Sada Thompson, Actress Known for Maternal Roles, Dies at 83
By BRUCE WEBER
Ms. Thompson portrayed archetypal mothers, from the loving family caretaker to the brutalizing harridan and mythical adulteress.
Arthur Laurents, Playwright and Director on Broadway, Dies at 93
By ROBERT BERKVIST
Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
Mr. Laurents and Patti LuPone during rehearsals at City Center in New York for a revival of the musical “Gypsy” in 2007.
Mr. Laurents was a playwright, screenwriter and director who wrote and ultimately transformed two of Broadway’s landmark shows, “Gypsy” and “West Side Story.”
Jackie Cooper, Film and Television Actor, Dies at 88
By ROBERT D. McFADDEN
The pug-nosed kid who became America’s Boy in tear-jerker films of the Great Depression flourished as an adult in television and modern pictures.
C. S. Choules, Veteran of World War I, Dies at 110
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Claude Stanley Choules, 110, became a pacifist, refusing to march in parades commemorating wars like the one that made him famous.
Marian Mercer, Actress With Zany Streak, Is Dead at 75
By DENNIS HEVESI
Ms. Mercer won a Tony in 1969 for her performance as a pickup girl in the hit musical “Promises, Promises.”
René Emilio Ponce, El Salvador General Linked to Priests’ Murders, Dies at 64
By WILLIAM GRIMES
Col. René Emilio Ponce led a military accused of atrocities during El Salvador’s civil war.
David J. Sencer Dies at 86; Led Disease-Control Agency
By BRUCE WEBER
As a federal and New York City public health official, Dr. Sencer confronted some of the most threatening infectious diseases of the past half century and found controversy in both roles.
Ronald D. Asmus, Official Who Favored Expanded NATO, Dies at 53
By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM
Mr. Asmus advocated the inclusion of such nations as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic into the alliance.
William Campbell, Who Played ‘Star Trek’ Klingon, Dies at 87
By MARGALIT FOX
Mr. Campbell, an actor with many film and television credits, was also the first husband of Judith Campbell Exner, a mistress of President John F. Kennedy.
Moshe Landau Dies at 99; Oversaw Eichmann Trial
By MARGALIT FOX
Justice Landau, a refugee from Nazi Germany and a member of the Israeli Supreme Court for nearly 30 years, was the presiding judge in the war-crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Henry Cooper, Dramatic Loser to Ali, Dies at 76
By BRUCE WEBER
Mr Cooper, the popular British heavyweight, never held the world championship but earned renown for a 1963 fight he lost to Cassius Clay.
Richard Cornuelle, Libertarian Author, Dies at 84
By MARGALIT FOX
Mr. Cornuelle’s book, “Reclaiming the American Dream,” promoted volunteerism to help solve social problems.
Harold Garfinkel, a Common-Sense Sociologist, Dies at 93
By BRUCE WEBER
Mr. Garfinkel, whose theories espoused the mind-sets and behaviorial patterns of jurors, was affiliated with the sociology department at U.C.L.A. for more than 50 years.
William Taylor II, Ex-Publisher of Boston Globe, Dies at 78
By DENNIS HEVESI
The Boston Globe received nine Pulitzer Prizes under his leadership, and he negotiated the sale of the paper to The New York Times Company.
Ira Cohen, an Artist and a Touchstone, Dies at 76
By DOUGLAS MARTIN
Mr. Cohen, a filmmaker, photographer and poet, ranged from his artists’ salon on the Lower East Side to pilgrimages to Marrakesh, Katmandu and the banks of the Ganges.
Ernesto Sábato, Argentina’s Conscience, Is Dead at 99
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
Mr. Sábato was an acclaimed novelist who led a commission that documented the atrocities committed by Argentina’s military dictatorship.
James Regan, Who Led City Education Board, Dies at 81
By DENNIS HEVESI
At the height of New York City’s fiscal crisis in the mid-1970s, Mr. Regan clashed with the mayor over budget cuts, teacher layoffs and a plan to close schools.
Bill Blackbeard, Comic Strip Champion, Dies at 84
By MARGALIT FOX
Mr. Blackbeard rescued Mutt and Jeff, Little Nemo, Naughty Pete, Polly Sleepyhead and more, in their ephemeral form.
David L. Hackett, Led Efforts on Poverty and Juvenile Crime, Dies at 84
By DENNIS HEVESI
A longtime friend of Robert Kennedy, he led President Kennedy’s “total attack” on juvenile delinquency.
Erhard Loretan, Top Climber, Dies at 52
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mr. Loretan was one of the few climbers to reach the summit of all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 meters.
Rev. David Wilkerson Dies at 79; Started Times Square Church
By MARGALIT FOX
Mr. Wilkerson, who worked with young drug addicts and gang members in the 1950s, founded the Times Square Church to minister to the downtrodden.
Orlando Bosch, Cuban Exile, Dies at 84
By DOUGLAS MARTIN
Mr. Bosch became a lightning rod in the Cuban-exile world, accused of a 1976 bombing that killed 73 people.
Harry Jackson, Artist Who Captured the West, Dies at 87
By WILLIAM GRIMES
Mr. Jackson was a Marine combat artist who turned his back on a promising career as an Abstract Expressionist painter to produce paintings and bronze sculptures of cowboys and Indians.
Hubert Schlafly, Who Helped Build Teleprompter, Is Dead at 91
By DENNIS HEVESI
Mr. Schlafly, an electrical engineer, formed the TelePrompTer Corporation with two colleagues after 20th Century Fox declined to invest in their device.
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Sidney Michaels, Playwright, Is Dead at 83
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Phoebe Snow, Bluesy Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 60
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Madame Nhu, Vietnam War Lightning Rod, Dies
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Poly Styrene, Punk Singer of X-Ray Spex, Is Dead at 53
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Emilio Navarro Dies at 105; Thought to Be Oldest Ex-Player in Baseball
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Joe Perry, Hall of Fame Fullback, Dies at 84
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Max van der Stoel, Diplomat Who Uncovered Hussein’s Abuses, Dies at 86
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Marie-France Pisier, New Wave Darling, Dies at 66
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Bill Cook, Medical Device Maker, Dies at 80
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Norio Ohga, Who Led Sony Beyond Electronics, Dies at 81
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Alan Champion, Sign-Language Interpreter for Theater, Dies at 55
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Joan Peyser, Bernstein and Gershwin Biographer, Dies at 80
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Peter Lieberson, Composer Inspired by Buddhism, Dies at 64
Osama bin Laden, 1957-2011
The Most Wanted Face of Terrorism
By KATE ZERNIKE and MICHAEL T. KAUFMAN
With the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden was elevated to the realm of evil in the American imagination once reserved for dictators like Hitler and Stalin.
Timeline
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Notable Deaths of 2010
Remembering Teddy Pendergrass, Fess Parker, Alexander Haig and others who died last year.
Deaths of 2009 | 2008 | 2007
Video: Last Word: Geraldine A. Ferraro
In 1984, Geraldine A. Ferraro became the first woman nominated for national office by a major party.
Elizabeth Taylor, 1932-2011
A Lustrous Pinnacle of Hollywood Glamour
By MEL GUSSOW
Elizabeth Taylor, whose name was synonymous with Hollywood glamour, dazzled generations of moviegoers with her beauty.
In order to view this feature, you must download the latest version of flash player here.
Last Word Videos
Inspiring people talk about their lives.
From the Archives
J. Edgar Hoover, F.B.I. Chief, Dies at 77
(May 2, 1972)
Marlene Dietrich, Symbol of Glamour, Dies at 90
(May 6, 1992)
Joan Crawford, Screen Star, Dies at 69
(May 10, 1977)
Erik Erikson, Who Reshaped Views of Human Growth, Dies at 91
(May 12, 1994)
Rita Hayworth, Movie Legend, Dies at 68
(May 14, 1987)
Jeannette Rankin, First Woman in Congress, Dies at 92
(May 18, 1973)
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady, Dies at 64
(May 19, 1994)
Frank Sinatra, Matchless Pop Stylist, Dies at 82
(May 14, 1998)
Jane Addams, a Foe of War and Need, Dies at 74
(May 21, 1935)
Langston Hughes, Writer, Dies at 65
(May 22, 1967)
John D. Rockefeller, Oil Tycoon, Dies at 98
(May 23, 1937)
Mrs. C. J. Walker, First Black Woman Millionaire, Dies at 51
(May 25, 1919)
Edward VIII, Who Abdicated Throne, Dies at 77
(May 28, 1972)
Boris Pasternak, Who Wrote ‘Dr. Zhivago,’ Dies at 70
(May 30, 1960)
Claude Pepper, Fiery Fighter for Elderly, Dies at 88
(May 30, 1989)
Jacques Monod, Nobel Biologist, Dies at 66
(May 31, 1976)
Jack Dempsey, Boxing Champion, Dies at 87
(May 31, 1983)
Timothy Leary, Piper of Psychedelic ’60s, Dies at 75
(May 31, 1996)
Talk to the Newsroom
Death Notices
Search Legacy.com for all paid death notices from The New York Times.
Announcements of deaths may be telephoned from within New York City to (212) 556-3900; or outside the city to toll-free 1-800-458-5522 for the following editions:
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