Public Figures who were reported dead before their death

[fishwax]

Inspired by this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7665013

Jerry Mathers was, according to urban legend, killed in Vietnam.
Abe Vigoda was reported dead in the early 80s. The Abe Vigoda web site (and a related firefox icon) assures us that he is, in fact, still alive.
Paul McCartney had the "Paul is Dead" rumor.
Mark Twain was probably falsely reported dead at some point (based on the "reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" quip).

Any others?

[undeterred]

1. When Reagan was shot, I think Brady was reported dead

when he obviously wasn't. Mistake was later corrected.

[Chan790]

2. Francisco Franco and Fidel Castro

[bikebloke]

3. Bob Hope

Reporters pulled up in front of his house. His wife told them he'd just finished breakfast and was about to go play golf.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. Gerald Ford.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng0gM9PASR8

[KamaAina]

5. Bob Hope's obituary was published not once but twice

while he was still among the quick!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hope#Death

Hope lived so long that he suffered premature obituaries on two separate occasions. In 1998 a prepared obituary by The Associated Press was inadvertently released on the Internet, prompting Hope's death to be announced in the US House of Representatives. In 2003 he was among several famous figures whose pre-written obituaries were published on CNN's website due to a lapse in password protection.

D'oh! :dunce:

[KamaAina]

6. Abe Vigoda is alive and well and dating someone in Mom's building

on the Upper East Side. Right on her floor, as a matter of fact. There have been confirmed elevator sightings and such.

[Aristus]

7. Jim Morrison of The Doors was reported dead several times before

the actual event.

Hobbies that include hanging out of high-story windows, teetering along the ledges of roof buildings, and throwing oneself out of moving cars, not to mention consuming astounding amounts of alcohol and drugs, can lead to that...

[EstimatedProphet]

8. I was reported dead, but I'm not.

[tcfrogs]

9. I believe Joe DiMaggio's obit appeared on the news

While he was still alive

[Chan790]

10. Pope John Paul II

Every time I turned around in college, there was a report or rumor that he'd croaked.