obituary – News Stories About obituary - Page 132

Feb 6, 2008 3:22 AM CST

Indian Guru to the Beatles Dies

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought Transcendental Meditation to the West

(Newser) - 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...

Ledger's Ex Appeals for Privacy

Feb 1, 2008 3:56 PM CST

Ledger's Ex Appeals for Privacy

Williams breaks silence, saying her 'heart is broken'

(Newser) - 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...

Margaret Truman Daniel Dead

Jan 29, 2008 5:20 PM CST

Margaret Truman Daniel Dead

First Daughter went on to act, sing and write

(Newser) - 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....

Suharto Leaves Complex Legacy

Jan 28, 2008 11:20 AM CST

Suharto Leaves Complex Legacy

Corrupt, cruel--and fondly remembered

(Newser) - 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...

Top Mormon Leader Hinckley Dead at 97

Jan 28, 2008 3:55 AM CST

Top Mormon Leader Hinckley Dead at 97

President-prophet brought church closer to American mainstream

(Newser) - 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 ...

Indonesia Mourns Suharto

Jan 27, 2008 3:00 PM CST

Indonesia Mourns Suharto

Former dictator's sins take backseat as nation grieves

(Newser) - 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,...

Indonesia's Suharto
Dies at Age 86

Jan 27, 2008 2:45 AM CST

Indonesia's Suharto Dies at Age 86

Ruled for 32 years; resigned amid corruption, human rights charges

(Newser) - 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...

Brando's Troubled Firstborn Dies

Jan 26, 2008 7:44 PM CST

Brando's Troubled Firstborn Dies

Christian, no stranger to courts, dies at 49 from pneumonia

(Newser) - 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...

Hunky Heath Savored Challenges

OPINION

Jan 23, 2008 6:40 AM CST

Hunky Heath Savored Challenges

'Craggy, sexy' actor carved out niche with tough roles

(Newser) - 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...

Ledger Didn't Kill Himself: Cops

UPDATED

Jan 22, 2008 9:58 PM CST

Ledger Didn't Kill Himself: Cops

Star had anti-anxiety pills at home, was suffering from pneumonia

(Newser) - 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....

Heath Ledger Found Dead

UPDATED

Jan 22, 2008 4:06 PM CST

Heath Ledger Found Dead

Pills discovered near body of Brokeback Mountain star: NY cops

(Newser) - 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...

New Zealand Pays Homage
to Heroic Hillary

Jan 22, 2008 10:58 AM CST

New Zealand Pays Homage to Heroic Hillary

First man to conquer Everest laid to rest after state funeral

(Newser) - 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...

Young & Reckless: AP Brit Obit Sparks Macabre Debate

Jan 21, 2008 3:30 AM CST

Young & Reckless: AP Brit Obit Sparks Macabre Debate

Is 26 too young for an obit?

(Newser) - The Associated Press decision to prepare an obituary for 26-year-old troubled pop star Britney Spears has triggered a debate about the extent the news media should anticipate the early deaths of celebrities like Spears, actress Lindsay Lohan and singer Amy Winehouse, who are clearly living risky lives. The AP had...

Suzanne Pleshette Dead

Jan 20, 2008 5:00 AM CST

Suzanne Pleshette Dead

Arresting actress won America's heart as witty wife on 'Bob Newhart Show'

(Newser) - Actress Suzanne Pleshette, best known for her role as a sardonic wife in the long-running hit TV series “The Bob Newhart Show,” died today at her home in Los Angeles, AP reports. She was 70, and had been treated for lung cancer. The arresting, intelligent actress with the...

Rams Owner Georgia Frontiere Dies

Jan 19, 2008 12:25 AM CST

Rams Owner Georgia Frontiere Dies

Former entertainer moved team to her native St. Louis in 1995

(Newser) - Georgia Frontiere, loved in St. Louis, hated in Los Angeles for moving the Rams east in 1995, died Friday at age 80, reports the Los Angeles Times. Ironically, Frontiere died at in LA, where she had been treated for breast cancer for several months. Frontiere inherited the Rams from her...

Chess King Bobby Fischer Dies

Jan 18, 2008 7:24 AM CST

Chess King Bobby Fischer Dies

Troubled genius dies in Iceland at age 64

(Newser) - Chess master Bobby Fischer, who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned Russian Boris Spassky in 1972, has died at age 64 in Iceland, the AP reports. Fischer is considered by many to be the greatest chess player ever, but his genius for the game was often overshadowed by...

Father of the Hula Hoop, Frisbee Dies

Jan 17, 2008 4:23 PM CST

Father of the Hula Hoop, Frisbee Dies

Richard Knerr's Wham-O also produced Slip 'N Slide, Silly String

(Newser) - Richard Knerr, co-founder of the company that launched the Hula Hoop, Frisbee, and Silly String, died of a stroke Monday at 82. Knerr went from selling slingshots out of his parents' garage with lifelong pal and business partner Arthur Melin to creating the hugely profitable Wham-O toy company. The story...

Cancer Pioneer Folkman Dead

Jan 16, 2008 7:42 AM CST

Cancer Pioneer Folkman Dead

Revolutionized treatment by cutting off blood supply to tumors

(Newser) - Cancer researcher Judah Folkman, whose insights and tenacity spawned a whole new branch of oncology, died Monday at age 74, the Boston Globe reports. Folkman pioneered the notion that cancer tumors could be halted if their blood supply was cut off; he persevered despite decades of skepticism in the field...

Actor Renfro Dead at 25; Cause Unknown

Jan 15, 2008 8:22 PM CST

Actor Renfro Dead at 25; Cause Unknown

Child star of The Client had run-ins with police, drugs as an adult

(Newser) - Actor Brad Renfro, who kicked off his career at age 10 in The Client, was found dead at his Los Angeles home today, "Access Hollywood" reports. He was 25. The LA coroner's office confirmed his death; the cause of death is unknown and an investigation is under way. "...

Everest's Hillary Dies at 88

Jan 10, 2008 5:17 PM CST

Everest's Hillary Dies at 88

He became first man to conquer world's highest mountain in 1953

(Newser) - Edmund Hillary, the first person to scale Mount Everest, has died at age 88, Bloomberg reports. Hillary scaled the world's highest mountain in 1953, gaining renown as one of the great adventurers in the 20th century. Despite his fame, Hillary remained modest about his Everest achievement and those that followed,...