Obituaries

The world’s oldest person, a 116-year-old Brazilian nun, has died

Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, a soccer-loving nun born in 1908, is remembered as compassionate and dedicated to her faith.

Pope Francis, who reached out to the margins of society, has died at 88

The pope was a strong advocate for the poor and the environment and a towering figure on the world stage, addressing not just Catholics but the men and women of our time.

Francis Davis, a figurehead of jazz criticism, has died

His wife, Fresh Air host Terry Gross, said the longtime contributor to The Village Voice and NPR had been living with emphysema and Parkinson's disease.

Wink Martindale, the genial game show host and early interviewer of Elvis, dies at 91

The legendary TV host of game shows "Tic-Tac-Dough" and "Gambit" died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He had been battling lymphoma for a year.

Jay North, TV’s mischievous ‘Dennis the Menace,’ dies at 73

Jay North, who starred as the towheaded mischief maker on TV's Dennis the Menace for four seasons starting in 1959, has died. He was 73.

Amadou Bagayoko, one half of Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, dies at 70

Bagayoko, an acclaimed guitarist and half of the Grammy-nominated blind duo Amadou & Mariam, died in his hometown of Bamako on Friday.

‘Oliver and Amanda Pig’ series author Jean Van Leeuwen dies at 87

The children's book author best known for her Oliver and Amanda Pig series has died at 87. Van Leeuwen wrote nearly 60 books, some of which sold millions of copies.

Defrocked former D.C. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick dies at 94

Theodore McCarrick, a once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children, has died.

Remembering Michael Hurley, a godfather of folk music’s underground

Sometimes called the father of freak-folk, the 83-year-old singer-songwriter lived, worked and died on his own terms.

Appreciating the many onscreen moods of Val Kilmer

More than a hundred roles in a nearly four-decade career let Val Kilmer explore a wealth of human experience.

Max Frankel, former New York Times top editor, dies at 94

Frankel was The New York Times' executive editor from 1986 to 1994. He remained with the newspaper for nearly half a century, ushering it through different eras.

George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who became a beloved champion, dies at 76

The heavyweight who lost the "Rumble in the Jungle" to Muhammad Ali before authoring an inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman was 76.

Ex-F1 team owner and media personality Eddie Jordan has died at 76

Jordan ran his own team in the 1990s and 2000s in Formula 1. He became a popular pundit on TV after selling the team in 2005.

Aurelio Martínez, ambassador of Garifuna music, has died

The Honduran musician, one of the most recognized proponents of a Caribbean culture dating to the 17th century, died Monday in an airplane crash.

Jesse Colin Young, singer of The Youngbloods’ ‘Get Together,’ dies at 83

Prolific musician Jesse Colin Young, best known for being the voice of the '60s folk-rock anthem "Get Together," died on Sunday at age 83.

John Feinstein, sports writer and author of ‘A Season on the Brink,’ dies at 69

Feinstein was comfortable writing fiction and nonfiction, and took on an array of sports, including golf and tennis, but he was known most for his connection to college basketball

Sofia Gubaidulina, the composer who fused sound and spirituality, has died at age 93

One of the first modern women composers to reach international acclaim, Gubaidulina wrote bold music, inspired by Eastern and Western philosophies, and the joy of sound itself.

Playwright Athol Fugard, who chronicled apartheid and its aftermath, dies at 92

The celebrated South African playwright was known for Blood Knot, The Road to Mecca and "Master Harold"...and the Boys. He said his job was to make "leaps out of my reality and into other realities."

D’Wayne Wiggins, founding member of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!, has died at 64

Wiggins died Friday morning after battling bladder cancer for over the past year, according to a statement released by his family on social media.

Roy Ayers, whose ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’ charmed generations, dies at 84

The vibraphonist, composer and jazz-funk pioneer helped inspire the neo-soul movement, and his best-known song was sampled over 100 times.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years who inspired ‘Jolene,’ dies at 82

"Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years," Parton wrote in a statement.

James Harrison, whose blood donations saved over 2 million babies, has died

Harrison, whose plasma contained a rare antibody, rolled up his sleeve 1,173 times from 1954 to 2018. The Australian is credited with helping 2.4 million babies and advancing scientific research.

Angie Stone, soul singer who broke ground in hip-hop, dies at 63

Stone, a Grammy-nominated R&B singer who rose to fame in the late 1970s, was known for hits like "No More Rain" and "Wish I Didn't Miss You. She was killed in a road collision in Alabama on Saturday.

David Johansen, who fronted the New York Dolls, dies at 75

Johansen, a pioneer in punk music who found solo success under the moniker Buster Poindexter, died on Friday. His family announced last month that he had been in treatment for advanced stage cancer.

Bestselling novelist Tom Robbins dies at 92

Robbins dazzled readers with the whimsy and imagination in his books, including Jitterbug Perfume, Skinny Legs and All and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.

Birmingham Public Library Honors Civil Rights Leader Shelly Millender Jr.

The Board of Trustees at the Birmingham Public Library honored Shelly Millender Jr. who helped integrate the city’s libraries in 1963.

Bernard Lockhart’s Work Ethic Fueled His Passion For Jazz And Community-Building

Bernard Lockhart, founder of Avondale's Jazz in the Park, died last month from complications related to COVID-19.

Longtime Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver Would Have Done Just About Anything For His Little City

The longtime mayor for the city of Clanton died in July from COVID-19.

Remembering A Life Lost To COVID-19 Behind Bars

Hershell Moon came from a big family and served in the Vietnam War. He was incarcerated at St. Clair prison when he died from COVID-19 in June.

‘Be Like Pearl’: A Woman So Admired She Inspired New Year’s Resolutions Was Felled By COVID-19

Pearl Slay is one of more than 2,300 Alabamians who have died from COVID-19.

Albert Trousdale’s Son Points COVID-19 Skeptics To A Tombstone

“I said ‘I love you. That was the last time I saw him alive," said Matt Trousdale, whose father died from COVID-19.