The Blog of Death

Edmund L. Hartmann

Edmund L. Hartmann, a screenwriter who wrote many of the zany comedies of the 1940s and '50s, died on Nov. 28. Cause of death was not released. He was 92.

After graduating from Washington University in Missouri, Hartmann wrote songs for The Ziegfeld Follies. He moved to Hollywood in 1934, and spent several years writing melodramas and mysteries starring Sherlock Holmes.

When Hartmann took a job penning Abbot and Costello comedies with Universal in the 1940s, he found his writing niche. For the next 15 years, he worked on comedic screenplays for Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and the Three Stooges. Some of Bob Hope's most famous films -- "Paleface" "The Lemon Drop Kid" and "Here Come the Girls" -- were written by Hartmann.

He turned his attention to television in 1954, where he wrote and/or produced several shows, including "My Three Sons" and "A Family Affair." Hartmann also served as the head of the Writers Guild of America, which presented him with The Morgan Cox Award in 1985.

For a career that spanned more than 60 years, Hartmann received the Golden Chili Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Santa Fe Film Critics Circle. He was also the focus of the biography, "Bound and Gagged in Hollywood," by Donald W. McCaffrey.

Papa-Bear Whitmore

Papa-Bear Whitmore, a survival expert and instructor, died on Oct. 22. Cause of death was not released. He was 76.

Born Robert Whitmore, the former Marine first became interested in survival skills in the early 1950s during the search for a missing girl. When he found her body, Whitmore dedicated his life to teaching hikers and campers how to survive outdoors.

For more than 40 years, Whitmore taught outdoor skills and hunter safety classes for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. He served with the Civil Defense Search and Rescue, and wrote the 14-page pamphlet, "The Art of Survival," which is distributed at the state's wildlife agency.

The proprietor of the Wilderness Institute of Survival Education in Loveland, Colo., and the co-author of the book, "The W.I.S.E. Guide to Wilderness Survival," Whitmore taught thousands of students how to start fires and build shelters.

"You know, the majority of people who die in the wilderness die needlessly. With a little education, most of those lives could be saved," Whitmore once said.

Whitmore was also adopted into the Choctaw Nation in 1952.

Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali

Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, the former head of Iran's Revolutionary Courts, died on Nov. 26 from a series of health problems. He was 77.

During his two years on the job, Khalkhali's actions earned him the monikers "the butcher" and "the hanging judge." As prosecutor, judge and jury, Khalkhali reportedly ordered the execution of hundreds of people, including top military officers and secret police leaders, during the months after the 1979 revolution. As many as 60 Kurds a day were also killed.

Khalkhali was seen on television gloating and poking at the burnt corpses of U.S. soldiers who were killed while trying to rescue 52 hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran. He also created the judicial concept of "obvious guilt," whereby the accused is presumed guilty if his or her crimes were "very clear" prior to trial.

Although Khalkhali was unrepentant about his rulings, Ayatollah Khomeini asked him to resign in 1980. For the past decade, Khalkhali lived quietly, teaching religious studies in Qom, Iran. His autobiography, "Ayatollah Khalkhali Remembers," was published in 2000.

Rie Mastenbroek

Hendrika Wilhelmina "Rie" Mastenbroek, the first woman to win four medals during one Olympic Games, died on Nov. 6 from heart failure. She was 84.

Born in Rotterdam, Mastenbroek trained with coach "Ma" Braun. In 1934, she captured three golds and one silver medal at the European Championships.

The Dutch swimmer repeated this pattern at the age of 17 when she won gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle, the 400 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay, and a silver medal in the 100 backstroke at the 1936 Olympics. Mastenbroek also broke nine world records -- six for backstroke and three for freestyle.

At 18, Mastenbroek became a swimming instructor, a career move that made her forfeit her amateur status, thereby becoming ineligible for competition. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968, and received the Olympic Order, the International Olympic Committee's highest honor, in 1997.

Lennie Lawson

Leonard Keith Lawson, a convicted rapist and murderer, died on Nov. 29 in his cell at the Grafton Correctional Centre in New South Wales. Authorities say he probably suffered a heart attack. He was 76.

Lawson worked as a successful commercial artist and photographer before he became a violent criminal. In 1954, he kidnapped five models, took them into the Terrey Hills bush in north Sydney and raped two of them at gunpoint; he also sexually assaulted the others. Originally sentenced to be executed, Lawson received a 14-year prison sentence after the death penalty was commuted. When he was released, Lawson used his artistic background to lure new victims.

On Nov. 7, 1962, while painting a portrait of 16-year-old Jane Bower, Lawson tied her up, sexually assaulted her then stabbed her to death. The next day, he carried a gun into the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School and took several students hostage. Fifteen-year-old Wendy Sue Luscombe, who was sitting in the chapel pews, was shot and killed during the siege. This time, Lawson received a life sentence.

Imprisonment didn't curb Lawson's violent tendencies. Ten years into his second incarceration, a group of dancers gave a concert for the inmates at his prison. At the end of the performance, Lawson jumped on stage and threatened to kill one of the dancers, Sharon Hamilton, with a knife. Although Hamilton was released unharmed, she committed suicide six years after the attack.

One of the oldest prisoners in Australia, Lawson spent 48 years in prison, and has been behind bars continuously since 1962. Several of his paintings currently hang at the prison where he died.

Talal al-Rasheed

Talal al-Rasheed, a well-known Saudi poet, was ambushed and killed on Nov. 27 while hunting in the Algerian desert. He was 40.

Rasheed began writing poetry under the pseudonym, Al-Multa, when he was 14 years old. He favored love poems, and often wrote in the simple, daily language of the Bedouins. The publisher of several literary magazines, including Fawazel, Ibda and Bawazel, he recently released a new poetry album with Al Abdool Audio.

Rasheed was hunting gazelle and other animals near Djelfa when an armed group attacked his party. He was shot to death; six others were wounded.

John Steensma

John Steensma, an educator and advocate for the disabled, died on Nov. 24 from cancer. He was 82.

Steensma lost his arms when he was 18 years old while trying to free a homemade parachute from a power line. He was electrocuted, fell 70 feet off a tower, underwent numerous surgeries and eventually learned how to use prosthetic arms to complete ordinary tasks.

Undaunted by his handicap, Steensma graduated from Calvin College in Michigan, and spent 12 years working as the director of the Child Amputee Project of the Michigan Crippled Children's Commission.

Steensma moved to South Korea in 1958, where he ran a small clinic for civilian amputees. Over the next decade, he turned the Seoul center into a seven-story rehabilitation complex.

In 1966, Steensma returned to the states and spent the next two decades as the coordinator of the Rehabilitation Department at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Five years ago, he was invited to speak at the International Conference on Disability, an event sponsored by the United Nations.

Edward Schempp

Edward Lewis Schempp, a Unitarian whose lawsuit led to the landmark Supreme Court decision that "kicked God and prayer out of the schools," died on Nov. 8 from heart failure. He was 95.

Schempp was working as an electronics engineer in Roslyn, Penn., when his son, Ellery, decided to conduct a protest at Abington High School. The teen, who was a junior at the school, didn't think it was right for students to be required by law to read at least 10 verses from the Bible and then recite the Lord's Prayer during homeroom every day.

On Nov. 26, 1956, Ellery went to class and read passages from the Koran; he was sent to the principal's office. He then penned a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union and asked the organization for help.

After three years of lawsuits and lobbying, the Pennsylvania legislature added a provision to its law that allowed students to excuse themselves from the mandatory Scripture study, if they obtained parental consent. Because Ellery had already graduated from the high school, Edward Schempp took up his son's cause in order to protect his younger children. In the midst of the Red Scare, students who objected to studying the Christian text where labeled Communists and atheists, he said.

School District of Abington Township v. Schempp arrived on the U.S. Supreme Court docket in 1963. In an 8-1 decision, the court sided with Schempp, saying the Bible-reading requirement violated the First Amendment's establishment clause. This ruling invalidated mandatory Bible reading in all public schools.

For months after the decision, Schempp felt the wrath of Christians who sent thousands of letters to his family. Some, he said, were "so vile" that they had to be turned over to postal authorities. Schemmp didn't stop fighting for his beliefs, though. In later years, he wrote letters to newspapers, marched against the Vietnam War and published the book, "Buyer's Guide to Gods."

Ramona Barnes

Ramona Lee Etta Barnes, the first woman speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives, died on Nov. 26 from pneumonia. She was 65.

Born in Tennessee, Barnes moved to Alaska as a military wife in 1971. Prior to her political career, she worked for the CIA in the Philippines as an undercover agent, raised three children and managed a beauty school and salon in Anchorage.

A social conservative, Barnes was elected to the Alaska legislature in 1978. The longest-serving woman legislator in state history, she served her constituents for 20 years. Barnes was the first woman to hold every legislative leadership position, from majority leader to minority whip, and became House speaker in 1993. Republicans have controlled the House ever since.

"Ramona had a tough exterior but a soft heart. She was absolutely committed to Alaska, especially regarding management of its resources and assertion of its rights vis-a-vis the federal government. In her last years in the Legislature, she committed herself to improving Alaska's place in international trade and worked tirelessly on improved relationships with countries and businesses in the Pacific Rim," Alaska's Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman stated.

Senate President Rick Halford once gave her a set of "brass balls," which was actually a pair of 2-pound fishing sinkers painted gold. Barnes displayed the ornament on her desk.

Hal Walker

Harold William Walker, one of the first black correspondents to work for CBS News, died on Nov. 25 from prostate cancer. He was 70.

Walker studied English and theater at Denison University in Ohio, then served four years in the Army. In 1963, WTOP-TV (Channel 9), the CBS affiliate in Washington D.C., hired him to work as a reporter. One of his first assignments was covering the funeral of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

Walker won a local Emmy, a Ted Yates Award from the Washington chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Capitol Press Club's "Journalist of the Year" award for anchoring the documentary, "A Dialogue With Whitey." The special report, which focused on the Washington riots following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, attracted attention from the network. The same year it aired, Walker was hired by CBS News.

One of the first black journalists viewers saw on a national television news program, Walker spent 12 years at CBS covering national, political and foreign stories. He was hired by ABC News in 1980 to serve as its bureau chief in Bonn. Before he retired in 1995, Walker broadcast the early morning business report from ABC's London bureau.

Bubba Hyde

Cowan F. "Bubba" Hyde, a veteran outfielder in the Negro Leagues, died on Nov. 20. Cause of death was not released. He was 95.

Hyde attended Rust College in Mississippi and Morris Brown College in Atlanta. In 1927, the extraordinarily fast outfielder landed a spot on the Negro League team, the Memphis Red Sox. He would eventually play for a dozen baseball teams, including the Birmingham Black Barons, Indianapolis Athletics, Cincinnati Tigers, Houston Eagles and Chicago American Giants.

Hyde was named to the Negro League East-West All-Star team in 1943 and 1946. He tried to break into the major leagues in 1950, but had to leave the Boston Braves training camp when his wife went into labor. That decision cost him a spot on the team.

In 1997, Hyde was inducted into the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame. His uniform is on display at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

Buddy Arnold

Arnold Buddy Grishaver, a saxophonist who co-founded a unique drug and alcohol treatment program, died on Nov. 9 of complications from open heart surgery. He was 77.

Arnold learned how to play the saxophone when he was only nine years old. At 16, he was performing at the Apollo Theater with his idol, tenor saxophonist George Auld. During World War II, Arnold led an Army band, then toured with the Buddy Rich Big Band before moving to New York to study music and economics at Columbia University.

Arnold's musical success was hindered in the 1950s by his addiction to heroin and pills, an addiction that would lead to 34 narcotic arrests, and a conviction for attempted burglary for which he served two years in prison. After he was pardoned, Arnold recorded four albums with Capitol Records and played with the Tommy Dorsey Band -- until drugs once again took over his life. He spent the 1980s in San Quentin for writing prescriptions and impersonating a doctor.

In 1992, Arnold and his wife, Carole Fields, created the Musicians' Assistance Program, an organization that has treated 1,500 people working in the music industry for drug and alcohol addiction. The Recording Industry Association of America donated $2 million to the program in 1996.

George Peoples

George Peoples, a former NFL running back, died on Nov. 23. Cause of death was not released. He was 43.

Peoples played college football at Auburn University, where he received the school's offensive player of the year award in 1981. In the eighth round of the 1982 NFL draft, he was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys.

Peoples spent three seasons in the NFL, playing for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He attended the Bucs' training camp in 1985 but was cut before the regular season started.

Since his football career ended, however, Peoples has had several brushes with the law. On Sunday, firefighters forced their way into a Tampa motel room, and found People's body. His death is currently under investigation.

Snowflake

Copito de Nieve (a.k.a. Snowflake), an extremely rare albino gorilla, was euthanized on Nov. 24 after his health deteriorated from skin cancer. He was between 38 and 40 years old.

The gorilla was found in the central African country of Equatorial Guinea in 1966. He spent the past 37 years at the Barcelona Zoo, where he fathered 22 offspring with three different females. None were born albino.

The most popular resident of the zoo, Snowflake was once featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine. City officials may soon erect a statue at the zoo to commemorate him.

Sharon Capeling-Alakija

Sharon Capeling-Alakija, the executive coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers program, died on Nov. 4 from cancer. She was 59.

Born in Canada, Capeling-Alakija earned a degree in education from the University of Saskatchewan, then joined the Canadian University Service Overseas, a volunteer organization that provides technical assistance to governments and educational institutions. She spent 20 years with the CUSO, teaching and fundraising in the Caribbean, Tanzania and Togo.

From 1989 to 1994, Capeling-Alakija served as the director for the U.N. Development Fund for Women. She spent three years as the head of the U.N.'s Office of Evaluation and Strategic Planning in New York before she was promoted to executive coordinator of the U.N. Volunteers program.

"Ms. Capeling-Alakija was a deeply committed and creative leader of United Nations Volunteers, which promotes volunteerism, sends some 5,000 United Nations Volunteers into the field every year and is often described as the 'human face' of United Nations development efforts," stated U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The staff at the U.N. in Bonn planted a red maple tree in her memory.

Warren Spahn

Warren Edward Spahn, the winningest left-hander in baseball history, died on Nov. 24. Cause of death was not released. He was 82.

In 1940, Spahn was signed with the Braves in Boston for $80/mo. He stayed with the team through its move to Milwaukee 13 years later. During his first season, he injured his arm twice, yet still managed to win 19 games.

Spahn started the 1942 season with the Braves but was sent down by manager Casey Stengel for refusing to brush back Pee Wee Reese in an exhibition game. Stengel would eventually admit that farming Spahn out was the worst mistake he ever made.

After joining the Army in 1943, Spahn spent World War II fighting in Europe, where he received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for bravery. At 25, Spahn returned to the states and became one of baseball's best pitchers. He would go on to win 20 or more games in 13 of the next 17 seasons, matching the record set by Christy Mathewson.

"The Invincible One" led the Braves to win National League pennants in 1957 and 1958; his 5,243 2-3 innings remain the N.L. record. Spahn retired in 1967 with a career record of 363-245 and a 3.09 ERA.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the first year he was eligible. The 1957 winner of the Cy Young Award was also honored in August with a 9-foot bronze statue in the plaza outside Turner Field in Atlanta.

• Statistics From Baseball-Almanac.com

Joseph Williams

Joseph Williams, the banker who developed the modern credit card, died on Nov. 8. Cause of death was not released. He was 88.

Williams was working at the San Francisco-based Bank of America in 1958 when he was selected to head the company's new Consumer Services Research Department. There he developed the BankAmericard, the first credit card that could be used in any store in the U.S., for any kind of purchase.

The card also allowed the debt to be repaid in monthly installments, and gave customers a 30-day grace period to pay off the credit card's balance without incurring interest fees. The Diners Club and American Express cards predated the BankAmericard, but they required all charges be paid within 30 days.

In 1966, the BankAmericard was licensed to banks in other states. It was eventually renamed Visa.

Robert Guenette

Robert Guenette, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, died on Oct. 31 from brain cancer. He was 68.

Guenette left home at 16 to become an actor in New York City, but he quickly developed a passion for filmmaking. He took a job at CBS and worked his way up from assistant editor to network news producer.

In 1971, Guenette produced and co-wrote "They've Killed President Lincoln," a documentary that aired on NBC. During the making of this movie, Guenette developed a technique of reenacting historical events and then filming them using modern newsreel cameras. This revolutionary idea earned him and co-writer Theodore H. Strauss an Emmy for outstanding achievement in cultural documentary programming.

Guenette produced "Monsters! Mysteries or Myths?" an investigation into the existence of the Loch Ness monster, the Abominable Snowman and Bigfoot in 1974. The show, which was narrated by Rod Serling, was the highest-rated documentary in television history. Two years later, he produced "Victory at Entebbe!" a TV movie about the Israeli raid and rescue of Jewish hostages from Arab terrorists in Uganda.

Guenette later produced the documentaries "The Crucifixion of Jesus," "The Plot to Murder Hitler," "Cortez and Montezuma: Conquest of an Empire" and "Peary's Race to the North Pole," for CBS. He was also the co-founder of the International Documentary Association and the Los Angeles Media & Education Center.

In 2001, Guenette received the International Documentary Association Pioneer Award for Distinguished Lifetime Service to the Documentary Community.

Wayne K. Patterson

Wayne K. Patterson, a prison warden who oversaw the last gas-chamber execution in Colorado, died on Oct. 30. Cause of death was not released. He was 88.

Patterson studied police administration at Northwestern University and worked as an officer with the Colorado State Patrol before serving two years with the U.S. Navy.

Upon his return to Colorado, Patterson devoted more than 40 years of his life to the Colorado Correctional System. He was the executive director of the Colorado State Parole Board for six years, spent another eight as the warden of the Buena Vista Reformatory, and ran Old Max, then the state's highest-security prison, for eight years.

Known as "Cool Breeze," Patterson was considered a tough but fair warden who never mistreated his prisoners. In 1957, he even persuaded the legislature to use inmates to build small parks adjacent to highways. Although he was opposed to capital punishment, he oversaw the last gas-chamber execution in Colorado history when Luis Monge was executed on June 2, 1967, for killing his wife and three of their children.

In the 1970s and '80s, Patterson worked as the director of corrections for the city and county of Denver and the executive director of the Colorado State Parole Board. He also taught courses at Pueblo Community College in Fremont, Colo., and published two nonfiction books, "Slaughter in Cell House 3," a nonfiction account of a prison riot at the Colorado State Prison in 1929, and his autobiography, "Keeper of the Keys."

Rasul Gamzatov

Rasul Gamzatovich Gamzatov, a Dagestani poet whose writings were translated into dozens of languages, died on Nov. 3. Cause of death was not released. He was 80.

Born in Dagestan, a republic in the Northern Caucasus, Gamzatov began writing poetry when he was 11 years old. He was tutored by his father, Gamzat Tsadasa, a famous bard who regaled him with stories, legends and poetry.

In 1943, Gamzatov published "Love Inspired and Fiery Wrath," his first book of poems. With royalty money in his pocket, he was able to travel to Moscow and attend the Gorky Institute of Literature.

Over the next 50 years, Gamzatov became one of the most prolific of poets in the former Soviet Union. He wrote 20 books of poetry and prose in his native Avar tongue, a language spoken by no more than 500,000 people. His books were then translated into many languages, which sold millions of copies. Gamzatov also wrote the lyrics to the song, "Cranes," which appeared in the award-winning 1957 film, "Flying Cranes."

Gamzatov won the Lenin Prize for poetry and served as the chairman of the Union of Daghestan Writers. He was given the title People’s Poet of Daghestan, and in honor of his 80th birthday, 2003 was designated as Rasul Gamzatov Year.

• Poems by Gamzatov

Frank McCloskey

Frank McCloskey, a former representative from Indiana and an outspoken champion of Bosnia, died on Nov. 2 from bladder cancer. He was 64.

McCloskey joined the Air Force right out of high school. After serving in the military for four years, he attended Indiana University in Bloomington and worked as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, the Herald-Telephone in Bloomington and the City News Bureau in Chicago.

McCloskey received his law degree from I.U. in 1971, and was elected mayor of Bloomington a year later. He ran the city for a decade before he was chosen to represent southwestern Indiana's 8th District in Congress.

During his six terms in Washington, McCloskey was described as a quiet, rank-and-file Democrat who worked on the House Armed Services Committee. Although it gained him nothing politically, he developed an interest in the Balkans after making several trips to the region. In 1992, McCloskey called for selective air strikes against Serb forces that were committing genocide in Bosnia. He also demanded that Serbian leaders be ousted and tried for war crimes. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who was ousted in 2000, is currently on trial in The Hague, Netherlands.

After losing reelection in 1995, McCloskey became chairman of the Morgan County Democratic Party. In 2002, he was named director of Kosovo programs for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

David Dacko

David Dacko, the first president of the Central African Republic, died on Nov. 20. Cause of death was not released. He was 76.

Dacko studied at the Ecole Normale, Brazzaville, and worked as a teacher before he was elected to Parliament. He served as the country's Minister of Agriculture, Stockbreeding, Water and Forests, the Minister of the Interior, Economy and Trade and as the Prime Minister.

The Central African Republic gained its independence from France in 1960. Although he was only 30 years old, Dacko became president, taking over the office when his uncle, President Barthelemy Boganda, was killed in an air crash.

Dacko led the country for six years before he was overthrown and jailed by his cousin, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who proclaimed himself life president and emperor. Bokassa was deposed by French troops in 1979 and Dacko was reinstated as president. In 1981, Dacko was again forced out of office by his own military.

The Central African Republic has weathered nine coups and coup attempts since declaring its independence. The country is currently led by François Bozize, who seized power in 2003 when his rebels overran the capital of Bangui.

Bert Schwarz

Lt. Bert Schwarz, an American war hero, died on Oct. 29 from injuries he suffered in a car accident. He was 87.

During World War II, Schwarz was captured by the Japanese and forced to march 65 miles, in brutal heat without food or water, to a railhead for dispersal to prison camps. Although 75,000 soldiers took part in the Bataan Death March, thousands died en route.

Those who survived, like Schwarz, suffered through years of malnutrition and torture. He also lived through the sinking of the Shinyo Maru, a Japanese prisoner-of-war ship he and other POWs were riding on when American forces attacked it.

A decade after his liberation, Schwarz helped form the AmeriCares Foundation, an organization that delivers medicine and relief supplies to devastated areas of the world. One of the places Schwarz aided? Japan.

In later years, Schwarz shared his war experiences with local high school students and organized the first Memorial Day Parade in Blairsville, Ga.

William F. Draper

William Franklin Draper, the "Dean of American portraiture," died on Oct 26. Cause of death was not released. He was 90.

Draper studied at Harvard University, the National Academy of Design in New York and the Cape Art School in Massachusetts before joining the Navy in 1942. He spent World War II hunkered in foxholes or on aircraft carrier decks sketching the battles as they happened and occasionally painting portraits of admirals. For his service, Draper reached the rank of lieutenant commander and earned a Bronze Star.

After he returned to the states, Draper developed a reputation in the art world as one of the premiere portrait painters in America. His portraits of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon hang in the National Portrait Gallery. Many of his military paintings and celebrity portraits reside in the National Gallery of Art and the Navy Art Collection in Washington D.C.

In 1999, Draper received the lifetime achievement award from the Portrait Society of America.

Inez Threet

Inez June Threet, the first employee hired at Wal-Mart, died on Nov. 17 from a heart ailment. She was 84.

A resident of Centerton, Ark., Threet was hired by Sam Walton in 1950 to work as a clerk in a sundries store he'd purchased. That store became the first Wal-Mart, and Threet was eventually joined by almost 1.5 million associates.

Over the next quarter of a century, Threet was promoted to senior positions and accompanied Walton on Wal-Mart inspections until her retirement in 1975. Her grandson, Kenneth Threet, also works as a truck driver for the discount chain.

Bruce Alexander Cook

Bruce Alexander Cook, a journalist and author, died on Nov. 9 from a stroke. He was 71.

Cook received a degree in literature from Loyola University in Chicago, then served as an interpreter for the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany. He began his writing career freelancing for the National Catholic Reporter and the National Observer, and editing for Newsweek, the Detroit News and USA Today.

In 1978, Cook published his first novel, a mainstream fiction title called "Sex Life." But he truly found his niche in the mystery genre when he created the fictional Latino detective Antonio "Chico" Cervantes. In its four-book series, the Southern California P.I. solved crimes both north and south of the Mexican border.

Writing as Bruce Alexander, Cook published a series of popular historical novels featuring Sir John Fielding, a blind, 18th century sleuth. The books were based on the real Fielding, a blind British magistrate who co-founded the Bow Street Runners, London's first police force.

"I may not be the world's cleverest writer, but I knew a great character when he leaped off the pages at me," Cook once said.

The 10th Fielding novel, "The Price of Murder," was published this year. Cook's final book, a first-person manuscript tentatively titled "Qualms of Conscience: The Confessions of William Shakespeare," will eventually be published by St. Martin's Press.

Jack Mengel

John T. Mengel, a NASA pioneer who shot the first space photograph, died on Oct. 22 of pneumonia. He was 85.

Mengel graduated in 1939 with a bachelor's degree in physics from Union College in New York. He taught for a year at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania before leaving academia to work on anti-submarine devices at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Mengel experimented with telemetry and the radio control systems found in captured German V-2 rockets. To design the first research nose shell to replace of the V-2 warhead, Mengel launched rockets into near-Earth orbit. During one of these trials in 1947, his team placed two cameras in the nose shell of a rocket and shot the first photo from space at an altitude greater than 100 miles.

In the 1950s, Mengel worked on guidance systems for the Viking missile project and ran the Tracking and Guidance Branch of Project Vanguard. His team developed a one-inch wavelength X-band interferometry system, which tracked Sputnik. It was named one of the 75 most innovative systems ever developed at the Naval Lab.

When the National Aeronautic and Space Administration was established in 1958, Mengel became the director for tracking and data systems at the Goddard Space Flight Center, a position he held until his retirement in 1974. For his service, he received the Exceptional Service Medal.

Jonathan Brandis

Jonathan Gregory Brandis, an actor who co-starred on the TV show, "SeaQuest DSV," committed suicide on Nov. 12. Brandis, who was 27, hung himself, the L.A. medical examiner's office said.

Brandis began his acting career when he was five years old by appearing in television commercials and on the soap opera, "One Life to Live." As a teen, he doubled up on his high school courses so he could finish a year early and work on the NBC show, "SeaQuest DSV." At the 15th Annual Youth in Film Awards, the young heartthrob won Best Youth Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Series.

Brandis acted in more than 20 films, including "Hart's War," "It" and "The Never Ending Story 2: The Next Chapter." He also did guest appearances on hit shows like "L.A. Law" and "The Wonder Years." His final project was the independent film, "The Year That Trembled," starring Fred Willard and Martin Mull.

Gene Anthony Ray

Gene Anthony Ray, a New York City dancer and actor who achieved worldwide stardom in the TV show, "Fame," died on Nov. 14 from complications of a stroke. He was 41.

Although Ray had never taken a dance class, choreographer Louis Falco cast him in the 1980 film, "Fame." Falco also encouraged Ray to attend the real High School of the Performing Arts. Ray spent a year at the school before dropping out.

In 1982, Ray landed the role of class rebel Leroy in the TV version of "Fame." He was one of two actors to work on the series for its entire six-season run. When the show was canceled, Ray had trouble finding work. He appeared in two movies, but his addictions to drugs and alcohol eventually wiped out the fortune he'd earned from "Fame."

Ray's final project was the unaired BBC documentary, "Fame Remember My Name."

Ken Brett

Ken Brett, the youngest World Series pitcher in history, died on Nov. 18 from brain cancer. He was 53.

Brett grew up in El Segundo, Calif., playing sports every night. He signed his first pro contract at 17 with the Boston Red Sox, as the fourth player taken in the draft.

He was only 19 years old when he pitched for Boston in the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The left-hander would eventually spend 14 years in the major leagues, pitching for Milwaukee, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, California, Minnesota, Los Angeles and Kansas City before retiring in 1981.

One of the best hitting pitchers of his time, he set a record by homering in four straight starts for the Phillies in 1973. For his career, Brett hit .262 with 10 homers. His pitching record was 83-85, with a 3.93 ERA.

After his retirement, Brett became a broadcaster for the Angels and Mariners. He moved to Spokane, Wash., several years ago to help run the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team and the Spokane Chiefs hockey team with his brothers Bobby Brett and Hall of Famer George Brett. Ken was also the president of Brett Bros. Bat Company and an assistant coach at Whitworth College.

• Statistics From Baseball-Almanac.com

Al Brumley

Al Brumley, a reporter for The Dallas Morning News, died on Oct. 28 from complications of a brain tumor. He was 40.

A naturally curious fellow, Brumley wrote for the student newspaper while attending Appalachian State University. After graduation, he worked for two small regional newspapers before landing a reporter job in 1987 with The Dallas Morning News. Brumley covered the police beat for several years then switched to the Arts section to write features, movie reviews and a radio column.

Brumley was well respected in media circles, both for his dogged reporting skills and his objectivity. Radio shock jock Howard Stern was so impressed with Brumley's even-handed interviewing skills that he invited the Dallas reporter to fly to New York and appear on his show in July 1996.

While Brumley was in Manhattan, TWA Flight 800 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, killing everyone on board. During the next four days, he covered the event for his newspaper, and on CNN. Brumley was one of the few journalists allowed to accompany the Coast Guard as it salvaged the plane's wreckage.

• Al Brumley's Movie Reviews

Michael Kamen

Michael Kamen, a Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated composer, died on Nov. 18 from an apparent heart attack. He was 55.

Born in New York City, Kamen learned to play the piano when he was two years old. While studying oboe at the Juilliard School, the musician formed a rock-classical fusion band called the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble, which appeared in the first of Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic.

Kamen's early work centered on ballets for Alvin Ailey and the Joffrey Ballet. In the 1970s, he served as the musical director for David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" tour, then began writing film scores for Hollywood. He penned more than 80 compositions for motion pictures, including "Brazil," "Highlander," "The Iron Giant," "What Dreams May Come," "X-Men," the "Lethal Weapon" and "Die Hard" movies and the upcoming Meg Ryan film, "Against the Ropes."

Kamen collaborated with a wide range of artists, from the London Philharmonic to Aerosmith. He worked on the orchestral arrangements for Pink Floyd's 1979 album, "The Wall," and shared a Grammy in 2001 with Metallica for conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for the band's song, "The Call of Ktulu." Kamen also won a Grammy in 1996 for best instrumental arrangement with An American Symphony, which he derived from the movie, "Mr. Holland’s Opus."

His work with singer Bryan Adams earned Kamen two Oscar nominations. Kamen and Adams co-wrote the movie theme songs, "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" for "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" for "Don Juan DeMarco." On Nov. 10, Kamen performed alongside Adams, Joe Strummer and Michael Palin at the Royal Opera House in London to aid the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Grandma Claire

Claire Emma Schluter Porter, a woman who worked as a foster grandmother to thousands of children, died on Oct. 20 from a pulmonary embolism. She was 89.

Porter graduated from Polytechnic High School in 1932, married and spent most of her life raising her three children. At 61, Porter decided it was time to start her "career" as a caretaker at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

Five days a week for 22 years, "Grandma Claire" spent two hours taking four buses to the hospital. Once there, she fed sick children and rocked them when they cried. She cradled the injured and abused and played games with the kids to raise their spirits. For her efforts, she received a small stipend and several awards.

"She could communicate with the children at their level. She would gladly drop everything to play a game with them or to give herself. She really had a camaraderie with them," said her daughter Karen Peart.

Don Gibson

Don Eugene Gibson, an elementary school dropout who became a legendary country music singer/songwriter, died on Nov. 17 of natural causes. He was 75.

Born in poverty, Gibson dropped out of school in the second grade to help his sharecropping family with farm chores. After teaching himself to read and play the guitar, a teenaged Gibson landed a job performing with his band, The Sons of the Soil, at a Knoxville radio station. In his spare time, he earned $30/week playing music in local bars.

Gibson helped create the "Nashville Sound" of the 1960s by writing songs that used simple words to convey strong emotions. In 1955, he broke into the music business with "Sweet Dreams," a classic he recorded twice; it also became a hit for Patsy Cline.

Two years later, Gibson wrote two songs that became popular standards in country music -- "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." Although more than 700 artists covered "I Can't Stop Loving You," the Ray Charles version topped the pop charts in 1962 and sold more than 1 million records.

Known as "the sad poet," Gibson recorded 50 albums, most of which he also wrote. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

David Silveti

David Silveti, a Mexican bullfighter, committed suicide on Nov. 12 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 48.

A third generation matador, Silveti studied economics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In 1977, he made his bullfighting debut and spent the next 20 years working to reach the top of his profession.

Known as "King David," the popular matador competed in 470 bullfights until his retirement in 1995. After undergoing knee surgery for numerous gorings, Silveti returned to the ring, but his doctors begged him to stop, citing serious head and spinal cord injuries.

Last Wednesday, Silveti returned home to Salamanca, greeted his parents, then went to his room. A short time later, they heard a gunshot and found his body.

John Saunders

John Phillip Saunders, who wrote the comic strips, "Mary Worth" and "Steve Roper and Mike Nomad," died on Nov. 15 from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 79.

Saunders attended Wabash College, Purdue University, the University of Toledo and Northwestern University. During World War II, he earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star serving as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army. He was also a stringer for the European edition of Stars and Stripes, a job that launched his three-decade career in radio and television as a broadcast journalist and announcer.

His father, Allen Saunders, started writing the comic strip, "Mary Worth," in 1938. Forty years later, when Allen became too ill to work, John took over the strip's writing duties and continued the cartoon's legacy. "Mary Worth'' is syndicated to 350 newspapers worldwide.

Saunders also took over his father's other comic strip, "Steve Roper and Mike Nomad," which appears in 90 newspapers. Both "Mary Worth" and "Steve Roper" will continue with new writers, King Features Syndicate said. The Allen and John Saunders Collection of comic strips resides at the Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

John Hart Ely

John Hart Ely, an influential attorney and constitutional scholar, died on Oct. 25 from cancer. He was 64.

Ely studied at Princeton, Yale and the London School of Economics and Political Science. During his second year of law school at Yale, Ely wrote legal briefs and argued Gideon vs. Wainwright before the Supreme Court, a case that granted court-appointed attorneys to defendants who could not afford them.

When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Ely was the youngest staff member to serve on the Warren Commission. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, worked as a criminal defense lawyer in San Diego and practiced law in the general counsel's office at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A law professor at Yale, Harvard, Stanford and the University of Miami, Ely is best known for writing the 1980 book, "Democracy and Distrust: A Theory of Judicial Review," which discussed the proper role of judges in interpreting the Constitution. It is one of the most frequently cited books about law published in the 20th century.

Kellie Waymire

Kellie Suzanne Waymire, an actress who appeared on numerous television shows, died on Nov. 13. Cause of death was not released. She was 35.

Although she once dreamed of being an astronaut, Waymire opted to pursue an acting career. After receiving a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Southern Methodist University and a master's from the University of California, San Diego, her big break came in 1994 when she landed the role of Emily on ABC's "One Life to Live."

Waymire appeared in guest spots on "NYPD Blue," "Friends," "CSI" and "Six Feet Under," but she was best known as Ensign Elizabeth Cutler, the role she played for three episodes on the science fiction series, "Enterprise." Her last TV role was co-starring in the Fox show, "The Pitts" with Dylan Baker.

Waymire recently performed in the stage production of "Kate Crackernuts" at the 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles. The cast and crew plan to dedicate the Nov. 21st and 22nd shows in her honor.

Elem Klimov

Elem Klimov, a Russian film director and screenwriter, died on Oct. 26 from natural causes. He was 70.

Born in Stalingrad, Klimov studied at the Higher Institute of Aviation in Moscow, and graduated from the State Institute of Cinematography. He spent 20 years satirizing Communist rule in motion pictures, a risky move in the former U.S.S.R., then received international acclaim for his fifth and final film, "Come and See." The 1985 war movie chronicled the slaughter of Belorussians by the Nazis during World War II; it won the Grand Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.

Klimov was a judge at the Cannes Film Festival and served as the president of the U.S.S.R. Cinema Association. He was married to filmmaker Larisa Shepitko, who died in a car accident in 1979. She was filming "Farewell" at the time of her death -- a movie Klimov finished for her and released in 1981.

Joan Perucho

Joan Perucho, an award-winning Spanish author, died on Oct. 30 from cirrhosis of the liver. He was 82.

Perucho studied to become a lawyer in Barcelona, then opted to make literature his life's work. He drew attention from the literary world in 1947 with the poetry collection, "Under the Blood." But it was the translation of his 1960 vampire novel, "Natural History," that earned him international recognition and praise.

Known for writing in his native language, Catalan, Perucho received Spain's National Letters Prize in 2002. He also won the National Critics' prize and the National Prize for Literature.

Roy Lucas

Spurgeon LeRoy Lucas Jr., a civil rights attorney who helped legalize abortion in the United States, died on Nov. 3 from a heart attack. He was 61.

Lucas earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina, and a law degree from New York University. After graduation, he founded the James Madison Constitutional Law Institute, a legal organization aimed at advancing a woman's right to have an abortion.

In 1969, Lucas filed the first abortion-rights lawsuit, a move that put him in high demand from others seeking representation. He was best known for working with a committee of attorneys on the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade.

Historians say Lucas was the first person to articulate how the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut decision, which established constitutional privacy protection for the use of birth control by married couples, could be legally extended to include a woman's right to an abortion.

Lucas retired in 1986 in order to focus on his passion for oil painting. He spent his final years writing about painting techniques for magazines; he was doing research in Prague when he died.

Robert Strassburg

Robert Strassburg, the founder of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, died on Oct. 25 from complications of a stroke. He was 88.

Strassburg always had a passion for music. A classically trained concert pianist who played eight hours a day, he also loved composing, conducting and teaching. He received his bachelor's degree in music from the New England Conservatory of Music, his master's degree from Harvard University and his doctorate of fine arts from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles.

In the 1930s, Strassburg married Kathryn Ulanoff after they met on a pier at Coney Island, N.Y. His wife inspired him to write more than 1,000 poems during their 60-year marriage. To commemorate Walt Whitman, one of his favorite poets, he co-chaired the Walt Whitman Centennial in 1992 and composed a 10-movement choral symphony, entitled "Leaves of Grass."

The couple moved to Miami in 1950 where Strassburg became involved in the local music scene. He wrote more than 40 documentary film scores and was named Miami's Composer of the Year in 1955. Three years later, he decided to build the All Miami Youth Symphony Orchestra (now the Greater Miami Youth Symphony) so his son would have a place to perform with other talented children. A Robert Strassburg Piano Concerto competition is held each year to honor its founding director.

Strassburg moved to California in the early '60s to complete his doctoral studies. He taught music at California Status University in Los Angeles and received the institution's Outstanding Professor Award. A leading authority on the music of Ernest Bloch, Strassburg also published the biography, "Ernest Block: Voice in the Wilderness."

Gary Walker

Gary Walker, a veteran Hollywood hairstylist, died on Oct. 22. Cause of death was not released. He was 64.

Walker graduated with a bachelor's degree in music from Morehead College in Kentucky. Although he was a skilled musician, capable of playing every reed instrument, Walker gave it up in 1962 to become a hairstylist. He briefly worked for salons in New York and Beverly Hills before moving to Fort Lauderdale, where he focused his talents on designing wigs for the motion picture industry.

For the past 30 years, Walker created more than 1,000 wigs for feature films and TV shows, including "JAG" and "The Sopranos." He most recently worked on "The Punisher," an upcoming action film starring John Travolta.

Penny Singleton

Mariana Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty, the brunette actress who colored her hair to star in 28 "Blondie" films, died on Nov. 12 from complications of a stroke. She was 95.

McNulty was always an entertainer. She sang at a silent movie theater as a child, and in her teens, began touring with vaudeville. After briefly attending Columbia University and appearing on Broadway, McNulty married dentist Lawrence Singleton and took the stage name Penny Singleton.

Her big break in show business came in 1938 when she landed the role of Blondie Bumstead in a feature film based on the Chic Young comic strip series. Twenty-seven Blondie films followed, including "Blondie Meets the Boss," "Blondie Plays Cupid" and "Blondie Knows Best." Singleton also divorced Lawrence and married "Blondie" producer, Robert Sparks.

In her later years, Singleton played the voice of Jane Jetson, the matriarch on the futuristic cartoon, "The Jetsons." The Hanna-Barbera show ran in prime time for one season, but achieved lasting fame in syndication.

Singleton toured with road shows of plays and musicals and made guest appearances on the TV shows, "The Twilight Zone" and "Murder She Wrote." She also served as a vocal member of the American Guild of Variety Artists, the union that represents touring performers, chorus girls and other entertainers.

Richard Pearson

Richard G. Pearson, a journalist who spent two decades writing obituaries for the Washington Post, died on Nov. 11 from pancreatic cancer. He was 54.

Although he was born in Illinois, Pearson lived in Washington D.C. for most of his life. An interest in politics drove him to take an internship on Capitol Hill and to earn a political science degree from American University.

In 1971, Pearson joined the Washington Post. He worked as a copy aide in the photo department and on the metro desk before landing what he called the perfect job -– researching, writing and editing thousands of obituaries. Some of the lives he chronicled? Cary Grant, Roy Rogers, Andy Warhol and Ted Williams.

"… Everyone dies in the first graf of my stories, but I console myself with the thoughts that there are relatively few complaints from people I write about," Pearson once joked.

His last obit, published in August, focused on Idi Amin. Pearson described him as "the unquestionably evil and perversely fascinating dictator of the east central African nation of Uganda."

Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson, the drummer of the disco funk band Chic and the pop group Power Station, died on Nov. 12 from renal cell cancer. He was 48.

Thompson attained musical prominence in the 1970s. He was performing with Patti LaBelle when he met guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. The trio formed Chic in 1976 and became disco legends with the release of the album, "C'est Chic," which included the chart-topping singles, "Dance Dance Dance," "Le Freak" and "Good Times." "C'est Chic" and the band's next album, "Risque," both went platinum.

When Chic disbanded in 1983, Thompson worked as a session drummer with David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Diana Ross and Rod Stewart. Two years later, he joined Duran Duran members Andy and John Taylor and the late Robert Palmer to form the supergroup, Power Station. The band released the hits, "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On (Bang a Gong)."

Thompson performed with the remaining members of Led Zeppelin in 1985 at the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia. He joined the band for secret recording sessions, but a possible reunion was canceled when Thompson was involved in a serious car accident. Those recordings were never released.

• Discography

Shirl Jennings

Shirley Jennings, the blind man whose life inspired a feature film, died on Oct. 26 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 63.

Jennings was three years old when he contracted meningitis, polio and cat scratch fever. The illnesses stole his eyesight.

After four decades of blindness, Jennings underwent two operations to restore his ability to see. The surgeries were successful, but he suffered from sensory overload. Less than a year later, Jennings came down with pneumonia, which left him disabled and caused much of his restored vision to vanish.

At the time, Jennings was working as a masseuse at the YMCA in DeKalb, Ga. The pneumonia cost him his job and his home, which was owned by the Y. In 1999, his story became the inspiration for the film, "At First Sight,'' starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino.

In the final years of his life, Jennings began painting abstracts. His first one-man art show was held in 2002 at the Center Street Arts Gallery in Conyers, Ga.

Boris Volkoff

Francis Edward Zela, a championship wrestler who performed as Boris Volkoff, died on Oct. 15 from congestive heart failure. He was 76.

A member of the wrestling tag team, the Volkoff Brothers, Zela portrayed a Russian in the ring, but he was actually from Calument City, Ill. His partner, Nicoli, was a genuine Russian who would shout at Zela in his native language. They were an intimidating team and won National Wrestling Alliance tag team titles in 1956, 1958 and 1965.

Zela became interested in physical fitness during World War II when he served in the Merchant Marine. He founded the All-American Health Club and Acres Health Club in Calumet City, which were popular hangouts for professional wrestlers.

In the 1950s, Zela entered the ring as the "Masked Destroyer." He joined the Volkoffs' team after an earlier "Boris" resigned. In the midst of the Cold War, the wrestling "brothers" were popular villains in the ring. His favorite move? The forearm smash.

Zela retired from professional wrestling in 1968, and worked as a contractor and restaurant owner. He moved to Las Vegas in the early 1990s where he continued to exercise on a steady basis. Six months before he died, Zela was still bench pressing 300 pounds.

Mitoyo Kawate

Mitoyo Kawate, the oldest person in the world, died on Nov. 13 from pneumonia. She was 114.

Born in 1889, Kawate worked as a farmer in Japan until she turned 100 years old. She survived exposure to radiation from the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II, and bore four children. The supercentenarian liked to sing and eat custard cakes.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Kawate as the oldest person alive two weeks ago when the previous record-holder, Kamato Hongo, died. Charlotte Benkner, 113, of North Lima, Ohio, is now the oldest living woman in the world.

Canaan Banana

Canaan Sodindo Banana, the first black president of Zimbabwe, died from cancer. He was 67.

The son of a Malawian migrant worker and a Zimbabwean woman, Banana earned a diploma in theology from Epworth Theological College. Ordained in 1962, he became a radical priest who published his own version of the Lord's Prayer and encouraged Africans to resist white supremacy.

Banana joined the fight to oust the country's white-only regime, and in 1975, was imprisoned for his political activities. When the country gained its independence in 1979, Banana was released and named Zimbabwe's first black president. He served as a figurehead leader from 1980 to 1987.

Upon retiring from public office, Banana became a diplomat for the Organization of African Unity and the head of the religious department at the University of Zimbabwe. He spent a decade in relative quiet until a gay sex scandal caused him to flee the country and hide from authorities in South Africa.

After President Nelson Mandela persuaded him to return home, Banana was arrested, tried and convicted of 11 counts of sodomy, attempted sodomy and other "unnatural acts" with the men who staffed the State House during his presidential tenure. He was sentenced to 10 years incarceration, but only spent six months in an open prison; the rest of his sentence was suspended.

The scandal cost Banana his university post, his religious ordination and his popularity. Until his death, he continued to deny being gay or a rapist, declaring the charges were "a mortuary of pathological lies and a malicious vendetta of vilification and character assassination."

Arthur Barnett

Arthur G. Barnett, an attorney who spent nearly half a century fighting to win compensation for Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II, died on Oct. 23 from a stroke. He was 96.

Born in Scotland, Barnett moved to Seattle with his family when he was 12 years old. He earned a law degree from the University of Washington in 1932 then spent five years in the military where he became a Quaker and pacifist.

When UW student Gordon Hirabayashi defied the curfews placed on Japanese Americans during World War II, and refused to register for internment, Barnett represented him in court. Although Hirabayashi v. United States was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1943, the case was vacated 34 years later by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Barnett spent most of his life representing victims of the American camps, and lobbying Congress to approve compensation for their pain and suffering. In 1988, that compensation was granted. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill offering a formal apology and gave $20,000 payments to each of the 65,000 survivors.

For his efforts, Barnett received the William O. Douglas Award of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, and the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association's Courage Award. His papers about the Japanese American incarceration period reside at the University of Washington library.

Mario Merz

Mario Merz, one of Italy's leading contemporary artists, died on Nov. 9. Cause of death was not released. He was 78.

Raised in Turin, Merz studied medicine for two years at the Università degli Studi di Torino. During World War II, he joined the anti-Fascist group, Giustizia e Libertà. His political activities led authorities to imprison him in 1945; it was in jail that Merz began drawing on whatever materials he could find.

When he was released, Merz began painting oils on canvas. Over the next decade, he would create art out of bottles, umbrellas and newspapers. His work was later associated with the Arte Povera ("Poor Art") movement for its usage of ordinary materials. Merz was best known for his igloo, an image he constructed with metal, clay, wax, mud, glass, burlap, branches and neon tubing. It appeared in several of his artistic creations.

Merz's art has been featured in half a dozen books and numerous exhibitions in the United States, Germany and Italy. The Guggenheim Museum in New York dedicated its entire space to a Merz retrospective in 1989.

Art Carney

Arthur William Matthew Carney, an Academy Award-winning actor, died on Nov. 9. Cause of death was not released. He was 85.

Carney loved doing impersonations as a boy, but he never took an acting class or college course. After graduating from high school, he went on tour with the Horace Heidt Orchestra and worked as an announcer on Heidt's "Pot O' Gold" radio show.

His career was temporarily interrupted, however, with the start of America's involvement in World War II. Carney was drafted as an infantryman, participated in the Battle of Normandy and was wounded in the leg by shrapnel. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life.

When he returned to the states, Carney landed a regular spot on "Henry Morgan's Great Talent Hunt." In 1951, he was tapped to play Ed Norton, Jackie Gleason's foil on the classic television show, "The Honeymooners." The role earned him three consecutive Emmy awards. Carney was the last surviving member of the show's four principal characters.

Carney eventually appeared in more than 25 films and dozens of television shows, including "Batman" and "The Twilight Zone." He also created the role of Felix Unger in the original Broadway version of "The Odd Couple," and won an Oscar for his role in the 1974 movie, "Harry and Tonto," He also won three Emmy awards for his work on "The Jackie Gleason Show." Gleason never won the Emmy.

This year, Carney will be inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

Irv Kupcinet

Irv "Kup" Kupcinet, a gossip columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a television personality, died on Nov. 10 from pneumonia. He was 91.

Kupcinet earned a football scholarship to Northwestern University, but a fistfight with the coach's brother led to a transfer to the University of North Dakota. Upon graduation in 1935, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. His rookie season was cut short, however, when he injured his shoulder, so he returned to Chicago and landed a job as a sports writer for the Chicago Daily Times.

In 1943, "Kup's Column" debuted, giving readers the inside scoop on Hollywood celebrities. The 1,000-word gossip column remained at the newspaper even after its 1948 merger with the Chicago Sun. Syndicated in 100 newspapers, the column celebrated its 60th anniversary in May.

During his career, Kupcinet covered the Academy Awards from 1945 to 1986. He traveled to London for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and lunched with everyone from Humphrey Bogart to Harry Truman.

Kupcinet became a pioneer in the late-night talk-show genre when he replaced Jack Paar on NBC's "America After the Dark," which eventually became "The Tonight Show." His own show, which was called both "At Random" and "Kup's Show," aired every Saturday night for 27 years and earned him 15 local Emmys and a Peabody Award.

For almost a quarter of a century, Kupcinet provided commentary for Chicago Bears football games. He was elected to Chicago's Journalism Hall of Fame and published his autobiography, "Kup, a Man, an Era, a City," in 1988.

• Complete Coverage of Irv Kupcinet

• Kup's Columns

[Update - May 29, 2007: Kup's Purple Heart Cruse for wounded vets will sail again this summer. The annual Lake Michigan cruise that Kup operated from 1945 to 1995 is being revived by his grandson, David Kupcinet.]

Thomas Finnie

Thomas Carroll Finnie, a cartographer who created the maps used for manned space flights and lunar landings, died on Oct. 17 from complications of cancer and Alzheimer's disease. He was 84.

Finnie graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1940. During World War II, he served with the Army in the Pacific, then joined the Army engineers corps as a civilian to assist with the reconstruction of Japan.

For 22 years, Finnie worked as the technical director of the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center in St. Louis, where his map production skills were used to aid in space exploration. Finnie was at Houston mission control when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. He also helped create the Defense Mapping Agency, a consolidation of all military mapping, charting and geodesy.

Finnie was inducted as a charter member of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency Hall of Fame in 2001.

Hava Rexha

Hava Rexha, the oldest woman in Albania, died on Nov. 8. Cause of death was not released. She was 123.

Born Aug. 22, 1880, Rexha spent her whole life doing farming jobs and housework in the Albanian village of Shushice. A devout Muslim, Rexha never drank alcohol, but she did smoke.

A report of her existence was made to the Guinness Book of World Records. If her age had been authenticated, Rexha could have been listed as the oldest person who ever lived.

Rexha was buried next to the husband she was forced to marry in 1894 when she was only 14 years old. At the time, he was 60 and had already been married twice. Rexha leaves behind 130 descendants.

Bill Sargent

H. William "Bill" Sargent Jr., an inventor and master showman, died on Oct. 19 from a heart attack. He was 76.

Sargent was always interested in electronics. At six, he accidentally burned down his home while trying to fix a radio. Undaunted, he became a licensed ham radio operator at nine and an electronics expert who held 400 patents on tape heads, distribution amplifiers and electronic camera components.

In 1959, Sargent moved to Los Angeles and began several expensive schemes that would earn him millions one moment and cost him millions the next. He was the first person to launch pay-per-view television, and the first to distribute a closed-circuit boxing match between Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and George Logan to over 1,500 U.S. movie theaters.

Producing the highly successful 1979 comedy film, "Richard Pryor: Live in Concert," earned Sargent enough money to finance a state-of-the-art electronics laboratory in Columbia, Mo. He accidentally burned it down when he placed an acetylene torch on an open 50-gallon drum of lacquer thinner.

The North American Theatre Owners once named him Showman of the Year. Sargent was working on his memoirs when he died.

James O'Gara

James O'Gara, the former editor of the Catholic journal Commonweal, died on Oct. 22 from a heart attack. He was 85.

O'Gara served four years with the U.S. Army infantry fighting in the Pacific during World War II, then earned bachelor's and master's degrees in sociology from Loyola University in Chicago. After graduation, he became a Catholic journalist at the Voice of St. Jude, which is now known as U.S. Catholic magazine. He worked as an associate editor of the Chicago Catholic Worker newspaper and founded Today, a national Catholic student magazine.

In 1952, O'Gara became an editor at Commonweal, a Catholic opinion journal. He remained at the magazine for 32 years and frequently wrote about the challenges facing his faith. When O'Gara was criticized for the liberal direction the magazine was taking on issues like the McCarthy witch hunt for Communists, O'Gara staged an editorial coup at a stockholders meeting to protest further interference with editorial policy. He eventually convinced one owner, Edward Skillin, to buy out the other stockholders. The magazine became a nonprofit corporation at the end of O'Gara's tenure as editor.

Although he retired in 1984, O'Gara couldn't just toss in the pen. Instead, he became a columnist for The Long Island Catholic and a resident scholar at the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn. He also served as a visiting professor for the American studies department at the University of Notre Dame.

C.Z. Guest

C.Z. Guest, a New York Post gardening columnist and author, died on Nov. 8 from natural causes. She was 82.

Born Lucy Douglas Cochrane, Guest was called "Sissy" by her siblings. She later turned the nickname into her own initialed moniker.

After graduating from the Fermata School in Aiken, S.C., and acting on Broadway with the Ziegfeld Follies, Guest married Winston Churchill's second cousin, polo player Winston Frederick Churchill Guest. The couple was well known in New York social circles, and Guest became good friends with author Truman Capote, who also wrote the introduction to one of her books.

In 1978, Guest was offered a weekly gardening column in the New York Post. It was eventually syndicated in 350 U.S. newspapers. Guest also served as the commissioner general of the American garden exhibit of the International Garden Festival in Liverpool, England, and produced her own two-hour show on the QVC shopping channel.

"The most important thing about gardening is to enjoy yourself and have a good time. I've always felt that having a garden is like having a good and loyal friend. All the love and tender care you put into it will be returned," Guest once said.

Veikko Hakulinen

Veikko Hakulinen, a Finnish cross-country skiing champion who won seven Olympic medals, died on Oct. 25 after being hit by a car. He was 78.

Hakulinen represented Finland in four Olympic games -- 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 -- and won three golds, three silvers and one bronze medal.

In 1952, he entered the 50km race and won by 4 minutes 38 seconds. At the 1956 Winter Games, he competed in the 30km race and triumphed over his competitors by 24 seconds. He also earned silver medals in the 50km and the 4x10km relay.

By the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics, Hakulinen was 35 years old, but he didn't let his age slow him down. Instead, he won the bronze medal in the 15km, and earned a gold in the 4x10km relay. In his final Olympic appearance, he earned a silver medal in the 50km race. He also won seven medals at the World Cross-Country Championships.

Princess Lalla Fatima Zohra

Princess Lalla Fatima Zohra of Morocco died on Sept. 15. Cause of death was not released. She was 77.

Born in 1926, Zohra was the daughter of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, and King Muhammed VI ben Hassan's sister. Unlike other princesses of the time, Zohra received a European education. This liberal upbringing instilled a sense of independence in Zohra, so she was horrified when her father arranged a marriage with his cousin, Prince Moulay Ben El Mehdi Alaoui. Despite her protests, Zohra was engaged to the prince when she was 16 years old.

Shortly after the betrothal, the sultan died, leaving Zohra in charge of his household and harem. Until her marriage five years later, Zohra trained with the Red Cross and worked as a nurse.

When Morocco gained its independence from France in 1957, Zohra's husband became the first ambassador to London. Zohra reveled in her newfound freedom, and was noted in the British press for her shopping excursions and jaunts to the theatre and ballet.

After a tour through Italy, the couple returned to Morocco where Zohra began a career in social philanthropy. Known as the "Princess of the Poor," Zohra encouraged women to educate their daughters and to move back the age of marriage. She also served as the chairwoman of the Moroccan Women National Union, an organization that helped thousands of women gain economic self-sufficiency.

In 2001, Zohra denounced the media's lack of sensitivity on "the serious threat of AIDS." Morocco had previously shunned the public discussion of the disease. This year, she was appointed a Commander of the Legion d'Honneur.

Charles Seib

Charles B. Seib, the former ombudsman of The Washington Post, died on Oct. 23 following a brief illness. He was 84.

Seib graduated with a journalism degree from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and took a job with the Evening Chronicle in Allentown. After working at The Associated Press, the Philadelphia Record, the International News Service and the Gannett News Service, Seib joined The (Washington) Evening Star in 1954 as a reporter on the national desk. He was later promoted to be the paper's Sunday editor and managing editor.

In the 1970s, Seib was tapped to succeed Robert C. Maynard as the Washington Post's fourth ombudsman. His job was to answer readers' complaints and monitor the newspaper for fairness. He was the first Post ombudsman to work under a long-term contract.

The author of "The Woods: One Man's Escape to Nature," Seib spent the last years of his life teaching journalism part-time at the University of Maryland, Harvard University, Northeastern University and Syracuse University. His historical papers are housed at the University of Maryland library.

Woody Woodring

Horace L. "Woody" Woodring, the U.S. soldier involved in the accidental death of Gen. George Patton, died on Nov. 2 from heart failure. He was 77.

On Dec. 9, 1945, Woodring, a 19-year-old Army private, was selected to be Patton's limousine driver. They were on a hunting trip in Germany when a truck drove in front of their vehicle. The ensuing crash left the general with a broken neck; he died 12 days later. No one else was injured in the accident.

After returning to the states, President Dwight D. Eisenhower told Woodring he wasn't to blame for the four-star general's death. Woodring spent the rest of his life working as an auto broker and the co-owner of a car dealership in Michigan.

Lorraine Dunn Davis

Lorraine Dunn Davis, a two-time Olympic sprinter and accountant, died on Oct. 16 from a heart attack. She was 61.

Born in Panama, Davis was naturally drawn to sports, particularly softball, volleyball and track. She didn't seriously focus on running until a friend told her she could travel the world if she became a member of Panama's national women's track team.

Davis trained hard and qualified for the team when she was only 15 years old. She won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago as a member of the 4x100 meters relay team. The following year, she represented Panama in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

In 1961, Davis received a track scholarship at Tennessee State University, a school known for its excellent track and field program. During her junior year, she competed in the 1963 Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and won a bronze medal in the 200 meters with a time of 24.7 seconds. She also represented Panama in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

After graduation, Davis gave up competitive running and became an accountant for the Caterpillar Tractor Co. and the Pabst Brewing Co. She spent the last two decades working for the National Bar Association in Washington D.C.

Steve O'Rourke

Stephen O'Rourke, the manager of the classic rock band Pink Floyd, died on Oct. 30 from a stroke. He was 63.

O'Rourke was working as an accountant for the Bryan Morrison Agency in 1968 when Pink Floyd singer Syd Barrett departed from the group. The band's managers, Andrew King and Peter Jenner, decided to leave as well and develop Barrett's solo career rather than continue to handle the band. O'Rourke took over in their stead.

For the past 35 years, O'Rourke managed Pink Floyd and served as the executive producer on the albums, "The Wall," "Pulse" and "Delicate Sound of Thunder." In the early 1970s, he founded EMKA Productions and started managing the solo careers of individual Floyd members David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright.

The band's huge success also granted him the opportunity to indulge in his passion for racing. O'Rourke entered the 24-hour Le Mans race in France several times and finished in 11th place in 1985. He was forced to give up the sport last spring after being diagnosed with a heart condition.

James Lawson

James Raymond Lawson, a master of the carillon, died on Oct. 14. Cause of death was not released. He was 84.

Lawson was studying English at the University of Chicago when he discovered the carillon. The largest musical instrument in the world, the carillon dates back more than five centuries. Carillonneurs sit in front of an oak keyboard and make music by pushing batons and foot pedals that ring a series of bells.

Lawson played the carillon at the Hoover Institution of War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University before serving with the Army during World War II. When the war ended, he attended the Royal Carillon School in Belgium and studied music at the University of London, then spent several years playing the carillon at the University of Chicago.

From 1960 to 1989, Lawson rang the bells at Riverside Church in New York. He also taught music at Lehman College, gave concerts on the world's most famous carillons and recorded several albums of carillon music.

• Listen to the Carillon

Herbert Muschel

Herbert Muschel, the founder of PR Newswire, died on Nov. 4. Cause of death was not released. He was 85.

Muschel graduated with a journalism degree from New York University then served as a radio operator and purser for the Merchant Marine during World War II. In 1954, Muschel started PR Newswire, a service that gave businesses a way to distribute press releases to the media. Working out of his New York City apartment, Muschel used Western Union teleprinters to send the releases, and personally called editors to share breaking news. His first client? Trans World Airlines.

Muschel sold the company to Western Union in 1971; it's now owned by United Business Media Plc of London. Today, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and sends its releases in 27 different languages.

David Bar-Illan

David Bar-Illan, a concert pianist and journalist, died on Nov. 4 from complications of a heart attack. He was 73.

Born in Haifa, Israel, Bar-Illan spent his early years living in the United States. A talented pianist, he graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in 1950, recorded six albums and gave concerts all over the world.

Bar-Illan's two other passions were journalism and politics. In 1990, he became the editorial page editor of The Jerusalem Post; two years later, the paper appointed him editor-in-chief. His weekly column, "Eye on the Media," which often criticized American news organizations for their coverage of the Middle East, was widely read.

Bar-Illan left the newspaper in 1996 to serve as the media advisor to the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was so impressed with Bar-Illan that he hired him to serve as his senior spokesman.

"David Bar-Illan was an Israeli Zionist patriot in his whole being. He was an outstanding artist who sacrificed years of wonderful musical creativity to engage in journalistic and public activity to help his land and his people," said Netanyahu in The Jerusalem Post.

Dick Neustadt

Richard Elliott Neustadt, a historian and presidential adviser, died on Oct. 31. Cause of death was not released. He was 84.

Neustadt received a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as an economist in the Office of Price Administration before serving in the Navy during World War II. When he returned to the states, Neustadt earned a doctorate from Harvard University while working at the Bureau of Budget.

Once President Dwight D. Eisenhower took office, Neustadt returned to academia. He taught at Cornell and Columbia before joining his alma mater's faculty. During his two decades teaching at Harvard, Neustadt co-founded the Kennedy School of Government and served as the first director of the school's Institute of Politics. After he retired, Neustadt and his wife, Baroness Shirley Williams, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in England's House of Lords, split their time between Great Britain and their home on Cape Cod.

The author of several books, including "Presidential Power: The Politics of Leadership," Neustadt was best known for offering his insights to Presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. His final book, "Franklin Delano Roosevelt," which he co-authored with the late British historian Roy Jenkins, is scheduled for release this month.

Ed Lanctot

Edward E. Lanctot, the entrepreneur who transformed a tiny hardware company into a nationwide chain of stores, died on Oct. 30 from complications of a stroke. He was 84.

Raised in Minnesota, Lanctot's first job out of high school was working for hardware wholesaler John Cotter. After serving a four-year tour of duty with the Army during World War II, Lanctot moved to Chicago and helped Cotter build a small hardware company. They created a co-op of local mom-and-pop stores and transformed it into True Value Hardware.

Lanctot handled the company's advertising, using celebrities like Harry Caray and Pat Summerall to promote the chain. When he retired in 1989, the company consisted of 7,000 stores.

Bobby Hatfield

Robert Lee Hatfield, one half of The Righteous Brothers, was found dead in his hotel room on Nov. 5. Cause of death was heart failure due to acute cocaine intoxication. He was 63.

The "Blond Bomber" grew up Anaheim, Calif. In his early 20s, he met Bill Medley and formed the band, the Paramours. After playing at college proms and local bars, they changed the band's name, signed a recording contract with Moonglow Records and released their debut single, "Little Latin Lupe Lu." A year later, The Righteous Brothers hooked up with producer Phil Spector and became rock stars.

The duo's breakthrough came in 1965 when they hit No. 1 on the music charts with the ballad, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." The song eventually became the most played song in the history of American radio.

Five more Top 10 singles followed, including the chart topper, "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration." The 1964 Righteous Brothers song, "Unchained Melody," was rediscovered and became a romantic classic when it was used in the 1990 film, "Ghost." In the past decade, it sold more than 1 million copies and earned Hatfield and Medley a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals.

The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Fifty years after they first formed, the duo annually performed 60 to 80 shows together. They were scheduled to give a concert in Kalamazoo, Mich., when Hatfield died.

• The Righteous Brothers Discography

Preston Smith

Preston E. Smith, the former governor of Texas, died on Oct. 15 from pneumonia. He was 91.

One of 13 children, Smith was only eight years old when he decided to become the state's governor. After working his way through college at Texas Tech, Smith became an entrepreneur. He ran a gasoline service station in Lubbock, then opened a chain of six movie theaters.

A conservative Democrat known for his polka-dot bow ties, Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1944, the Texas Senate in 1956 and the lieutenant governor's office in 1962. Six years later, he was elected governor after running an old-fashioned campaign of personal contact and direct mail.

During his two terms in office, Smith passed the state's first minimum wage law and helped launch the first comprehensive drug abuse program in Texas. His second term, however, was marred by a scandal that destroyed the careers of his lieutenant governor and the House speaker.

After he left the political arena, Smith chaired the Coordinating Board for Texas Colleges and Universities. He also helped raise $500 million for his alma mater.

Smith received numerous awards, including the John Ben Shepperd Outstanding Texas Leader Award, the George Mahon Honor Role of Public Service and the Masonic 50-Year Membership Award.

Gene Ringsdorf

J. Eugene Ringsdorf Sr., the former president of the U.S. Soccer Federation and the Maryland State Soccer Association, died on Oct. 30 of heart failure. He was 91.

As a young adult, Ringsdorf spent two decades playing amateur soccer in the Baltimore area. He was a player/coach of the Corinthian Soccer Club when the team won the Maryland State Amateur Championship in 1937.

After working for the Baltimore Bays of the North American Soccer League, Ringsdorf became the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation. He led the organization from 1961 to 1963 and spent his tenure working to make soccer one of the most popular sports in American high schools.

In 1979, Ringdorf was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Lynn Mathis

Lynn Mathis, a Dallas actor of the stage and screen, died on Oct. 19 from hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He was 49.

After earning a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech and completing the course load of the MFA Program at the Dallas Theater Center, Mathis delved into the local theatre scene. Equally adept at comedy and drama, he won the 1994 Leon Rabin Award for his performance in "Waiting for Godot," and a Best Supporting Actor award for his work in the Theatre Three production of "Taking Steps."

On screen, Mathis appeared in 15 episodes of the PBS series "Wishbone," and on the TV show, "Walker, Texas Ranger." He also acted in several movies, including "The Life of David Gale," starring Kevin Spacey, and the upcoming John Lee Hancock epic, "The Alamo."

Mathis was scheduled to appear in the play, "Mrs. Warren's Profession," at the Theatre Three in Dallas when he died.

Carmen Accordino

Carmen Accordino, a Miami lawyer who also worked as a jazz trombonist, died on Oct. 18 from complications of pneumonia. He was 74.

Accordino received a trombone as a gift from his parents; he mastered the instrument by the time he was 10. As a teenager, he played in Philadelphia nightclubs to save up enough money to pay for college.

Accordino graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and received his law degree from Temple University. After serving four years in the Army's counterintelligence corps, he took a job with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C.

When the S.E.C. transferred him to Miami in 1960, Accordino delved into the local music scene. He played with the Sammy Spear Orchestra for "The Jackie Gleason Show," and performed alongside many famous musicians, including Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr. and Eydie Gorme. In 1995, Accordino was invited to play with the country's top 100 trombonists at a Las Vegas benefit concert.

Ivan Getting

Ivan A. Getting, the scientist who developed the Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS), died on Oct. 11. Cause of death was not released. He was 91.

Getting attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a doctorate in astrophysics as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University. During World War II, he worked as the director of the Division of Fire Control and Army Radar at the MIT Radiation Laboratory. His team created the microwave radar systems that helped the Allies down 95 percent of the German V-1 cruise bombs used against England.

During the Cold War, Getting taught in MIT's electrical engineering department and oversaw the development of the Sparrow III and Hawk missile systems at Raytheon. He was also part of NASA's Gemini and Mercury space programs, and the founding president of the military research company, The Aerospace Corp.

But Getting was best known as the physicist who envisioned GPS, a system that uses satellite technology to pinpoint locations on Earth. Originally designed for the military, the application was eventually reproduced in systems that aid sailors, fishermen, search crews and hikers.

In 1978, Getting served as the president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. For his scientific contributions, he received the President's Medal of Merit, an Air Force Exceptional Service Award, the Kitty Hawk Award, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the John Fritz Medal. He was also inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.

Marie Marcus

Marie Marcus, Cape Cod's "first lady of jazz," died on Oct. 10 from complications of a stroke. She was 89.

Marcus was only four years old when she started playing the piano. At 13, she made her professional debut at Jordan Hall in Boston. She briefly attended the New England Conservatory of Music, but her heart was not into playing classical music. Marcus loved jazz, and was almost expelled for playing swing music in class.

In the 1930s, Marcus moved to New York City and landed a job playing the piano for mobster Dutch Schultz at his restaurant, Kean's Steakhouse. After her shift ended, she trekked up to Harlem to listen to the greatest jazz musicians of the time perform at the Cotton Club and Tillie's Kitchen. She was one of the only white faces in the crowd.

A shy woman, Marcus was eventually persuaded to play for legendary jazz pianist Thomas "Fats" Waller. He was so impressed with her talents that he offered to teach her the stride piano whenever he was not on tour.

Marcus played Miami Beach and appeared on radio and television as a member of the band, Preacher Rollo and the Five Saints, during the 1950s. When she moved back to Massachusetts, she performed at the Coonamessett Club in Falmouth, the Panama Club in Hyannis and the Olde Inn on Cape Cod.

Marcus also recorded seven albums and formed the Cape Cod Jazz Society. She received several honors in her lifetime, including the George Foster Peabody medal and the Annual Living Treasure Award for her achievements in the music industry.

Charlie Justice

Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice, an all-American tailback and former Washington Redskins player, died on Oct. 17. Cause of death was not released. He was 79.

Justice grew up in Asheville, N.C., where he played football for his high school team until 1943. During World War II, he served in the Navy and acquired his nickname while playing for a Naval football team. An officer, talking to the editor of the Baltimore Sun, compared Justice to a runaway train and the moniker stuck.

After the war, Justice attended the University of North Carolina and became a football star. The 170-pound tailback scored 64 touchdowns, led the team to three bowl game appearances and earned two runner-up rankings for the Heisman Trophy. His skills on the field also inspired the 1949 Benny Goodman song, "All the Way, Choo Choo."

Justice graduated with a degree in physical education and was drafted by the Redskins in 1950. He played with the team for four years, but was plagued by injuries. Still, the team selected him as one of the Redskins 70 greatest players. He was also the first athlete inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

• Complete Coverage From The Asheville Citizen-Times

Benjamin F. Schemmer

Benjamin F. Schemmer, the editor and publisher of Armed Forces Journal International, died on Oct. 12 from cardiovascular disease. He was 71.

Schemmer graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and served with the Army in Germany and California. When he returned to the private sector, he worked for Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara at the Pentagon.

In 1968, Schemmer purchased Armed Forces Journal International. For 24 years, he acted as the magazine's editor and publisher, covering the international defense industry. In his spare time, he wrote articles for various publications, including The Washington Post, the New Republic and Penthouse.

He also wrote four books about military affairs and edited the Strategic Review before it folded in July 2001.

William Brown

William Brown, Nevada's oldest veteran, died on Oct. 12 from natural causes. He was 109.

Born in 1894, Brown served in the U.S. Expeditionary Force in France during World War I. Because he was black, Brown was not allowed to fight beside white soldiers. Instead, for more than a year, he acted as cannon fodder, counting shell holes and keeping roads clear with the artillery division. After his discharge, Brown moved to California and spent two decades working as a short-haul driver for the Pacific Trucking Co.

Hours after his death, Brown's niece picked up his U.S. Presidential Citation in honor of his longevity and military service. In 2001, he also received a Legion of Honor from the French government.

Herb Robinson

Herb Robinson, a well-respected journalist and author, died on Oct. 15 from pancreatic cancer. He was 78.

Robinson was studying journalism at the University of Washington when World War II began. He joined the Army in 1943 and attended officer candidate school before getting shipped off to Burma to serve as a combat platoon leader. When he returned to the states, Robinson completed his degree and entered the media business.

From 1953 to 1965, Robinson worked as a news director, anchor and commentator for KOMO-TV, the ABC affiliate in Seattle. He hosted his own public service show and was honored by the Washington State School Directors Association for his efforts to improve the public's understanding of local education.

In 1977, Robinson became the editorial page editor of The Seattle Times, a position he held for 12 years. The veteran journalist also wrote fiction; his last novel was the dark comedy, "Kennewick Man."

To honor him, the Washington News Council has established the Herb Robinson Scholarship. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to a student who is planning a career in communications.

Dharmachari Aryadaka

Dharmachari Aryadaka, Washington state's first paid Buddhist prison chaplain, died on Oct. 6 from liver disease caused by Hepatitis C. He was 55.

Born Philip S. Miller, Aryadaka left the United States in the 1960s to avoid serving in Vietnam. He traveled the world, trekked the Himalayas and served 22 months in prison in Finland for a drug offense. It was in jail that Aryadaka found enlightenment.

In 1984, Aryadaka was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order and took his new name, which means "noble skygoer." He returned to Seattle and began doing volunteer religious work. After co-founding the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order/Seattle Buddhist Center, he became Washington's first paid Buddhist prison chaplain. Each week, he traveled over 100 miles to teach prisoners meditation and useful ways to deal with negative mental states.

Guy Rolfe

Guy Rolfe, a British actor with a penchant for playing villains, died on Oct. 19. Cause of death was not released. He was 91.

After trying his hand at boxing and racecar driving, Rolfe became an actor. In 1936, he began performing on stage and made his first big screen appearance in the Marlene Dietrich film, "Knight Without Armour." A six-decade career followed with Rolfe acting in more than 40 movies.

Casting directors took advantage of the tall and lean actor's dark appearance by choosing antagonist roles for him. In "Mr. Sardonicus," his character's fate was determined by an audience vote.

Rolfe was best known, however, as the mad puppet manufacturer in the "Puppet Master" sequels, and for his guest appearance on the cult science fiction TV show, "Space: 1999."

Vince Salerno

Vincent Frank Salerno, a jazz pianist who continued to perform even as prostate cancer weakened his bones, died on Oct. 10. He was 78.

Salerno started playing the piano when he was seven years old. A decade later, he was able to perform George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," a 52-page piece of music, from memory.

Salerno's professional music career lasted for six decades. He took one three-year break during World War II to serve with the Army Air Forces. Before he was assigned to the infantry, Salerno played in the Air Force Marching Band and with the USO.

Once he returned to the states, Salerno toured with the Alvino Rey and Ted Fio Rito orchestras. He received a bachelor's degree in music and a master's in musical education from San Diego State College. He also spent 22 years with The Variations, the house band at the Hotel del Coronado.

John Graves

John Cowperthwaite Graves, an educator and philanthropist, died on Oct. 13 from an apparent embolism that developed after he donated blood. He was 65.

Born and raised in New York, Graves received his doctorate from Princeton University. He was teaching philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he revealed his homosexuality to his students. Once he "came out," Graves founded the Gay Academic Union of New England and became a psychotherapist at the Homophile Community Health Service in Boston.

After retiring to Fort Lauderdale in 1990, Graves became an active humanitarian. He donated $100,000 to the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, and gave $303,000 to the Metropolitan Community Church's Sunshine Cathedral, which in turn, named a building after him.

Graves was the first openly gay man to receive the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from The Association of Fundraising Professionals. Next month, he was to have been honored with a humanitarian award from The Miami Herald during the Gay & Lesbian Foundation of South Florida dinner.

His autobiography, "Many Roads Traveled," was self-published in 2000.

Kamato Hongo

Kamato Hongo, the oldest person in the world, died on Oct. 31 from pneumonia. She was 116.

Born in 1887, Kamato Hongo was raised on a small rural island in southern Japan. She married and tended a farm for most of her life.

In 2002, the Guinness Book of World Records named her the oldest person in the world. The distinction earned her fame that was only compounded by her odd habit of sleeping for two days and then remaining awake for two days.

During her lifetime, Kamato Hongo bore seven children, and had 27 grandchildren, 57 great grandchildren and 11 great great grandchildren. She attributed her longevity to viewing life with an optimistic attitude.