Obituaries

March 2008

Buckley Leaves Conservatism Up the Creek

newser | Newsweek | Mar 2, 08 5:45 PM CST

William F. Buckley may have been the architect of the modern conservative movement, but what will it do without him? Evan Thomas even wonders, in Newsweek, if what he created still exists at all. Buckley was “a man who could spar intensely with the late liberal icons…and then have a laugh over a martini.” Rush Limbaugh he was not. More »

February 2008

Writers Parse Buckley's Legacy

newser | Slate | Feb 28, 08 3:36 PM CST

William F. Buckley Jr. was a titan on the political scene, carving out his own brand of conservatism. But one day after his death, writers differ on his legacy: At Slate, Timothy Noah notes Buckley’s more noxious stances—defending segregationists and Joe McCarthy—and says it’s good fortune “Buckley’s man Ronald Reagan” didn’t accomplish goals of turning back civil-rights law and shrinking government. George W. Bush’s ascendance thankfully marked a return to Republicanism at peace with the New Deal. More »
William F. Buckley Jr. Dies at 82

newser | New York Times | Feb 27, 08 10:32 AM CST

Conservative columnist and editor William F. Buckley Jr. died today at age 82; he suffered from diabetes and emphysema. Buckley founded the opinion magazine National Review , hosted the show “Firing Line” and wrote 45 books. The author of God and Man at Yale and defender of Joe McCarthy was “replete with $10 words and a darting tongue,” the New York Times eulogizes. More »
Auto Worker Powerhouse Doug Fraser Dead at 91

newser | Detroit Free Press | Feb 25, 08 2:47 AM CST

Former United Auto Workers president Doug Fraser, who played a vital role in saving Chrysler from bankruptcy, died yesterday at age 91. The cause of death was unknown, but Fraser had been suffering from emphysema, the Detroit Free Press reports. As UAW president during the ’70s and ’80s, Fraser helped win comprehensive health care and improved working conditions. More »
Literary Pioneer, Filmmaker Robbe-Grillet Dead at 85

newser | AFP | Feb 18, 08 3:19 PM CST

French novelist and filmmaker Alain Robbe-Grillet died today at 85, AFP reports. A pioneer of the “new novel” literary style, he was best known in the US as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Last Year at Marienbad (1961). "The Academie Francaise today loses one of its most illustrious members," Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement. More »
RIP, Steve Fossett

newser | Associated Press | Feb 16, 08 5:44 AM CST

He vanished on a routine flight five months ago, and now daredevil Steve Fossett has been declared dead at the age of 63, the AP reports. The famous world record breaker was last seen flying a small plane over western Nevada where 15-20 private planes have disappeared since 1950. The first man to circle the world solo in a hot air balloon, Fossett aspired to "be the best in everything." More »
Congressman Lantos Dead at 80

newser | San Francisco Chronicle | Feb 11, 08 11:17 AM CST

Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, has died at 80. The California Democrat disclosed his cancer last month and announced that he wouldn't seek reelection. His widow said in a statement that his life was "defined by courage, optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. More »
Jaws Actor Scheider Dead at 75

newser | Los Angeles Times | Feb 11, 08 7:39 AM CST

Actor Roy Scheider, famous for his roles in Jaws, All That Jazz , and The French Connection, died yesterday while being treated for multiple myeloma . He was believed to be 75 , though he sometimes gave a different age in interviews, reports the Los Angeles Times . He once predicted that the Jaws role "will be on my tombstone." More »
Indian Guru to the Beatles Dies

newser | Guardian (UK) | Feb 6, 08 3:22 AM CST

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Indian guru who inspired the Beatles and founded the Transcendental Meditation movement, died yesterday at his Dutch home, the Guardian reports. He was believed to be 90. Maharishi—known as the “giggling guru” for his playful witticisms—hosted the Beatles for a highly publicized retreat at his Indian compound in 1968. More »
Ledger's Ex Appeals for Privacy

newser | E! Online | Feb 1, 08 3:56 PM CST

Heath Ledger's ex-fiancee, Michelle Williams, made her first public statement since the actor's death today, asking the press and public to "respect our need to grieve privately." The 27-year-old actress met Ledger on the set of Brokeback Mountain in 2005, the same year their daughter was born. They broke up in September. More »

January 2008

Margaret Truman Daniel Dead

newser | Los Angeles Times | Jan 29, 08 5:20 PM CST

Margaret Truman Daniel died today at 83 after breaking the mold of First Daughter and embarking on careers in singing, acting, and writing, the Los Angeles Times reports. The go-getter braved opera critics as a singer in the 1940s and '50s before acting alongside Jimmy Stewart on radio and television. Her career cooled after she married a future New York Times editor, but she wrote biographies—one of father Harry—before turning to mystery-writing on a whim. More »
Suharto Leaves Complex Legacy

newser | Christian Science Monitor | Jan 28, 08 11:20 AM CST

The death of Suharto, Indonesia's ferociously anti-communist dictator for more than 30 years, leaves islanders ambivalent: On the one hand, he created economic prosperity; on the other, he enriched himself and his cronies, and brutally suppressed opponents, leaving hundreds of thousands imprisoned or dead. "He was 50% good and 50% bad," a historian tells the Christian Science Monitor . More »
Top Mormon Leader Hinckley Dead at 97

newser | Los Angeles Times | Jan 28, 08 3:55 AM CST

Gordon B. Hinckley, at 97 the longest-lived president-prophet in the history of the Mormon church, died yesterday of complications of old age. Hinckley, whose energy and extensive world travels earned comparisons to Pope John Paul II, oversaw his church for 12 years during an era of unprecedented growth, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »
Indonesia Mourns Suharto

newser | New York Times | Jan 27, 08 3:00 PM CST

Suharto's critics kept quiet today as Indonesia mourned the former dictator on the streets and around TVs, the New York Times reports. Crowds swarmed an ambulance transporting his body, television channels ran nostalgic accounts of his life, and President Susilo Yudhoyono called on the nation to pray for Suharto, saying, "Pray that the deceased’s good deeds and dedication to the nation be may accepted by God the Almighty." More »
Indonesia's Suharto Dies at Age 86

newser | Reuters | Jan 27, 08 2:45 AM CST

Former Indonesian president Suharto, a US Cold War ally whose legacy of economic development was marred by charges of human rights abuses and corruption, died today of organ failure at 86, Reuters reports. Suharto ruled for 32 years until being forced out in 1998; his deteriorating health prevented him from ever going to trial even though accusers allege he had perhaps 1 million opponents killed and had embezzled billions. More »
Brando's Troubled Firstborn Dies

newser | Los Angeles Times | Jan 26, 08 7:44 PM CST

Christian Brando, the eldest of the late Godfather's nine children, died today from pneumonia at 49. Brando, the product of his iconic father's first marriage, earned the media limelight in 1990 for shooting to death his sister's boyfriend, he LA Times reports. But he was in and out of the court system for much of his troubled life. More »
Hunky Heath Savored Challenges

newser | Washington Post | Jan 23, 08 6:40 AM CST

The late Heath Ledger, found dead yesterday in his Manhattan apartment, was a "craggy, sexy" actor who went about his craft with almost painful seriousness, says the Washington Post . He left an undeniable mark in film history, from his role in teen flick 10 Things I Hate About You as a fresh-faced unknown to his final part as the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie. More »
Ledger Didn't Kill Himself: Cops

newser | New York Post | Jan 22, 08 9:58 PM CST

Actor Heath Ledger likely died from an overdose of anti-anxiety pills today but there were no signs of suicide, police told the New York Post . The film star had generic forms of Valium and Xanax in his New York home when he was found; an autopsy is planned for tomorrow. He also had pneumonia, which may have proved fatal when mixed with sleeping pills, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. More »
Heath Ledger Found Dead

newser | Associated Press | Jan 22, 08 4:06 PM CST

Actor Heath Ledger was found dead today in his home in downtown Manhattan, the AP reports. The Australian native, an Academy Award nominee for his performance in Brokeback Mountain, was 28. Police said pills were "scattered around the room," WCBS-TV in New York reported, and the death may have been drug-related. More »
New Zealand Pays Homage to Heroic Hillary

newser | New Zealand Herald | Jan 22, 08 10:58 AM CST

New Zealand paid tribute to its most famous native son today as throngs lined the streets of Auckland for the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary , the New Zealand Herald reports. The prime minister led the tributes. "Sir Ed described himself as a person of modest abilities," said Helen Clark. "In reality he was a colossus, he was our hero." More »

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Buckley Leaves Conservatism Up the Creek

Writers Parse Buckley's Legacy

William F. Buckley Jr. Dies at 82

Auto Worker Powerhouse Doug Fraser Dead at 91

Literary Pioneer, Filmmaker Robbe-Grillet Dead at 85

RIP, Steve Fossett

Congressman Lantos Dead at 80

Jaws Actor Scheider Dead at 75

Indian Guru to the Beatles Dies

Ledger's Ex Appeals for Privacy

Margaret Truman Daniel Dead

Suharto Leaves Complex Legacy

Top Mormon Leader Hinckley Dead at 97

Indonesia Mourns Suharto

Indonesia's Suharto Dies at Age 86

Brando's Troubled Firstborn Dies

Hunky Heath Savored Challenges

Ledger Didn't Kill Himself: Cops

Heath Ledger Found Dead

New Zealand Pays Homage to Heroic Hillary

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