The Blog of Death

Artie Shaw

Artie Shaw, a jazz clarinetist who became the highest paid bandleader of the Big Band era, died on Dec. 29 of natural causes. He was 94.

Born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky, the New York native began playing the alto saxophone at 14. A few months later, he switched to the clarinet, the instrument that made him famous.

Shaw was playing for the CBS radio orchestra in 1935 when he was asked to form a small group that would play while the band onstage was changed. Their rendition of his song, "Interlude in B Flat," brought down the house. Inspired by this reception, Shaw put together a combination of clarinet, strings and drums, and topped the charts with a recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine."

But success had its pitfalls, and soon Shaw was overcome by the demands of celebrity. He missed his privacy the most and in 1940, moved to Acapulco to get away from the madness of fame. After three months of peace and quiet, however, the media found him when he saved a woman from drowning. Since he was contracted to produce six more recordings for RCA Victor, Shaw returned to the states and formed a 31-piece studio band that released the hit song "Frenesi."

The success of this tune allowed Shaw to create the Gramercy Five, a traveling band named after the New York telephone exchange at the time. They recorded the hits "Mysterioso," "Nightmare," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?," "Star Dust," "Summit Ridge Drive" and "My Funny Valentine."

At his peak in the 1930s and '40s, Shaw earned $60,000/week. He worked with numerous jazz legends, including Mel Torme, Joe Bushkin and Barney Kessel, and shocked all-white audiences in the South when he hired Billie Holiday to sing with his band. Shaw was wooed to Hollywood, as well, and appeared in half a dozen films. He received two Academy Award nominations for his soundtrack contributions to the musical "Second Chorus."

Shaw enlisted in the Navy after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. During World War II, he culled together a group of civilian musicians to perform for the troops stationed in the Pacific. Despite this military service, Shaw was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1953. The outspoken liberal admitted that he had attended a couple of Communist meetings after the war, but never joined the party or gave it any money.

Shaw left the music business several times, then put down his clarinet for good in 1954. After that, he became a cattle rancher, a dairy farmer, a film producer, a lecturer on the college circuit and an author. Shaw published two short story collections ("I Love You, I Hate You, Drop Dead: Variations on a Theme" and "The Best of Intentions"), and the autobiography, "The Trouble With Cinderella." He spent many years working on an unpublished novel about a troubled young jazz musician named Albie Snow. In 2004, Shaw received a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and was named a jazz master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Shaw was also famous for his matrimonial endeavors. Married eight times, his good looks and talent led to partnerships with four actresses (Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Doris Dowling and Evelyn Keyes) and novelist Kathleen Winsor ("Forever Amber"). All but one of his marriages ended in divorce; his marriage to Jane Carns was annulled.

In his 90s, Shaw penned his own epitaph for "Who's Who in America": "He did the best he could with the material at hand." He later edited it down to two words: "Go away."

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Download MP3s From Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five

Victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake

To the 140,000+ people who lost their lives in the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, rest in peace. To their families and friends, please accept our sincere condolences.

Millions of people now face a future filled with funerals, polluted drinking water and minimal sanitation and health services. Diseases like malaria and cholera could add to the death toll. The cost of rebuilding damaged homes and businesses will be in the billions. To help the survivors of the massive undersea earthquake that sent tsunamis into coastlines from Indonesia to Africa, consider donating time/money to these organizations:

* The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian organization guided by seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

* Action Against Hunger is an international, non-governmental, non-religious organization that saves lives by combating hunger, malnutrition, physical suffering and the associated distress that endanger the lives of children, women and men in emergency situations.

* Direct Relief International is a non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian organization that provides assistance without regard to race, ethnicity, political or religious affiliation, gender or ability to pay.

* Doctors Without Borders is a private, non-profit organization that delivers emergency aid to victims of armed conflict, epidemics and natural and man-made disasters, and to others who lack health care due to social or geographical isolation.

* The International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, non-political, non-sectarian, non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training, relief and development programs.

Jerry Orbach

To lovers of Broadway musicals, Jerry Orbach was a Tony Award-winning song and dance man. Fans of his movies remember the actor as Dr. Houseman, Baby's father in "Dirty Dancing," or as Jack Rosenthal in the Woody Allen picture "Crimes and Misdemeanors." To the New York Landmark Conservancy, he was a Living Landmark. But to millions of TV viewers, Orbach was beloved for playing Lennie Briscoe, the wry homicide detective on NBC's "Law & Order."

Born Jerome Bernard Orbach, the Bronx native was the son of Leon Orbach, a former vaudevillian actor, and Emily Orbach, a radio singer. He majored in drama at the University of Illinois and at Northwestern University, then moved to New York City to break into show business. There he studied with Lee Strasberg and became a member of the Actors Studio.

Orbach's first professional stage appearance was playing Mack the Knife in Kurt Weill's version of "The Threepenny Opera." He created the role of El Gallo in the original run of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks" before making his Broadway debut in David Merrick's production of "Carnival." Orbach received his first Tony nomination in 1965 for his best actor performance in "Guys and Dolls." Four years later, he won the award playing Chuck Baxter in the musical "Promises, Promises," a stage adaptation of Billy Wilder's "The Apartment." Portraying Billy Flynn in the original Broadway production of "Chicago" earned Orbach a third Tony nod in 1976.

Over the course of his four-decade career, Orbach acted in more than 60 TV movies and feature films. He provided the voice of Lumiere, the candelabra, in the Oscar-winning Disney film "Beauty & the Beast," and Sa'luk, the metal-fingered thief, in "Aladdin and the King of Thieves."

Orbach made guest appearances on dozens of TV shows, including "Kojak," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Trapper John, M.D." and "Empty Nest." He earned an Emmy nomination for best guest actor in a comedy series playing Glen O'Brien on "The Golden Girls." From 1987 to 1988, Orbach even headlined his own show -- "The Law and Harry McGraw" -- a spinoff of a recurring character he played on "Murder, She Wrote." He also hosted the reality series, "Encounters With the Unexplained," on the PAX network.

Although Orbach originally appeared as a defense attorney in the second season of "Law & Order," he returned a few years later to tackle the role of Briscoe, a twice-divorced alcoholic cop with a habit of bending the rules. For 12 seasons, Orbach played the perpetually scowling police officer, solved hundreds of cases, broke in numerous partners and earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actor in a drama series (2000). He left the hit drama last season, but had already begun production on its latest spinoff "Law & Order: Trial by Jury." That show is expected to debut next year.

Orbach died on Dec. 28 of prostate cancer. He was 69. On Wednesday night, the lights on Broadway were dimmed in his honor.

Susan Sontag

Susan Sontag, an author and social critic, died on Dec. 28 from complications of acute myelogenous leukemia. She was 71.

Born Susan Rosenblatt in 1933, the New York native spent her early years in Tucson, Ariz., and Los Angeles. She skipped three grades and graduated from high school at 15. Although her mother warned that constant reading would keep men away, Sontag refused to heed this advice. The 17-year-old bibliophile was attending the University of Chicago when she sat in on a lecture by 28-year-old sociologist Philip Rieff. They were married 10 days later. The couple had a son, David, but divorced in the mid-1960s.

Sontag earned master's degrees in English and philosophy from Harvard University, studied in England and France, then moved to New York City. In 1964, she launched a career as a professional writer when she published the essay "Notes on Camp" in the Partisan Review. Sontag followed that up with critical studies and essay collections on disease ("Illness as Metaphor & AIDS and Its Metaphors"), culture ("Where the Stress Falls") and still pictures ("On Photography").

Although "On Photography" received a National Book Critics Circle award in 1978, Sontag partially refuted her thesis (that photography had desensitized people from understanding true suffering) 25 years later in the essay collection, "Regarding the Pain of Others." She also wrote the introduction to "Women," a photography collection by her long-time companion Annie Leibovitz.

A self-described "obsessed moralist," Sontag actively campaigned for human rights and social equality. In the early 1990s, she called for the international community to respond to the genocide occurring in Rwanda and Bosnia. Days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Sontag sparked much debate when she bashed U.S. foreign policy and commented on the courage of the hijackers. In an essay published in The New Yorker, she wrote: "…Whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday's slaughter, they were not cowards."

Sontag wrote "The Way We Live Now," an acclaimed short story about AIDS that later appeared in "The Best American Short Stories of the Century." She published a short story collection ("I, etcetera") and four novels, including the bestselling historical romance "The Volcano Lover." Her novel, "In America," which was loosely based on the life of Polish actress Helena Modjeska, won the National Book Award in 2000, but was criticized for using material from fiction and nonfiction sources without giving proper credit.

Sontag directed four feature-length films and penned the play "Alice in Bed." She received a MacArthur Genius grant and served two years as the president of the PEN American Center, an international writers' organization dedicated to freedom of expression and the advancement of literature. In 1989, Sontag defended author Salman Rushdie when the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him for writing "The Satanic Verses."

"Susan Sontag was a great literary artist, a fearless and original thinker, ever valiant for truth, and an indefatigable ally in many struggles. She set a standard of intellectual rigor to which I and her many other admirers continue to aspire, insisting that with literary talent came an obligation to speak out on the great issues of the day, and above all to defend the sovereignty of the creative mind and imagination against every kind of tyranny," Rushdie stated.

• Listen to Several BBC Interviews With Sontag

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Ancel Keys

Dr. Ancel Benjamin Keys, the educator and physiologist who invented K-rations, died on Nov. 20. Cause of death was not released. He was 100.

Born in Colorado Springs, Keys was the nephew of silent film star Lon Chaney. As a young man, he worked in a lumber camp, shoveled bat guano in Arizona, mined for gold and traveled to China as a sailor on an ocean liner. Keys graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in chemistry, then earned a doctorate in zoology and oceanography from the Scripps Institute. He received a second doctorate in physiology from Kings College in Cambridge, England, and worked at the Mayo Clinic for a short time before joining the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1936. Four years later, he founded the school's Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene. Keys remained at the university until his retirement in 1972.

At the start of America's involvement in World War II, the U.S. Army commissioned Keys to design a lightweight, non-perishable and nutritional meal for paratroopers and soldiers heading into combat. Using items he found in a Minneapolis grocery store, Keys created a meal consisting of biscuits and/or crackers, dry sausage, hard candy and chocolate. The military added chewing gum, toilet paper and four cigarettes to the package, mass-produced the "K-rations" and gave them to thousands of GIs fighting overseas.

Keys next studied the physiology of starvation. He conducted hunger experiments on conscientious objectors, and provided the government with a record of the physiological, psychological and cognitive changes his test subjects experienced due to food deprivation.

Reading the obituary pages in the newspaper inspired Keys to investigate the causes of heart disease. Beginning in 1947, he studied 283 businessmen from Minneapolis and St. Paul -- meat and potatoes country -- and found that heart attacks were more likely to occur in men who smoked and had high blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol levels. After further research, Keys discovered that saturated fat largely determined cholesterol levels. If the quantity of fat in a person's diet was reduced, he concluded, then heart disease could be prevented.

In 1958, Keys began studying the diets of 12,763 middle-aged men living in Italy, the Greek islands, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Finland, Japan and the United States. His landmark "Seven Countries Study" showed that a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, pasta, bread and olive oil would reduce the occurrence of heart disease. The results, which were chronicled in his bestselling book, "Eat Well and Stay Well," earned him an appearance on the cover of Time magazine in 1961.

Today, the "Mediterranean diet," which is heavy on fruits and vegetables and light on fat and meat, has gained popularity with Americans seeking to lose weight and live longer, healthier lives.

Reggie White

An ordained minister and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Reginald Howard White was known as the "Minister of Defense."

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive end spent 15 years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers before retiring in 2000 as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks (198). Buffalo's Bruce Smith broke White's record in 2003.

An All-American lineman at the University of Tennessee, White joined the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League in 1984. When the USFL folded a year later, the Chattanooga, Tenn., native was drafted by the Eagles, where he contributed to Philadelphia's "Gang Green" defense for eight years.

White was one of the plaintiffs in a class action antitrust lawsuit that led to the unrestricted, free agency system. In 1993, he was the first major black player to sign with Green Bay as a free agent, a deal worth $17 million over four years. His signing, along with a trade for Brett Favre, was credited with helping the Packers reach the Super Bowl championship twice, including a win over New England in 1997. White also set a Super Bowl record by making three sacks.

White missed only one game during his last 12 seasons and started all but three games during that same time period. He was elected to the Pro Bowl 13 times, and named to the NFL's 75th anniversary team.

Off the field, White encouraged inner-city youths to stay in school and avoid drugs. He founded the Christian Athletes United for Spiritual Empowerment ministry and served as the associate pastor at the Inner City Community Church in Knoxville, Tenn. The church was burned down in 1998, and racial epithets were left at the scene.

Two months later, White's image was tarnished when he gave a speech to the Wisconsin State Assembly that promoted ethnic stereotypes and referred to homosexuality as "one of the biggest sins in the Bible." Although he later apologized, his comments cost him commercial endorsements and a chance to be a television commentator at CBS.

In later years, White moved away from the evangelical form of Christianity that once inspired him to hold prayer meetings in the locker room. He began studying the Torah and the Bible in its original Hebrew, and told the media he was less interested in the tenets of organized religion than he was in being involved with "the Jewish Messiah who died for my sins."

White died on Dec. 26. Cause of death was not released. He was 43.

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Harold H. Benjamin

Harold H. Benjamin, the founder of a national network of wellness centers for cancer patients, died on Dec. 23 of complications from pulmonary fibrosis. He was 80.

The Philadelphia native served as a radarman in the U.S. Army during World War II, then earned a bachelor's degree from Penn State. He married a classmate, Harriet Miller, who supported him through law school at Cornell. Benjamin was working as an attorney when Harriet was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a bilateral mastectomy in 1972 and recovered from the disease.

The experience inspired Benjamin to give up his successful Beverly Hills practice and dedicate his life to helping others. He encouraged cancer patients to maintain a positive attitude and promoted his Patient Active Concept: "People with cancer who participate in their fight for recovery from cancer will improve the quality of their life and may enhance the possibility of their recovery."

In 1982, Benjamin pooled together $250,000 and created the first Wellness Community in Santa Monica, Calif. The organization, which offered free psychological and social support to cancer victims and their families, was facilitated by licensed therapists. The Wellness Community now serves 30,000 people a year at 22 centers in the United States. A center in Tokyo and another in Tel Aviv provide free services to cancer patients overseas.

The Wellness Community received a $1 million donation from a local philanthropist after "Saturday Night Live" comedian Gilda Radner wrote about her experiences there in the book "It's Always Something." When Radner died of ovarian cancer in 1989, her Wellness Community psychotherapist Joanna Bull, her husband Gene Wilder and her friends launched a similar project called Gilda's Club.

Benjamin chronicled his efforts and philosophies in the books "From Victim to Victor" and "The Wellness Community Guide to Fighting for Recovery From Cancer." He was also interviewed on the CBS news program "60 Minutes."

Renata Tebaldi

Italian operatic soprano Renata Ersilia Clotilde Tebaldi had a voice that was praised by critics and conductors for its pure timbre, control and wide range.

Born in 1922, Tebaldi contracted polio when she was 3 years old. After recovering from the debilitating illness, she took piano and singing lessons at the conservatories in Pesaro and Parma, Italy.

Tebaldi made her professional debut in 1944 playing Elena in Boito's ''Mefistofele'' at the opera house in Rovigo, Italy. For the next three decades, she traveled widely and sang in some of the most noted opera houses, including Covent Garden in London and La Scala in Milan.

In 1950, Tebaldi made her American debut in San Francisco as Aïda. Five years later, she premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as Desdemona. Tebaldi also signed an exclusive contract with Decca, and recorded most of her repertory for the record company.

Although the media frequently wrote about a bitter rivalry between her and Maria Callas, Tebaldi claimed she never felt any animosity toward the Greek leading lady. Callas, however, frequently compared Tebaldi to herself as "Coca-Cola to Champagne."

In total, Tebaldi sang in 1,048 operas and 214 concerts. After experiencing problems with her vocal chords in the mid-1970s, however, she retired from performing and spent her final years teaching. Tebaldi was a Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and received a Commander, Order of Arts and Letters from France.

Tebaldi died on Dec. 19. Cause of death was not released. She was 82.

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

Download "Renata Tebaldi: Classic Recital"

Fernando Poe Jr.

Fernando Poe Jr., a popular Philippine movie star and former presidential candidate, died on Dec. 14 after suffering a stroke. He was 65.

Born Ronald Allan Kelley Poe, he was the son of Filipino actor Fernando Poe Sr. and Elizabeth Kelley, an American. His elder brother was technically named Fernando Poe Jr., but Ronald later adopted the moniker. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and took a job delivering messages for a film exchange office. At 15, Poe entered show business as a stuntman for Everlasting Pictures. He made his acting debut in the 1955 film "Son of Palaris."

Known as "Da King" or simply FPJ, Poe found his niche playing underdog heroes. He appeared in more than 200 films, including several based on true stories, and won the Philippine equivalent of the Academy Award four times. Over the course of his five-decade career, Poe directed nine movies and ran several production companies.

At the urging of his countrymen, particularly ex-president Joseph Estrada, Poe decided to capitalize on his popularity and enter the political arena. The self-made millionaire had no experience in public service and little education, yet ran as the Kilusan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino's candidate for president in the May 2004 election. Although he was born in the Philippines, Poe's bloodline came into question during the campaign. After months of attacks, the Philippine Supreme Court declared him a natural born citizen who was qualified to run.

Poe liked to use his famous movie one-liners in stump speeches and ran on a platform that promised to help the poor. (His campaign slogan was "Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.") Despite support from fellow celebrities, Poe lost the election against incumbent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by 1.1 million votes. In July, he petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify Arroyo's victory and accused the sitting president of electoral fraud. Arroyo's campaign team denied any wrongdoing; the court has yet to rule on the matter.

Poe is survived by his wife, actress Susan Roces, and two children.

Gary Webb

Gary Webb, an award-winning investigative journalist, committed suicide on Dec. 10. He was 49.

Born in Corona, Calif., Webb was only 15 when he launched his journalism career as an editorialist for his high school newspaper. He dropped out of college just before graduation, opting to work for The Kentucky Post instead. Webb covered state politics and private sector corruption for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, then moved back to California to write for the San Jose Mercury News.

From 1988 to 1997, Webb wrote about computer software problems at the California DMV and abuses in the state's drug asset forfeiture program. He contributed to the newspaper's detailed coverage of the 1989 Bay Area earthquake, which earned the staff a Pulitzer Prize for general news reporting in 1990. Webb also won the H.L. Mencken Award, a Journalist of the Year Award from the Bay Area Society of Professional Journalists and a Media Hero Award.

The biggest story of Webb's career also lead to his downfall. In August 1996, Webb published "Dark Alliance: The Story Behind the Crack Explosion," in the San Jose Mercury News. The 20,000-word investigative series claimed that Nicaraguan drug traffickers based in San Francisco had sold tons of cocaine in Los Angeles ghettos during the 1980s and used the profits to fund the CIA-supported Nicaraguan Contras. Webb never accused the CIA of aiding the drug dealers, but he implied that the Agency was aware of the transactions.

Webb used numerous sources for his story, including a 450-page declassified report from the Senate Subcommittee on Narcotics, Terrorism and International Operations. The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the CIA later conducted independent investigations that discredited Webb's reporting. Nine months after the story's publication, the San Jose Mercury News issued a public apology and reassigned Webb to cover local news in a suburban bureau. He quit in 1997.

Webb stood by the story, however, and in 1999 he published the book "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion." He worked for the California Assembly Speaker's Office of Member Services and for the Joint Legislative Audit Committee before taking a reporting job with the Sacramento News and Review, an alternative weekly newspaper.

On Dec. 10, a moving company arrived at Webb's Carmichael, Calif., home and found a note on the front door that read: "Please do not enter. Call 911 and ask for an ambulance." Although rumors spread on the Internet that Webb had met with foul play, the Sacramento County Coroner's Office reported on Dec. 15 that he died from two self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head. A handwritten suicide note was found near the body.

Webb's ex-wife, Sue Bell, told the Sacramento Bee that Webb had been distraught in recent weeks over his inability to land another job at a major newspaper. In the final year of his life, Webb paid for his own cremation, named Bell as the beneficiary of his bank account and sold his house because he could no longer afford the mortgage payments.

• Watch an Interview With Webb

Barry Corbet

J. Barry Corbet, a member of the first American team to climb Mount Everest, died on Dec. 18 of natural causes. He was 68.

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Corbet attended Dartmouth College on and off for several years. Academia didn't suit him so he became a climbing guide and ski instructor in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Ever the adventurer, Corbet traveled around the world and tackled many tough climbs, including Mount Tyree (15,919 feet), the second highest peak in Antarctica.

In 1963, Corbet joined Al Auten, Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld in making the first ascent of Mount Everest's west ridge. Corbet gave up his chance to summit with the other climbers because he assumed he'd be back someday. Five years later, however, he was paralyzed from the waist down in a helicopter crash near Aspen, Colo.

After the accident, Corbet worked as a filmmaker and advocate for the disabled. He produced or co-produced dozens of movies, and edited New Mobility, a magazine that covers disability issues. Corbet also wrote several books ("Options: Spinal Cord Injury and the Future," "Spinal Network: The Total Wheelchair Resource Book") and took up whitewater kayaking.

A double black-diamond ski run on Rendezvous Peak in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is named after him. "Corbet's Couloir" features a wicked 10-foot drop that challenges skiers and snowboarders alike.

Athena Starwoman

Athena Starwoman, Australia's most famous astrologer, died on Dec. 16 of breast cancer. She was in her 50s.

Starwoman maintained an air of mystery about her personal life. Although she was born under the astrological sign of Cancer, few knew her real name or background. Her publicity materials claimed she had a mystical lineage and had spent time studying under a Native-American shaman.

Starwoman built an astrological empire as a popular horoscope writer and media personality. Her celestial advice column appeared in Vogue, Woman's Day and in newspapers all over the world. She ran an online astrology business that offered seminars and readings and published several books, including "Zodiac Athena's Sunsigns: The Long-Awaited Guide to the Stars by Vogue's Renowned Astrologer," "Think Yourself Thin: Amazing Psychic Technique to Reach Your Perfect Weight" and "How to Turn Your Ex-Boyfriend Into a Toad."

In recent years, Starwoman divided her time between Australia's Gold Coast and a $3 million, 1-bedroom apartment on The World of ResidenSea cruise liner.

"With her unique style, sharp wit and indomitable spirit, Athena will be fondly remembered by her family, friends and fans as a true, shining star," Athena's husband, inspirational speaker John Demartini said in a written statement.

Princess Kikuko

Princess Kikuko, the oldest member of the Japanese royal family and the aunt of Emperor Akihito, died on Dec. 18 of blood poisoning. She was 92.

Kikuko was the granddaughter of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, the last shogun of the Edo period (1603-1868). A woman with modern ideals, Kikuko graduated from Gakushuin Women's College before marrying Prince Takamatsu, a son of Emperor Taisho, in 1930.

Kikuko became a champion of cancer research in 1933 when her mother, Mieko Tokugawa, died of the disease. The following year, she began donating radium, a substance used in cancer treatment, to the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research. In 1968, Kikuko established the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, a trust that allocates public monies to groundbreaking cancer research. Despite these efforts, her husband died of lung cancer in 1987.

Prince Takamatsu's diaries were found four years after his death. The 20 volumes included personal commentary about the royal family and criticism of the military establishment before and during World War II. Although the Imperial Household Agency asked her to keep the diaries private, Kikuko allowed them to be published in an eight-volume set ("Takamatsunomiya Nikki") in 1995.

To honor the birth of Princess Aiko in December 2001, Kikuko published an article in a Japanese women's magazine that called for a change in succession rules to allow a female Imperial family member to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne. She was the first member of the royal family to publicly request such reform.

Sidonie Goossens

Anne Sidonie Goossens, the principal harpist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra for nearly half a century, died in her sleep on Dec. 15. She was 105.

Born in 1899, Goossens was the last surviving member of a musically distinguished family. Her father and her grandfather, both named Eugene, were principal conductors of the Carl Rosa Opera Company. Her sister Marie, who died in 1991, was a harpist with several British orchestras. Her brother Leon, who died in 1988, was a renowned oboe player. Her brother Eugene, who died in 1962, directed symphony orchestras in the United States and later became the chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia. Her brother Adolph, who played the French horn, was killed in World War I.

Although she yearned to be an actress or an opera singer, Goossens' father decided she should play the harp. She studied at the Royal College of Music for one year then earned a living playing with chamber music groups and theatre bands. Goossens mastered difficult modern and avant garde works on her French Erard harp, and made her orchestral debut in 1921 in the orchestra her brother Eugene formed to play Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." She and Marie played the harp parts while Leon served as the principal oboe.

Goossens became the first solo harpist broadcast on the radio in 1923. In 1936, she was the first to play the harp on television. Goossens also made news that year when the destroyer Gallant rescued her and 49 other Britons from Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War broke out. Goossens was married to conductor, violinist and composer Hyam "Bumps" Greenbaum until his death in 1942. Three years later, she wed Major Norman Millar; he died in 1991.

A founding member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Goossens was its principal harpist from 1939 to 1981, and a professor of the harp at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for 30 years. She was appointed a Member (of the Order of the) British Empire in 1974 and an Officer (of the Order of the) British Empire in 1981. At 91, she became the oldest person to perform at the Last Night of the Proms concert. Televised on the BBC in 1991, the concert featured Goossens performing "The Last Rose of Summer" with singer Dame Gwyneth Jones.

David Brudnoy

David Barry Brudnoy always believed in maintaining an open and honest relationship with his listeners. For more than three decades, the erudite Boston broadcaster interviewed hundreds of guests and used his talk show on WBZ-AM to civilly discuss books, current events and social issues.

Brudnoy's candor and intelligence earned him a devoted following. When the station canceled his show in the early 1990s in favor of cheaper, syndicated talk programming, his loyal listeners boycotted the station and its advertisers. Brudnoy was back on the air a few weeks later. "The David Brudnoy Show" eventually became the highest-rated nighttime talk show in town.

The Minneapolis native received a bachelor's degree in Japanese studies from Yale and a master's in Far Eastern studies from Harvard. After a short teaching stint at Texas Southern University, a historically African-American school, Brudnoy moved back to Boston where he earned a master's in the history of American civilization and a doctorate in history from Brandeis University.

In 1971, a friend encouraged Brudnoy to audition for an opening as a commentator at WGBH, Boston's public television station. He landed the job and became the station's "token conservative." Brudnoy worked as a radio talk show host at WHDH and WRKO before he found a permanent home at WBZ. Since 1986, his deep, soothing voice has been heard every weeknight in 38 states and in Canada.

In his spare time, Brudnoy lectured at Boston University and presented opinionated commentaries on Channel 38's "Nightcast at 10." A longtime contributor to The National Review, he also wrote articles for The New York Times, TV Guide and the New Republic. Brudnoy penned movie reviews for the Community Newspapers chain, won the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts' Freedom of Speech Award and co-founded both the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Theatre Critics Circle.

Brudnoy nearly died from a viral infection in 1994. When rumors circulated about his illness, Brudnoy decided to end the speculation with a frank, on-air discussion. He came out of the closet and revealed to his audience that he'd been diagnosed with AIDS. In 1996, he established The David Brudnoy Fund for AIDS Research at Massachusetts General Hospital to raise resources for unrestricted research into treatments and vaccines for the disease. Brudnoy then chronicled his struggles with HIV and AIDS in his 1997 memoir, "Life Is Not a Rehearsal."

Last year, Brudnoy announced on air that he was suffering from merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. Normally, the cancer is treatable, but with a lowered immune system, it spread into his liver and kidneys. On Dec. 8, Brudnoy gave a final interview from his hospital bed. He said good-bye to his radio audience and told them he was ready to die.

Brudnoy died on Dec. 9 of renal failure caused by carcinoma. He was 64.

• Listen to Brudnoy's Last Broadcast

Jonathan Aurthur

When his son Charley committed suicide in 1996 by leaping onto the Santa Monica Freeway during morning rush hour, Jonathan Aurthur felt both sad and liberated.

Charley suffered from psychotic episodes and had repeatedly tried to kill himself. He flipped the family car into a ditch, took pills, slashed his own wrists and stabbed himself in the heart with a Swiss army knife. But when Charley finally succeeded in his efforts at 23, Aurthur took some comfort in knowing his son no longer suffered.

In the years after Charley's death, Aurthur quit his copyediting job and wrote the 2002 book, "The Angel and the Dragon: A Father's Search for Answers to His Son's Suicide: The Myths and Realities of Mental Illness." To help other parents of troubled teens, he discussed the treatments his family had sought for Charley, and quoted liberally from his son's 10 spiral notebook journals.

Born in New York City, Aurthur studied at St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., and UCLA. He worked as a community organizer and documentary filmmaker for three decades, and dedicated his spare time to volunteering for environmental causes. Aurthur also edited the journal, Appeal to Reason, and wrote the 1977 book "Socialism in the Soviet Union."

In recent years, however, Aurthur had been unable to find a job. Friends said he grew depressed over his mounting credit card debt, the re-election of President George W. Bush and the ever-present pain of losing his son.

On Nov. 22, Aurthur borrowed a friend's Plymouth and drove into the Angeles National Forest. The car was discovered there three days later, blocking an access road. Inside the car was a suicide note that read: "I jumped near the entrance to the dam." Searchers found his battered body on Nov. 29; he had plunged about 500 feet to his death. Aurthur was 56.

Pierre Berton

Pierre Berton, an historian, television personality and obsessed storyteller, died on Nov. 30 of heart failure. He was 84.

Born in 1920 and raised in the Yukon, Berton worked in the Klondike mining camps while at university. After completing four years of military service, he launched a career in journalism. Berton quickly worked his way up the ranks at The Vancouver Sun, and was only 21 when he became the youngest city editor on any Canadian daily. Within a decade, he was the managing editor of Maclean's.

Berton was an associate editor and daily columnist for The Toronto Star in the late-1950s when he decided to tackle the medium of television. He joined the CBC public affairs program "Close-Up" and served as a permanent panelist on "Front Page Challenge." In 1962, Berton premiered his own program, "The Pierre Berton Show," which aired until 1973. He later wrote and hosted "My Country," "The Great Debate," "Heritage Theatre" and "The Secret of My Success." Sporting his trademark bow tie, Berton wowed viewers of the "Monday Report" in October when he offered tips on the best way to roll a joint.

To call Berton a "prolific writer" would be an understatement. At one point, he wrote 15,000 words a day. Berton penned children's stories, biographical profiles, religious critiques and coffee table collections, but he was best known for chronicling Canada's past in the books "Klondike," "The National Dream" and "Pierre Berton's Canada: The Land and the People." His 50th book, "Prisoners of the North," was published in 2004.

Berton received many accolades, including three Governor General's Awards for nonfiction, two National Newspaper Awards, the Stephen Leacock Medal of Humour and a Companion of the Order of Canada. A library in Vaughan, Ont., bears his name and houses his entire collection of writings. Canada's National History Society named its annual award for outstanding achievement in popularizing Canadian history after Berton; he was its first recipient as well. Berton was inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998, and ranked No. 31 on the CBC's list of The Greatest Canadians earlier this year.

"You'll never die, Pierre," author June Callwood said at Berton's memorial service. "You're gone, but you'll never die."

Nadine Renee

Nadine Shamir, a singer/songwriter who was best known for the 1996 crossover hit "Set U Free," died on Dec. 2 following the birth of her first child. She was 32.

The New York-born/Miami-raised performer was always creative -- she painted, sculpted, acted and wrote screenplays -- but her true passion was music. She wrote her first song at 12 and formed her first band two years later. At 16, Shamir independently released her debut album, "Say You'll Stay," and adopted the stage name Nadine Renee.

After high school, Shamir wrote and co-produced her second independent album, "Let's Make Love." She traveled around the world before moving to New York City to work as a receptionist at MCA Studios. In 1996, Shamir co-wrote the song "Set U Free." She joined forced with Miami disc jockey George Acosta, and together they released "Set U Free" under the name Planet Soul. The song peaked at #26 on Billboard's Hot 100 and crossed over to the R&B charts.

In recent years, Shamir performed in Europe and wrote songs for Warner/Chappell USA, a music publishing house. She recorded an album for MCA in the late-'90s, but it was later shelved. The Orchard released a reworked version as "Oasis of Love" in 2000.

Shamir is survived by her husband Jon and her newborn daughter, Liat Nadine Shamir.

Download "Oasis of Love"

Hiltgunt Margret Zassenhaus

Dr. Hiltgunt Margret Zassenhaus, a retired physician and author who was nominated for the 1974 Nobel Peace Prize, died on Nov. 20 of pneumonia. She was 88.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Zassenhaus earned a bachelor's degree in Scandinavian languages from the University of Hamburg. She was taking premed courses in 1940 when the Third Reich's Department of Justice ordered her to read and censor the letters written by Jews that requested food from friends and relatives. Zassenhaus was told to either black out their pleas or destroy the correspondence. With the help of shipping agents, she smuggled the letters out of the country.

Unaware of her activities, the Gestapo then ordered Zassenhaus to utilize her specialized language skills to monitor the 1,200 Danish and Norwegian resistance fighters forced to live in German prison camps. Instead, she used her position to get past the SS officers and secretly deliver suitcases filled with food, books, medicine and other forbidden supplies.

Zassenhaus kept a card file that listed all of the Scandinavian prisoners she encountered at the 52 prisons and camps. She entrusted the list to a Danish sea captain who gave it to the Swedish Red Cross. In 1945, Zassenhaus's list was used by the Red Cross to locate and rescue political prisoners before the Nazis could execute them.

After the war, Zassenhaus completed her medical degree at the University of Copenhagen. She immigrated to America and served her internship and residency at City Hospital in Baltimore. Zassenhaus ran her own medical office for many years, then became a best-selling author. Her memoir, "Walls: Resisting the Third Reich," was named one of the 25 best books of 1974 for young adults by the American Library Association.

The Towson, Md., resident received numerous honors for her wartime efforts, including the Red Cross Medal, the Order of the Dannebro and the Cross of the Order of Merit. A 1974 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, Zassenhaus was also inducted into the Hall of Fame of Maryland and knighted by the kings of Norway and Denmark.

Josef Schwammberger

Josef Schwammberger, an SS lieutenant during World War II, spent 40 years living openly in South America before he was arrested and charged with war crimes. The Austrian was the commander of three labor camps in Poland -- Przemysl, Rozwadow and Mielec -- from 1942 to 1944. His reputation for cruelty against the Jewish inmates was so notorious that he appeared on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's "Most Wanted" Nazi list.

Schwammberger was arrested in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1945, but he escaped three years later while en route to his trial. He immigrated to Argentina, where he lived under his own name and worked at a petrochemical plant. In 1965, Schwammberger obtained Argentine citizenship, a calculated move that helped him in the 1970s when the West German authorities sought his extradition.

Argentine officials finally took Schwammberger into custody in 1987, but it would take another two years of appeals before he was returned to Germany for trial. In court, he was charged with murdering or helping to murder 3,377 people, including more than 40 by his own hand.

Survivors and witnesses traveled from all over the world to attend Schwammberger's 11-month trial and testify to his crimes. They shared stories of how he set his German shepherd on camp inmates and personally shot Holocaust victims for being pregnant, stealing bread or hoarding their valuables. A lack of direct evidence forced prosecutors to reduce the number of charges to 34 inmates killed by Schwammberger and at least 275 who died as a result of his orders.

He was convicted in 1992 of seven counts of murder and 32 counts of accessory to murder and sentenced to life in prison. Schwammberger tried to appeal his incarceration in 2002 on the grounds that he was too frail, but the court ruled that his "particularly cruel" crimes outweighed his health concerns.

Schwammberger died on Dec. 3 in a hospital prison in Hohenasperg, Germany. Cause of death was not released. He was 92.

Miles Selby

Capt. Miles Selby, a member of the Canadian Forces' famed Snowbirds team, died on Dec. 10 in a mid-air collision with another jet. He was 31.

Selby was a two-year veteran of the Snowbirds, a precision flying unit that performs at approximately 70 air shows a year. A resident of Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Selby first saw the Snowbirds' aerial acrobatic display when he was 8 years old. At 16, he earned his pilot's license and began considering a career as a fighter pilot. Selby joined the Canadian Forces in 1991 and graduated from Royal Roads Military College in 1995.

After receiving his wings, Selby trained as a fighter pilot. He served with the 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Cold Lake, Alberta, then flew CF-18 fighter jets on combat missions in Kosovo. He had over 2,650 hours of military flying experience.

Selby and Capt. Chuck Mallett, 35, of Edmonton, Alberta, were conducting a routine training flight in clear skies over southern Saskatchewan on Friday when their Tutor jets collided. Mallett managed to eject from his plane and suffered minor injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Dimebag Darrell

Darrell Abbott, guitarist of the heavy metal band Damageplan, was murdered on Dec. 8. He was 38.

Damageplan were performing at the Alrosa Villa, a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, when a man jumped on stage and shot Abbott several times. The gunman, 25-year-old Nathan M. Gale, shot and wounded a bouncer who tried to tackle him, then began firing into the crowd. Three other people -- Damageplan bodyguard Jeff Thompson, 40; fan Nathan Bray, 23; and Erin Halk, 29, who worked at the club -- were slain before a police officer was able to shoot and kill Gale. Three others were also wounded in the attack.

Darrell and Vincent Abbott were born and raised in Dallas-Fort Worth. Their father, country & western songwriter/producer Jerry Abbott, owned a recording studio and often brought the boys to work. Although Vinnie became a drummer, Darrell was a natural on the guitar. Guitarists Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Ace Frehley of KISS heavily influenced his style (Darrell even tattooed Frehley's image and signature onto his body).

The brothers, then known as Diamond Darrell and Vinnie Paul, formed Pantera in 1981 with singer Terrence Lee and bassist Rex Brown. Originally a glam rock group, Pantera released its recordings under the Abbotts' Metal Magic label. Once singer Phil Anselmo joined the group in 1988, however, Pantera streamlined its sound into an angry, hard-core metal. Darrell then dumped his former nickname and adopted a new moniker: Dimebag Darrell.

Pantera quickly found an audience with disaffected youths. The band signed with Atlantic's Atco Records imprint and released the breakthrough album "Cowboys From Hell" in 1990. Pantera's 1994 album "Far Beyond Driven" entered the Billboard chart at No. 1 and sold 1.4 million copies in the United States. The band earned Grammy Award nominations for best metal performance in 1995 and 2001, but personal politics lead to the group's break-up in 2002.

A year later, the Abbott brothers formed Damageplan with singer Pat Lachman and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha. The group's debut, "New Found Power," was released in February and sold 160,000 copies.

"[Darrell's] the type of guy that would do anything for his friends," Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian said in a VH-1 interview. "He really did put his family and his friends first, and for him everyone was his family. Once you came into contact with Dimebag and became friends with that guy, it was a sacred bond."

[Update: A memorial for Dimebag Darrell will be held on Dec. 14 at the Convention Center in Arlington, Texas.]

• Listen to a Tribute From NPR

• Watch the Video for "Breathing New Life"

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Chief Roy Crazy Horse

Chief Roy Crazy Horse, the leader of the Powhatan Renape Nation, died on Nov. 11. Cause of death was not released. He was 79.

Born in Camden, N.J., Crazy Horse lied about his age in order to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. After returning from the South Pacific, he graduated from high school and attended Temple University and La Salle College.

Crazy Horse became chief of the Powhatan Renape Nation, an American Indian Nation and non-profit entity, in 1972. As the executive director and spiritual leader of the Powhatan, Crazy Horse defended the rights of American Indians and publicly criticized the mythology surrounding portrayals of Indians in popular media. He wrote several books on the history of native peoples, including "Morrisville: A Hidden Native Community," "Holocaust of the American Indians," "A Brief History of the Powhatan Renape Nation" and "North American Genocide." He taught classes on Indian studies at Rowan University and lectured at several universities.

Crazy Horse established the Rankokus American Indian Reservation on 225 acres in Rancocas State Park in 1982. Since he was able to trace his tribe's roots back to the people of the Powhatan Confederacy in Virginia, the state of New Jersey agreed to rent the land for 25 years. The reservation hosts a biannual American Indian Arts Festival and remains open to visitors who tour its heritage museum, art gallery and outdoor exhibits.

Crazy Horse was appointed by Gov. Christie Whitman to the Commission on Discrimination in State Employment and Contracting in 2000. He also served as the chairman of the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs.

Harry Danning

Harry Danning, an All-Star catcher for the New York Giants, died on Nov. 29 of natural causes. He was 93.

The Los Angeles native was only 22 when he made his major league debut in 1933. Danning was the backup receiver to Gus Mancuso until 1938 when he became the Giants' regular catcher.

Known as Harry the Horse (after a character in the Broadway play "Guys and Dolls"), Danning caught for 801 games and was behind the plate for five games in the 1936 and 1937 World Series. He was named to four National League All-Star teams (1938-1941) and was voted the best catcher in baseball in 1940. Danning was a .300 hitter in three consecutive seasons; his career batting average was .285.

After 10 seasons with the Giants, Danning turned in his uniform and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served during World War II, but was unable to resume his baseball career because of arthritic knees. Instead, he became a minor league coach, then worked as a car dealer, a newspaper and magazine distributor and an insurance executive.

Danning was the oldest living Jewish major leaguer and a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the New York Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. His older brother, Ike Danning, who played for the St. Louis Browns, died in 1983.

• Statistics From Baseball-Almanac.com

Tracy Hogg

Tracy Hogg, a British-born nurse who cared for more than 5,000 children, was called the "baby whisperer." Using a compassionate touch and a few kind words, Hogg could calm any cranky baby. Her years of training and positive attitude soothed the fears of anxious parents as well.

The bestselling author of the 2001 book "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate With Your Baby," Hogg often used acronyms to teach the basics of raising children. For example, she instructed parents on how to create a daily schedule with the word "EASY" (Eating, Activity and Sleeping for the baby; the Y stands for "time for You"). She encouraged families to communicate with their infants in adult language and to treat each child like a little person.

Hogg's services were highly prized by Hollywood parents. Several celebrities, including Cindy Crawford, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael J. Fox, Calista Flockhart, Jodie Foster and Marilu Henner, paid $200/hour for a telephone consultation, and $1,000/day for live-in support.

Although she was born into a large Yorkshire family, Hogg was raised by her grandparents. Her grandfather, the head nurse at a mental institution, took Hogg to the children's ward when she was only 7 years old. After seeing how well she related to the children, he encouraged her to pursue a career in nursing. At 18, Hogg followed his advice and became a registered nurse, nanny and midwife. She also trained in hypnotherapy and specialized in helping children with learning disabilities and physical handicaps.

When Hogg moved to California in 1992, she took some flak for leaving her two young daughters in England to be raised by their grandmother. She defended her actions by saying they deserved the special care her extended family provided. The girls eventually joined their mother and stepfather in America.

Hogg later opened Baby Technique, a baby equipment store in Encino, Calif., and co-wrote two more books with journalist Melinda Blau. "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers" was published in 2002; "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" will be released in January. She also hosted the TV program "The Baby Whisperer" on the Discovery Health channel.

Hogg died on Nov. 25 of melanoma. She was 44.

Download "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer"

Mona Van Duyn

Mona Jane Van Duyn, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and America's first female poet laureate, died on Dec. 2 of bone cancer. She was 83.

The Iowa native was only five years old when she began writing poetry. A voracious reader, Van Duyn haunted the local library and secretly penned poems in her notebooks because her father didn't approve of such activities. Van Duyn graduated from Iowa State Teachers College in 1942, then received a master's degree from the University of Iowa. The next year, she launched her academic career by teaching English at UI.

Van Duyn married Jarvis A. Thurston a few months after they met in a writing class in 1943. She spent several decades teaching at Washington University in St. Louis, where Thurston was the former chairman of the English department. Together they founded "Perspective: A Quarterly of Literature," and edited the magazine for 30 years.

In 1959, Van Duyn published her first book of poetry "Valentines to the Wide World." Eight other volumes followed, including "To See, To Take," which won the National Book Award in 1971 and "Near Changes," the collection that earned her a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1991. Over the course of her four-decade writing career, Van Duyn also won the Bollingen Prize, the Carl Sandburg Prize of Cornell College, the Hart Crane Memorial Award, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and the Shelley Memorial Prize of the Poetry Society of America. She was the sixth poet, and the first woman, named U.S. poet laureate in 1992.

Van Duyn battled depression throughout her life. The medication she took made it difficult to work, and she stopped writing eight years ago. Her final poetry collection, "Selected Poems," was published in 2002.

• Listen to Van Duyn Read "Earth Tremors Felt in Missouri"

• Read Poems From "Selected Poems"

John Morgan

John David Morgan, a popular comedian who starred on the CBC TV show "Royal Canadian Air Farce," died on Nov. 15 of a heart attack. He was 74.

Born in Aberdare, Wales, Morgan worked as a teacher for a short time before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. He moved to Canada in 1957, freelanced for several Ontario newspapers then landed a job as a general assignment reporter for The Windsor Star. In the 1960s, Morgan relocated to Montreal where he edited a publication called The Montrealer.

A desire to entertain as well as inform led Morgan and his friend Martin Bronstein to write scripts for the CBC TV comedy "Funny You Should Say That!" The pair founded the improvisational theatre revue, The Jest Society, and performed plays in Toronto and Ottawa. Other original members were Patrick Conlon, Gay Claitman and Roger Abbott.

After adding Dave Broadfoot to the group in 1973, they became The Royal Canadian Air Farce and launched a live radio program on CBC Radio. The show remained on the air for 24 years. "Air Farce" made its debut on CBC Television in 1980. The program ran for three seasons, but a change in management at the network forced it off the air. In 1993, "Air Farce" returned to television and became one of the CBC's highest rated shows.

A witty and prolific comic, Morgan penned half of the show's scripts (nearly 4,000 sketches) and played many memorable characters, including the opinionated Scotsman Jock McBile, the lascivious socialite Amy De La Pomp and the simpleminded Mike from Canmore. In 2000, he was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award. The "Air Farce" cast was also inducted into the International Humour Hall of Fame.

Morgan retired from show business in 2001. He spent his final years reading, piloting his own plane and traveling.

• Access Audio and Video Clips of Morgan

Verona Johnston

Emma Verona Calhoun Johnston, the oldest person in America and the second oldest in the world, died on Dec. 1. She was 114.

Born on Aug. 6, 1890, in Indianola, Iowa, Johnston was the eighth of nine children born to Civil War veteran Joseph Calhoun and Emma Speer Calhoun. She graduated from Drake University in 1912, then taught Latin in several Iowa high schools. Once women earned the right to vote in 1920, Johnston participated in the political process. She voted in every election since then, and even cast an absentee ballot in November.

Verona was married to Harry Johnston, an ophthalmologist, until his death in 1971. In recent years, she traveled across Europe and read many books. The supercentenarian remained healthy and alert until a few months ago. She never used the deductible on her health insurance policy and reportedly had the thinnest file on record at her doctor's office.

Johnston moved to Ohio when she was 98 to live with her daughter Julie Johnson, 81, and Julie's husband Bruce, 83. She is survived by her four children, 13 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. An exhibit honoring her long life will be displayed in the lobby of the Cowles Library on the Drake University campus.

John H. Waller

John Henry Waller, an historian, author and the former inspector general of the CIA, died on Nov. 4 of complications from pneumonia. He was 81.

Born in Paw Paw, Mich., and raised in Detroit, Waller graduated from the University of Michigan. An ear disorder kept him from serving in the military during World War II so he took a job as a diplomatic courier for the Foreign Service. In 1943, Waller joined The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor to the CIA, and worked in counterespionage.

Waller spent the post-war years as a CIA operative in Iran, Sudan and India. He was the deputy chief of the Africa division at CIA headquarters from 1964 to 1968, and chief of the Near East division from 1971 to 1975. Waller finished his career at the agency as the CIA's inspector general.

After retiring in 1980, Waller became a full-time historian and author. He wrote six books, but was best known for penning "Beyond the Khyber Pass: The Road to British Disaster in the First Afghan War," an historical text published in 1992 that examined Britain's failed efforts to rule Afghanistan in the 1840s. His final book, "The Devil's Doctor: Felix Kersten and the Secret Plot to Turn Himmler Against Hitler," was published in 2002.

Waller was the chairman of the OSS Society and a past president of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal and the National Civil Service Award.

David Bailey

David Bailey, a veteran soap opera actor, drowned on Nov. 25. Although he was an avid swimmer, Bailey was found submerged in his apartment pool and pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 71.

The Newark, N.J. native enlisted in the Air Force at 16. Bailey served for eight years, then decided to break into show business. While auditioning for acting jobs, he paid the bills by working as an electrician and plumber.

Bailey performed in numerous plays, including "Shadowlands," "Death Trap" and "I Ought to Be in Pictures." A founding member of The Black Book Theatre Company and The Discovery Workshop, he also wrote and directed the plays "Deck the Halls With Lots of Bodies" and "Your Place or Mine?"

On television, Bailey landed small parts on "Dennis the Menace," "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Bewitched" in the 1960s. Later he became "The Mitchum Man," the sexy spokesman for Mitchum deodorant, and sold Maxwell House coffee and Suave shampoo in commercials.

Bailey entered the world of daytime drama in 1973 as Dr. Russell Matthews on the NBC soap opera "Another World." The fourth actor to play the nice-guy-turned-wife-beating-cardiologist, Bailey made the character his own. He remained on the show until 1978, returned in 1979 to continue the role for several more years, then made a guest appearance in 1992.

Bailey next portrayed Alan Spaulding on "Guiding Light," Ben Forrest on "As the World Turns" and Teddy Malcolm on "Ryan's Hope." Last September, he took on the role of Alistair Crane, a mysterious character on NBC's "Passions" who was known only by his voice. Bailey put a face to the ruthless patriarch and instantly found a devoted audience of fans who loved to hate him. The role will be recast, a show spokesperson said.