Latest news with #Marjorie
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariana Grande's beloved grandma ‘Nonna' dead at 99
Ariana Grande's beloved grandma Marjorie Grande, whom she affectionately called 'Nonna,' has died. She was 99 years old. 'We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away,' read a family statement posted to the singer's Instagram Stories on Tuesday. 'Marjorie 'Nonna' Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of her last few weeks. 'We thank you for your love, support, and respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life,' they concluded. The '7 Rings' songstress, 31, has enjoyed a long and close relationship with her grandmother, who has attended several awards shows with the pop star in the past. In October 2024, Ariana and her family, including her brother, Frankie Grande, came together to celebrate the matriarch's 99th birthday. 'Happy 99th birthday to the Queen… NONNA! 9⃣9⃣ I love you so much and I couldn't feel more blessed to celebrate this unbelievable milestone with you and our beautiful family,' Frankie wrote on Instagram alongside their sweet family photo. 'Wow. Happy happy happy Birthday! I love you with all of my heart! ' Last year, Marjorie made history as the oldest person to ever appear on the Billboard Hot 100 after Ariana featured her on 'Ordinary Things,' which appears on the 2024 album, 'Eternal Sunshine.' Nonna's voice appears at the end of the song as she answers Ariana's question: 'How can I tell if I'm in the right relationship?' 'Never go to bed without kissing goodnight. That's the worst thing to do,' Marjorie says on the song. 'Don't ever ever ever do that. And if you can't, and if you don't feel comfortable doing it, you're in the wrong place. Get out.' Marjorie also had uncredited features on Ariana's 2013 song 'daydreamin'' as well as 2019's 'bloodline.' Back in November, the two-time Grammy winner celebrated her performance as Glinda in 'Wicked' by flying to her hometown of Boca Raton, Fla., to watch the blockbuster film with Marjorie, Frankie and Ariana's boyfriend, Ethan Slater. 'Flew to boca for a day to watch with Nonna at the movie theater I grew up going to every weekend, Cinemark 20 in Boca,' Ariana shared on her Instagram Stories at the time, per People. 'Thrilled to report that when the sugar glider had her drum solo nonna exclaimed loudly 'oh I LOVE that' @jonmchu,' she wrote on another photo, tagging the film's director. Marjorie — who is the mother of Ariana's mom, Joan — famously encouraged her granddaughter's talent from an early age. In 2014, the matriarch shared that she once urged the singer to audition for a part in a Boca Raton production of 'Annie.' 'I said, you know, Ariana could do that,' she shared on 'Today,' according to People. 'She became the star. She auditioned, and she became Annie.'
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ariana Grande is heartbroken as her beloved ‘matriarch' grandma, 99, dies surrounded by family
She revealed the news on Tuesday in a heartbreaking post GOODBYE NONNA Ariana Grande is heartbroken as her beloved 'matriarch' grandma, 99, dies surrounded by family Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HITMAKER Ariana Grande is heartbroken as she reveals her beloved 'matriarch' grandma has died. Taking to her Instagram stories today, Ariana revealed the heartbreaking news to her millions of followers. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Ariana Grande's grandmother has passed away Credit: Instagram / arianagrande 4 Ariana's family are 'devastated' Credit: Getty 4 The stunning hitmaker was very close to her nonna Credit: arianagrande/Instagram Ariana, who has long called her gran Nonna, which means grandma in Italian, is "devastated" by Marjorie's passing. A statement shared on Ariana's Instagram, written by the Grande family, read: "We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away." It continued: "Marjorie (Nonna) Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of her last few weeks. "We thank you for your love, support and for respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life." Marjorie was and is hugely loved by Ariana's fans, with the Grammy winner often sharing snaps of her and her nonna online. In 2016, Ariana even imitated her nonna on The Tonight Show as she watched on from the audience. More recently, Marjorie made a cameo in Ariana's 2024 track Ordinary Things. She even made history on Billboard charts by becoming the senior person to be featured on the Hot 100 charts. Nonna received a certificate with her feature in Ordinary Things from Ariana's album Eternal Sunshine, and even received a plaque for it. When Ariana shared a snap of her nonna with the plaque, she penned a touching caption. "Celebrating the one and only, most beautiful Nonna who has now made history for being the senior most person to ever appear on the @billboard Hot100. "We love and thank you," she concluded the caption. This cameo in a track marked Marjorie's third time being in one of her granddaughter's songs. She previously provided sound bites for Daydreamin' and Bloodline.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ariana Grande is heartbroken as her beloved ‘matriarch' grandma, 99, dies surrounded by family
HITMAKER Ariana Grande is heartbroken as she reveals her beloved 'matriarch' grandma has died. Taking to her Instagram stories today, Ariana revealed the heartbreaking news to her millions of followers. 4 Ariana Grande's grandmother has passed away Credit: Instagram / arianagrande 4 Ariana's family are 'devastated' Credit: Getty 4 The stunning hitmaker was very close to her nonna Credit: arianagrande/Instagram Ariana, who has long called her gran Nonna, which means grandma in Italian, is "devastated" by Marjorie's passing. A statement shared on Ariana's Instagram, written by the Grande family, read: "We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away." It continued: "Marjorie (Nonna) Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of her last few weeks. "We thank you for your love, support and for respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life." Read More about Ariana Grande Marjorie was and is hugely loved by Ariana's fans, with the Grammy winner often sharing snaps of her and her nonna online. In 2016, Ariana even imitated her nonna on The Tonight Show as she watched on from the audience. More recently, Marjorie made a cameo in Ariana's 2024 track Ordinary Things. She even made history on Billboard charts by becoming the senior person to be featured on the Hot 100 charts. Most read in Celebrity Nonna received a certificate with her feature in Ordinary Things from Ariana's album Eternal Sunshine , and even received a plaque for it. When Ariana shared a snap of her nonna with the plaque, she penned a touching caption. "Celebrating the one and only, most beautiful Nonna who has now made history for being the senior most person to ever appear on the @billboard Hot100 . " We love and thank you ," she concluded the caption. This cameo in a track marked Marjorie's third time being in one of her granddaughter's songs. She previously provided sound bites for Daydreamin' and Bloodline. 4 Ariana often posted photos of her nonna Credit: Instagram / @arianagrande
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
True crime: A judge, his wife vanish at house 70 years ago, leaving blood trail to the sea
This story is part of a true crime series by The Palm Beach Post. Victims: Judge Curtis E. Chillingworth, 58, and his wife, Marjorie, 56 Killers: Bobby Lincoln and Floyd 'Lucky' Holzapfel; hit ordered by Judge Joseph Peel Jr. Where: In the ocean off Manalapan Date: June 15, 1955 Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Curtis E. Chillingworth — one of the most influential and important men in Palm Beach County — didn't show up for a morning hearing at the courthouse on June 15, 1955. A stickler for rules, Chillingworth was never late. Something was wrong. The night before, he and his wife, Marjorie, had had dinner with friends in West Palm Beach, then returned about 10 p.m. to their oceanfront Manalapan bungalow on A1A. The next day, a carpenter showed up to build a playground for the couple's grandchildren and found only an open door and a smashed porch light above it. Police found a trail of blood on steps down to the beach. What happened to them would not be known for five years. Their murder 70 years ago would be considered Palm Beach County's crime of the century. More in The Post's true crime series True crime: Read about clown murder, local serial killer in Palm Beach Post series The pioneering Chillingworths were a prominent family of achievers. They arrived in Florida in 1892. Curtis' grandfather, Richard Jolley Chillingworth, served as West Palm Beach mayor and sheriff of Dade County from 1896 until 1901. (Palm Beach County was part of Dade until 1909.) His father, Charles, had been city attorney for West Palm Beach and Lantana, and Curtis himself was the youngest judge in Florida history when he was elected county judge in 1920 at age 24. Gravesites for all three sit in West Palm's historic cemetery, Woodlawn, but Curtis' body isn't there nor is his wife's. More on the case The crime of the century (like it's never been heard before) Unlike his father and grandfather, Curtis Chillingworth was born in West Palm Beach — in 1896. He was one of seven seniors graduating from Palm Beach High School (later to become Dreyfoos School of the Arts) in 1913 and graduated from law school at the University of Florida at the top of his class. At age 21, he returned to work at his father's law firm. He was elected circuit judge in 1922, holding that title until his death. It wasn't long after he went to work for his father, however, that he was called to service in the Navy during World War I, serving convoy duty overseas aboard the USS Minneapolis. At age 48, he would be called again to serve during World War II. Chillingworth was stationed in London and participated in planning the invasion of Europe, according to a bio from the Palm Beach County Bar Association. In 1920, Chillingworth married Marjorie Crouse McKinley, a Cornell University student. Their fathers had practiced law together and were good friends. Chillingworth's middle name was Eugene, after Marjorie's father, Eugene McKinley. The couple had three daughters. In addition to being accomplished, Chillingworth was highly ethical. And he was keeping his eye on another judge who wasn't. During the '50s, West Palm Beach and surrounding communities were considered small-town. Gambling and moonshine pervaded, a temptation for corrupt officials to make money off it. One of them was part-time munincipal Judge Joseph Peel, 36. Chillingworth had been keeping an eye on him for years and had already given Peel a warning because Peel had represented both sides of a divorce case. In those days, attorneys could be judges and practice law at the same time. Peel also was involved in the local bolita, an illegal numbers game, and in moonshine rackets. He would tip local operators before a police raid because he was the one signing off on the warrants. In return, they would pay him at least $500 a month. Peel's judicial salary was $3,000 a year. The day the Chillingworths died, Peel was due in court and believed Chillingworth was preparing to get him disbarred. He had told a client she was divorced but never filed the paperwork. She got remarried and had a child before finding out her divorce wasn't legal. For $2,500, Peel hired two thugs. Floyd 'Lucky' Holzapfel and Bobby Lincoln landed a boat on the sand of the Chillingworths' Manalapan beach house at 1 a.m. on June 15, 1955. They were in cahoots with Peel in the protection racket. Holzapfel, 36, was a West Palm Beach garage attendant and bootlegger, and Lincoln, 35, ran pool halls in Riviera Beach. Holzapfel knocked on the door while Lincoln hid in the bushes. The judge answered in his pajamas. As they walked the couple down the stairs to the beach, Marjorie, in her nightgown, screamed. Holzapfel pistol-whipped her. It was her blood that formed the trail. Judge Chillingworth offered them $200,000 to let them go to no avail. The couple's devotion to each other would echo in their final words. Holzapfel and Lincoln rowed the couple 2 miles out to sea in a small boat. Holzapfel weighed down Marjorie, 56, with diving weights. 'Ladies first,' he said, before pushing her overboard. The judge, 58, told his wife: 'Honey, remember, I love you.' She replied: 'I love you, too.' After he lost his wife, the judge, who had wriggled his feet free, jumped in on his own, but soon he surfaced. Holzapfel quickly pulled him into the boat, wound a rope with an anchor around Chillingworth's neck and tossed him back in. They have never been found. Now how do we know these details? One of the thugs would spill the beans. In 1959, Holzapfel bragged to a friend that he knew who killed the Chillingworths. The friend, James Yenzer, turned on him. Yenzer along with former West Palm Beach police officer Jim Wilber lured Holzapfel to a room at the Holiday Inn in Melbourne, got him drunk and got him to spill about the murders. Little did Holzapfel know, but an officer from the Florida Sheriff's Bureau was in the room next door, recording. Peel was sentenced to life in prison. He died in 1982, nine days after he was paroled with terminal cancer. Holzapfel was sentenced to death, which was later changed to life in prison. He died in 1996. Lincoln was never charged because he testified against the other two. He died in 2004 at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. After the judge's death, relatives found a draft of a letter he wrote that was addressed to Gov. Leroy Collins. Chillingworth was announcing his intention to retire from the bench on June 16, 1955 — the day after his death. The date appeared to be erased and changed to July 1. "Because of my health and for several reasons, I feel I should retire," Chillingworth wrote. An empty grave at Woodlawn Cemetery memorializes the Chillingworths, whose bodies were never found. Chillingworth Drive north of Okeechobee Boulevard runs past a West Palm Beach park named after the couple. Two West Palm natives, Jonathan Paine and John Maass, knew the case well. Their parents had grown up in West Palm Beach and knew the Chillingworths. Paine and Maass got ahold of the recordings of Holzapfel's confession and restored them, turning them into a podcast called "Chillingworth." TV shows, such as the series, "A Crime to Remember," have featured the crime. Despite all the hoopla, the meaning of the murders came down to one thing: an upstanding man standing up for justice. "The heinous act was considered the 'Florida Crime of the Century' having been committed and directed solely at the administration of justice, as a consequence of the Judge's steadfast efforts to preserve the integrity of Florida's legal system," the county Bar Association bio stated. Holly Baltz, who has a passion for true crime, is the investigations editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@ Support local investigative journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: True crime: Judge Chillingworth, his wife vanish, leaving only blood trail to the sea
The Courier
06-06-2025
- General
- The Courier
Tay ferries and Royal Arch star as amateur photographer's photos of 60s Dundee unearthed
Old photographs which capture the changing character of Dundee have been digitised to bring the past back to life. They chart moments of city history and lost landmarks in the 1960s. The photos were taken by Dundonian Ron Wilson, whose lifelong passion for photography started from a young age, inspired by his mother. Ron was a Clydesdale Bank manager and well-known in Dundee. He died aged 69 in 2000. The slides had lain untouched for decades before his family decided to preserve them for future generations, including the grandchildren he never met. They were digitised by Grant Millar from Broughty Ferry, who runs a business converting cine films, videos, slides and negatives from the analogue era. His daughter Fiona Robb, from Kinross, said the collection goes back to 1959. She said: 'We have great memories of family evenings, setting up the projector and screen to look at the slides. 'Dad was interested in capturing events on his camera. 'Because he lived in Dundee for so long, he had a lot of photos of Dundee scenes. 'We wanted to get them digitised to preserve the images and prevent any further deterioration. 'Another reason was that my parents sadly did not get to meet their grandchildren. 'Preserving the photos lets the grandchildren have an idea of what their grandparents were like, as well as seeing their parents' generation growing up. 'It will give them a visual family history.' Ron was born in March 1931 in Dundee. He grew up in Glenprosen Terrace and attended Rockwell School and Harris Academy. After a period of National Service in the RAF, he started working as a bank clerk for the Clydesdale Bank in Dundee High Street and sat his bank exams. He lived in Glenprosen Terrace until he married Marjorie MacKenzie. And it was a double wedding at St David's North Church in August 1959. Marjorie's sister, Elizabeth MacKenzie, also tied the knot with Stanley Watson Millar. Ron and Marjorie moved to Downie Park in Dundee. Fiona was born in 1962 and Murray followed in 1966. The couple were both dedicated members of the High Kirk in Kinghorne Road. In addition, Ron was a keen photographer – both of family and Scottish scenery. Ron's photographs chronicle the transformation of Dundee in the Swinging Sixties. Street scenes include the old Overgate. And the Angus Hotel is shown welcoming visitors. The Grill and Griddle is pictured serving coffee and breakfast. The Tay Ferries are also still sailing in the photographs taken by Ron. The La Scala cinema was still showing movies. The Murraygate cinema had a narrow facade consisting of a large, square tower clad in white tiles and topped by a huge golden globe. It was recognised as the grandest cinema in Dundee. However, the spectacular building disappeared in October 1968. The Royal Arch and Dundee West Station are still standing in Ron's photographs. Dundee West was one of the city's gothic architectural masterpieces. It closed in May 1965 and was then demolished in April 1966. The Royal Arch stood at the junction of Dock Street and Shore Terrace from 1850. However, it was allowed to fall into disrepair and neglect. Slow but steady work started to dismantle the arch in February 1964. It was blown up with dynamite on March 16 1964. But some saw it as a deliberate act of cultural vandalism. The start of construction of the Tay Road Bridge is also recorded by Ron. The Tay Ferries were still in daily use up until the crossing took over. Rubble from the Royal Arch was used as foundations for the approach ramp. Fiona has spent hours admiring Ron's photographs. She said the family is incredibly proud of his collection. They also show private moments which were all the more precious. 'Dad's main camera was a Pentax Spotmatic SP II,' said Fiona. 'He always took it with him on trips. 'I think our grandmother sparked his lifelong passion for photography. 'We can fondly remember our gran using a Ricohflex box camera with the viewfinder on top and trying not to cut people's heads off! 'We remember that, as children, he would get us to stand still for him to photograph family portraits. 'On Christmas Day he got us to arrange our Christmas presents for a photo. 'This was partly so we could remember who to thank. 'My brother Murray and I can remember being a tad impatient with this process, as we were not allowed to play with our presents until the photo was taken. 'Parties and family occasions were also always photographed by my dad.' After stints as a bank accountant in St Andrews and Ayr, he moved with the family to Lochgilphead, in Mid-Argyll, after he was promoted to bank manager. But he never stopped taking pictures. Ron and Marjorie continued to live there after he retired from the bank in 1988. In 1992 they moved to Forfar. Ron always wore a shirt, tie and waistcoat – even after retiring. Fiona described her dad as quiet and reserved 'with a great sense of humour'. 'He was a very good provider to our family and worked extremely hard and conscientiously, doing his best to be helpful to his many customers,' she said. 'He was a devoted husband, father, son, nephew and family man. 'As well as his interest in photography, Dad was also an avid stamp, coin and toy car collector and proudly displayed his car collection in the hall of the family home.' He was also a fan of classic films and musicals. Westerns with John Wayne, Glenn Ford and Alan Ladd were always a favourite. Fiona said: 'He was a church elder and member of the Iona Community. 'He was also a Rotarian.' His idyllic retirement was shattered when Marjorie died in 1994. She was just 58. Ron was heartbroken. 'Dad regained some zest for life but never really recovered,' said Fiona. 'In the last five years of his life, he suffered a series of mini-strokes. 'He died in 2000, aged only 69. 'We are now so very grateful that he took all these photographs, as it gives us a wonderful collection of photos of family occasions, events in the Dundee area and shots of beautiful Scottish scenery. 'Unfortunately, our parents did not live long enough to meet their grandchildren. 'We want to keep our parents' memory alive, via Dad's photos, so that Joel and Lucas will have some idea of what their grandparents were like. 'When asked, people usually described our dad as a lovely man – unless you were one of the very few who he denied a loan to…'
