T/obits

Robert Day, Financier and Philanthropist, Dies at 79
Business, Yesterday

An heir to an oil fortune, he built his own empire with TCW Group and was an influential California donor, including to his alma mater, Claremont McKenna College.

Tom Conway, Steelworkers President and Biden Ally, Dies at 71
Business, Yesterday

A tough but pragmatic negotiator, he led his union through decades of tumult, then helped drive through the president’s infrastructure plans.

The Life and Legacy of Dianne Feinstein
Opinion, Yesterday

Readers react to the California senator’s death. Also: Fixing what ails college sports; cherishing being single; preserving Buddhism.

Lucy Morgan, Feared and Revered Florida Reporter, Dies at 82
Business, Yesterday

Her investigations upended rural sheriffs’ departments, exposed state senators’ misdeeds and exemplified the power of a past era in American newspapering.

Dianne Feinstein, 90, Dies; Oldest Sitting Senator and Fixture of California Politics
U.S., Yesterday

She achieved remarkable political breakthroughs as a woman, becoming San Francisco’s first female mayor and the first woman elected to the Senate from California.

Feinstein had faced calls to step down. Here’s what to know.
U.S., Yesterday

The California Democrat, the oldest member of Congress, had suffered a precipitous decline in health in recent months.

Ed Fancher, a Founder of The Village Voice, Is Dead at 100
Business, September 28

A psychologist, he started the alternative weekly with Dan Wolf and Norman Mailer in 1955. “We were crazy enough to think it would succeed,” he said.

Michael Gambon, Dumbledore in the ‘Harry Potter’ Films, Dies at 82
Arts, September 28

After he made his mark in London in the 1970s, he went on to play a wide range of roles, including Edward VII, Oscar Wilde and Winston Churchill.

M. S. Swaminathan, Scientist Who Helped Conquer Famine in India, Dies at 98
World, September 28

Called the father of India’s Green Revolution, he served on agencies and boards around the world and developed a system of ecologically safe food production.

Nashawn Breedlove, Rapper Who Dueled Eminem in ‘8 Mile,’ Dies at 46
Arts, September 28

He drew praise for his scene in the film, in which he belittled Eminem’s character with sarcastic lyrics, a gruff voice and an imposing presence.

Endel Tulving, Whose Work on Memory Reshaped Psychology, Dies at 96
Science, September 27

He drew a distinction between the facts we learn and the experiences we remember, which he argued are part of what makes us human.

Brooks Robinson, Slick-Fielding Hall of Fame Third Baseman, Dies at 86
Sports, September 26

In his 23-year career, all of it with the Baltimore Orioles, he had 2,848 hits and 268 home runs. But he was best known for his unparalleled defense.

Terry Kirkman, Whose Band Was a Late-1960s Hit Machine, Dies at 83
Arts, September 26

A singer, songwriter and virtuoso musician, he was a founder of the clean-cut group the Association and wrote one of its biggest hits, “Cherish.”

Pearl Bowser, Expert in Early Black Filmmakers, Dies at 92
Movies, September 26

She aided in the rediscovery of Oscar Micheaux and others who were telling stories for Black audiences early in the last century.

Jeremy Silman, Author of Best-Selling Chess Books, Dies at 69
Books, September 26

Writing in a conversational and colloquial style, he offered practical advice on how to cut down on mistakes, the most difficult part of the game to master.

Phil Sellers, Whose Basketball Stardom Was Short-Lived, Dies at 69
Sports, September 26

He led Rutgers to an undefeated 1975-76 regular season and into the Final Four, where the Scarlet Knights lost in the semifinals. But his N.B.A. career was brief.

Matteo Messina Denaro, escurridizo jefe de la Cosa Nostra, muere en prisión
En español, September 25

Miembro de alto rango de la mafia italiana, fue detenido en enero tras décadas prófugo. Fue localizado debido a los historiales médicos relacionados con su tratamiento contra el cáncer.

David McCallum, Heartthrob Spy of ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,’ Dies at 90
Arts, September 25

An experienced character actor, he found fame in the 1960s as the enigmatic Illya Kuryakin, and again in the 2000s as an eccentric medical examiner on “N.C.I.S.”

Barbara Mullen, Who Rode Unorthodox Beauty to Modeling Fame, Dies at 96
Fashion, September 25

With her 20-inch waist and gangly figure, she overcame early skepticism from editors to embody a new look in 1950s fashion.

Matteo Messina Denaro, Long-Sought Italian Mafia Boss, Dies at 61
Obits, September 25

A high-ranking member of the Cosa Nostra, he was arrested in January after decades on the run. He was found through medical records related to his cancer treatment.

Dick Clark, Iowan Who Walked 1,300 Miles for a Senate Seat, Dies at 95
Obits, September 23

After his unlikely win, in 1972, he spent his single term pushing for a more liberal foreign policy, particularly toward Africa.

Buddy Teevens, Pioneering Dartmouth Football Coach, Dies at 66
Obits, September 23

He took the extraordinary step of banning tackling during all practices, which reduced concussions at a time when brain trauma in football had become a crisis.

Giorgio Napolitano, Italian Post-Communist Pillar, Dies at 98
Obits, September 22

He served for 38 years in Parliament and, after being elected president at a critical moment in Italy’s fortunes, helped stabilize the country.

Erwin Olaf, Photographer With an Eye for the Theatrical, Dies at 64
Obits, September 22

With exquisite precision, he used costumes and sets in staging many of his pictures, letting his subjects, whatever their social status, express themselves.

Stephen Gould, Tenor Best Known for Tackling Wagner, Dies at 61
Obits, September 22

He was especially acclaimed for his performances at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany. As his voice developed, he once said, so did his view of how and why to deploy it.

Victor R. Fuchs, ‘Dean’ of American Health Care Economists, Dies at 99
Obits, September 21

He was among the first to offer a comprehensive explanation, and a possible solution, for the country’s rising health care costs.

Marvin Newman, Photographer of Sports and the Streets, Dies at 95
Obits, September 21

He captured people in shadow on Chicago sidewalks and under storefronts in wintry Coney Island. He also shot athletes like Muhammad Ali and Mickey Mantle.

Gita Mehta, Whose Writing Shaped Perspectives of India, Dies at 80
Obits, September 21

Her novels and nonfiction provided alternatives to the Western- and male-centric views of modern India offered by writers like E.M. Forster.

Jango Edwards, Clown Who Challenged His Art Form, Dies at 73
Obits, September 20

More Frank Zappa than Ronald McDonald, he moved the field beyond red noses, infusing it with social commentary while breaking down walls of propriety.

Robert Klane, Writer of ‘Weekend at Bernie’s,’ Dies at 81
Obits, September 20

He also adapted his best-known novel, “Where’s Poppa?,” into the script for a raw Carl Reiner comedy and directed the disco movie “Thank God It’s Friday.”

Michael Leva, Who Found Fashion Fame Early, Is Dead at 62
Obits, September 20

Known for sophisticated and wearable clothes, he was among a crop of young designers celebrated in the late 1980s. He went on to consult for fashion companies.

James Hoge, Who Led Two Big City Tabloids, Dies at 87
Obits, September 20

He was publisher of The Chicago Sun-Times, where he was also the top editor, and New York’s Daily News. He was later editor of Foreign Affairs magazine.

Roger Whittaker, Balladeer With an International Reach, Dies at 87
Obits, September 19

A Briton with a rich baritone, he charmed audiences, mostly in Europe and America, with sentimental songs, like his signature hit, “The Last Farewell.”

Raymond Moriyama, Designer of Humane Public Spaces, Dies at 93
Obits, September 18

His Japanese Canadian family was interned during World War II. That experience inspired him to create inviting buildings for all people.

Overlooked No More: Margaret Chung, Doctor Who Was ‘Different From Others’
Obits, September 18

As the first known American woman of Chinese ancestry to earn a medical degree, she treated celebrities and opened a practice in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Irish Grinstead, Who Asked, ‘Where My Girls At?,’ Dies at 43
Express, September 18

The song, from 1999, was the biggest hit for her, her sister and a friend, who made up the R&B trio 702.

Jules Melancon, Oyster Farmer Who Tried Something New, Dies at 65
Obits, September 17

In the wake of hurricanes and the BP oil spill, he revolutionized his industry by turning from wild catches to cage farming his precious bivalves.

Michael McGrath, Tony Winner and ‘Spamalot’ Veteran, Dies at 65
Obits, September 15

He clanged coconuts in the Monty Python stage musical in 2005; seven years later, he won a Tony for “Nice Work if You Can Get It.”

Tadaaki Kuwayama, 91, Dies; Painter Who Carved His Own Spare Path
Obits, September 15

Arriving in New York from Japan in 1958, he sought to “create works with no trace of touch” in cool but vivid monochromes.

Charles Gayle, Saxophonist of Fire and Brimstone, Dies at 84
Obits, September 15

An intense and uncompromising player, he made music that one critic said was more about “motion and spirit” than tonal centers, rhythms and melodies.

Erik Aschengreen, 88, Dies; Historian and Critic Illuminated Danish Dance
Obits, September 15

In books, articles and lectures across Europe and America, he broadened an international appreciation of his native country’s rich dance tradition.

Bobby Schiffman, Guiding Force of the Apollo Theater, Dies at 94
Obits, September 15

Taking over for his father in 1961, he transformed a former vaudeville house in Harlem into a pre-eminent R&B showcase.

Fernando Botero, Artist of Whimsical Rotundity, Is Dead at 91
Obits, September 15

His voluptuous figures, both in paintings and in sculpture, portrayed the high and mighty as well as everyday people through an enlarging prism.

Lauch Faircloth Dies at 95; Senator Targeted D.C. Home Rule in Crisis
Obits, September 14

A North Carolina hog farmer and a Democrat-turned-Republican, he helped strip Mayor Marion Barry of his fiscal powers as Washington’s deficits swelled in the late ’90s.

Overlooked No More: Molly Nelson, Steward of Penobscot Culture
Obits, September 14

As a dancer, actress and storyteller also known as Molly Spotted Elk, she bridged her world and that of the West, captivating audiences along the way.

Hugo Blanco, Environment Activist Who Targeted Capitalism, Dies at 88
Obits, September 14

In Peru, he argued that global capitalism was at the root of the global ecological crisis, and he spent decades fighting for an alternative.

Lisa Lyon, Bodybuilding Pioneer and Mapplethorpe Muse, Dies at 70
Obits, September 14

She won the first Women’s World Pro Bodybuilding Championship. But she saw herself as an artist and posed for Robert Mapplethorpe and other photographers.

Éva Fahidi, Outspoken Holocaust Survivor, Dies at 97
Obits, September 14

She saw her family members marched off to their deaths while she went to a forced-labor camp. It took her almost 60 years to begin telling her story.

Peter C. Newman, 94, Journalist and Scourge of Canada’s Powerful, Dies
Obits, September 13

A historian as well, he challenged, with a muckraker’s spirit, the political and corporate establishment of a country he adopted after fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe.

Larry Chance, Who Helped Keep Doo-Wop Alive for Decades, Dies at 82
Obits, September 13

His career began in 1957, when he and some friends from the Bronx formed the vocal group that would become the Earls. He recorded his last song 65 years later.

Len Chandler, an Early Fixture of the Folk Revival, Dies at 88
Obits, September 13

A singer who performed alongside Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, he was known for his topical songs, some of which he wrote in minutes.

Howard Safir, N.Y.P.D. Commissioner Under Giuliani, Is Dead at 81
Obits, September 12

Violent crime dropped under his sometimes contentious, sometimes innovative watch. But his response to the fatal police shootings of Black men drew criticism.

Curtis Fowlkes, Avant-Jazz Pioneer of the 1980s, Dies at 73
Obits, September 12

A founder of the acclaimed Jazz Passengers, he was also a sought-after sideman who played trombone for both jazz and rock heavyweights.

Nelia Sancho, Beauty Queen Turned Defiant Rights Activist, Dies at 71
Obits, September 11

She had been competing in pageants in the Philippines, but she found her calling when she observed the offenses of the Marcos regime firsthand.

Robert S. Bennett, Washington’s Go-to Lawyer in a Scandal, Dies at 84
Obits, September 11

He was a robust defender of a host of high-profile clients, including Bill Clinton over the president’s relationship with an intern.

Alfredo Martinez, Who Fused Art World and Underworld, Dies at 56
Obits, September 11

He created hoopla around art made in prison — first in the early 2000s, with himself as the artist, then 20 years later with the scammer Anna Sorokin.

Ian Wilmut, Scientist Behind Dolly the Cloned Sheep, Is Dead at 79
Express, September 11

He led a project in Scotland that, in 1996, cloned a mammal for the first time, a feat of genetic engineering that shocked the world.

Richard Davis, Gifted Bassist Who Crossed Genres, Dies at 93
Obits, September 9

He was best known for his jazz work. But he was also heard on Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” and with orchestras conducted by Igor Stravinsky and Leonard Bernstein.

Max Gomez, Longtime TV Medical Reporter, Dies at 72
Obits, September 9

Known as Dr. Max (he was not a medical doctor. but had a Ph.D. in neuroscience), he reported on health and science with an easygoing gravitas.

Marc Bohan, Designer Who Oversaw the Dior Look for Decades, Dies at 97
Obits, September 9

As the creative force for Christian Dior longer than its founder, he maintained a reputation for playful elegance throughout fashion’s endless cycles.

Adiós a Edith Grossman, la voz de García Márquez en inglés
En español, September 9

Elevó el perfil de la traducción en grandes obras literarias e insistió para que su nombre apareciera en las portadas de los libros que tradujo, incluido el “Quijote”.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi Dies at 95; Zulu Nationalist and a Mandela Rival
Obits, September 9

He was a powerful force as apartheid ended and bargaining over South Africa’s future began, emerging as a voice for tribal and ethnic rights, and powers for regional governments.

Shabtai Shavit, Former Top Israeli Spymaster, Dies at 84
Obits, September 8

As director-general of the Mossad under three prime ministers, he helped orchestrate a treaty between Israel and Jordan. But he also showed an iron hand.

Sarah Young, 77, Dies; Created an Empire Around a Christian Devotional
Obits, September 8

Her book “Jesus Calling,” written in the voice of Jesus Christ, rose to the top of the Christian publishing best-seller lists. Sequels and spinoffs followed.

William Phillips, Whistle-Blower Who Said Police Framed Him, Dies at 92
Obits, September 8

As a police officer he was a star witness in corruption hearings. Imprisoned for murder, he claimed he’d been falsely prosecuted for speaking out.

Patricia Caulfield, 91, Dies; Battled Warhol Over Use of Her Photograph
Obits, September 7

She sued the pop artist while she was executive editor of Modern Photography. She later traveled the world as a nature photographer.

Arleen Sorkin, Soap Opera Star With a Claim to Batman Fame, Dies at 67
Obits, September 7

Her “Days of Our Lives” character provided a rare burst of daytime-drama comedy. She was later the voice of Harley Quinn, the Joker’s henchwoman.

Sarah Wunsch, Dogged Defender of Civil Liberties, Dies at 75
Obits, September 6

Her advocacy in New York and Massachusetts won protections for free speech, gender equality and access to birth control. And she was a voice on marital rape.

Gary Wright, Who Had a ’70s Hit With ‘Dream Weaver,’ Dies at 80
Obits, September 6

He was a pioneer in using synthesizers, and his friendship with George Harrison led to a spiritual awakening that also influenced another hit, “Love Is Alive.”

Ferid Murad, Nobelist Who Saw How a Gas Can Aid the Heart, Dies at 86
Obits, September 6

An American pharmacologist, he delved into the effects of nitric oxide, work that led to advances in treating heart disease, hypertension and erectile dysfunction.

Gloria Coates, Composer Who Defied Conventions, Is Dead at 89
Obits, September 5

A Wisconsin native, she was among the most prolific female composers of symphonies, 17 in all, finding particular prominence in Europe, where she lived.

Edith Grossman, Who Elevated the Art of Translation, Dies at 87
Obits, September 4

“You are my voice in English,” Gabriel García Márquez told her. She insisted that her name appear on the covers of books she translated, including with that of Cervantes.

Marilyn Lovell, Astronaut’s Wife in the Spotlight, Is Dead at 93
Obits, September 4

She embodied the glamour and the hardship of being married to an American hero. Her husband, Jim Lovell, was the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970.

Douglas Lenat, Who Tried to Make A.I. More Human, Dies at 72
Obits, September 4

He spent decades working on artificial intelligence, striving to create computers that could replicate common sense.

Steve Harwell, Voice of the Band Smash Mouth, Is Dead at 56
Obits, September 4

He was a founding member of the band, which broke out in the late 1990s with hit songs like “Walkin’ on the Sun” and “All Star.”

Nathan Louis Jackson, Writer for the Theater and TV, Dies at 44
Obits, September 3

He wrote plays that tackled big issues like the death penalty and gun violence. He also wrote for series including the superhero saga “Luke Cage.”

Bill Richardson, Champion of Americans Held Overseas, Dies at 75
Obits, September 2

After serving in Congress and as governor of New Mexico, he practiced quasi-public and freelance diplomacy, often with considerable success.

Jimmy Buffett, Roguish Bard of Island Escapism, Is Dead at 76
Obits, September 2

With songs like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” he became a folk hero to fans known as Parrot Heads. He also became a millionaire hundreds of times over.

Nancy Buirski, Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 78
Obits, September 1

She won Emmy and Peabody Awards for “The Loving Story,” about a Virginia couple’s successful challenge to a ban on interracial marriage.

Franne Lee, Tony Winner Who Also Costumed Coneheads, Dies at 81
Obits, September 1

She worked on “Sweeney Todd” and “Candide” and also on the early seasons of “Saturday Night Live,” contributing to the look of the Blues Brothers and the Killer Bees.

Mohamed al-Fayed, Tycoon Whose Son Died With Diana, Is Dead at 94
Obits, September 1

An Egyptian businessman, he built an empire of trophy properties in London, Paris and elsewhere, but it was all overshadowed by a fatal car crash that stunned the world.

Bill Pinkney, Globe-Circling Sailor Who Set a Racial Mark, Dies at 87
Obits, September 1

He was the first Black person to sail alone by way of the arduous southern route, rounding the perilous Cape Horn and withstanding storms and loneliness.

Gil Brandt, 91, Dies; Helped Make the Cowboys ‘America’s Team’
Obits, September 1

As talent evaluator for nearly 30 years, he built Dallas into an N.F.L. powerhouse through the use of computer technology and other innovations.

Norman Pfeiffer, Bicoastal Architect of Civic Spaces, Dies at 82
Obits, September 1

His global portfolio was dominated by projects that helped revitalize downtown Los Angeles and restore landmarks in New York.

Keith Spicer, Canada’s Offbeat Envoy of Reconciliation, Dies at 89
World, August 31

As the country’s first commissioner of official languages, he oversaw a dual-language mandate. He later led a task force to listen to Canadians’ complaints.

David Rowland, Who Won Back Looted Art for Jewish Heirs, Dies at 67
Arts, August 31

As a lawyer, he worked on behalf of the families of Jews who had been persecuted by the Nazis to recover artworks, some housed in pre-eminent museums.

Overlooked No More: Chick Strand, Pioneering Experimental Filmmaker
Obituaries, August 31

Often turning her lens on women, she emerged as one of independent cinema’s fiercest proponents on the West Coast.

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.