Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Music Producer and Father of Selena, Dies at 86
Arts, Yesterday
As a teenager, he hoped to make it big in the Tejano music world. He realized that dream through his daughter.
Peter Greene, ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘The Mask’ Actor, Dies at 60
Movies, Yesterday
Mr. Greene, who built a four-decade career uncannily portraying villains, was found dead in his apartment in Manhattan on Friday, his manager said.
Roy Kramer, Transformational Executive in College Sports, Dies at 96
Sports, Yesterday
Leading the Southeastern Conference for 12 years, he masterminded its rise as a national power, lifted by a flood of money from TV rights, bowl games and other sources.
Jo Ann Allen Boyce Dies at 84; Braved Mobs in Integrating a School
U.S., Yesterday
She was one of the Clinton 12, Black students who broke a race barrier by entering a Tennessee high school in 1956 in the face of harassment by white segregationists.
Marina Yee, Elusive Avant-Garde Designer, Dies at 67
Fashion, Yesterday
She was one of the Antwerp Six, young Belgians who upended the fashion industry with their innovative designs and turned their country into an unlikely style hub.
Phil Upchurch, Jazz Guitarist and Sideman to Stars, Dies at 84
Arts, December 12
A self-taught session man extraordinaire, he played with a constellation of stars, including Michael Jackson, Curtis Mayfield, Chaka Khan and Dizzy Gillespie.
Arthur L. Carter, 93, Dies; Investment Banker Founded a Cheeky Newspaper
Business, December 12
After making a fortune on Wall Street, he bought The Nation magazine and founded The New York Observer, which one writer called a “maypole of Manhattan gossip and intrigue.”
Joseph Byrd, Who Shook Up Psychedelic Rock, Dies at 87
Arts, December 12
A veteran of the Fluxus art movement, he brought an anarchic spirit to the California acid-rock scene with his band, the United States of America.
Joanna Trollope, Popular British Author, Dies at 82
Books, December 12
Her books, many of which were best sellers, often described empty marriages, love affairs (with tasteful sex) and heroic clergymen.
D.L. Coburn, Playwright With a Solo Hit, ‘The Gin Game,’ Dies at 87
Theater, December 11
His two-character work won a Pulitzer Prize and had a long Broadway run, but he never replicated its success and struggled to get his later work staged.
Thomas O. Hicks, Texas Money Man Who Owned 3 Teams, Dies at 79
Sports, December 11
A master of leveraged buyouts, he bought baseball and hockey teams in Texas and an English soccer club, only to lose them in an avalanche of debt.
R. Bruce Dold, Chicago Tribune Publisher and Pulitzer Winner, Dies at 70
U.S., December 11
As head of the editorial page, he encouraged The Tribune’s support of Barack Obama, resulting in the paper’s first endorsement of a Democrat running for the White House.
George Altman, Slugger in Negro Leagues, M.L.B. and Japan, Dies at 92
Sports, December 10
The rare player to compete in all three, he had an impressive career, becoming a three-time All-Star in the major leagues and later a fan favorite in Japan.
Donald McIntyre, 91, Dies; Starred in New Vision of Wagner’s Operas
Arts, December 10
As Wotan in Patrice Chéreau’s neo-Marxist staging of the “Ring” cycle, he was part of a celebrated, polarizing moment in opera history.
Stephen Downing, Police Officer Who Wrote for TV, Dies at 87
Arts, December 10
While serving in the L.A.P.D., he began delivering scripts for series like “Dragnet” and “Adam-12.” After retiring, he was a showrunner for “MacGyver.”
Sophie Kinsella, ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ Author, Dies at 55
Books, December 10
Writing under a pseudonym, Madeleine Wickham cultivated an international following for her series centered on a young woman addicted to shopping.
Rod Paige, Education Secretary Who Defended ‘No Child Left Behind,’ Dies at 92
Obituaries, December 10
He was both the first Black person and the first educator to hold the cabinet position, but resigned amid discord over George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind.
DéLana R.A. Dameron, Writer of the Black South, Dies at 40
Books, December 9
An award-winning poet and writer of fiction, she moonlighted as a competitive horsewoman and owned a horse farm outside Columbia, S.C.
Raul Malo, Lush-Voiced Frontman of the Mavericks, Dies at 60
Arts, December 9
As the group’s singer and principal songwriter, he brought an expansive, Latin-inflected sound that breathed new life into country music.
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Elephant Expert and Protector, Dies
Obituaries, December 9
Born into a British aristocratic family, he turned his empathy and understanding of the world’s largest land mammals to the cause of saving them from poachers.
John Noble Wilford, Times Reporter Who Covered the Moon Landing, Dies at 92
Science, December 8
He gave readers a comprehensive and lyrical account of the historic mission in 1969. His science coverage as a Pulitzer-winning journalist and an author took him around the world.
Donald E. Petersen, 97, Who Rescued Ford Motor Co., Is Dead
Obituaries, December 8
An ex-Marine and a 40-year company veteran, he turned a nearly bankrupt money loser into the world’s most profitable automaker.
Cora Weiss, Lifelong Champion of Social Justice, Dies at 91
U.S., December 8
With a group called Women Strike for Peace, she helped organize demonstrations against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. “We managed to get things done,” she said.
Fern Michaels, Prolific Author of Romance Novels, Dies at 92
Obituaries, December 7
In her 40s, the self-described New Jersey housewife started building a women’s fiction empire, churning out dozens of popular books.
Martin Parr, Who Photographed Britain’s Unvarnished Quirks, Dies at 73
Obituaries, December 7
Mr. Parr trademarked a hyperrealism in his photography that illuminated the “craziness of the English,” making small details loom larger than life.
Guy Cogeval, Boundary-Pushing Museum Director, Dies at 70
Arts, December 6
His innovative approach drew crowds to the Musée d’Orsay, one of France’s flagship cultural institutions, which he led from 2008 to 2017.
Pam Hogg, Iconoclastic Scottish Designer, Dies at 74
Style, December 6
She was a star of London’s post-punk D.I.Y. fashion, art and performance scene, and dressed a generation of rock stars in her otherworldly handmade clothes.
Frank O. Gehry, Formidable Architect, Dies at 96
Video, December 5
The innovative architect was known for his sculptural designs, including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. He passed away at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., on Friday.
Robert B. Fiske Jr., First to Lead Whitewater Investigation, Dies at 94
U.S., December 5
He had overseen high-profile cases as a private lawyer and a U.S. attorney in New York when he was named to examine the role of Bill and Hillary Clinton in a failed development venture.
Chuck Kesey, Probiotic Yogurt Pioneer, Dies at 87
Food, December 5
The younger brother of Ken Kesey, the novelist and counterculture luminary, he turned a defunct creamery into what is now Nancy’s Probiotic Foods.
Hamilton O. Smith, Who Made a Biotech Breakthrough, Is Dead at 94
Science, December 5
A Nobel laureate, he identified an enzyme that cuts DNA, laying the groundwork for milestones in scientific research and medicine, like insulin.
Frank Gehry, titán de la arquitectura, ha muerto a los 96 años
En español, December 5
Irrumpió en escena con una reforma de su casa del sur de California que llamó la atención, antes de pasar a diseñar algunos de los edificios más reconocibles del mundo.
Erik Bulatov, Russian Painter Who Undermined Soviet Propaganda, Dies at 92
Arts, December 5
For years he lived a double life, secretly making anti-Communist paintings. He found fame in the late 1980s, once his work was shown outside the Soviet Union.
Frank O. Gehry, Titan of Architecture, Is Dead at 96
Arts, December 5
He burst onto the scene with an attention-getting renovation of his Southern California home before going on to design some of the world’s most recognizable buildings.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, ‘The Last Emperor’ and ‘Mortal Kombat’ Actor, Dies at 75
Movies, December 5
The actor, born in Japan, starred in dozens of film and television shows, including Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle.” His career spanned more than three decades.
Rebecca Heineman, Transgender Video Game Pioneer, Dies at 62
Technology, December 4
Fleeing an abusive home life, she went on to win a national Space Invaders tournament, taught herself to program and left a trail of popular games in her wake.
Dominik Duka, Czech Cardinal Jailed Under Communism, Dies at 82
World, December 4
While in prison in 1981, he befriended the dissident and future Czech president Vaclav Havel. Later, he became a conservative voice in Rome.
Charles Norman Shay, Tribal Elder and World War II Hero, Dies at 101
U.S., December 4
As a 19-year-old medic, he won a Silver Star for his service during D-Day. Later, in the Korean War, he earned a Bronze Star.
Steve Cropper, Guitarist, Songwriter and a Shaper of Memphis Soul Music
Arts, December 3
As a member of Booker T. & the MG’s and as a producer, he played a pivotal role in the rise of Stax Records, a storied force in R&B in the 1960s and ’70s.
Mel Leipzig, Painter Called the ‘Chekhov of Trenton,’ Dies at 90
Arts, December 3
He put fellow New Jerseyans at the center of his work, and a critic praised the “mysterious emotional tensions” in his pictures of ordinary people.
Ludwig Minelli, Founder of Swiss Assisted-Suicide Group, Dies at 92
World, December 3
Dignitas has helped more than 3,000 people take their own lives, an act that Mr. Minelli maintained was a fundamental exercise of free will.
Yegor Ligachev, Gorbachev’s No. 2 Who Turned Foe, Is Dead at 100
World, December 3
As the Kremlin’s hard-line Communist ideologist, he initially embraced his boss’s modernizing reforms before turning against them as threats to the Soviet order.
David Pryce-Jones, Wide-Ranging Conservative Writer, Dies at 89
Books, December 2
The author of novels, histories, biographies and influential political essays, he approached them all with a droll British wit and a steadfast commitment to Western values.
Eugene Hasenfus, Gunrunner Who Exposed Iran-Contra Plot, Dies at 84
U.S., December 2
He emerged out of obscurity when his cargo plane was shot down while illegally ferrying arms to Nicaraguan rebels, setting off a scandal that tarnished the Reagan and Bush White Houses.
Reginald T. Jackson, A.M.E. Bishop With Political Power, Dies at 71
U.S., December 2
Influential up and down the Eastern Seaboard, he was part of a long tradition among Black clergy of fighting bias and getting out the vote. “No vote, no clout,” he’d say.
Kai Erikson, Sociologist Who Probed Invisible Scars of Disasters, Dies at 94
Obituaries, December 1
A professor at Yale, he immersed himself in communities after catastrophic events like Three Mile Island, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Hurricane Katrina.
Daniel Woodrell, ‘Country Noir’ Novelist of ‘Winter’s Bone,’ Dies at 72
Obituaries, November 30
His tales of violence and squalor in his native Ozarks had the timeless quality of fables and inspired several movies.
Biyouna, Algerian Star With Tart Tongue Onscreen and Off, Dies at 73
Obituaries, November 30
For generations of Algerians, the fierce independence of her persona reflected their struggles in a country torn by civil war and repression.
James Riches, Fire Chief Who Lost Firefighter Son on 9/11, Dies at 74
New York, November 30
He spent months searching the wreckage of the World Trade Center for his son’s remains, then suffered lung illnesses attributed to toxic dust.
Fuzzy Zoeller, Who Won Two Majors on the PGA Tour, Dies at 74
Obituaries, November 30
He was a witty and popular figure, but his racially insensitive remarks about Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters led to death threats and many apologies.
Colleen Jones, Curling Champion and Broadcaster, Dies at 65
Sports, November 29
She won two world titles and six Canadian national championships, and was also a television anchor, reporter and commentator.
Tom Stoppard, Award-Winning Playwright of Witty Drama, Dies at 88
Theater, November 29
Drawing comparisons to the greatest of dramatists, he entwined erudition with imagination in stage works that won accolades on both sides of the Atlantic.
Walter Dowdle, Public Health Leader in Times of Crises, Dies at 94
U.S., November 29
Dr. Dowdle, a microbiologist who became the No. 2 official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, helped lead the nation’s response to AIDS.
Ellen Bryant Voigt, Poet With a Musical Ear, Dies at 82
Books, November 28
Her nine volumes included “Kyrie,” a suite of sonnets about the 1918 influenza epidemic. She was also Pulitzer Prize finalist and a poet laureate of Vermont.
Ruth Thorne-Thomsen, Photographer of Dreamlike Tableaux, Dies at 82
Arts, November 27
Using a pinhole camera, she captured miniature landscapes that she had fashioned to resemble surreal versions of 19th-century travel photos.
Robert A.M. Stern, Architect Who Reinvented Prewar Splendor, Dies at 86
Arts, November 27
He designed museums, schools and libraries before winning international acclaim late in life for 15 Central Park West in Manhattan, hailed as a rebirth of the luxury apartment building.
Paul Ekman, Who Linked Facial Expressions to Universal Emotions, Dies at 91
Science, November 26
Often called the world’s most famous face reader, he inspired the TV show ‘Lie to Me.’ But some questioned his assumption that human expressions were ‘pan-cultural.’
David Lerner, a Mr. Fix-it of Apple Computers, Dies at 72
Technology, November 26
He and a partner founded Tekserve, a Manhattan emergency room for frozen hard drives, keyboards, screens and their confounded owners.
Miroslaw Chojecki, Solidarity’s ‘Minister of Smuggling,’ Dies at 76
World, November 26
First in Warsaw and later from Paris, he supplied anti-Communist activists in Poland with steady stream of leaflets, newsletters and banned books.
Eli Zeira, 97, Dies; Israeli Official Dismissed Warnings of Yom Kippur War
World, November 26
As Israel’s head of military intelligence, he disregarded signs Egypt and Syria were about to attack in 1973. A commission blamed him for the lack of preparation.
Udo Kier, German Actor Who Played Eccentric Villains, Dies at 81
Movies, November 25
Over a six-decade career, he appeared in films by the directors Gus Van Sant and Lars von Trier, and in music videos by Madonna.
Viola Fletcher, Oldest Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111
U.S., November 24
At 7, she bore witness to one of American history’s most violent spasms of racial violence. She was 106 when the nation reckoned with the crime.
A San Diego Zoo Galápagos Tortoise, Thought to Be 141, Is Dead
Video, November 24
Gramma, a Galápagos Tortoise described by her care specialists as “the queen of the zoo.” was euthanized last Thursday after suffering “ongoing bone conditions related to advanced age,” the San Diego Zoo said.
Jimmy Cliff, ícono del reggae, muere a los 81 años
En español, November 24
El cantante ganador de dos Grammy murió de neumonía, dijo su esposa. Su protagónico en la película ‘The Harder They Come’, en 1972, ayudó a llevar el reggae a un público más amplio.
Skye Gyngell, Chef Who Championed ‘Slow Food,’ Dies at 62
Obituaries, November 24
The Australian pioneer of sustainable cooking practices that preserved local traditions died in London. She had been diagnosed with aggressive skin cancer last year.
Dharmendra, Bollywood Leading Man Who Played Heroes and Thieves, Dies at 89
World, November 24
In a career spanning nearly seven decades and more than 300 productions, the actor became one of India’s best known and most versatile screen stars.
Jimmy Cliff, Reggae Icon, Dies at 81
Arts, November 24
The Grammy Award-winning singer died of pneumonia, his wife said. His 1972 starring role in “The Harder They Come” helped bring reggae to a wider audience.
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, Black Power Activist Known as H. Rap Brown, Dies at 82
U.S., November 24
A charismatic orator in the 1960s, he called for armed resistance to white oppression. As a Muslim cleric, he was convicted of murder in 2000 and died in detention.
Lee Tamahori, Director of Film Voted New Zealand’s Best, Dies at 75
Obituaries, November 24
He reimagined “Once Were Warriors,” a novel about a Maori family, as a film that became a worldwide phenomenon. He went on to direct Hollywood movies.
Dorothy Vogel, Librarian With a Vast Art Collection, Dies at 90
Arts, November 22
On modest civil servants’ salaries, she and her husband amassed a trove of some 4,000 works by art-world luminaries, storing them in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment.
Terry Martin Hekker, a Happy Housewife Scorned, Dies at 92
Books, November 22
She wrote two popular memoirs: the first about the joys of married life, the second about her husband serving her divorce papers on their 40th anniversary.
Mark Mellman, 70, Dies; Helped Democrats Understand Their Voters
U.S., November 22
A pollster and political strategist, he was a key figure in John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and used his prominence to speak out in defense of Israel.
Burt Meyer, 99, Dies; Made Lite-Brite and Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots
Arts, November 21
Starting in the 1960s, he collaborated on the designs of classic toys like Mouse Trap, Toss Across and Mr. Machine.
Ward Landrigan, Jeweler to the Stars, Dies at 84
Fashion, November 20
At Sotheby’s, he provided famous diamonds to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton before reviving Verdura, a venerable jewelry company founded by a Sicilian duke.
David Bellos, 80, Dies; Wrestled French Wordplay Into English
Books, November 20
He translated nearly 30 books, including novels by Georges Perec, a master of linguistic games, and Ismail Kadare.
Stephen Anderson, Linguist Who Refuted Doctor Dolittle, Dies at 82
Science, November 20
In “Doctor Dolittle’s Delusion,” he argued that language is a biological system unique to humans, despite the widespread belief to the contrary.
Richard Lamparski, Author of ‘Whatever Became Of …?’ Books, Dies at 93
Books, November 20
He turned an obsession with forgotten stars into a popular series, long before “Where Are They Now?” features became ubiquitous.
Robert L. Stirm, Returning P.O.W. in Pulitzer-Winning Photo, Dies at 92
Obituaries, November 19
The image immortalized a Vietnam veteran’s joyous homecoming to his beaming family but hid the painful truth about a marriage that was about to end.
Henry Todd, LSD Kingpin Turned Everest Guide, Dies at 80
World, November 19
He helped make and distribute millions of LSD tablets in the 1970s. After seven years in prison, he ran mountain climbing expeditions in the Himalayas.
Bonnie Munshin, Velvet Hammer at a Hamptons Hot Spot, Dies at 84
Food, November 19
At Nick & Toni’s, the restaurant in East Hampton, N.Y., beloved by both celebrities and locals, she kept all happy and fed, and the looky-loos at bay.
Sid Davidoff, Powerful Aide to Mayor Lindsay, Dies at 86
New York, November 18
In the 1960s and ’70s, he was a brash lieutenant to a young, ambitious, reform-minded mayor and ended up on President Nixon’s “enemies list.”
Bill Ivey, Who Soothed Critics of Federal Arts Agency, Dies at 81
Arts, November 17
By reducing the National Endowment for the Arts’s focus on avant-garde work, he eased conservative anger and won increased funding.
Homayoun Ershadi, 78, Dies; ‘Kite Runner’ and ‘Taste of Cherry’ Star
Obituaries, November 17
He was an architect with no training as an actor whose life was changed by a chance encounter. He inspired rave reviews and a New Yorker short story.
Todd Snider, Folk Singer With a Wry Wit, Dies at 59
Arts, November 15
Mentored by the likes of Jimmy Buffett and John Prine, his big-hearted ballads told of heartache even as his humor revealed a steadfast optimism.
Alice Wong, Writer and Relentless Advocate for Disability Rights, Dies at 51
U.S., November 15
Born with muscular dystrophy, she received a MacArthur “Genius” grant in 2024 for her decades of calling attention to the need for equal rights for disabled people.
Yvonne Brewster, Godmother of Black British Theater, Dies at 87
Theater, November 14
When she studied acting in London in the 1950s, she was told she was unlikely to find work. She ended up starting one of the country’s foremost Black theaters.
Elizabeth Franz, Versatile Tony-Winning Actress, Is Dead at 84
Theater, November 14
She won the award for her performance as Linda Loman in a 1999 Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman” and played the matriarch Kate Jerome in two Neil Simon comedies.
Frank Chuman, Pioneering Lawyer for Japanese American Rights, Is Dead at 105
U.S., November 14
He was sent to the Manzanar internment camp during World War II, an experience that inspired a long career in civil rights activism.
David Nabarro, U.N. Health Expert During Ebola and Covid, Dies at 75
U.S., July 31
He took on some of the world’s most challenging health crises in troubled areas, skillfully coordinating global efforts to reduce the spread of disease.
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.