The Voice. Chairman of the board. Mr. Ring-a-ding-ding.

Frank Sinatra left us in 1998, perhaps the greatest exponent of the American popular song, the man who made aching ballads of love and loss an art form, an intimate expression that spoke to millions over six decades.

It was the end of an era, too, when we lost Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, two cowboy kings of big screen and small, whose lives oddly paralleled each other's - from radio successes to musical western stars to multimillionaires, each proving that a modest background and pleasant personality on screen were not incompatible with business acumen.

On the political side, we lost some of the famous - former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, who lost a bid for the presidency but helped shape the GOP, and former Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Sr., a key Southern liberal who lived to see his son become vice president.

And the infamous - Pol Pot, architect of Cambodia's "killing fields.''

We lost former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, icon of segregationists, victim of a thwarted assassin, and, in later life, populist who reached out to those blacks he once scorned. And, from that same turbulent era, James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to killing Martin Luther King Jr., then recanted. With his death are doubts the truth will ever be known.

Track and field superstar Florence Griffith Joyner, still fit at 38, was taken by a brain seizure as she slept. Environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, champion of the Everglades, lived to be 108.

Here, then, a roll-call of some of those who drew our farewells in 1998.

JANUARY:

Sonny Bono, Cher's former sidekick who turned to politics and became a well-liked member of Congress. Jan. 5. Age 62. Skiing accident.

Robert C. Townsend, former president of Avis Rent-a-Car who wrote a best-selling, iconoclastic business manual, "Up the Organization.'' Jan. 12. Age 77. Heart attack.

Carl Perkins, "rockabilly'' pioneer whose song "Blue Suede Shoes'' and lightning-quick guitar influenced Elvis Presley, the Beatles and a slew of other performers. Jan. 19. Age 65. Stroke.

Jack Lord, whose gruff portrayal of a detective helped turn "Hawaii Five-0'' into one of TV's longest running shows. Jan. 21. Age 77. Heart failure.

Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese educator whose approach stressed listening and imitation taught thousands of toddlers to play musical instruments. Jan. 26. Age 99. Heart failure.

Joseph L. Alioto, San Francisco mayor in the tumultuous late '60s and early '70s, touted for higher office until bad publicity cooled his career. Jan. 29. Age 81. Prostate cancer. Pneumonia.

FEBRUARY:

Carl Wilson, founding member of The Beach Boys and lead guitarist for the seminal surf band. Feb. 6. Age 51. Cancer.

Harry Caray, who took millions of St. Louis and Chicago baseball fans out to the ballgame as a broadcast announcer for almost 60 years, known for his trademark cry, "Holy cow!'' Feb. 18. Age 77. Heart attack.

Abraham A. Ribicoff, former U.S. senator, Connecticut governor and Health, Education and Welfare secretary in Kennedy administration. Feb. 22. Age 87. Alzheimer's disease.

Henny Youngman, Borscht Belt comic dubbed king of one-liners for cracks like immortal "Take my wife - please.'' Feb. 24. Age 91. Flu complications.

Henry Steele Commager, prolific American historian known for "The Growth of the American Republic,'' who called U.S. Constitution "greatest monument to political science in literature.'' March 2. Age 95.

Fred W. Friendly, pioneering TV producer and president of CBS News who resigned in 1966 when network broadcast "I Love Lucy'' rerun while NBC went live with Senate hearings on Vietnam. March 3. Age 82. Stroke.

Eleanor I. Shuman, one of the last half-dozen survivors of Titanic, who saw the hit movie about the disaster and met director James Cameron. March 7. Age 87.

Ray Nitschke, Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker whose fierce play epitomized champion Green Bay Packers of Vince Lombardi era. March 8. Age 61. Heart attack.

James McDougal, flamboyant Arkansas savings and loan operator whose business dealing with President Clinton led to Whitewater investigation. March 8, in prison. Age 57. Had suffered heart ailment and other problems.

Lloyd Bridges, whose half-century in acting reached from drama of "High Noon'' to adventure of TV's "Sea Hunt'' to daft "Airplane!'' March 10. Age 85. Natural causes.

Dr. Benjamin Spock, who wrote guide for bringing up baby boom generation, then was branded "father of permissiveness'' as youngsters came of age during turbulent 1960s. March 15. Age 94. Respiratory failure.

Dave Powers, the Boston Irishman who served as John F. Kennedy's devoted aide and keeper of the Camelot legend after JFK's assassination. March 27. Age 85.

Bella Abzug, raspy-voiced feminist known for her millinery and her Vietnam War protests, showed that a woman's place could be in the U.S. House. March 31. Age 77. Complications of heart surgery.

APRIL:

Tammy Wynette, who rose from beautician to poignant-voiced "first lady of country music'' with hits including "Stand by Your Man'' and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E.'' April 6. Age 55. Blood clot.

Maurice Stans, who as commerce secretary and fund-raiser for President Nixon fell under cloud of Watergate and pleaded guilty to minor infractions. April 14. Age 90. Heart failure.

Pol Pot, toppled Khmer Rouge leader who ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, killing as many as 2 million countrymen while reshaping country as Marxist agrarian regime. April 15. Age 73. Possible heart attack.

Marie-Louise Febronie Meilleur, Canadian great-great-great grandmother listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest person, who made headlines as "mother of the year'' for trying to find her 81-year-old son a mate. April 16. Age 117. Blood clot in lung.

Alberto Calderon, one of world's leading mathematicians whose work at University of Chicago helped explain how heat and sound waves move. April 16. Age 77.

Linda McCartney, American photographer who broke the hearts of teen-age girls when she married Beatle Paul McCartney. April 17. Age 56. Breast cancer.

Terry Sanford, North Carolina governor and U.S. senator who twice ran for Democratic presidential nomination. April 18. Age 80. Cancer.

Octavio Paz, Mexico's top literary figure and winner of 1990 Nobel Prize for poetry and essays exploring paradoxes of Mexican psyche. April 19. Age 84. Reportedly cancer.

James Earl Ray, petty criminal who confessed to assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis in 1968, then insisted he was framed. April 23. Age 70. Kidney failure and complications from liver disease.

Constantine Caramanlis, revered statesman hailed as savior of Greece for leading homeland out of postwar ruin and military dictatorship. April 23. Age 91. Heart attack.

Carlos Castaneda, godfather of New Age movement whose book "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge'' claimed to reveal ancient secrets of Indian shaman. April 27. Believed to be 72. Liver cancer.

Eldridge Cleaver, fiery Black Panther information minister whose prison book "Soul On Ice'' became seminal work of Black Power movement. May 1. Age 62.Cause not disclosed.

Allan MacLeod Cormack, Nobel Prize-winning Tufts University scientist whose work led to development of CAT scan. May 7. Age 74. Cancer.

Jennings Randolph, four-term senator from West Virginia, a New Dealer who introduced constitutional amendment in 1972 giving 18-year-olds right to vote. May 8. Age 96. Pneumonia.

Charles "Bebe'' Rebozo, millionaire banker and confidant of Richard Nixon who stood by president in darkest days of Watergate. May 8. Age 85. Reportedly a brain aneurysm.

Alice Faye, whose lilting songs, blond beauty and sunshiny personality brightened such 20th Century Fox musicals of 1930s and 1940s as "Alexander's Ragtime Band'' and "Tin Pan Alley.'' May 9. Age 83. Cancer.

Frank Sinatra, premier romantic balladeer of American popular music and "chairman of the board'' to millions of fans. May 14. Age 82. Heart attack.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, feisty, tireless grande dame of Florida Everglades who led fight to undo environmental damage to her "river of grass.'' May 14. Age 108.

John Berry Sr., philanthropist who built family-owned Yellow Pages into billion-dollar business. May 20. Age 75. Heart failure.

Telford Taylor, who prosecuted Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and helped lay foundation for principle that governments must be held accountable for mistreating citizens. May 23. Age 90. Stroke.

Phil Hartman, comic famed for his impersonations - President Clinton, Jimmy Swaggart - on "Saturday Night Live'' and role as vain anchorman on "NewsRadio.'' May 28. Age 49. Killed by wife in murder-suicide.

Barry Goldwater, sharp-tongued, uncompromising defender of conservatism as Arizona senator whose futile 1964 campaign for presidency began philosophical reshaping of Republican Party. May 29. Age 89. Stroke.

JUNE:

Shirley Povich, whose biting columns set standard for sports writing in career of more than 75 years at The Washington Post. June 4. Age 92. Heart attack.

Shirley Polykoff, creator of such ad slogans as Clairol's "Does she ... or doesn't she?'' and "Is it true blondes have more fun?'' June 4. Age 90.

Alfred Kazin, cultural historian and critic who influenced generations of thinkers with his essays, reviews and books such as "On Native Grounds.'' June 5. Age 83. Prostate cancer.

Sam Yorty, fiery mayor of Los Angeles who baffled liberals and conservatives as he steered city through turbulent 1960s. June 5. Age 88. Stroke, pneumonia.

Gen. Sani Abacha, Nigerian dictator who crushed dissent, defied world condemnation and put off handing power to civilian government. June 8. Age 54. Heart attack.

Leo Buscaglia, teddy bearlike author of self-help books such as "Loving Each Other,'' who ended motivational speeches with hugs to the audience. June 12. Age 74. Heart attack.

Al Campanis, who built championship teams for Los Angeles Dodgers but fell from grace in 1987 for saying on national TV that blacks lack ability for baseball's top front-office jobs. June 21. Age 81. Coronary artery disease.

Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish-born beauty who starred as Jane in string of Tarzan films; mother of Mia Farrow. June 22. Age 87.

JULY:

Sid Luckman, Hall of Fame quarterback who led Chicago Bears to four NFL championships in 1940s. July 5. Age 81. Heart attack.

Roy Rogers, singing "King of the Cowboys'' whose straight-shooting exploits with wife and partner Dale Evans made him No. 1 at box office and hero to generations of fans. July 6. Age 86. Congestive heart failure.

Moshood Abiola, Nigeria's most prominent political prisoner, whose apparent win of 1993 presidential elections was annulled by military rulers. July 7. Age 60. Heart attack during meeting with visiting U.S. delegation.

Richard "Dick'' McDonald, who with his brother pioneered quick-service restaurant that evolved into worldwide McDonald's chain. July 14. Age 89.

Nguyen Ngoc Loan, former South Vietnamese general whose photographed 1968 execution of Viet Cong prisoner on streets of Saigon produced one of Vietnam War's most disturbing images. July 14. Age 67. Cancer.

Robert Young, loved by millions of TV viewers as all-knowing dad on "Father Knows Best'' and compassionate "Marcus Welby, M.D.'' July 21. Age 91. Heart problems.

Alan Shepard, one of original seven astronauts who became first American to fly in space and fifth human to walk on the moon. July 21. Age 73. Leukemia.

William McChesney Martin, who guided Federal Reserve policy during economic golden age in 1950s and 1960s. July 27. Age 91. Respiratory failure.

Jerome Robbins, choreographer and director whose career carried him between the Broadway of "West Side Story'' and ballet classics like "Fancy Free.'' July 29. Age 79. Stroke.

"Buffalo Bob'' Smith, host of "The Howdy Doody Show'' who delighted baby boom generation in early years of television. July 30. Age 80. Cancer.

AUGUST:

Shari Lewis, who enchanted baby boomers and their children with a spirited, squeaky-voiced sock puppet named Lamb Chop. Aug. 2. Age 65. Cancer.

Jack Brickhouse, baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster and for four decades the voice of the Chicago Cubs. Aug. 6. Age 82. Cardiac arrest.

Chalmers Wylie, retired 13-term Republican congressman from Ohio who helped plan bailout of failed savings and loans. Aug. 14. Age 77. Heart attack.

Jim Murray, Los Angeles Times sports writer who won Pulitzer Prize and legion of fans for witty, sometimes acerbic columns about legends and games that made sports history. Aug. 16. Age 78. Cardiac arrest.

Dorothy West, one of last living figures of Harlem Renaissance literary movement, known for novels "The Living Is Easy'' and "The Wedding.'' Aug. 16. Age 91.

E.G. Marshall, Emmy Award-winning character actor who played so many politicians, lawyers and judges that he was sometimes confused with the real thing. Aug. 24. Age 84.

Charles Diggs Jr., Michigan Democrat who served 26 years in Congress before he was censured by the House in 1980 and resigned after being convicted of operating kickback scheme. Aug. 24. Age 75. Stroke.

Lewis F. Powell, retired Supreme Court justice who for 15 years played pivotal role in shaping American law as high court's ideological center, casting key votes in rulings on affirmative action and homosexual conduct. Aug. 25. Age 90. Pneumonia.

Frederick Reines, Nobel Prize-winning University of California physicist known as father of neutrino physics. Aug. 26. Age 80. Parkinson's disease.

Floyd Haskell, former senator from Colorado whose opposition to Vietnam War propelled him to office in 1972. Aug. 25. Age 82. Pneumonia.

SEPTEMBER:

Lord Rothermere, last of English press barons who built a billion-dollar media empire with Daily Mail and London's Evening Standard. Sept. 1. Age 73. Heart attack.

Allen Drury, Washington correspondent who drew on his own knowledge to weave tales of political intrigue, including Pulitzer Prize-winning 1959 novel "Advise and Consent.'' Sept. 2. Age 80. Heart failure.

Dr. Jonathan Mann, pioneer in fight against AIDS as outspoken head of U.N. program on the disease in the 1980s. Sept. 3. Age 51. Crash of Swissair Flight 111.

Akira Kurosawa, whose hauntingly poetic vision, innovative style and stunning technical virtuosity in films such as "Seven Samurai'' and "Rashomon'' made him Japan's most celebrated director. Sept. 6. Age 88. Stroke.

John Holliman, CNN correspondent known for coverage of Gulf War from Baghdad. Sept. 12. Age 49. Car crash.

George C. Wallace, former Alabama governor who declared "segregation forever,'' then embraced integration, and survived an assassin's bullet that left paralyzed him during 1972 campaign for presidency. Sept. 13. Age 79.

Reynold B. Johnson, inventor at IBM known as father of computer disk drive. Sept. 15. Age 92. Cancer.

Daisy Anderson, author and lecturer and one of three surviving widows of Civil War veterans. Sept. 19. Age 97.

Susan Barrantes, mother of Britain's Duchess of York, the former Sarah Ferguson. Sept. 19. Age 61. Car crash.

Muriel Humphrey Brown, widow of former vice president Hubert Humphrey who briefly took his Senate seat after his death. Sept. 20. Age 86. Natural causes.

Florence Griffith Joyner, glamorous Olympic track star who won three gold medals at 1988 Games. Sept. 21. Age 38. Brain seizure.

Tom Bradley, sharecropper's son and police officer who became Los Angeles' first black mayor; 20-year reign marred by Rodney King race riots. Sept. 29. Age 80. Heart attack.

Dan Quisenberry, star relief pitcher for Kansas City Royals whose droll wit and funky delivery charmed fans and baffled batters. Sept. 30. Age 45. Brain cancer.

OCTOBER:

Gene Autry, who parlayed $5 mail-order guitar, charm and smooth voice into career as Hollywood's first singing cowboy. Oct. 2. Age 91.

Roddy McDowall, child actor who left Britain during London blitz and became award-winning star in theater, TV and films that included "Lassie Come Home'' and "Planet of the Apes.'' Oct. 3. Age 70. Cancer.

Myron Scott, Ohioan who founded All-American Soap Box Derby and gave Chevrolet Corvette sports car its name. Oct. 4. Age 91.

Frankie Yankovic, accordion-playing Polka King who had folks rolling out the barrel with hits such as "Just Because'' and "In Heaven There Is No Beer.'' Oct. 14. Age 83. Heart failure.

Cleveland Amory, best-selling author ("The Cat Who Came for Christmas''), humorist and leader of animal rights movement. Oct. 14. Age 81.

Maynard Parker, editor of Newsweek magazine for 17 years. Oct. 16. Age 58. Pneumonia.

Jon Postel, Internet pioneer who wielded enormous influence managing technical details of global computer network. Oct. 16. Age 55. Complications from heart surgery.

Clark M. Clifford, adviser to four Democratic presidents and Washington insider. Oct. 10. Age 91. Pneumonia.

Eric Ambler, British author of modern thrillers such as "The Mask of Dimitrios,'' and "The Light of Day'' and screenwriter of such films as "A Night to Remember.'' Oct. 22. Age 89.

Dr. Mary S. Calderone, pioneering sex educator who believed sexuality should be taught from early childhood. Oct. 24. Age 94.

Ted Hughes, British poet laureate known for powerful, unsentimental work, whose stormy marriage to anguished American poet Sylvia Plath dogged his reputation after her suicide in 1963. Oct. 27. Age 68. Cancer.

Anthony J. Celebrezze, Cleveland mayor who became a Kennedy administration Cabinet member and federal appeals court judge. Oct. 29. Age 88.

Clyde "Bulldog'' Turner, star on four Chicago Bears championship teams who was elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame. Oct. 30. Age 79. Lung cancer.

NOVEMBER:

Bob Kane, who created "Batman'' and watched comic book character become American icon. Nov. 3. Age 83.

William "Red'' Holzman, Hall of Fame basketball coach who guided New York Knicks to two NBA championships, in 1970 and 1973. Nov. 13. Age 78. Leukemia.

Kwame Toure, who as Stokely Carmichael made phrase "black power'' a rallying cry of civil rights upheavals of 1960s. Nov. 15. Age 57. Prostate cancer.

Weeb Ewbank, winning coach in two of pro football's most memorable championship games, leading such stars as Joe Namath of the New York Jets and Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts. Nov. 17. Age 91.

Esther Rolle, who played feisty maid in hit 1970s sitcom "Maude'' and strong-willed mother who kept her poor family together in spinoff series "Good Times.'' Nov. 17. Age 78. Had suffered from diabetes.

Alan Pakula, who found a way to bring uneasy heartbeat of America to the screen in intelligent but disturbing movies like "All the President's Men,'' "Klute'' and "To Kill a Mockingbird.'' Nov. 19. Age 70. Car crash.

Tetsuya Fujita, a University of Chicago meteorologist known as "Mr. Tornado,'' who devised standard for measuring strength of tornadoes and discovered microbursts and their link to plane crashes. Nov. 19. Age 78.

Flip Wilson, who became first successful black host of a TV variety show with his turns as sassy Geraldine, the Rev. Leroy and other characters he mined for ethnic humor. Nov. 25. Age 64. Cancer.

John Stanford, former Army major general with no background in education who brought no-nonsense approach to the job of Seattle's school superintendent. Nov. 28. Age 60. Leukemia.

Dante Fascell, Florida Democrat in Congress for 38 years who played leading role in U.S. foreign policy as chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee. Nov. 28. Age 81. Colon cancer.

DECEMBER:

Albert Gore Sr., vice president's father and former senator from Tennessee, a Southern liberal whose opposition to Vietnam War ended 32 years in Congress. Dec. 5. Age 90.

Martin Rodbell, who won a Nobel Prize in 1994 for research into proteins that regulate cellular activity. Dec. 8. Age 73.

Archie Moore, charismatic former light-heavyweight boxing champion who spanned eras in his sport with bouts against Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. Dec. 9. Age 84. Heart trouble.

Hazel Bishop, chemist who made indelible mark on cosmetics industry by inventing kiss-proof lipstick and formed a company to market it. Dec. 5. Age 92.

Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, a folksy Southern Democrat dubbed "Walkin' Lawton'' for crisscrossing the state on foot in his first U.S. Senate campaign. Dec. 12. Age 68. Heart attack.

Former Rep. Morris K. Udall, a 30-year Democratic congressman from Arizona who championed environmental causes and wryly lamented he was too funny to be president. Dec. 12. Age 76. Parkinson's disease.

A. Leon Higginbotham Jr., retired federal appeals judge who was one of the nation's most influential black judges. Dec. 14. Age 70. Strokes.

Mel Fisher, treasure hunter who found fortune in centuries-old sunken ships and won landmark court battle over Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank with rich cargo in 1622. Dec. 19. Age 76. Cancer.

Mike McAlary, street-smart New York Daily News columnist who broke a story of alleged police brutality that netted a Pulitzer Prize. Dec. 25. Age 41. Colon cancer.

Retired Marine Col. William A. "Ironman'' Lee, one of the most decorated Marines with three Navy Crosses, three Purple Hearts and two Medals of Valor for service in both World Wars and Nicaragua's "Banana Wars.'' Dec. 27. Age 98. Cancer.