Final Exits, 22-28 October 2011

Jiří Gruša, Czech writer and politician, at the Book Fair in Ostrava, Czech Republic, 17 June 2011. Photo courtesy of Packa.

Obituaries for 22-28 October 2011

22
* Jan Boye, 49, Danish politician, complications from brain hemorrhage. (Danish)
* Antonio Cassese, 74, Italian international law expert, Yugoslavian war crimes judge, cancer.
* Peter Goldie, 64, British philosopher.
* Barbara König, 86, German writer. (German)
* Cathal O'Shannon, 83, Irish journalist and television presenter.
* Robert Pierpoint, 86, American broadcast journalist, complications from surgery.
* Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, 83, Saudi royal, Minister of Defense and Aviation (since 1962) and Crown Prince (since 2005).
* Roy Smalley, Jr., 85, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies).
* Ed Thompson, 66, American politician, Mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin (2008–2010), and gubernatorial candidate, pancreatic cancer.

23
* Nusrat Bhutto, 82, Iranian-born Pakistani First Lady, widow of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and mother of Benazir Bhutto.
* Amílcar Brusa, 89, Argentine boxing trainer, natural causes.
* Joseph Dao, 75, Burkinabé-born Malian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Kayes (1978–2011).
* Oscar Stanley Dawson, 87, Indian admiral, Chief of the Naval Staff (1982–1984), brain haemorrhage.
* Herbert A. Hauptman, 94, American Nobel Prize-winning chemist (1985).
* Florence Parry Heide, 92, American children's author.
* Sir Frank Holmes, 87, New Zealand economist and government advisor.
* Gene Kurtz, 69, American bassist and songwriter ("Treat Her Right").
* William Franklin Lee III, 82, American music educator, Dean of University of Miami School of Music (1964–1982).
* Bronislovas Lubys, 73, Lithuanian entrepreneur and politician, Prime Minister of Lithuania (1992–1993), heart attack. (Lithuanian)
* John McCarthy, 84, American computer scientist, creator of LISP and the term AI, heart disease.
* Antoine Montant, 30, French extreme skier, BASE jumping accident.
* Henk Pleket, 74, Dutch singer. (Dutch)
* Amnon Salomon, 71, Israeli cinematographer.
* Marco Simoncelli, 24, Italian motorcycle racer, race crash.

24
* Margit Brandt, 66, Danish fashion designer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (Danish)
* Robert Bropho, 81, Australian indigenous rights activist and convicted criminal, natural causes.
* Liviu Ciulei, 88, Romanian actor, writer and director, after long illness.
* Kjell Johansson, 65, Swedish table tennis player.
* Morio Kita, 84, Japanese novelist, essayist and psychiatrist.
* Sarantis Michalopoulos, 72, Greek journalist and news anchorman. (Greek)
* Alan Morgan, 71, British Anglican prelate, Bishop of Sherwood (1989–2004).
* Peter Rhodes, 90, British football referee, Parkinson's disease. (death announced on this date)
* Crescênzio Rinaldini, 85, Italian-born Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Araçuaí (1982–2001).
* Kirtanananda Swami, 74, American excommunicated Hare Krishna leader and convicted felon, kidney failure.
* Oleh Vitovych, 44, Ukrainian politician, MP (1994–1998) and Leader of UNA-UNSO (1994–1999). (Ukrainian)
* Bruno Weber, 80, Swiss artist and architect. (German)

25
* Leonidas Andrianopoulos, 100, Greek footballer (Olympiacos F.C.). (Greek)
* Perkins Bass, 99, American politician, U.S. Representative from New Hampshire (1955–1963).
* Bert Cueto, 74, Cuban baseball player (Minnesota Twins).
* Héctor López, 44, Mexican boxer, Olympic silver medal-winner (1984), heart attack. (Spanish)
* Tom McNeeley, 75, American boxer.
* Howard Wolpe, 71, American politician, U.S. Representative from Michigan (1979–1993).
* Norrie Woodhall, 105, British stage actress.

26
* Salvador Bernal, 66, Filipino designer, National Artist of the Philippines.
* Daniel Burke, 82, American television executive, President of ABC (1986–1994), complications of diabetes.
* Dave Cole, 81, American baseball player (Braves, Cubs, Phillies).
* Yaropolk Lapshyn, 91, Ukrainian-born Russian film director, long illness. (Russian)
* Janko Messner, 89, Austrian writer, pulmonary infarction. (German)
* William A. Niskanen, 78, American economist, member of the Council of Economic Advisors (1981–1985), chairman of the Cato Institute (1985–2008).

27
* Sergei Govorukhin, 50, Ukrainian-born Russian film director, brain hemorrhage. (Russian)
* James Hillman, 85, American psychologist, proponent of archetypal psychology.
* Ron Holmes, 48, American football player (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos).
* Sirazhudin Israfilov, 57, Russian Islamic leader, shot. (Russian)
* Eduard Kojnok, 78, Slovak Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Rožňava (1990–2008). (Slovakian)
* Robert Pritzker, 85, American billionaire industrialist, Parkinson's disease.

28
* Ricky Adams, 52, American baseball player (California Angels), cancer.
* Campbell Christie, 74, Scottish trade unionist.
* Willy De Clercq, 84, Belgian politician. (Dutch)
* Jiří Gruša, 72, Czech dissident, diplomat and writer. (German)
* Bernardo Jablonski, 59, Brazilian actor, theatre director and writer. (Portuguese)
* Roger Kerr, 66, New Zealand public policy and business leader, executive director of the New Zealand Business Roundtable, metastatic melanoma.

Final Exits, 15-21 October 2011

Pete Rugolo, circa December 1946. (Photograph by William P. Gottlieb, courtesy of United States Library of Congress's Music Division)

Obituaries for 15-21 October 2011

15
* Betty Driver, 91, British singer and actress (Coronation Street), pneumonia.
* Sir Donald Dunstan, 88, Australian military officer, Governor of South Australia (1982–1991).
* Pierre Mamboundou, 65, Gabonese politician, leader of the Union of the Gabonese People (since 1989), heart attack.
* Matthew G. Martínez, 82, American politician, U.S. Representative from California (1982–2001).
* Earl McRae, 69, Canadian journalist (Ottawa Sun), apparent heart attack.
* Sue Mengers, 79, American talent agent, pneumonia
* Franko Strmotić, 67, Croatian actor. (Croatian)

16
* Henry Bathurst, 8th Earl Bathurst, 84, British aristocrat and politician.
* Elouise Cobell, 65, American Native American rights activist.
* Miguel Ángel Granados Chapa, 70, Mexican journalist.
* Rick Huseman, 38, American off-road racer, plane crash.
* Pete Rugolo, 95, Italian-born American film and television composer (Kiss Me Kate, The Fugitive).
* Henning Sjöström, 89, Swedish defense attorney, long illness. (Swedish)
* Elisabeth Tankeu, 67, Cameroonian politician, Minister for Planning and Regional Development (1988–1992).
* Dan Wheldon, 33, British IndyCar driver, racing accident.
* Don Williams, 80, American baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Athletics).

17
* Barney Danson, 90, Canadian politician, MP for York North (1968–1979), Minister of National Defence (1976–1979).
* Manfred Gerlach, 83, German politician, last Chairman of the State Council of East Germany (1989–1990).
* Poul Glargaard, 69, Danish actor. (Danish)
* Osvaldo Guidi, 47, Argentine actor, suicide by hanging. (Spanish)
* Carl Lindner, Jr., 92, American businessman (United Dairy Farmers, Cincinnati Reds), cardiac arrest.
* Elaine Nile, 75, Australian politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (1988–2002), cancer.
* Piri Thomas, 83, American writer (Down These Mean Streets) and poet, pneumonia.

18
* Bob Brunning, 68, British blues musician (Fleetwood Mac), heart attack.
* George Chaloupka, 79, Czech-born Australian historian of indigenous art.
* Mofya Chisgena, 28, Zambian pageant winner, complications from childbirth.
* Ramaz Chkhikvadze, 83, Georgian actor, People's Artist of the USSR, long illness.
* Norman Corwin, 101, American radio writer, director and producer.
* Paul Everac, 87, Romanian writer, cancer. (Romanian)
* Tommy Grant, 76, Canadian football player (Hamilton Tiger-Cats).
* Kent Hull, 50, American football player (Buffalo Bills), liver disease.
* Friedrich Kittler, 68, German literary scholar and media theorist. (German)
* Merritt Ranew, 73, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs)
* Lee Soo-Chul, 45, South Korean football manager, suicide.
* Michael Staikos, 65, Greek-born Austrian Orthodox hierarch, Metropolitan of Austria (since 1991). (German)
* Jacques Thuillier, 83, French art historian. (French)
* Andrea Zanzotto, 90, Italian poet. (Italian)

19
* Édison Chará, 31, Colombian footballer.
* Earl Gilliam, 81, American blues pianist, lung disease.
* Ken Meyerson, 47, American tennis agent.
* Bohdan Osadchuk, 91, Ukrainian historian and journalist. (Polish)
* Hollis E. Roberts, 68, American politician, Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (1978–1997).
* Keith Williams, 82, Australian property developer (Hamilton Island, Sea World), stroke.

20
* John Bosco Manat Chuabsamai, 75, Thai Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Ratchaburi (1985–2003).
* Barry Feinstein, 80, American photographer and photo journalist.
* Moatassem Gaddafi 34, Libyan Army officer, fifth son of Muammar Gaddafi, shot.
* Muammar Gaddafi, 69, Libyan leader (1969–2011), shot.
* Gale Gillingham, 67, American football player (Green Bay Packers).
* Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, 59, Libyan defence minister, shot.
* Dennis Hall, 54, American cinematographer (Franklin & Bash, Burn Notice), heart attack.
* Robert Hunter, 36, Australian rapper, cancer.
* Sue Lloyd, 72, British actress (The Ipcress File, Crossroads).
* Iztok Puc, 45, Slovenian handball player, lung cancer.
* Abdullah Senussi, 61, Sudanese-born Libyan intelligence chief, shot. (death reported on this date)
* Morris Tabaksblat, 74, Dutch Former CEO of Unilever. (Dutch)
* Roger Tallon, 82, French industrial designer. (French)

21
* Rudolph Byrd, 58, American academic, multiple myeloma.
* George Daniels, 85, English horologist.
* Thomas Dillon, 61, American serial killer.
* Freddie Ferrara, American rhythm and blues singer (The Del-Satins, The Brooklyn Bridge), cardiac arrest.
* Yann Fouéré, 101, French Breton nationalist. (French)
* Anis Mansour, 86, Egyptian writer and columnist, pneumonia.
* Tone Pavček, 83, Slovenian author and translator.
* Edmundo Ros, 100, Trinidadian bandleader.
* Wang Yue, 2, Chinese hit-and-run victim.
* Scott White, 41, American politician, member of the Washington House of Representatives (2009–2011) and State Senator (since 2011).

Mother of Late Pakistani PM Bhutto Dies

Nusrat Bhutto (in middle) is seen standing as Zulfiqar Bhutto meets with a little girl, 1975. Photo by Anne1965.

Begum Nusrat Bhutto, the wife of one Pakistani prime minister and the mother of another, has died at the age of 82 after a long illness.

Nusrat Bhutto's life mirrored much of the turmoil in Pakistan's politics. Her husband, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was the founder of the Pakistan People's Party and served as Pakistani prime minister from 1973 until 1977.

The first lady took over as head of the party after Mr. Bhutto was executed in 1979, and also served in parliament.

Later, Nusrat Bhutto's daughter, Benazir, took over as head of the party and served two separate terms as Pakistan's prime minister.

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 addressing a campaign rally. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, is now Pakistan's president.

Nusrat Bhutto spent her final years in Dubai, where she died Sunday. Her body is being returned to Pakistan to be buried in a family graveyard.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Dies

The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, has died of an undisclosed illness. He was in his mid-80's.

The death of King Abdullah's half-brother was announced by the Saudi media, which said he died Saturday in New York City where he had gone for treatment of recurring medical problems.

The Saudi monarchy announced King Abdullah was mourning the death of his brother, who was one of the kingdom's most powerful figures, serving as both defense minister and deputy prime minister. His death throws into question the future leadership of a country facing simmering unrest at home and challenges from regional rival Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama expressed “great regret” over the death, calling Crown Prince Sultan “a valued friend of the United States” who was a strong supporter of the “deep and enduring partnership” between the two countries forged almost 70 years ago.

Saudi officials said the funeral will take place Tuesday in Riyadh.

In late 2010, Crown Prince Sultan governed the kingdom while King Abdullah underwent surgery in New York. Both the monarch and the crown prince had suffered health problems in recent years.

Saudi officials have not announced a successor, but 86-year-old King Abdullah has indicated his preferences, naming Interior Minister Prince Nayaf as second deputy prime minister in 2009, a traditional post in the chain of succession.

Prince Nayaf is said to have closer ties to Saudi Arabia's powerful, puritanical clerics than the king, who has instituted reforms, including allowing women to take part in future elections.

The succession decision will be made by a special council, in a change of policy that was made by the current king. Crown Prince Sultan's son Khaled is expected to take over his father's duties at the defense ministry. Another son, Prince Bandar, served as ambassador to the U.S. for more than 20 years.

King Abdullah, Prince Nayaf and the late crown prince are all the sons of the founder of the modern Arab nation, Abdul-Aziz, known as Ibn Saud.

(Photo: Prince Sultan, Minister of Defence and Aviation in Saudi Arabia, 1 December 1990. Photo by U.S. military/Department of Defense)

Gadhafi’s 42-Year Rule Marked By Controversy

Moammar Gadhafi was known for both his controversial policies and his flamboyance during his 42-year rule of Libya.

Gadhafi was in power from 1969 when he deposed the nation's king in a military coup until his ouster in August.

Colonel Gadhafi gained a reputation as an eccentric, donning flowing robes and animal skins and surrounding himself with all female bodyguards.

Labeled the “mad dog of the Middle East” by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, the Libyan leader drew attention for his often-controversial political decisions.

He supported a number of revolutionary movements around the world, including in Chad and Iran. He was accused of sponsoring Islamic militant groups and terrorist attacks.

In 1986, U.S. President Reagan ordered air strikes in Libya because of the Gadhafi government's alleged involvement in the bombing of a German nightclub that killed two U.S. servicemen.

Just two years later, Libya was blamed for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie that killed 270 people. Gadhafi admitted responsibility for the attack in 2003 and agreed to pay victims' families more than $2 billion in compensation.

That same year, the Libyan leader agreed to renounce terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, clearing the way for the lifting of U.S. and European sanctions, and the restoring of diplomatic relations. The United Nations also lifted its sanctions related to the Lockerbie bombing.

But the goodwill did not last long. Gadhafi fought to hold onto power against a large-scale uprising that began in February. He was under immense international pressure to step down after responding to the uprising with deadly violence. The government crackdown on protesters prompted new international sanctions against Libya, and in March, NATO began an air campaign against Gadhafi's forces under a U.N. mandate to protect the Libyan people.

Born in 1942 to a Bedouin family in the Libyan desert, Gadhafi graduated from the University of Libya and became an army officer.

Less than a decade after taking control of the country at age 27, he invented a system of government called the “Jamahiriya,” Arabic for “state of the masses.” In theory, the system was to be run by people's committees, with Gadhafi assuming the title of “Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution.” But in reality, he quashed dissent and reportedly survived several assassination attempts.

Gadhafi was a strong advocate of the ideology of Arab unity known as Pan-Arabism, and also led a Pan-African effort seeking to unify African nations.

Photo: Muammar Qaddafi, the Libyan chief of state, attends the 12th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 2, 2009. Qaddafi was elected chairman of the organization. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt/Released)

Pioneering Radio Writer Norman Corwin Dies at 101

Norman Corwin with his cherished typewriter, at his Wellworth Ave., Los Angeles apartment in February 1973. (Photo by James Duncan a.k.a. Arrowcatcher)

Writer Norman Corwin, who was a major force in American broadcasting for more than 70 years, has died at age 101.

Corwin went to work for CBS radio in the 1930s, where his plays, essays, and documentaries became must-hear listening for tens of millions of Americans. Hollywood stars who could command thousands of dollars for a single movie, were glad to perform with Corwin for little pay.

His works include “On a Note of Triumph,” broadcast the night Nazi Germany surrendered in World War II, and “We Hold These Truths,” marking the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Bill of Rights.

His post-war radio series, “One World Flight,” featured interviews with ordinary citizens and leaders in Europe and Asia as they struggled to emerge from the devastation of war.

Corwin later worked for United Nations radio and was nominated for an Academy Award for writing the 1956 film “Lust for Life,” a biography of painter Vincent Van Gogh.

He also authored a series of plays for television and was still writing radio dramas as late as 2001. Corwin was teaching at the University of Southern California at the time of his death.

Final Exits, 8-14 October 2011

George "Mojo" Buford

Obituaries for 8-14 October 2011

8
* Al Davis, 82, American football coach and team owner (Oakland Raiders).
* David Hess, 75, American actor (The Last House on the Left), singer and songwriter, heart attack.
* Ovidio de Jesús, 78, Puerto Rican Olympic sprinter (1956, 1960). (Spanish) (death announced on this date)
* Piet Noordijk, 79, Dutch saxophone player.
* Nina Sorokina, 69, Russian ballerina, People's Artist of the USSR. (Russian)
* Mikey Welsh, 40, American artist and musician (Weezer).
* Roger Williams, 87, American pianist, pancreatic cancer.
* Ingvar Wixell, 80, Swedish opera singer. (Swedish)

9
* Kei Aoyama, 32, Japanese mangaka, suicide. (Japanese)
* Antonis Christeas, 74, Greek basketball player (AEK Athens) and coach. (Greek)
* Robert Boochever, 94, American federal judge.
* Bill Brown, 69, American disc jockey (WCBS-FM).
* Rob Buckman, 63, British-born Canadian oncologist and comedian.
* Vibeke Mowinckel Falk, 93, Norwegian actress. (Norwegian)
* Chauncey Hardy, 23, American basketball player, heart attack following beating.
* Pavel Karelin, 21, Russian ski jumper, traffic accident. (Russian)
* Edward Loper, Sr., 95, American artist, Alzheimer's disease.
* Manuel Prado Perez-Rosas, 88, Peruvian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Trujillo (1976–1999).
* Ljubo Stipišić, 73, Croatian composer. (Croatian)
* James Worrall, 97, Canadian Olympic athlete (1936) and administrator.

10
* Ray Aghayan, 83, Iranian-born American costume designer (Funny Lady, Doctor Dolittle).
* Milton Castellanos Everardo, 91, Mexican politician, President of Chamber of Deputies (1951), Governor of Baja California (1971–1977). (Spanish)
* Albert Rosellini, 101, American politician, Governor of Washington (1957–1965), natural causes.
* Jagjit Singh, 70, Indian musician, brain haemorrhage.
* Otto Tausig, 89, Austrian writer, director and actor. (German)
* Jyohji Yanagi, 63, Japanese blues singer. (Japanese)

11
* Amin al-Shami, Yemeni air force colonel, car bomb.
* Kim Brown, 66, British-born Finnish musician, cancer. (Finnish)
* George "Mojo" Buford, 81, American blues harmonica player.
* Cy Buker, 92, American baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers).
* Ion Diaconescu, 94, Romanian politician, former PNŢCD leader, President of Chamber of Deputies (1996-2000), heart failure. (Romanian)
* Doctor X, 43, Mexican professional wrestler, shot. (Spanish)
* Bob Galvin, 89, American businessman, CEO of Motorola (1959–1986).
* Freddie Gruber, 84, American jazz drummer.
* Nauman Habib, 32, Pakistani cricketer, murdered.
* Henk Hofs, 60, Dutch footballer (Vitesse). (Dutch)
* Keith Holman, 84, Australian rugby league player and referee.
* Frank Kameny, 86, American gay rights activist, natural causes.
* Jose Vasconcelos, 85, Brazilian actor and comedian, respiratory failure. (Portuguese)

12
* Heinz Bennent, 90, German actor. (German)
* Patricia Breslin, 80, American actress (The People's Choice, Peyton Place, The Twilight Zone), wife of Art Modell, pancreatitis.
* Joel DiGregorio, 67, American keyboardist (The Charlie Daniels Band), car crash.
* Lambert Giebels, 76, Dutch writer, historian and politician. (Dutch)
* János Herskó, 85, Hungarian film director and actor. (Hungarian)
* Dieudonné Kabongo, 61, Congolese-born Belgian comedian, actor and musician.
* Vic Miles, 79, American reporter and news anchor.
* Dennis Ritchie, 70, American computer scientist, developer of C programming language. (body discovered on this date)
* Dick Thornett, 71, Australian triple international sportsman (water polo, rugby union and rugby league), heart disease.
* Martin White, 102, Irish hurler.

13
* Chris Doig, 63, New Zealand opera singer and sports administrator, bowel cancer.
* Pavlina Nikaj, 80, Albanian singer. (Albanian)
* Abdoulaye Seye, 77, Senegalese Olympic bronze medal-winning (1960) athlete. (French)

14
* Reg Alcock, 63, Canadian politician, MP for Winnipeg South (1993–2006); President of the Treasury Board (2003–2006), heart attack.
* Leon Cakoff, 63, Brazilian film critic, melanoma. (Portuguese)
* Michael Fitzpatrick, 69, Irish politician, TD for Kildare North (2007–2011), motor neurone disease.
* Adam Hunter, 48, Scottish golfer, leukemia.
* Sue Mengers, 78 or 81, American show business talent agent.
* Laura Pollán, 63, Cuban opposition leader, founder of the Ladies in White, cardiorespiratory arrest.
* Chuck Ruff, 60, American drummer (Edgar Winter, Sammy Hagar), after long illness.

Leader of Cuban Protest Group Dies

One of Cuba's leading dissidents, Laura Pollan, has died at the age of 63.

Members of the activist group Pollan founded, Ladies in White, said she died Friday in a Havana hospital.

Pollan was hospitalized on October 7 with respiratory problems.

The former teacher became one of Cuba's leading dissidents in 2003 after her husband and 74 other government opponents were jailed in a crackdown on dissidents.

Soon after the arrests, Pollan and other wives of the jailed dissidents began marching every Sunday in Havana, wearing white and carrying flowers to demand their husbands release.

In 2005, the European Union honored the group with its human rights Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

By 2010, all the dissidents jailed in the government crackdown were released from prison, but the Ladies in White continued to hold marches to protest Cuba's government.

Final Exits, 1-7 October 2011

Bert Jansch performing at the Green Man Festival, 21 August 2006. Photo by Chris Barber from Dartford, England.

Obituaries for 1-7 October 2011

1
* Hans Christian Alsvik, 75, Norwegian television presenter. (Norwegian)
* David Bedford, 74, British composer and musician.
* Len Castle, 86, New Zealand potter.
* Ruby Langford Ginibi, 77, Australian author and Aboriginal historian.
* Paulos Mantovanis, 65, Cypriot Orthodox hierarch, Metropolitan of Kyrenia (since 1994). (Greek)
* Sholom Rivkin, 85, American rabbi, last chief rabbi of St. Louis and the United States.
* Johnny Schmitz, 90, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Senators).
* Sven Tumba, 80, Swedish ice hockey player (world champion 1953, 1957 and 1962), footballer and golfer, prostate cancer.

2
* Vasily Aleksanyan, 39, Russian lawyer and businessman, Executive Vice President of Yukos, complications from AIDS.
* Don Lapre, 47, American television pitchman, suicide.
* Mark Mendel, 60s, Romanian born Israeli-Jamaican football coach.
* Taha Muhammad Ali, 80, Palestinian poet.
* Peter Przygodda, 69, German film editor, cancer. (German)
* John Romonosky, 82, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators).
* François Abu Salem, 60, French-born Palestinian actor and director.
* Cindy Shatto, 54, Canadian Olympic diver, lung cancer.
* Pavlos Tassios, 69, Greek film director. (Greek)
* Piero Weiss, 83, Italian pianist and author, pneumonia.
* Moshe Wertman, 87, Israeli politician.

3
* Kay Armen, 95, American singer, actress and composer.
* Argyris Fatouros, 79, Greek law professor. (Greek)
* Mikko Laine, 30, Finnish rock musician, truck accident.
* Aden Meinel, 88, American astronomer and optical scientist.
* David I. Mitchell, 79, American set designer (Annie), cancer.
* Jim Neal, 81, American basketball player (Syracuse Nationals, Baltimore Bullets).
* Arthur C. Nielsen, Jr., 92, American businessman (ACNielsen), Parkinson's disease.
* Rollin Post, 81, American television reporter.

4
* Doris Belack, 85, American actress (Law & Order, One Life to Live, Tootsie), natural causes.
* Yelena Chernykh, 32, Russian actress, traffic collision. (Russian)
* Kenneth H. Dahlberg, 94, American businessman and World War II fighter ace, natural causes.
* Diana Gribble, 69, Australian publisher (McPhee Gribble), cancer.
* Ralph Hodgin, 96, American baseball player (Boston Bees, Chicago White Sox).
* Dustin Kellogg, 18, American baseball player, traffic collision.
* Hanan Porat, 67, Israeli rabbi, educator and politician, cancer.
* Shmuel Shilo, 81, Israeli actor and director, cancer.
* Aleksandr Yegorov, 59, Russian actor, traffic collision. (Russian)
* Valentina Yudina, 52, Russian actress, traffic collision. (Russian)

5
* Níver Arboleda, 43, Colombian footballer, heart attack. (Spanish)
* Derrick Bell, 80, American law professor (Harvard University), originated critical race theory, carcinoid cancer.
* Graham Dilley, 52, English cricketer, cancer.
* Enver Faja, 77, Albanian architect and diplomat, after long illness.
* Peter Jaks, 45, Swiss Olympic ice hockey player, suicide by train.
* Bert Jansch, 67, Scottish folk guitarist, singer and songwriter (Pentangle), cancer.
* Steve Jobs, 56, American computer entrepreneur and inventor, co-founder of Apple Inc., pancreatic cancer.
* Achilleas Karagiozopoulos, 56, Greek politician, cancer. (Greek)
* Charles Napier, 75, American actor (The Silence of the Lambs, The Blues Brothers).
* Fred Shuttlesworth, 89, American civil rights leader.
* Gökşin Sipahioğlu, 84, Turkish photographer. (French).
* Sarkis Soghanalian, 82, Turkish-born Armenian arms dealer.

6
* Diane Cilento, 78, Australian actress (Tom Jones, The Wicker Man), cancer.
* Birgit Rosengren, 98, Swedish actress. (Swedish)
* Igor Shmakov, 26, Russian actor, leukemia.
* Neil Street, 80, Australian speedway rider.

7
* Zaheer Ahmad, 63, Pakistani-born American doctor, brain hemorrhage.
* Ramiz Alia, 85, Albanian politician, First Secretary of the Party of Labour (1985–1991); President (1991–1992), lung complications.
* Julien Bailleul, 23, French footballer.
* George Baker, 80, English actor (I, Claudius, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries), pneumonia following a stroke.
* Fernando Charrier, 80, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Alessandria della Paglia (1989–2007).
* Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer, 95, Puerto Rican general. (Spanish)
* Andrew Laszlo, 85, Hungarian cinematographer (First Blood, The Warriors, Newsies).
* Neoklis Lechoudis, 55, Greek basketball player and coach, traffic collision. (Greek)
* Gianni Musy, 80, Italian movie dubber. (Italian)
* Milan Puskar, 77, American pharmacist, co-founder of Mylan, cancer.
* Julio Mario Santo Domingo, 87, Colombian businessman (SABMiller). (Spanish)
* Mishaal al-Tammo, 53, Syrian politician, shot.
* Avner Treinin, 83, Israeli poet and chemist. (Hebrew)
* Phil Walker, 67, British newspaper editor.

Millions Mourn Death of Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs

Apple stores around the world have become impromptu shrines to the company's co-founder Steve Jobs, who died on Wednesday at the age of 56.

People left flowers and candles at the stores Thursday as millions mourned the death of the innovative leader, who developed electronic gadgets that transformed the global music, mobile phone, and computing industries.

Apple said late Wednesday it has lost a “visionary and creative genius,” and that the world has lost an “amazing human being.”

Jobs had suffered from a rare form of pancreatic cancer since 2003, and underwent a liver transplant in 2009. He resigned as CEO of Apple in August saying he could no longer meet his duties as the technology giant's top executive.

Jobs' family said he died peacefully on Wednesday, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Palo Alto, California.

The news of Jobs' death reached far around the world and up to the International Space Station, where commander Mike Fossum called him a rare person who had the “energy, skill and genius” to make things happen.

Business competitors, colleagues, political leaders and fans also paid him tribute.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told CNN that Jobs was a “great visionary and leader.” Wozniak said Jobs believed in technology as the future.

U.S. President Barack Obama called him one of America's “greatest innovators.” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thanked Jobs for showing that what he built can “change the world.”

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Jobs' passion for his work and his courage in fighting his cancer were an inspiration.

A college dropout, Jobs developed the first Apple computer in 1976 in his garage in California's Silicon Valley, working with friend Steve Wozniak.

The two went on to found the Apple computer company. Jobs left Apple in 1985 following a dispute with the company's other top executives, but returned in 1997 when the company had come to the edge of collapse.

Under Jobs' renewed leadership, Apple reinvented itself, introducing a new line of computers known as the iMacs. The company's fortunes were transformed again when it shifted its focus away from personal computer manufacturing to producing handheld products like iPhones, iPads and iPods. It is now one of the world's most valuable companies.

Many websites were transformed into online memorials for Jobs on Wednesday night, including Apple's own homepage. On the social networking site Twitter, “iSad” was a trending topic.

Jobs' death is also being felt strongly in Asia, where the products he pioneered are largely made and immensely popular.

Millions of messages mourning Jobs appeared Thursday on microblog sites in China, where members of the world's largest on-line community routinely line up for days to purchase each new Apple product.

And Microsoft, Google, Sony and Samsung, all technology competitors of Apple, offered their homages.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Jobs' long-time rival and former business partner, said Wednesday Jobs' impact on the world of technology will be felt “for many generations to come.” Gates was an early supporter of Macintosh computers and said working with Jobs was “an insanely great honor.”

Samsung praised Jobs' “innovative spirit,” calling him a “great entrepreneur.” The two technology giants have been locked in a series of patent lawsuits since April, when Apple took legal action against Samsung for allegedly copying technology used in iPhones and iPads to create its own line of smartphones and tablet computers.

Recently appointed Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took over when Jobs stepped down in August, said Jobs' spirit will “forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Apple's Steve Jobs Dies

Apple co-founder and former chief executive Steve Jobs has died. Jobs was 56 years old and had been battling cancer for nearly a decade.

The technology company issued a statement on its website late Wednesday, saying the company has lost a visionary and creative genius, and that the world has lost an amazing human being.

The company statement also said his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

U.S. President Barack Obama expressed condolences in a written statement, saying Jobs was among the greatest of American innovators. Mr. Obama said Jobs “redefined entire industries,” made the Internet “not only accessible, but intuitive and fun,” and achieved what he called one of history's “rarest feats,” of changing how we see the world.

Jobs resigned as chief executive of the technology giant in August. He had battled pancreatic cancer since 2003, and underwent a liver transplant in 2009.

In a written statement, Jobs' family said he died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by his loved ones.

Jobs – a college dropout – was born February 24, 1955. He grew up in a part of California that later became known as Silicon Valley, a center of the U.S. technology industry.

In 1974, Jobs left his position as a technician with a video game maker and traveled to India to find spiritual enlightenment. When he returned, he and friend Steve Wozniak began work in Jobs' garage, developing the first Apple computer.

The two founded the Apple computer company. At one point in his career, Jobs left Apple following a dispute with the company's other top executives. He returned in 1997, after the company had come to the edge of collapse. Under Jobs' renewed leadership, Apple reinvented itself, introducing a new line of computers known as the iMacs.

Apples fortunes were transformed again when it shifted its focus away from personal computer manufacturer to producing handheld products like the iPhones, iPads and iPods. It is now one of the world's most valuable companies.

Jobs' death comes one day after Apple unveiled a highly anticipated new iPhone – this one with the ability to respond to spoken commands. The device is equipped with a higher-quality camera and the ability to synchronize information among different Apple devices, updating them all at once.

Photo: Steve Jobs accepting the Entrepreneur of the Year award, 2005. (Photo by jurvetson)

Final Exits, 29-30 September 2011

Sylvia Robinson (Image from Collectables record label)

Obituaries for 29-30 September 2011

29
* Giorgos Fotiadis, 68, Greek journalist. (Greek)
* Hella Haasse, 93, Dutch writer. (Dutch)
* Philip Hannan, 98, American Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of New Orleans (1965–1988).
* Tatyana Lioznova, 87, Russian film director (Seventeen Moments of Spring), People's Artist of the USSR. (Russian)
* Sylvia Robinson, 75, American singer, music producer and record label executive, heart failure.
* Miriam Schmierer, 112, Australian supercentenarian, nation's oldest person.

30
* Anwar al-Awlaki, 40, American-born Yemeni cleric and Al-Qaeda official, airstrike.
* Gilberto Fernandez, 76, Cuban-born American Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Miami (1997–2002).
* Peter Gent, 69, American football player (Dallas Cowboys) and author (North Dallas Forty).
* Mike Heimerdinger, 58, American football coach (Tennessee Titans), cancer.
* Gaspar Henaine, 84, Mexican comedian.
* Mumtaz Jajja, 63, Pakistani politician, dengue fever.
* Roger G. Kennedy, 85, American civil servant, Director of the National Park Service (1993–1997).
* Samir Khan, 25, Saudi-born American jihadist and publisher (Inspire), airstrike.
* Clifford Olson, 71, Canadian convicted serial killer, cancer.
* Marv Tarplin, 70, American guitarist and songwriter (The Miracles). (death announced on this date)

Final Exits, 22-28 September 2011

Vesta Williams (Stimuli Music)

Obituaries for 22-28 September 2011

22
* Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, 70, Indian cricketer, ninth and last Nawab of Pataudi (1952–1971), lung disease.
* Jonathan Cecil, 72, English actor.
* John H. Dick, 92, American naval officer and college basketball player.
* Margaret Ogola, 53, Kenyan author.
* Aristides Pereira, 87, Cape Verdean politician and guerrilla leader, President (1975–1991).
* Knut Steen, 86, Norwegian sculptor. (Norwegian)
* Vesta Williams, 53, American R&B singer.
* Giorgos Zabaras, 65, Greek football official, chairman of Panetolikos F.C. (1994). (Greek)

23
* Orlando Brown, 40, American football player (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens).
* Hubert Constant, 80, Haitian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Cap-Haïtien (2003–2008).
* Micky Correa, 97, Indian jazz musician and big band leader.
* Nikos Koemtzis, 73, Greek serial killer. (Greek)
* Danny Litwhiler, 95, American baseball player and coach.
* María Elizabeth Macías Castro, 39, Mexican newspaper editor.
* Rolland W. Redlin, 91, American politician, U.S. Representative from North Dakota (1965–1967).
* Douglas Stuart, 20th Earl of Moray, 83, British aristocrat.
* Joseph Trinh Chinh Truc, 85, Vietnamese Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Ban Me Thuot (1990–2000).
* José Miguel Varas, 83, Chilean writer. (Spanish)
* Carl Wood, 81, Australian in vitro fertilisation pioneer, Alzheimer's disease.

24
* Surinder Kapoor, 86, Indian film producer, cardiac arrest.
* Tony Knap, 96, American college football coach, Alzheimer's disease.
* Konstantin Lerner, 61, Ukrainian chess grandmaster.
* Emanuel Litvinoff, 96, British writer and human rights campaigner.
* Gusty Spence, 78, British Ulster loyalist, leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force.

25
* Theyab Awana, 21, Emirati footballer, traffic accident.
* Denis Cannan, 92, British playwright.
* Norman Lawson, 75, English footballer and cricketer.
* Sissy Löwinger, 70, Austrian actress, daughter of Paul Löwinger. (German)
* Wangari Maathai, 71, Kenyan environmental activist, MP and Nobel Peace Prize winner, cancer.
* Ali St. Louis, 52, Trinidadian Olympic athlete, traffic accident.

26
* Robert Blinc, 76, Slovene physicist. (Slovene)
* Sergio Bonelli, 78, Italian comic book author and publisher.
* Bob Cassilly, 61, American sculptor, founder of City Museum, bulldozer accident.
* Jessy Dixon, 73, American gospel musician.
* David Zelag Goodman, 81, American screenwriter (Straw Dogs), progressive supranuclear palsy.
* Jerry Haynes, 84, American actor, Parkinson's disease.
* Harry Muskee, 70, Dutch blues singer and musician (Cuby + Blizzards). (Dutch)
* Michael Shor, 91, Israeli security official, CEO of Israel Military Industries (1972–1989). (Hebrew)
* Vasillaq Vangjeli, 63, Albanian comic and stage actor. (Albanian)

27
* David Croft, 89, British television comedy writer and producer.
* Sara Douglass, 54, Australian fantasy author, ovarian cancer.
* Ida Fink, 89, Israeli Polish-language author. (German)
* Wilson Greatbatch, 92, American engineer, inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker.
* Dave Hill, 74, American golfer, complications from emphysema.
* Imre Makovecz, 75, Hungarian architect.
* Richard W. Mallary, 82, American politician, U.S. Representative from Vermont (1972–1975).
* Johnny "Country" Mathis, 77, American singer-songwriter.
* Jan Nijland, 76, Dutch politician. (Dutch)
* Jesús María Pereda, 73, Spanish football player and manager.
* Stuart Spencer, 79, Australian footballer.
* Joe Tofflemire, 46, American football player (Seattle Seahawks), heart failure.
* Erik Wedersøe, 73, Danish actor. (Danish)
* Johnnie Wright, 97, American country music singer (Johnnie & Jack), husband of Kitty Wells.

28
* Pierre Dansereau, 99, Canadian ecologist. (French)
* Leonard Dillon, 68, Jamaican musician (The Ethiopians), lung and prostate cancer.
* Heidi, 3, American-born cross-eyed opossum at Leipzig Zoo, euthanised.
* Claude R. Kirk, Jr., 85, American politician, Governor of Florida (1967–1971).
* Nick Navarro, 81, American law enforcement official, Sheriff of Broward County, Florida (1985–1992), complications with cancer.