Holly and the Crickets guitarist, 4/6
HARRY HOLT, 93, Disney animator (Lady and the Tramp), 4/14
NORRIS MCWHIRTER, 78, The Guinness Book of World Records cofounder, 4/19
CARL SAMUELSON, 77, owner, Stagedoor Manor theater camp, 4/20
MARY MCGRORY, 85, Washington Post columnist, 4/21
MARY SELWAY, 68, casting director (Gosford Park), 4/21
PHILIP HAMBURGER, 89, New Yorker writer, 4/23
RICHARD WILSON, 46, Oscar statuette keeper, 4/23
HUBERT SELBY JR., 75, author (Last Exit to Brooklyn) 4/26
GILBERT ''ZULU'' KAUHI, 66 TV actor (Hawaii Five-0), 5/3
VIRGINIA CAPERS, 78, Tony-winning actress (Raisin), 5/6
ALAN KING, 76, comedian, Ed Sullivan Show regular, 5/9
PHIL GERSH, 92, Gersh Agency founder, 5/10
PORTLAND MASON SCHUYLER, 55, child actress, daughter of James Mason, 5/10
JOHN WHITEHEAD, 55, R&B songwriter (''Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now''), 5/11
SYD HOFF, 91, children's author (Danny and the Dinosaur), 5/12
GILL FOX, 88, editorial cartoonist, 5/15
ARNOLD ''GATEMOUTH'' MOORE, 90, blues singer, 5/19
ROBERT QUINE, 61, punk-rock guitarist, 5/31
BRIAN LINEHAN, 58, City Lights talk-show host, 6/4
JAMES F. ARNOLD, 72, original Four Lads tenor, 6/15
HUGH B. CAVE, 93, pulp fiction writer, 6/27
AGNES CUNNINGHAM, 95, founder of folk journal Broadside, 6/27
JOHN CULLEN MURPHY, 85, cartoonist (Prince Valiant), 7/2
ERIC DOUGLAS, 46, actor (Tales From the Crypt), son of Kirk, half brother of Michael, found 7/6
SYREETA WRIGHT, 58, Stevie Wonder's ex-wife and collaborator (''Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours''), 7/6
JEFF SMITH, 65, PBS' Frugal Gourmet, 7/7
PAULA DANZIGER, 59, children's author (The Cat Ate My Gymsuit), 7/8
WALTER WAGER, 79, crime novelist, 58 Minutes (inspiration for Die Hard 2), 7/11
ARTHUR ''KILLER'' KANE, 55, New York Dolls bassist, 7/13
PETER BAIRD, 52, puppeteer (The Muppets Take Manhattan), 7/16
JERRY GOLDSMITH, 74, composer (The Twilight Zone), 7/21
ILLINOIS JACQUET, 81, tenor saxophonist, 7/22
JACKSON BECK, 92, voice of Bluto, 7/28
BURT I. HARRIS, 81, cable TV pioneer, 7/29
FAY WRAY, 96, ''The Queen of Scream'' (1933's King Kong), 8/8
PETER WOODTHORPE, 72, actor (voiced Gollum in 1978's The Lord of the Rings), 8/13
