Tom Dreesen, a trailblazing figure in comedy known for creating one of the nation’s pioneering interracial stand-up duos with Tim Reid, and later serving as the opening act for Frank Sinatra, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86.

His publicist, Lori De Waal, confirmed that Dreesen died at his residence in Los Angeles, though the cause of death has not been disclosed.

Dreesen and Reid crossed paths in Chicago and launched their act “Tim and Tom” in 1969. At a time when racial tensions were palpable, their performances cleverly addressed societal issues, fostering dialogue and understanding across diverse audiences. Their partnership lasted into the mid-1970s. Reid later achieved solo fame as DJ Venus Flytrap on the hit sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” a show where Dreesen also made a guest appearance.

Comedian and filmmaker Mike Binder expressed his admiration on X, recalling how a Tim and Tom album he discovered in his youth profoundly influenced his life, calling it “so great.”

Following his split from Reid, Dreesen developed a successful solo career, making over 500 appearances on national television, including 60 on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” He frequently appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” occasionally stepping in as guest host. Their camaraderie dated back to the early 1970s when both were regulars at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California.

Dreesen’s final TV appearance came last week on “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” which replaced Stephen Colbert’s canceled CBS late-night show.

Dreesen was Sinatra’s opening act for 14 years and became close with the entertainer.

“If he loved you, he worshipped the ground you walked on,” Dreesen told The Desert Sun newspaper in 2014. ”In a lot of ways, he was like a father to me. I didn’t have a father that really cared that much where I was and what I did. But Frank would give me advice and counsel, and then he was a buddy in a lot of ways. I thought the world of him.”

Dressen also toured with Sinatra’s fellow Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr., as well as Liza Minnelli, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and Tony Orlando.

“He was one of the most brilliant comedians of all time. Tonight, he’ll once again be opening for Dean, Frank and Sammy,” Deana Martin, a daughter of Dean Martin, posted on X.

In 2008, he co-wrote the book “Tim and Tom: An American Comedy Act in Black and White” and in 2020 he authored his memoir.

Dreesen acted in such TV shows as “Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Touched by an Angel.” His film roles included “Spaceballs,” “Man on the Moon” and “Trouble With the Curve,” as well as the HBO movies “The Rat Pack” and “Lansky.”

Dreesen was active in charitable work, motivational speaking and veterans’ causes, including serving as ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation.

“America lost one of our great comedians and patriots, and I lost a dear friend,” Sinise posted on X.

He was born on Sept. 11, 1939, in Chicago and raised as one of eight children in suburban Harvey. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and after getting out in 1960 he returned home to work a series of jobs, including selling insurance.

Dreesen is survived by daughters Amy and Jennifer from his marriage to Maryellen Subock, which ended in divorce in 1984, as well as seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Tommy.

A California daycare owner was visibly emotional in court as she confessed to her role in the tragic death of an infant, whose head became fatally trapped between a plastic cot and the crib’s railing.

Stacy Lee Snow, 54, entered a guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter following the death of the 16-month-old girl, who was discovered unresponsive in her crib on April 8, 2025.

During Friday’s sentencing, Snow received a three-year county jail sentence. She faced the grieving family, expressing deep remorse for the child’s death and acknowledging that it was a preventable tragedy.

“I am ashamed of my negligence,” she stated, her voice filled with emotion.

“I will not ask for your forgiveness because I do not deserve it.”

Snow owned and operated an at-home daycare center called Snow Angels Childcare and Preschool in El Cajon, California, for 13 years, and the morning the baby girl died in her care was just the fourth time she had taken her for the day. 

Prosecutors said the infant was ‘fussier’ than usual that day, so Snow put her into her crib for a nap to try and calm her down. 

She then covered the crib with a plastic cot and a mesh center to prevent her from climbing out, before leaving the girl in the room alone with the door closed.

The baby girl was found an hour later with her head wedged between the plastic cot and a railing on the crib, and a medical examiner found she died by asphyxiation. 

California daycare owner Stacy Lee Snow, 54, admitted to allowing a baby to die when its head became fatally wedged between a plastic cot and her crib’s railing, as she was sentenced to three years behind bars 

Snow owned and operated an at-home daycare center called Snow Angels Childcare (pictured) and Preschool in El Cajon, California, for 13 years, but admitted she left the baby girl alone for over an hour with a plastic cot over her crib to force her into a nap 

Under California law, Snow was required to check on the baby girl at least every 15 minutes while she was in her care. 

The baby girl’s mother, who remained anonymous during the court proceedings, also reportedly told Snow not to let the girl sleep while she was at her daycare, as she wanted her to stay awake through the day to tire her out. 

But Snow admitted to ignoring this as she left the girl alone in the room for at least an hour, telling police she returned to the room to find the girl passed out and wedged in her cot. 

Snow said she tried desperately to perform CPR as paramedics raced to the scene. 

The San Diego Sheriff’s Office said first responders found the infant ‘on the living room floor’ when they arrived. 

The baby girl was raced to a local hospital where she was tragically pronounced dead, and a medical examiner ruled the cause of death to be ‘accidental asphyxia’, per Law & Crime. 

At her sentencing, the judge slammed Snow for her ‘intentional and negligent choices’, and handed her the maximum sentence allowed for involuntary manslaughter charges. 

The judge branded the infant’s death ‘a tragedy that was absolutely and wholly avoidable.’ 

Snow apologized to the victim’s mother in her own sentencing statement, telling her: ‘There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about this tragic incident and all the ways it could have been prevented had I not been so careless with my actions.’ 

As she was sentenced to three years in prison, Snow apologized to the victim’s mother and told her:  ‘I am ashamed of my negligence. I will not ask for your forgiveness because I do not deserve it’

Snow was condemned by the judge at her sentencing, who told her she killed the infant in ‘a tragedy that was absolutely and wholly avoidable’

The daycare owner had operated the daycare for 13 years, and before the child’s death she had no citations or issues with the Department of Social Services

As part of her three year sentence, Snow will serve the final six months released under mandatory supervision, and her childcare license was revoked. 

The victim’s mother said at the sentencing that the tragedy devastated her family, saying that she has still not tidied her baby’s toys or clothes over a year later. 

‘I still cannot bring myself to pack away her belongings because doing so feels like losing her all over again,’ she said. 

‘I can’t shake the last time that I said goodbye.’ 

The daycare owner is now facing a pending wrongful death lawsuit from the victim’s family. 

She had operated the daycare for 13 years, and before the child’s death she had no citations or issues with the Department of Social Services, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.  

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which handles significant criminal cases in the state, has joined a probe following the grim discovery of a body in a forested region. This area is notably where a missing woman was last observed almost a week prior.

Authorities unearthed the body after an extensive six-day search for Elena Katherine Moore, a 39-year-old personal trainer. Moore was reported missing since Thursday evening after departing from a Planet Fitness gym located in Lexington.

The Lexington Police Department (LPD) announced that the body has yet to be officially identified, however, the clothing matches that of the missing individual in question.

With the case now elevated to an active death investigation, SLED’s involvement aims to ascertain the cause of death and verify the person’s identity.

Elena Katherine Moore, last witnessed leaving the gym and heading towards a nearby wooded area in Lexington, South Carolina, has been the focal point of this ongoing investigation, as stated by the authorities.