Obituaries

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71

According to the Clearwater Police and Fire departments, Terry Bollea died Thursday morning after a cardiac arrest.

‘Helping every dang soul’: Beloved camp director was among those lost in Texas flooding

Jane Ragsdale ran the Heart O' the Hills camp for girls in Kerr County. The camp was between sessions when the deluge hit. The only person killed there was Ragsdale.

David Gergen, adviser to 4 presidents, dies at 83

David Gergen worked in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as a speechwriter, communications director and counselor to the president, among other roles.

Actor Michael Madsen, known for ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ dead at 67

His representatives confirmed that his death followed a cardiac arrest this morning.

‘Mission: Impossible’ composer Lalo Schifrin dies at 93

Argentine pianist and composer Lalo Schifrin, best known for his scores for Mission: Impossible and more than 200 other films and TV shows, including Bullitt, Mannix and Cool Hand Luke, has died.

Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91

Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television's most honored journalists, has died at 91.

Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the ‘Worst Cooks in America,’ dies at 55

TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of "Worst Cooks in America," has died. Medical examiners are set to determine what caused her death.

Alfred Brendel, the cerebral pianist with a dry wit, dies at 94

Routinely called a "musician's musician," the pianist had an atypical career that even he called mysterious. He spent it returning to a handful of favorite composers, with acclaimed results.

Brian Wilson, the troubled genius behind The Beach Boys, has died at age 82

The Beach Boys' co-founder, songwriter and producer transformed pop music into high art, and became America's answer to The Beatles' Lennon and McCartney in the process.

‘Day of the Jackal’ author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86

Born in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a journalist. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle, which inspired The Day of the Jackal.

Sly Stone, visionary funk frontman of the Family Stone, has died at age 82

The musical visionary led a multi-racial funk band that produced five Top 10 hits in the late 1960s and early '70s.

Edmund White, who broke ground in gay literature, has died at 85

Many of White's books chronicled his own experiences as a gay man, making an indelible impression on gay culture and how LGBTQ experiences were understood more broadly at the dawning of the AIDS health crisis.

Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69

Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan literary giant who fought colonialism, dies at 87

The Kenyan author championed local African languages and was imprisoned for his work. His name was often mentioned in discussions about the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Al Foster, drummer for Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, has died

The superbly alert and flexible drummer formed a swirling current in modern jazz for more than 60 years. He was 82.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of the 10th U.S. president, dies at 96

Harrison Ruffin Tyler was just three generations from the White House, since his father and grandfather both fathered children in their 70s. The chemical engineer helped preserve his family's legacy.

Susan Brownmiller, whose landmark book changed attitudes on rape, dies at 90

In 1975, Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape explored pernicious cultural and legal attitudes about rape and helped debunk the long-held view that victims were partly to blame.

Marcel Ophuls, who chronicled 20th century conflict and atrocities, dies at 97

"There's a relationship between attention span and morality," Ophuls said. The filmmaker commanded his audience's attention in four-plus-hour documentaries like The Sorrow and The Pity and Hôtel Terminus.

Jim Irsay, longtime Colts owner and music memorabilia collector, dies at 65

Irsay started with the Colts as a teenage ball boy and took ownership after his father's death in 1997. The team won a Super Bowl and two AFC championships under his nearly three-decade tenure.

George Wendt, who played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ has died

Wendt got his start in Chicago's The Second City improv comedy troupe. He went on to earn six Primetime Emmy nominations for his role as a lovable barfly on Cheers.

Charles Strouse, Broadway composer of ‘Annie’ and ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ dies at 96

The Broadway composer of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie died Thursday at 96.

Uruguay’s ex-President José Mujica, nicknamed ‘world’s poorest president,’ dies at 89

José Mujica, the charismatic former guerrilla fighter who later went on to lead Uruguay and became known as "the world's poorest president" for his austere lifestyle, has died at 89.

Actress and ‘Laugh-In’ comedian Ruth Buzzi dies at 88

Buzzi, who was best known for her regular appearances on the NBC variety TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on Thursday at her home in Texas.

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.

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.