Geraldine Ferraro, US Political Pioneer, Dies at 75



Geraldine Ferraro, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 9th district, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. (Photo: United States Congress)



Geraldine Ferraro, US Political Pioneer, Dies at 75

Saturday, 26 March 2011

Geraldine Ferraro, the first American woman to run for national office on a major political party's ticket, died Saturday at 75.

Ferraro was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1984. Her family said she died at a hospital in the eastern city of Boston of complications from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that she had battled for 12 years.

Ferraro was the running mate of presidential nominee Walter Mondale on the Democratic Party's ticket in 1984, when former president Ronald Reagan was running for a second term in the White House.

Mondale, who was former president Jimmy Carter's running mate four years earlier, said he was determined to set a precedent with his selection of Ferraro for national office. However, the general election resulted in a big victory for Mr. Reagan and his vice president, George H.W. Bush.

No woman has ever been elected to one of the top two positions in the American government. Ferraro was a New York congresswoman at the time of her selection for the national ticket.

In tribute, President Barack Obama called Ferraro “a trailblazer who broke down barriers for women.” He said she “fought to uphold America's founding ideals of equality, justice and opportunity for all.”

In 2008, when Mr. Obama won election, the Republican Party's losing ticket included former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, as Senator John McCain's choice for vice president.

Family members said Ferraro was surrounded by close relatives at the time of her death. A family statement said she was known as “a fighter for justice and a tireless advocate for those without a voice.” The family also said her “courage and generosity of spirit throughout her life … will never be forgotten and will be sorely missed.”

Final Exits, 15-21 March 2011

Dorothy Young, 1930. Actress, stage assistant to Harry Houdini, novelist. (Photo: Jameseastonp)

Obituaries for 15-21 March 2011

15
* Leonid Agranovich, 95, Russian film director and screenwriter. (Russian)
* Vittorio Ghidella, 80, Italian automobile designer and businessman, CEO of Fiat. (Italian)
* Musa Juma, 42, Kenyan musician, pneumonia.
* Yakov Kreizberg, 51, Russian-born Austrian-American conductor.
* Jean Liedloff, 84, American writer.
* Peter Loader, 81, British cricketer.
* Marty Marion, 94, American baseball player and manager, National League MVP (1944).
* Nate Dogg, 41, American musician, heart failure.
* Fred Sanford, 91, American baseball player.
* Smiley Culture, 48, British reggae singer and DJ, apparent suicide by stabbing.
* William J. Stuntz, 52, American legal scholar.

16
* Josefina Aldecoa, 85, Spanish writer. (Spanish)
* Sándor Arnóth, 51, Hungarian politician, car accident. (Hungarian)
* Carel Boshoff, 83, South African religious and cultural activist, cancer.
* Betty Lowman Carey, 96, American rower.
* Tom Dunbar, 51, American baseball player (Texas Rangers).
* Armen Halburian, 77, American drummer and percussionist, cancer.
* Ivan Hel, 73, Ukrainian politician and dissident, member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group.
* Khandaker Delwar Hossain, 78, Bangladeshi politician.
* Sion Milosky, 35, American surfer, drowned.
* Thomas Nkuissi, 82, Cameroonian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Nkongsamba (1978–1992).
* Lloyd Oliver, 88, American veteran, World War II code talker.
* Giorgos Perros, 67, Greek painter, heart failure. (Greek)
* James Pritchett, 88, American actor (The Doctors).
* James C. Tyree, 53, American businessman, chairman and CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, cancer.
* Murray Warmath, 98, American college football coach (Minnesota Golden Gophers), natural causes.
* Dick Wirthlin, 80, American political strategist and religious leader, renal failure.

17
* Banny deBrum, 54, Marshallese diplomat, Ambassador to the United States (1996–2008, 2009–2011) and Canada (1999–2011).
* Fabián el Gitano, 39, Mexican professional wrestler, blunt trauma.
* Michael Gough, 94, British actor (Sleepy Hollow, Batman), after short illness.
* Ferlin Husky, 85, American country music singer, heart failure.
* Don Kennard, 81, American politician, Texas State Senator (1963–1973).
* Marina Malafeeva, 32, Russian record producer, car crash. (Russian)
* Murdoch Mitchison, 88, British zoologist.
* J.B. Steane, 83, British music critic.
* Christos Tsagas, 72, Greek actor, heart failure. (Greek)

18
* Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy, 90, Monegasque princess.
* Ze'ev Boim, 67, Israeli Knesset member, cancer.
* Enzo Cannavale, 82, Italian actor (Cinema Paradiso). (Italian)
* Warren Christopher, 85, American diplomat, Secretary of State (1993–1997), complications from kidney and bladder cancer.
* Jet Harris, 71, British musician (The Shadows), throat cancer.
* Drew Hill, 54, American football player (Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers), stroke.
* Charlie Metro, 91, American baseball player and manager (Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics), mesothelioma.
* David Nevin, 83, American historical novelist, Parkinson's disease.

19
* Patrick Ahern, 92, American Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of New York (1970–1994).
* Kym Bonython, 90, Australian art, jazz and speedway entrepreneur.
* Guillermo Ford, 74, Panamanian politician, Vice President of Panama (1989–1994).
* Viktor Ilyukhin, 62, Russian politician, member of the State Duma (since 1993).
* Åke Johansson, 74, Swedish jazz pianist. (Swedish)
* Knut, 4, German-born polar bear.
* Argentino Luna, 69, Argentine singer and composer, kidney and stomach failure.
* Tom McAvoy, 74, American baseball player (Washington Senators).
* Mohammed Nabbous, 28, Libyan journalist, founder of Alhurra TV, shot.
* Navin Nischol, 65, Indian actor, heart attack.
* Jim Roslof, 64, American artist (Dungeons & Dragons), cancer.
* Robert Ross, 92, American physician and medical school founder (Ross University), cancer.
* Bob Rush, 85, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox).

20
* John Apacible, 38, Filipino actor, shot.
* Don Canney, 80, American politician, Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (1969–1992), heart failure.
* Bob Christo, 72, Australian-born Indian actor, heart attack.
* Aurimas Dautartas, 35, Lithuanian television presenter and radio host, suicide by hanging. (Lithuanian)
* Néstor de Vicente, 46, Argentine footballer, car crash. (Spanish)
* Diana Díaz, 15, Mexican diver, car accident. (Spanish)
* Kurt Hauenstein, 62, Austrian singer (Supermax), heart attack. (German)
* Oliver Humperdink, 62, American professional wrestling manager, pneumonia and cancer.
* Agostinho Januszewicz, 80, Polish-born Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Luziânia (1989–2004).
* Ralph Mooney, 82, American steel guitarist, complications from cancer.
* Johnny Pearson, 85, British composer, arranger and pianist.
* Dorothy Young, 103, American actress, assistant to Harry Houdini.

21
* Barry Ackerley, 76, American businessman (Ackerley Group), former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics, stroke.
* Hafiz Saleh Muhammad Alladin, 80, Indian astronomer and education advisor, after short illness.
* Nikolai Andrianov, 58, Russian gymnast, most medaled athlete at the 1976 Summer Olympics, after long illness. (Russian)
* Jesús Aranguren, 66, Spanish footballer and manager. (Spanish)
* Hans Boskamp, 78, Dutch actor and footballer, stroke. (Dutch)
* Bohumil Fišer, 67, Czech cardiologist and academic, Minister of Health (2000–2002), cancer. (Czech)
* Mayhew Foster, 99, American brigadier general, flew captured Hermann Goering to interrogation.
* Loleatta Holloway, 64, American soul and disco musician, heart failure.
* Ladislav Novák, 79, Czech footballer.
* Pinetop Perkins, 97, American blues musician, cardiac arrest.
* Kjeld Tolstrup, 45, Danish radio disc jockey (DR P3), after long illness. (Danish)
* Joe Wizan, 76, American film producer and studio executive, after long illness.

Lenin’s Niece Dies in Moscow

Lenin’s Niece Dies in Moscow
Friday, 25 March 2011

The niece of Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik revolution and founder of the former Soviet Union, died in Moscow on Friday at the age of 89.

Olga Ulyanova was one of Lenin's last known living relatives. The daughter of Lenin's younger brother Dmitry, she was born just two years before the Soviet leader's death in 1924, and grew up in the Kremlin.

A chemist by education, Ulyanova also wrote a number of books about Lenin.

She was a vocal opponent of those who called for Lenin's embalmed body to be removed from his mausoleum in Moscow's Red Square after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

No cause of death was given.

Elizabeth Taylor Laid to Rest During Private Service

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor Laid to Rest During Private Service
March 25, 2011

Hollywood acting legend Elizabeth Taylor was given a small, private funeral Thursday at Forest Lawn cemetery outside Los Angeles, the same cemetery where her good friend, entertainer Michael Jackson was buried.

Taylor's family and close friends attended the hour-long service that started 15 minutes later than planned, at Taylor's request. A spokeswoman said in a statement Taylor wanted the service to include the announcement - "She even wanted to be late for her own funeral."

Actor Colin Farrell read a poem at the service and Taylor's grandson, Rhys Tivey, performed a trumpet solo of "Amazing Grace."

Forest Lawn is the burial place of many Hollywood celebrities, including Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Walt Disney.

Taylor died Wednesday in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. She had been in the hospital for six weeks. The 79 year old actress had suffered from a number of medical conditions over the years.

Taylor won  two best actress Academy Awards for her performances in Butterfield 8 in 1960 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf in 1966.

Elizabeth Taylor Remembered for Sultry Roles, Turbulent Life

The American actress Elizabeth Taylor at American Film Festival of Deauville (Normandy, France) in September 1985. (Photo: Roland Godefroy)

Elizabeth Taylor Remembered for Sultry Roles, Turbulent Life
Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
23 March 2011

Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor has died in Los Angeles at the age of 79.  Her publicist says the actress had been hospitalized for six weeks and died of congestive heart failure early Wednesday. The screen icon is remembered for several Oscar-winning performances and a tempestuous personal life.

Elizabeth Taylor was born to American parents in London, where her father owned an art gallery. On the brink of World War II, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Elizabeth drew the attention of studio talent scouts. She landed her first film role at the age of 10, appearing in the 1942 comedy There’s One Born Every Minute.

The child actress quickly rose to stardom in such films as Lassie Come Home, The White Cliffs of Dover, and National Velvet, a story about racing and a girl who loves horses.

National Velvet was a hit, and Taylor went on to appear opposite major stars in a string of films in the 1940s and early 1950s, when she was celebrated for her beauty. Her performances in Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Suddenly, Last Summer earned her Academy Award nominations.

In 1955, she appeared in the Texas oil tale Giant opposite Rock Hudson and James Dean.

Taylor had a tumultuous personal life.  She was married eight times, twice to the same husband, actor Richard Burton. 

At 18, she married hotel heir Nicky Hilton, but was divorced within months.  In 1952, she married actor Michael Wilding, and divorced five years later.

Within months, she married producer Mike Todd, but he was killed in a crash of a private plane the following year.

In 1959, she married Eddie Fisher, and was blamed by the tabloid press for breaking up his marriage to popular singer Debbie Reynolds.

Taylor's on-screen romance with actor Richard Burton became passionate off-screen. She divorced Fisher and became forever linked with Burton in the public imagination.

They starred together in the big-screen spectacle Cleopatra, released in 1963.

Taylor and Burton were married in 1964.

The actress earned Academy Awards for the 1960 film Butterfield 8, in which she played a New York call girl, and the 1966 film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Starring Taylor and Burton as an unhappy married couple, the film mirrored the couple’s turbulent real-life relationship.

Burton and Taylor separated and reconciled, divorced and remarried, and divorced a final time in 1976. She was married to John Warner, a former U.S. secretary of the Navy, who became a U.S. senator from Virginia, from 1976 to 1982.

At the height of her career, Taylor was one of Hollywood’s best-paid performers. She appeared in more than 50 films, and even as roles dwindled in the 1980s and 1990s, she remained one of Hollywood’s most popular celebrities. She raised millions of dollars for AIDS research and other charitable causes, and in 1993 was awarded a special Oscar for her humanitarian work. 

In 1991, Taylor married for the last time. Her eighth husband was a construction worker, Larry Fortensky. They had met at a drug rehabilitation center, where the actress was being treated for addiction to alcohol and painkillers. The ceremony took place at the California ranch of Taylor’s close friend, pop star Michael Jackson. The couple divorced five years later.

Taylor suffered bouts of serious illness, had many operations, and several times over the years, nearly died of pneumonia. But friends and family members say she lived a full life. 

"[I have] wonderful memories," she once summed it up to an interviewer. "They’re warm memories. And they’re my memories."

For her fans, Elizabeth Taylor is remembered for her sultry looks and stunning violet eyes, for some memorable performances and a life off-screen as interesting as her Hollywood film roles.

Elizabeth Taylor update

Elizabeth Taylor from the trailer for the film The Last Time I Saw Paris, 1954.

Hollywood Icon Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79
Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Legendary Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79.

A statement from Taylor's family says she died peacefully, with her children at her side.

The veteran actress, known for movies such as National Velvet, which made her a star at the age of 12, and Cleopatra, had been suffering from congestive heart failure. She had been hospitalized in Los Angeles for the past six weeks.

Taylor won Academy Awards for her role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Butterfield 8. In later years, she was a spokeswoman for humanitarian causes, notably AIDS research, helping raise millions of dollars. That work gained her a special Oscar in 1993.

Born in London to American parents, Taylor moved to Los Angeles before World War II, and went from child star to Hollywood starlet to a movie icon sometimes called the most beautiful woman in the world.

She appeared in more than 50 Hollywood films, teaming up with other major stars in the 1940s and '50s to make such movies as Raintree Country, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly Last Summer.

In 1963, Taylor was paid $1 million to star opposite Richard Burton in the epic Cleopatra. Their on-screen romance turned into a real-life love affair, and they married a year later, divorced and then got married again before divorcing for a final time in 1976.

In all, Taylor married eight times, making her almost as famous for her off-screen drama as for her beauty and acting ability. Her friendship with pop icon Michael Jackson also made her a constant source of stories for the press.

She had a passion for jewels and jewelry and introduced her own perfumes, including one called White Diamonds.

France awarded her the prestigious Legion of Honor in 1987 and Britain's Queen Elizabeth made her a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, in 2000.

In 2001, Taylor received the Presidential Citizens Medal from former U.S. president Bill Clinton for her efforts to spur more AIDS research and better care.

In a joint statement, Mr. Clinton and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, called Taylor one of America's “greatest talents and fiercest advocates for HIV/AIDS research.” They said the lives of many people around the world will be longer and better because of Taylor's AIDS work.

Hollywood Icon Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79

Elizabeth Taylor from the trailer for the film Giant, 1956.

Hollywood Icon Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79
Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79.

The veteran actress, known for movies including “National Velvet” and “Cleopatra” had been suffering from congestive heart failure and had been hospitalized two months ago in Los Angeles.

Taylor's rise to to fame began when she was just 12 years old, and she was sometimes called the most beautiful woman in the world.

Her last acting performances on screen were in U.S. television productions in 2001.

Her acting won her several Oscars. She also gained notoriety for her eight marriages.

In later years, she was a spokeswoman for humanitarian causes, notably AIDS research. That work gained her a special Oscar in 1993.

Blues Musician Pinetop Perkins Dead at 97

Pianist Pinetop Perkins in Paris, France (Maison de Radio France) 7 November 1976 (Photo: Lioneldecoster)

Blues Musician Pinetop Perkins Dead at 97
Tuesday, 22 March 2011

The world's oldest Grammy winner, bluesman Pinetop Perkins, has died at the age of 97 in Austin, Texas.

Representatives for Perkins said he died in his sleep.

Perkins won a Grammy in February for his traditional blues album Joined at the Hip: Pinetop Perkins & Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. He surpassed the late comedian George Burns, who won a Grammy at 95, to be the oldest Grammy winner ever.

Perkins also won Grammys in 2007 and 2005, the latter for lifetime achievement.

The Grammys are the most prominent of U.S. music awards.

Perkins began his career playing the guitar, but an injury in the 1940s forced him to stop. He continued his career on the piano, playing primarily in groups until late in his career. He played musical dates in Austin until the last few weeks of his life.

Former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher Dies

63rd United States Secretary of State, Warren Minor Christopher (Photo: State Department, US Government)

Former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher Dies
VOA News
19 March 2011

Former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who brokered the 1981 release of American hostages in Iran, has died of complications from kidney and bladder cancer.

The 85-year-old former top American diplomat was at his home in California, surrounded by family at the time of his death on Friday night.

For five decades he played a key role in American civic and public life, as a lawyer or negotiating foreign policy crises and helping investigate and resolve contentious U.S. domestic and political issues.  

In tribute, President Barack Obama called Christopher "a resolute pursuer of peace," as well as a "skillful diplomat" and "steadfast public servant."

Christopher served as secretary of state from 1993 to 1997, in the first administration of Democrat Bill Clinton.

Christopher was known for his even-handed demeanor and as a tactician. He was often called on by American leaders to represent the U.S. in the most difficult international disputes during the 1980s and 1990s. In his 2001 book, "Chances of a Lifetime: A Memoir," Christopher said he viewed himself as a "steward, not proprietor, of an extraordinary public trust."

Even before becoming America's 63rd secretary of state in 1993, he played a crucial role in helping resolve the lengthy Iranian hostage crisis on the day that Ronald Reagan became the U.S. president in January 1981. He negotiated the release of 52 Americans who had been held by Tehran for 444 days. Their capture and failed attempts to rescue them played a key role in Mr. Reagan's presidential victory over then-President Jimmy Carter.

Over the years, Christopher also helped win U.S. congressional ratification of treaties returning American control of the Panama Canal to local authorities, presided over the normalization of U.S. diplomatic relations with China and negotiated repeated disputes in the Middle East and Balkans.

In the U.S., he investigated racial conflicts in the midwest city of Detroit and the California city of Los Angeles. He later headed a 1991 commission proposing reforms of the Los Angeles police department following riots that occurred after the police beating of an African-American motorist.

In 2000, Christopher supervised the Florida recount of disputed votes in that year's presidential election between then-Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush. After a lengthy dispute, Mr. Bush emerged the winner under a U.S. Supreme Court decision and went on to serve two terms in the White House.

Beloved Polar Bear Knut Dies

Polar bear "Knut" (Ursus maritimus) shaking off water after swimming, 12 September 2010. (Photo: Benjamin Janecke a.k.a. BennyJ)

Beloved Polar Bear Knut Dies
Saturday, 19 March 2011

Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut, who rose to international stardom shortly after his birth on December 5, 2006 in captivity, died suddenly on Saturday.

Bear keeper Heiner Kloes said the world-famous bear, who was raised by zookeepers, collapsed in his compound and died shortly afterwards.

An autopsy is scheduled to determine a cause of death.

Knut rose to global fame after he was shown to the public for the first time as a 15-week-old cub. “Knutmania” swept across Germany and the world when the cub's mother rejected him shortly after his birth. The cub was raised by his Berlin zookeeper, Thomas Doerflein, who died unexpectedly in 2008 at the age of 44.

Knut merchandise, including postcards, key chains, candy and stuffed Knuts, has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars to the zoo.

“Knutmania” also led to a famous 2007 Vanity Fair cover with U.S. actor Leonardo DeCaprio, shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher Dies

Warren M. Christopher, 63rd Secretary of State. (Photo: US Government)

Former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher Dies
Saturday, 19 March 2011

Former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher has died.

Christopher's family said he died of complications from kidney and bladder cancer.

The 85-year-old former top American diplomat was at his home in California, surrounded by family at the time of his death.

Christopher served under President Bill Clinton during Mr. Clinton's first term in office from 1993 to 1997.

Actor who Played Alfred in “Batman” Movies Dies

Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth from Batman (1989). (Photo © 1989 Warner Brothers, Guber-Peters Entertainment Company, and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. All DC Comics characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are Trademarks & Copyright © 1989 DC Comics, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Actor who Played Alfred in “Batman” Movies Dies
Friday, 18 March 2011

Michael Gough, the British actor best known for playing Alfred the butler in several “Batman” movies has died.

His ex-wife says the 94-year old Gough passed away at his home in England Thursday, surrounded by family.

During the 1990's, Gough portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in “Batman Returns,” “Batman Forever” and “Batman and Robin”.

Gough appeared in more than 150 movie and television shows.

Final Exits, 8-14 March 2011

Jack Hardy performing (as half of The Folk Brothers) at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, 25 July 2008. (Photo: Dan Tappan)

Obituaries for 8-14 March 2011

8
* Iraj Afshar, 85, Iranian bibliographer and historian.
* Sheekh Cumar Faaruuq, 71, Somali diplomat and religious advocate, heart failure.
* Herb Kawainui Kane, 82, American artist.
* Moses Katjiuongua, 68, Namibian politician.
* Jim Keane, 87, American football player (Chicago Bears).
* St. Clair Lee, 66, American musician (Hues Corporation).
* Sally Meyerhoff, 27, American long-distance runner, traffic accident.
* Bronko Nagurski Jr., 73, American player of Canadian football (Hamilton Tiger-Cats).
* Mike Starr, 44, American bassist (Alice in Chains, Sun Red Sun). (body found on this date)

9
* David S. Broder, 81, American journalist (The Washington Post), complications from diabetes.
* Edward A. Burdick, 89, American civil servant.
* Seán Cronin, 91, Irish journalist and republican, Irish Republican Army chief of staff (1957–1958, 1959–1960).
* Armando Goyena, 88, Filipino actor.
* Andrew Hao Jinli, 95, Chinese Roman Catholic underground Bishop of Xiwanzi (since 1984).
* Bob Marcucci, 81, American talent agent, respiratory complications.
* Des Meagher, 67, Australian footballer (Hawthorn).
* Manolis Rasoulis, 65, Greek singer-songwriter, author and journalist. (Greek)
* Inge Sørensen, 86, Danish swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist (1936). (Danish)

10
* Johnnie Baston, 37, American murderer, first inmate in U.S. executed by single drug (pentobarbital).
* Armand Bigot, 76, French Olympic equestrian. (French)
* Mario Clavell, 88, Argentine singer, actor and composer, after long illness. (Spanish)
* Günter Gollasch, 88, German clarinetist and bandleader. (German)
* Nick Harbaruk, 67, Polish-born Canadian ice hockey player, bone cancer.
* Baliram Kashyap, 74, Indian politician, MP for Bastar (since 1998), after long illness.
* Gabriel Laderman, 81, American painter, cancer.
* Nancy Merse, 79, American politician, Mayor of Edgewater, New Jersey (since 2003), cancer.
* Danny Paton, 75, Scottish footballer.
* Emmett J. Rice, 91, American economist and banking official, heart failure.
* Jiro Sakagami, 76, Japanese comedian, cerebrovascular disease. (Japanese)
* David Viñas, 83, Argentine dramatist, critic, and novelist. (Spanish)

11
* Jorge Cherques, 83, Brazilian actor, natural causes. (Portuguese)
* Rita Guerrero, 47, Mexican actress and singer (Santa Sabina), breast cancer.
* Jack Hardy, 63, American singer/songwriter.
* Hugh Martin, 96, American songwriter ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") and film composer (Meet Me in St. Louis, High Spirits), natural causes.
* Danny Stiles, 87, American radio host.
* Gary Wichard, 60, American sports agent, pancreatic cancer.
* Donny George Youkhanna, 60, Iraqi archaeologist, anthropologist and author, heart attack.

12
* Ali Hassan al-Jaber, 56, Qatari photojournalist (Al Jazeera), shot.
* Günter Amendt, 71, German sociologist, sexual liberation activist and author, traffic accident. (German)
* Donald Brenner, 64, Canadian judge, Chief Justice of the British Columbia Supreme Court (2000–2009).
* Derry Brownfield, 79, American broadcaster, heart attack. (body found on this date)
* Olive Dickason, 91, Canadian historian and author.
* Juan García-Santacruz Ortiz, 77, Spanish Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Guadix (1992–2009).
* Shifra Lerer, 95, Argentinian-born American Yiddish theatre actress, stroke.
* Joe Morello, 82, American drummer (The Dave Brubeck Quartet).
* Dietmar Mues, 65, German actor and author, traffic accident. (German)
* John Nettleship, 71, British teacher, inspiration for character of Severus Snape, cancer.
* Mitchell Page, 59, American baseball player (Oakland Athletics), and coach (St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals).
* Nilla Pizzi, 91, Italian singer. (Italian)
* Italo Pizzolante, 82, Venezuelan musician and composer. (Spanish)
* Tawfik Toubi, 88, Israeli Arab politician, last surviving member of the first Knesset.

13
* Brian Lanker, 63, American photojournalist, pancreatic cancer.
* Rick Martin, 59, Canadian ice hockey player (Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings), heart attack.
* Ritchie Pickett, 56, New Zealand country singer.
* Nicholas Smisko, 75, American clergyman, Head of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese (since 1984), cancer.
* Melvin Sparks, 64, American jazz and soul guitarist.
* Owsley Stanley, 76, American-born Australian underground LSD chemist and sound engineer (Grateful Dead), traffic accident.
* Leo Steinberg, 90, American art historian and critic.
* Vitaly Vulf, 80, Russian theater critic and television host.

14
* Gerald Barry, 63, Irish journalist and broadcaster, illness.
* Todd Cerney, 57, American country musician and producer, cancer.
* Joaquim Germano Pinto Machado Correia da Silva, 80, Portuguese politician, Governor of Macau (1986–1987).
* Bob Greaves, 76, British journalist and broadcaster, cancer.
* Eduard Gushchin, 70, Russian Olympic bronze medal-winning (1968) athlete.
* Ronnie Hammond, 60, American singer (Atlanta Rhythm Section), heart attack.
* Big Jack Johnson, 70, American guitarist and blues singer.
* Giora Leshem, 71, Israeli poet and publisher. (Hebrew)
* Larry Zolf, 76, Canadian journalist and humorist.

Legendary US Jazz Drummer Morello Dies at 82

Dave Brubeck Quartet at Congress Hall Frankfurt/Main (1967). From left to right: Joe Morello, Eugene Wright, Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond. (Photo: Dontworry)

Legendary US Jazz Drummer Morello Dies at 82
Sunday, 13 March 2011

Joe Morello, the legendary jazz drummer of the Dave Brubeck Quartet popular in the 1950s and 1960s, has died. He was 82 years old.

Morello's relatives say the musician died Saturday at his home in New Jersey. A cause of death was not immediately available.

Joe Morello joined the quartet in 1956 and stayed with the group until it disbanded in 1967. The quartet experimented in unusual rhythms on a series of groundbreaking albums that earned it popular and critical acclaim.

Morello was asked to execute the challenging rhythms on such classic recordings as Take Five and Blue Rondo a la Turk.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Morello initially studied the violin before becoming a drummer in his teen years. In 1952 he moved to New York, where he played with many leading jazz musicians.

After Brubeck disbanded the quartet, Morello turned to helping young musicians and teaching them their craft.

Final Exits, 1-7 March 2011

 Novelist and screenwriter Al Morgan's The Great Man (1956), performed here by Julie London and José Ferrer.

Obituaries for 1-7 March 2011

1
* Ryan Hawks, 25, American freestyle skier, race crash.
* Leonard Lomell, 91, American World War II highly-decorated veteran, natural causes.
* Mike Lounge, 64, American NASA astronaut (1981–1991), complications from liver cancer.
* Ion Monea, 70, Romanian Olympic silver (1968) and bronze (1960) medal-winning boxer. (Romanian)
* Vjera Žagar Nardelli, 84, Croatian actress. (Croatian)
* Fateh Singh Rathore, 72, Indian wildlife conservationist.
* Blair River, 29, American spokesman (The Heart Attack Grill), pneumonia.
* Hazel Rowley, 59, British-born Australian writer, stroke.

2
* Shahbaz Bhatti, 42, Pakistani politician, Minister for Minorities (since 2008), shot.
* Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke, 98, British heir to the Sarawakan throne.
* Enrique Curiel, 63, Spanish politician, cancer.
* Bernard Cywinski, 70, American architect (Apple Store), partner and founder of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, cancer.
* John Haines, 86, American poet.
* Vlassis Kaniaris, 83, Greek visual artist, after long illness. (Greek)
* Erling Kroner, 67, Danish trombonist and bandleader, cancer. (Danish)
* Allan Louisy, 94, Saint Lucian politician and judge, Prime Minister (1979–1981).
* David Lynch, 40, American white supremacist, leader of the American Front, shot.
* Ruby Muhammad, 103, American spiritual figure, lung cancer.
* Art Statuto, 85, American football player (Los Angeles Rams).
* Thor Vilhjálmsson, 85, Icelandic author, natural causes. (Icelandic)
* Walter Zacharius, 87, American publisher (Lancer Books, Kensington Books), cancer.

3
* Raymond Buse, Jr., 85, American distiller, horse breeder, and baseball team owner (Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals).
* Aldo Clementi, 85, Italian composer.
* May Cutler, 87, Canadian author and publisher, founder of Tundra Books, first female Mayor of Westmount, Quebec (1987–1991).
* Paquito Diaz, 73, Filipino actor, complications from a stroke.
* James L. Elliot, 67, American astronomer, discovered rings of Uranus.
* Lasse Eriksson, 61, Swedish comedian. (Swedish)
* Goga Kapoor, 70, Indian actor.
* Irena Kwiatkowska, 98, Polish actress.
* Al Morgan, 91, American novelist and television producer (The Today Show), after long illness.
* Venkatraman Radhakrishnan, 81, Indian astrophysicist, cardiac complications.
* Višnja Stahuljak, 85, Croatian writer, after long illness. (Croatian)
* James Travers, 62, Canadian journalist, political correspondent (Toronto Star), editor in chief (Ottawa Citizen, 1991–1996), post-surgery complications.

4
* Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, 86, Nepali Prime Minister (1990–1991, 1999–2000), multiple organ failure.
* Frank Chirkinian, 84, American producer (CBS Sports), lung cancer.
* Vivienne Harris, 89, British businesswoman and newspaper publisher, co-founder of the Jewish Telegraph.
* Charles Jarrott, 83, British film and television director (Anne of the Thousand Days), prostate cancer.
* Ed Manning, 68, American basketball player and coach, heart condition.
* Johnny Preston, 71, American pop singer ("Running Bear"), heart failure.
* Mikhail Simonov, 81, Russian aircraft designer, chief designer of the Sukhoi Design Bureau (1983–2011), after long illness.
* Arjun Singh, 80, Indian politician, Minister of Human Resource Development (2004–2009), heart attack.
* Alenush Terian, 90, Iranian astronomer and physicist.
* Simon van der Meer, 85, Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate. (Dutch)

5
* Alberto Granado, 88, Argentine-born Cuban biochemist and writer, travel companion of Che Guevara (The Motorcycle Diaries).
* Kim Hill, 44, American inspiration for the Ronald McDonald House, brain cancer.
* Oswald Georg Hirmer, 81, German-born South African Roman Catholic missionary, Bishop of Umtata (1997–2008). (German)
* Lina Ron, 51, Venezuelan political leader, President of Popular Unity, heart attack.

6
* Jean Bartel, 87, American actress, Miss America 1943.
* Rostislav Čtvrtlík, 47, Czech stage, television and voice actor, brain tumor. (Czech)
* Mike DeStefano, 44, American comedian (Last Comic Standing), heart attack.
* Herman Ernest, 59, American R&B and funk drummer, cancer.
* Agnes-Marie Grisebach, 97, German writer. (German)
* Oddmund Jensen, 82, Norwegian Olympic cross-country skier. (Norwegian)
* Ján Popluhár, 75, Slovak footballer (1962 FIFA World Cup).
* Frank Ziegler, 87, American football player (Philadelphia Eagles).

7
* Arnie Carruthers, 81, American jazz pianist, bladder cancer.
* Adrián Escudero, 83, Spanish footballer. (Spanish)
* Samuel Hazard Gillespie, Jr., 100, American lawyer and politician, pancreatic cancer.
* Luiza Melinda, 64, Greek dancer. (Greek)
* Rudy Salud, 72, Filipino sports executive, PBA Commissioner (1988–1992), complications from surgery.

Former Nepal Prime Minister Dies

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Nepali congress leader (Photo: Krish Dulal)

Former Nepal Prime Minister Dies
Saturday, 5 March 2011

Nepal's former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, a founding member of the Nepali Congress, has died.

Nepali officials say Mr. Bhattarai died Friday in a hospital in the capital, Katmandu.

Mr. Bhattarai served as prime minister of the Himalayan nation twice.

After democracy was restored in Nepal in 1990, Mr. Bhattarai became prime minister of the interim government, in charge of making a new constitution and holding the first election.

He served as prime minister again in 1999.

He spent nearly 14 years in prison for opposing Nepal's autocratic system.

Mr. Bhattarai was 87 years old.

Final Exits, 22-28 February 2011

Eddie Kirkland, 21 November 2002 (Photo: Bobtje Blues)

Obituaries for 22-28 February 2011

22
* Brian Bonsor, 84, Scottish composer and music teacher.
* Nicholas Courtney, 81, British actor (Doctor Who).
* T. P. Flanagan, 80, Northern Irish artist.
* Colin Hatch, 38, British convicted child murderer, strangled.
* Ion Hobana, 80, Romanian science fiction author.
* Ron Hudson, 71, American photographer and author.
* Sharief Khan, 59, Guyanese journalist, editor-in-chief (Guyana Chronicle), heart attack.
* Jud McAtee, 91, Canadian-born American ice hockey player.
* James R. McCartney, 90, American politician, Secretary of State of West Virginia (1975–1977).
* Bill Nimmo, 93, American television announcer (The Jackie Gleason Show).
* Justin Tennison, 33, American commercial fisherman (Deadliest Catch). (body found on this date)
* Laila Westersund, 68, Swedish actress. (Swedish)

23
* James Damman, 78, American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (1975–1979), cancer.
* Joseph H. Flom, 87, American corporate lawyer, heart failure.
* Gustav Just, 89, German journalist and politician. (German)
* Jean Lartéguy, 90, French soldier, war correspondent and writer. (Spanish)
* Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, 79, Indian screenwriter and film producer.
* Nirmala Srivastava, 87, Indian spiritual leader, founder of Sahaja Yoga religious movement.
* Lisa Wolfson, 47, American author, pancreatic cancer.
* Mike Zimring, 94, American radio actor and theatrical agent.

24
* Yozhef Betsa, 81, Ukrainian Olympic gold medal-winning (1956) footballer. (Russian)
* Jerrold Kessel, 66, South African-born Israeli journalist (CNN), cancer.
* Sergei Nikitich Kovalev, 91, Russian designer of nuclear submarines.
* Anant Pai, 81, Indian educator and comics creator (Amar Chitra Katha).
* Robert Reguly, 80, Canadian journalist (Toronto Star), heart disease.
* Eddie Serrato, 65, American drummer (Question Mark & the Mysterians), heart attack.
* Jens Winther, 50, Danish jazz trumpet player, stroke. (Danish)

25
* Nikos Alexiou, 51, Greek visual artist, cancer. (Greek)
* Clare Amory, 35, American musician (Excepter), cancer.
* Valery Bezruchenko, 70, Russian clarinetist and music teacher. (Russian)
* John Thomas Chambers, Jr., 82, American politician, only African-American Mayor of Annapolis (1981), heart attack.
* James Damman, 78, American politician (Lieutenant Governor of Michigan), cancer.
* Bil Dunaway, 87, American owner, editor and publisher of Aspen Times.
* Jonas Ernelind, 34, Swedish handball player, skin neoplasm. (Swedish)
* Aminath Faiza, 82, Maldivian poet and author.
* Peter Hildreth, 82, British hurdler, 1950 European Championships medalist.
* Eneas Perdomo, 80, Venezuelan folk singer. (Spanish)
* Suze Rotolo, 67, American artist, lung cancer.
* Carola Scarpa, 39, Brazilian socialite, multiple organ failure. (Portuguese)

26
* Clara Ambrus, 86, American physician and humanitarian, injuries from a fire.
* Kostas Andriopoulos, 26, Greek footballer (PAOK, Veria), leukemia. (Greek)
* Susan Crosland, 84, American journalist, widow of Anthony Crosland.
* Richard F. Daines, 60, American physician, New York State Health Chief (2007–2010).
* Jon Fitch, 60, American politician, Arkansas State Representative (1979–1983) and State Senator (1983–2002), complications of a stroke.
* Eugene Fodor, 60, American violinist, liver disease.
* Greg Goossen, 65, American baseball player (New York Mets).
* Bill Grigsby, 89, American broadcaster, prostate cancer and fall.
* Cynthia Holcomb Hall, 82, American judge, cancer.
* Shawn Lee, 44, American football player (Buccaneers, Dolphins, Chargers, Bears).
* Arnošt Lustig, 84, Czech writer and Holocaust survivor, cancer.
* James A. McClure, 86, American politician, U.S. Representative (1967–1973) and Senator from Idaho (1973–1991).
* Dean Richards, 36, British footballer (Bradford City, Wolverhampton, Southampton, Tottenham).
* Jorge Santoro, 66, Brazilian footballer, heart attack.
* Roch Thériault, 63, Canadian cult leader and convicted murderer, murdered in prison.
* Mark Tulin, 62, American bass player (The Electric Prunes, The Smashing Pumpkins).
* Zhu Guangya, 86, Chinese nuclear physicist, helped develop nation's first atomic bomb.

27
* Frank Buckles, 110, American soldier, last living U.S. World War I veteran, natural causes.
* Necmettin Erbakan, 84, Turkish politician, Prime Minister (1996–1997).
* Maurice Guigue, 98, French football referee (1958 FIFA World Cup Final). (French)
* Eddie Kirkland, 88, American blues guitarist, car accident.
* Amparo Muñoz, 56, Spanish actress, Miss Universe 1974. (Spanish)
* Skonk Nicholson, 94, South African teacher and rugby union coach (Maritzburg College, 1948–1982).
* Les Samba, 60, Australian racehorse owner and trainer, shot.
* Moacyr Scliar, 73, Brazilian physician and writer, stroke. (Portuguese)
* Duke Snider, 84, American Baseball Hall of Famer (Dodgers, Mets, Giants).
* Allan Williams, 88, Canadian politician, Attorney General of British Columbia (1979–1983), after long illness.
* A. Frank Willis, 60, Canadian folk singer, cancer.
* Gary Winick, 49, American film director (13 Going on 30, Letters to Juliet), pneumonia.

28
* Netiva Ben-Yehuda, 82, Israeli author and radio personality.
* Scott Cary, 87, American baseball player (Washington Senators).
* Harvey Dorfman, 75, American sports psychologist.
* Ernest Eastman, 83, Liberian diplomat, Foreign Minister (1983–1986), Secretary General of the Mano River Union.
* Emmy, 21, Albanian singer, vehicular homicide. (Albanian)
* Annie Girardot, 79, French actress, Alzheimer's disease.
* Peter J. Gomes, 69, American preacher, theologian and author, professor at Harvard Divinity School, brain aneurysm and heart attack.
* Renato Guerreiro, 61, Brazilian civil servant, president of Anatel (1997–2002). (Portuguese)
* Thanasis Pouliadis, 71, Greek entrepreneur, founder of Pouliadis Associates Corporation. (Greek)
* Hazel Rowley, 59, British-born Australian writer, stroke.
* Jane Russell, 89, American actress (The Outlaw, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), respiratory illness.
* Wally Yonamine, 85, American baseball (Yomiuri Giants, Chunichi Dragons) and football player (San Francisco 49ers), prostate cancer.

First American Baseball Star in Japan, Wally Kaname Yonamine, Dies at 85

Wally Yonamine, 1951.

First American Baseball Star in Japan, Wally Kaname Yonamine, Dies at 85
Wednesday, 2 March 2011

The first American to play professional baseball in Japan after World War Two and changed Japanese baseball forever, has died.

Wally Kaname Yonamine was 85 when he died of prostate cancer earlier this week in his native Hawaii.

Yonamine played professional football for the San Francisco 49rs when an injury forced him to give up the game and turn his talents to baseball.

After several years in the U.S. Pacific Coast League, Yonamine moved to Japan in 1951 and signed with the Yomiuri Giants, the premier Japanese team.

Yonamine shocked the Japanese by introducing the aggressive American-style of play to the more genteel and sedate Japanese game. Fans reacted with boos and rocks and also resented his U.S. heritage.

Yonamine helped lead the Giants to the 1951 championship and other players adopted the American style while teams signed more and more Americans.

Yonamine later became a coach and manager and a member of the Japanese baseball hall of fame.