Obituaries & memorials

Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani Dies

Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Fields Medal for mathematics, has died in the U.S. The 40-year-old reportedly had breast cancer that spread to her bones. “A light was turned off today. It breaks my heart… gone far too soon,” her friend, NASA scientist Firouz Naderi, posted on Instagram. The Fields […]

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Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Nobel laureate and Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo dies at 61

BEIJING — Liu Xiaobo, the famed Chinese dissident who won the Nobel Peace Prize while jailed for his pro-democracy writings, has died in a hospital in northeastern China at the age of 61. The Chinese judicial bureau said Liu died Thursday of multiple organ failure. Liu had terminal liver cancer and had been granted parole

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International, Obituaries & memorials

David ‘Buzz’ Sommers, formerly of Poway, dies in Canada

TORONTO, Canada (SDJW)– David “Buzz” Jonathan Sommers died peacefully in the early morning of Friday July 7, 2017, after a short but hard-fought battle against colon cancer, with Julia, his wife of almost 36 years, by his side. He was 58 years old. Sommers, formerly a resident of San Diego and Poway,  was a family

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Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County

Nelsan Ellis, actor on HBO’s ‘True Blood,’ dies at 39

Nelsan Ellis, the actor best known for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s “True Blood,” has died. He was 39. The reported cause was from complications due to heart failure. Ellis burst into popular consciousness in 2008 when he was cast in “True Blood” as Reynolds, a flamboyant and outspoken gay short order cook

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Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

E.L. Woody, the self-proclaimed ‘King of the Paparazzi’, dies at 70

He didn’t meet Sylvester Stallone on the best of nights, and it didn’t go much better the time he bumped into Kiefer Sutherland. But Mark Wahlberg liked E.L. Woody, at least enough to cast him in HBO’s hit series “Entourage.” Wahlberg’s marching orders for Woody were clear enough — just play yourself. So Woody strapped

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Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Former Pistons GM McCloskey dies at 91

Jack McCloskey, who assembled two NBA championship teams as general manager of the Detroit Pistons, died Thursday in Savannah, Ga., the team announced. McCloskey, 91, had Alzheimer’s disease, and his wife, Leslie, told the Detroit Free Press last month that he was in a Savannah facility that cares for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. McCloskey

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Obituaries & memorials, Sports & Competitions, USA

Hall of Fame pitcher, former U.S. senator Bunning dies at 85

Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning, who went on to serve in Congress as a Kentucky politician, died overnight at the age of 85, the Philadelphia Phillies announced Saturday. “We are saddened to announce the passing of Hall of Fame pitcher and former U.S. Senator, Jim Bunning,” the Phillies wrote on Twitter. “Our thoughts and

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Obituaries & memorials, Sports & Competitions, USA

R.I.P. to Dina Merrill, a beloved character actress from the 1950s and 1960s

Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or “the other woman,” has died at age 93. Merrill, raised in part on the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida now owned by President Donald Trump, died Monday, according to a family spokeswoman. The cause of death

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Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA