T/obits

Ann Rockefeller Roberts, Champion of Native Americans, Dies at 90
Obits, Yesterday

The eldest daughter of Nelson Rockefeller, she founded a nonprofit to support Indigenous culture and helped fill two Smithsonian institutions with artifacts.

Troy Masters, Pioneering L.G.B.T.Q. Journalist, Dies at 63
Obits, Yesterday

He was at the helm of several influential publications, notably Gay City News in New York City and, since 2017, The Los Angeles Blade.

Marisa Paredes, icono del cine español, muere a los 78 años
En español, Yesterday

Actriz prolífica, era mundialmente conocida por su trabajo con el cineasta Pedro Almodóvar, con quien tuvo una relación por momentos tensa.

Cathy Cade, Groundbreaking Lesbian Photographer, Dies at 82
Obits, Yesterday

She became a photographer the same year she came out, chronicling the lives of women in same-sex relationships — something most people had never seen.

Michael Brewer, Whose ‘One Toke’ Was a Big Hit, Is Dead at 80
Obits, Yesterday

The duo Brewer & Shipley reached the Top 10 in 1970 with “One Toke Over the Line,” a ditty about marijuana that ran afoul of Nixon-era censors.

Wafa Al-Udaini Captured the Experiences of Palestinians From Within
Interactive, Yesterday

As a journalist, she was determined to tell a story of Gaza that was full of life.

The Lives They Lived
Interactive, Yesterday

Remembering some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year.

Marisa Paredes, Acclaimed Diva of Spanish Cinema, Is Dead at 78
Obits, Yesterday

A prolific actress, she was best known globally for her work with the filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, with whom she had a stormy relationship.

Artists We Lost in 2024, in Their Words
Culture, Yesterday

Shelley Duvall, Quincy Jones, Faith Ringgold and Paul Auster are some of the greats who died this year.

Rick Kaufmann, Impresario of Art Furniture, Dies at 77
Obits, December 19

Was it art or was it furniture? No one was quite sure what to make of the New York movement that an idiosyncratic gallerist led in the 1970s and ’80s.

Joanne Pierce Misko, Ex-Nun Who Made F.B.I. History, Dies at 83
Obits, December 19

She and Susan Malone were sworn in together in 1972 as the first female agents, only months after the bureau opened the door to women.

William J. Hennessy Jr., Sketch Artist of Courtroom Drama, Dies at 67
Obits, December 19

His lively drawings of historic Supreme Court arguments, impeachment trials and murder cases gave the public a peek into venues where cameras were banned.

The Rev. James Callan, Renegade Catholic Priest, Dies at 77
Obits, December 18

He was excommunicated in 1999 after allowing women to celebrate Mass, blessing same-sex unions and offering communion to non-Catholics.

David Bonderman, Private Equity Pioneer, Is Dead at 82
Obits, December 18

A globe-trotting lawyer turned investor, he helped transform a cottage industry into a colossus with influence on Wall Street and beyond.

Rayful Edmond, Drug Lord Who Stoked D.C.’s Crack Cocaine Epidemic, Dies at 60
Express, December 18

He rose to prominence in the 1980s, spending lavishly and befriending athletes, as the city was wracked by murders tied to the drug trade. He later became an informant.

Jim Leach, Iowa Republican Who Extolled Moderation, Dies at 82
Obits, December 17

During his 30 years in Congress, he resisted his party’s rightward tilt. He endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and became a Democrat in 2022.

Richard W. Murphy, Roving Diplomat in World Hot Spots, Dies at 95
Obits, December 17

As a State Department Arabist, he served as ambassador to three Arab countries and helped broker the end of a 15-year civil war in Lebanon.

Arlene Croce, Dance Critic With a Biting Wit, Dies at 90
Obits, December 17

Writing for The New Yorker, she was both admired and feared, wielding a sometimes merciless pen. Her study of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers drew accolades.

Dick Van Arsdale, 81, One of First Identical Twins in the N.B.A., Dies
Obits, December 16

A three-time All-Star, he played for the Knicks and the Phoenix Suns. For one season, he and Tom Van Arsdale were hard-to-tell-apart teammates.

Orrin H. Pilkey, Warrior in a Fight to Save Imperiled Beaches, Dies at 90
Obits, December 16

An eminent geologist, he argued against putting condos and hotels on vulnerable coastal landscapes. Environmentalists applauded; many others didn’t.

E.B. Furgurson III, Who Covered Massacre at His Newspaper, Dies at 70
Obits, December 16

After five people were killed in the newsroom, he set up a work space in the back of his pickup truck and made sure the next day’s issue was published.

Zakir Hussain, Tabla Virtuoso Who Fused Musical Traditions, Dies at 73
Obits, December 16

His collaborators included John McLaughlin, Béla Fleck, Ravi Shankar, Herbie Hancock, Yo-Yo Ma and members of the Grateful Dead.

Lorraine O’Grady, Artist Who Defied Category, Is Dead at 90
Obits, December 15

She worked in collage, photography, performance, video and installation, and she dealt forthrightly with the complexities of race and gender.

Polly Mellen, Fashion’s Storied Cheerleader, Dies at 100
Obits, December 15

With photographers like Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Bert Stern and others, the veteran editor created some of the most indelible images of modern fashion.

Isak Andic, Founder of Mango Fashion Chain, Dies at 71
Obits, December 14

Mr. Andic got his start by selling T-shirts in Barcelona in the mid-1980s. He died in a fall during a hike.

Robert Fernandez, Who Survived Pearl Harbor as a Teen, Dies at 100
Obits, December 14

He was a 17-year-old sailor aboard the U.S.S. Curtiss when Japanese forces attacked. He said he had joined the Navy to see the world.

Gerd Heidemann, Journalist Duped by Fake Hitler Diaries, Dies at 93
Obits, December 14

What was supposed to be the crowning scoop of his career became his downfall when a trove of notebooks he acquired in Germany turned out to be forgeries.

Rodney Jenkins, Star of the Show-Jumping Circuit, Dies at 80
Obits, December 13

He had a feel for how horses behaved and thought, and won more than 70 Grand Prix events.

Charles Handy Dies at 92; Philosopher Envisioned Today’s Corporate World
Obits, December 13

Joining a pantheon of management thinkers, he embraced a humanistic path for business and foresaw outsourcing, remote work and a gig economy.

Jerome Kohn, Keeper of Hannah Arendt’s Flame, Dies at 93
Obits, December 13

He devoted his career to guarding the legacy of the philosopher known for her writings on totalitarianism and “the banality of evil.”

Conan O’Brien’s Parents Die 3 Days Apart
Express, December 13

Thomas O’Brien, an epidemiologist, and Ruth O’Brien, a lawyer, juggled successful careers with raising six children, including the comedy star.

Martial Solal, French Jazz Piano Virtuoso, Is Dead at 97
Obits, December 13

Mr. Solal, who also wrote music for films and symphony orchestras, was revered in Europe and hailed in the United States on his rare visits there.

Louis Nelson, Designer of Korean War Mural, Dies at 88
Obits, December 13

A designer of signage and product packaging, he was best known for his work on the 164-foot mural wall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Dolores Madrigal, Plaintiff in Landmark Sterilization Case, Dies at 90
Obits, December 12

She was among hundreds of women who said they were coerced into sterilization at a California hospital in the 1970s. The lawsuit led to state and national reforms.

Clarke Reed, Who Helped the G.O.P. Conquer the South, Dies at 96
Obits, December 12

He built Mississippi’s Republican Party into a conservative powerhouse, making himself a regional power broker in the process.

Overlooked No More: Fidelia Bridges, Artist Who Captured the Natural World
Obits, December 12

A prolific artist, she was known for her graceful watercolors of birds, plants and butterflies, and was considered as the equal of Winslow Homer in her day.

Victor Brombert, Princeton Scholar With a Secret Army Past, Dies at 101
Obits, December 12

As a Jewish teen, he fled the Nazis for America — then landed at D-Day and swept across Europe in a unit that gathered intelligence. Its work was hidden for decades.

Remembering David Bonderman, a Private Equity Pioneer
Business, December 12

A former lawyer, he cofounded the giant investment firm TPG and became known for complex deals that remade corporate America. He died on Wednesday at 82.

Martin Benson, Regional Theater Impresario With Impact, Dies at 87
Obits, December 11

South Coast Repertory, a California company he founded with a partner, grew to stage world premieres of major works that made their way to Broadway.

The Amazing Kreskin, Mentalist and 1970s Television Star, Dies at 89
Obits, December 11

His display of mysterious mind-reading powers on TV made him a pop culture phenomenon in the 1970s.

Michael Cole, a Star of ‘The Mod Squad,’ Is Dead at 84
Obits, December 11

The show, about three hippies who become undercover crime fighters, ran from 1968 to 1973. Mr. Cole had been the last of its three stars still living.

Rocky Colavito, All-Star Slugger for Cleveland, Dies at 91
Obits, December 11

After he was traded in one of the most infamous deals in Cleveland’s history, the team floundered and “the curse of Rocky Colavito” was born.

Nikki Giovanni, Poet Who Wrote of Black Joy, Dies at 81
Obits, December 10

As a writer, she tackled race, gender, sex, politics and love. She was also a public intellectual who appeared on television and toured the country.

Ella fue Silvia Pinal, estrella de la época de oro del cine mexicano
En español, December 9

Pinal acumuló más de 100 créditos en cine y televisión en una carrera que comenzó a finales de la década de 1940.

Steve Mensch, President of Tyler Perry Studios, Dies at 62
Express, December 8

Mr. Mensch, a longtime supporter of the film industry in Georgia, died in a plane crash on Friday in Florida, according to officials.

Marvin Laird, Musical Presence on and Off Broadway, Dies at 85
Obits, December 8

He conducted Broadway shows and worked with Bernadette Peters. But he was probably best known for writing the music for the darkly comic “Ruthless!”

Angela Alvarez, Great-Grandmother Who Won a Latin Grammy, Dies at 97
Obits, December 8

Her only album made her a media star after she had raised four children and worked as a house cleaner — proving, she said, that “it’s never too late.”

Chiung Yao, Top Romance Novelist in Chinese-Speaking World, Dies at 86
Obits, December 8

Writing from Taiwan, she shaped her readers’ idea of romantic love with a raft of best sellers, many adapted for the screen. Newborns were named after her characters.

Miho Nakayama, Japanese Music and Movie Star, Dies at 54
Obits, December 8

A top-selling pop singer as a teenager in the 1980s, she also had an award-winning career as a dramatic actress.

Silvia Pinal, Golden Age Star of Mexican Cinema, Is Dead
Obits, December 7

She found outsize success in her native land and gained international recognition for her work with the acclaimed Spanish surrealist director Luis Buñuel.

Shuntaro Tanikawa, Popular Poet and Translator of ‘Peanuts,’ Dies at 92
Obits, December 6

A perennial front-runner for the Nobel Prize in Literature, he was a revered figure in Japan, not just in literary circles but also among casual readers.

Barbara Bowman Dies at 96; Visionary Educator for Preschoolers
Obits, December 6

She devoted her career to teaching teachers how to prepare the youngest and most vulnerable children to fulfill their potential.

Ron O’Brien, Who Coached Divers to Olympic Medals, Dies at 86
Obits, December 6

He may have been the most successful diving coach in American history, gathering more than 300 medals in competitions and nurturing stars like Greg Louganis.

Shalom Nagar Dies; Reluctant Executioner of Adolf Eichmann
Obits, December 5

He was the hangman chosen to carry out the sentence on the fugitive Nazi war criminal, in Israel’s only case of capital punishment.

Lance Morrow, 85, Award-Winning Essayist for Time Magazine, Is Dead
Obits, December 5

His voice carried weight on the influential back page and as the writer of many “Man of the Year” cover articles. As a memoirist he chronicled his heart attacks.

Peter B. Teeley, Who Coined the Term ‘Voodoo Economics,’ Dies at 84
Obits, December 5

As press secretary for George H.W. Bush, he came up with the expression to attack Ronald Reagan’s economic plan. The term took on a life of its own.

Prince Johnson, 72, Warlord Who Executed Liberia’s President, Dies
Obits, December 5

A rebel leader in Liberia’s civil wars, he was accused of numerous atrocities. The most notorious was the videotaped mutilation and killing of President Samuel Doe.

Rohit Bal, Exuberant Star of Indian Fashion, Dies at 63
Obits, December 4

Known as “the bad boy of fashion,” he was among a wave of designers who created modern Indian couture by updating traditional garments.

Richard Hamilton, Who Helped Solve a Mathematical Mystery, Dies at 81
Obits, December 4

He came up with an innovative equation called the Ricci flow that helped mathematicians explore fundamental questions that were once out of reach.

Kelly Powers, 45, Dies; Fox Health Commentator Told of Her Cancer
Obits, December 4

A podiatric surgeon and a regular presence on Fox News, she used her television platform to talk about her brain cancer and treatment as well as cancer research.

Brian Thompson, Chief Executive of UnitedHealthcare, Dies at 50
Obits, December 4

Mr. Thompson, who was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan, rose to the top of one of the world’s biggest insurance companies.

Mary McGee, Motorcycle Racing Pioneer, Is Dead at 87
Obits, December 4

Her most remarkable achievement came in 1975, when she became the first person, man or woman, to complete the Baja 500 race solo.

Morton I. Abramowitz, Diplomat Who Made Refugees a Priority, Dies at 91
Obits, December 3

As ambassador to Thailand and Turkey, and later as president of the Carnegie Endowment, he pushed for making human rights central to foreign policy.

Thirman Milner, Hartford Mayor Who Broke Race Barrier, Dies at 91
Obits, December 3

He grudgingly transitioned from civil rights to politics and became the first popularly elected Black mayor in New England.

Debbie Nelson, Eminem’s Mother, Dies at 69
Obits, December 3

The two had a fraught relationship that was immortalized in many of Eminem’s earliest hits.

Bob Bryar, Former Drummer for My Chemical Romance, Dies at 44
Express, December 2

He joined that pop-punk band in 2004 and played on its most successful album, “The Black Parade.”

Wayne Northrop, ‘Days of Our Lives’ Actor, Dies at 77
Express, December 1

He was best known for playing two characters, Roman Brady and Dr. Alex North, in more than 1,000 episodes on the daytime soap opera.

Peter Westbrook, Pathbreaking Olympic Fencer, Dies at 72
Obits, December 1

As the first African American to win a medal in a sport long dominated by white Europeans, he was compared to Jackie Robinson and Arthur Ashe.

Marshall Brickman, Woody Allen’s Co-Writer on Hit Films, Dies at 85
Obits, December 1

The duo won an Oscar for “Annie Hall.” Mr. Brickman went on to write Broadway shows, including “Jersey Boys,” and make movies of his own.

Lou Carnesecca, St. John’s Basketball Coach With 526 Wins, Is Dead at 99
Obits, December 1

Known for his quick wit and garish sweaters, he took the New York City university to national basketball prominence over 24 seasons.

Hal Lindsey, Author of ‘The Late Great Planet Earth,’ Dies at 95
Obits, November 30

In that 1970 book and others, he wrote of history and apocalyptic predictions based on biblical interpretations and actual events of the time.

A. Cornelius Baker, Champion of H.I.V. Testing, Dies at 63
Obits, November 30

Working inside the government and out, he lobbied to improve the lives of people with H.I.V. and AIDS, particularly those who belonged to minority groups.

J. Stanley Pottinger, 84, Dies; Official Figured Out Identity of ‘Deep Throat’
Obits, November 29

A former Nixon official (and later a novelist), he led an investigation in which a shadowy Watergate figure squirmed when asked if he had been an anonymous whistle blower.

Earl Holliman, Rugged, and Familiar, Screen Presence, Dies at 96
Obits, November 29

While never a big star, he was a recognizable one, with roles in “The Twilight Zone,” “Giant,” “Forbidden Planet” and the 1970s series “Police Woman.”

Alice Hudson, Librarian Who Built a Trove of Historic Maps, Dies at 77
Obits, November 29

She transformed the New York Public Library’s collection of charts and atlases into one of the world’s largest and most accessible resources.

Peggy Caserta, Who Wrote a Tell-All About Janis Joplin, Dies at 84
Obits, November 28

Her Haight-Ashbury clothing store was ground zero for the counterculture. But she was best known for a tawdry book — which she later disavowed — published after Ms. Joplin’s death.

Jim Abrahams, 80, Dies; a Mastermind of ‘Airplane!’ and ‘Naked Gun’
Obits, November 28

Along with his fellow filmmakers David and Jerry Zucker, he revolutionized film comedy with a straight-faced, fast-paced style of parody.

Robert Dixon, Last Surviving Buffalo Soldier, Dies at 103
Obits, November 27

A member of one of the U.S. Army’s all-Black regiments, formed after the Civil War, he trained West Point cadets in horsemanship during World War II.

Helen Gallagher, Winner of Two Tonys and Three Emmys, Dies at 98
Obits, November 27

She was honored on Broadway for roles in “Pal Joey” and “No, No, Nanette” and then turned to TV, where she won three Daytime Emmys for her work on “Ryan’s Hope.”

Manfred Ohrenstein, Liberal Lion of N.Y. Legislature, Dies at 99
Obits, November 27

He entered the State Senate as a reformer but during 34 years became part of the system he sought to reform.

Evelyne de Pontbriand, Champion of Biodynamic Winemaking, Dies at 73
Obits, November 27

The latest in a long line of women to run her family winery, she helped bring worldwide attention to sustainable viniculture.

Bodhi, el ‘shiba inu’ que conquistó las pasarelas, muere a los 15 años
En español, November 27

Este perro refinado tenía una elegancia sartorial singular, desfiló para la marca Coach y fue el protagonista de su propio catálogo de moda.

Andy Paley, Whose Imprint Was All Over Pop Music, Dies at 73
Obits, November 27

Musician, singer, songwriter, producer and more, he collaborated with Madonna and a raft of other artists and helped resuscitate the career of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.

Bodhi, the ‘Menswear Dog,’ Dies at 15
Styles, November 27

A Shiba Inu of uncommon sartorial panache, Bodhi modeled for Coach and was the subject of his own fashion lookbook.

Breyten Breytenbach, Anti-Apartheid Writer in Exile, Dies at 85
Obits, November 26

He wrote poetry in Afrikaans and prose in English in his fight against South African racial oppression, an effort that landed him in jail for seven years.

Paul Caponigro, Photographer in Love with Nature, Dies at 91
Obits, November 25

He photographed landscapes, deer, sunflowers and still lifes. “I knew that the forces of nature were a language,” he said. “Nature was really my teacher.”

Madeleine Riffaud, quien combatió a los nazis y ‘salvó París’, muere a los 100 años
En español, November 25

Humillada por un oficial nazi cuando era adolescente, se unió a la Resistencia francesa. A los 20 años había matado a un soldado alemán, sobrevivido a torturas y capturado un tren de suministros.

Barbara Taylor Bradford, Whose Sagas Were Best Sellers, Dies at 91
Obits, November 25

Her own rags-to-riches story mirrored those of many of her resilient heroines, and her dozens of novels helped her amass a fortune of $300 million.

Tony Campolo, Preacher Who Challenged Religious Right, Dies at 89
Obits, November 24

A mesmerizing speaker, he urged his fellow evangelicals to turn away from politics in favor of the values of charity and love espoused by Jesus.

Charles Dumont, Who Wrote Enduring Melodies for Édith Piaf, Dies at 95
Obits, November 24

His dozens of songs included “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” a powerful anthem of redemptive love that became one of Piaf’s signature songs.

Rico Carty, Exceptional Hitter Who Was Stymied by Injuries, Dies at 85
Obits, November 24

A Dominican baseball star, he had a dazzling rookie year and became a pioneering designated hitter, but injuries and tuberculosis held him back.

Chuck Woolery, Host of ‘Love Connection,’ Dies at 83
Obits, November 24

After a career that included stints on “Wheel of Fortune” and other popular game shows, he took a combative turn as a right-wing podcast host.

Fred R. Harris, Oklahoma Senator Who Ran for President, Dies at 94
Obits, November 24

After eight years in the Senate as a moderate Democrat, he took a leftward turn toward “new populism” in a failed shot at the presidency in 1976.

Madeleine Riffaud, ‘the Girl Who Saved Paris,’ Dies at 100
Obits, November 23

Humiliated by a Nazi officer as a teenager, she joined the French Resistance. By the time she was 20, she had killed a German soldier, survived torture and captured a supply train.

Alice Brock, Restaurant Owner Made Famous by a Song, Dies at 83
Obits, November 23

Arlo Guthrie’s antiwar staple “Alice’s Restaurant” was inspired by a Thanksgiving Day visit to her diner in western Massachusetts.

Mike Shatzkin, Colorful Publishing Industry Guru, Dies at 77
Obits, November 22

His blog, The Shatzkin Files, was an essential read for industry insiders. His observations about the changes digital publishing would bring were prophetic.

Harold W. Sims Jr., Whose Museum Honored the House Cat, Dies at 89
Obits, November 22

He displayed some 10,000 cat-themed artifacts at the American Museum of the House Cat in North Carolina, which welcomed several thousand people a year.

M. Jodi Rell, Former Republican Governor of Connecticut, Dies at 78
Obits, November 22

She was lieutenant governor when her boss, Gov. John G. Rowland, resigned in a corruption scandal. The second woman to lead the state, she was later elected in her own right.

Peter Sinfield, Poetic Lyricist for Prog Rock’s King Crimson, Dies at 80
Obits, November 22

His swirls of imagery helped define progressive rock in the 1970s. He later turned his focus to pop acts like Celine Dion.

Spencer Lawton Jr., D.A. in ‘Midnight in the Garden’ Case, Dies at 81
Obits, November 21

He devoted much of his 28 years in office in Savannah to victims’ rights, but he was best known for his role in a 1981 murder at the center of a best seller and its movie version.

Steven J. Rosen, Fiercely Influential Advocate for Israel, Dies at 82
Obits, November 21

He was a prominent behind-the-scenes figure in Washington whose career was derailed when he was charged with leaking government secrets. The case was later dropped.

Dallas Long, Record-Setting Shot-Putter, Is Dead at 84
Obits, November 21

In an era when America dominated the event, he was one of the best. He retired after winning gold at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics and became a doctor.

John Prescott, Ex-Deputy Prime Minister of Britain, Dies at 86
Obits, November 21

He was a cruise ship waiter before rising in the trade union movement and becoming one of the country’s best-known Labour politicians under Tony Blair.

In China’s Covid Fog, Deaths of Scholars Offer a Clue
Interactive, February 5

The toll of China’s epidemic is unclear. But dozens of obituaries of the country’s top academics show an enormous loss in just a few weeks.

Sister André, World’s Oldest Known Person, Is Dead at 118
Foreign, January 18

A French nun, she lived through two world wars and the 1918 flu pandemic and, more than a century later, survived Covid-19. She enjoyed a bit of wine and chocolate daily.

Laura Anglin, a Leading New York State and City Official, Dies at 57
Obits, October 18

She was budget director in Albany and “was one of the unsung heroes” in helping to shape the pandemic response as a deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio.

Marc Lewitinn, Covid Patient, Dies at 76 After 850 Days on a Ventilator
Obits, September 9

While no definitive statistics exist, doctors say Mr. Lewitinn, a retired Manhattan store owner, likely remained on the device longer than any other Covid patient.

Joseph Hazelwood, Captain of the Exxon Valdez, Is Dead at 75
Obits, September 9

The tanker spilled millions of gallons of oil when it ran aground, causing one of the nation’s worst environmental disasters. He accepted responsibility but was demonized.

Dmitri Vrubel, Who Planted a Kiss on the Berlin Wall, Dies at 62
Obits, August 19

A Russian-born painter, he created a mural of the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev smooching the East German leader Erich Honecker — and with it a tourist attraction.

Albert Woodfox, Survivor of 42 Years in Solitary Confinement, Dies at 75
Obits, August 5

His term in solitary was perhaps the longest in American history. He described how he kept his sanity, and dignity, in an acclaimed memoir.

Eli N. Evans, Who Wrote About Jews in American South, Dies at 85
Obits, August 2

His book “The Provincials” mixed memoir, travelogue and history to tell the story of a culture that many people never knew existed.

Vladimir Zelenko, 48, Dies; Promoted an Unfounded Covid Treatment
Obits, July 1

A self-described “simple country doctor,” he won national attention in 2020 when the White House embraced his hydroxychloroquine regimen.

Robert Goolrick Dies at 73; Became a Successful Novelist Late in Life
Obits, May 20

Being fired as an advertising executive freed him to write a blistering memoir about his Southern family and an erotic novel that became a best seller.

Stanislav Shushkevich, First Leader of Post-Soviet Belarus, Dies at 87
Obits, May 5

He helped formalize the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, led his country until 1994, then became a vocal critic of his successor, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko.