Corporate Obituaries

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May They Rest in Peace

From Lehman Brothers to ATA Airlines to KB Toys, a slew of well-known companies passed away in 2008. It was just their time. Sadly, corporate America's dearly departed were never eulogized -- until now.

Click through the gallery to see Minyanville.com's corporate obituaries. All presented in loving memory, of course.

First Up: Bennigan's

In Memory of ... Bennigan's

Founded in 1976 by Norman E. Brinker, the restaurant quickly won acclaim for the fun, friendly experience it provided. Unfortunately, the high life soon ended when Brinker led a mass exodus of senior management in 1983, and proceeded to launch future competitor Chili's. For the rest of its short life, Bennigan's would struggle to find an identity in the crowded casual dining space.
· More of Bennigan's Obituary

Next: KB Toys

In Memory of ... KB Toys

KB Toys, purveyor of mechanical puppies and action figures, struggled through two Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings before finally succumbing. It passed away on December 11, 2008 -- shortly before the Christmas shopping peak. The famed retailer was 86. It will be remembered fondly by the hundreds of thousands of children who threw temper tantrums in its well-stocked aisles.
· More of KB Toys' Obituary

Next: Total Request Live

In Memory of ...
Total Request Live

MTV's cult video countdown show helped launched the careers of everyone from 'N Sync to Kid Rock. Those most familiar with the show -- and its notable accomplishments in the bearing of teen midriffs -- gathered to pay their respects during a nationally televised event that featured gyrations from singer Beyonce Knowles. Instead of tears, there were smiles, but TRL would have wanted it that way.
· More of Total Request Live's Obituary

Next: Yugo

In Memory of ... Yugo

The pinnacle of Serbo-Croatian automotive technology met a fateful end when the last-ever Yugo rolled off the assembly line on November 11, 2008. Its passing marked the end of three decades of pointing, laughing and punch lines. Proud right up until the end, the hatchback declined any bailout and died peacefully in Kragujevac. The cause of death was, reportedly, an acquisition by Fiat.
· More of Yugo's Obituary

Next: Washington Mutual

In Memory of ...
Washington Mutual

Washington Mutual, the savings banks that helped rebuild the city of Seattle after a devastating fire in 1889, died last September after choking on billions of dollars in option-ARM mortgages. The flexible loans, tasty and delicious during the housing boom, turned toxic in the downturn, gutting WaMu's balance sheet and sending the bank's stock price south.
· More of Washington Mutual's Obituary

Next: Linens 'N Things

In Memory of ...
Linens 'N Things

Try as it did to restructure, reorganize and get back on its feet, Linens 'N Things was forced to liquidate merchandise after 13 years of operation. In the end, it wasn't the bed bugs that got the home retailer -- it was the housing crisis and credit crunch that chewed its balance sheet to dust. There will be no memorial service, as former customers are expected to be too busy checking out the competition for bargains.
· More of Linens 'N Things' Obituary

Next: Zima

In Memory of ... Zima

Tried as it did, Coors' ill-fated Zima could never really salvage its tattered image of bad taste and emasculation: Any guy caught drinking the stuff was automatically threatened by the Brotherhood of Man with permanent revocation of his Y chromosome. Zima died of natural causes, not to be confused with natural flavors, at age 14.
· More of Zima's Obituary

Next: ATA Airlines

In Memory of ... ATA Airlines

After a brave battle with mounting debt, higher operating costs, oil and bankruptcy, the 35-year-old airline finally let go in 2008. While on its deathbed, ATA devised a survival strategy: Concentrate on flights for the US military. Unfortunately, it lost the contract -- and without a business plan, the high flyer was quickly grounded.
· More of ATA Airlines' Obituary

Next: Lehman Brothers

In Memory of ...
Lehman Brothers

Sensing that its demise was imminent, Lehman Brothers sought aid from the US government -- and was roundly rejected. On September 15, 2008, the venerable investment bank finally succumbed. Its death sent shockwaves around the world -- only to be followed by stock-market panic. It remains the single largest bankruptcy filing in the history of the United States
· More of Lehman Brothers' Obituary

Next: The Sharper Image

In Memory of ...
The Sharper Image

On February 19, 2008, the high-end tchotchke-and-gizmo retailer died and was interred in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It was 31, and is survived by a bevy of creditors who, in lieu of flowers, ask that you send something sufficiently overpriced and utterly useless. Like, say, a $5,000 massage chair.
· More of The Sharper Image's Obituary

More on AOL: Make-or-Break Products

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Click through our gallery as BloggingStocks writer Peter Cohan, author of 'You Can't Order Change,' reveals 14 companies with make-or-break products for 2009.

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Make or Break Products

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Corporate Obituaries

May They Rest in Peace

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In Memory of ...
Total Request Live

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Washington Mutual

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