obituaries

Judith Jamison, transcendent dancer and artistic director of Alvin Ailey theater, dies at 81

By Andrew Meldrum, Associated Press

As a dancer, choreographer, director and speaker, Jamison's distinguished career leaped over barriers of race and gender.

Teri Garr, funny star of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie,’ dies at 79

By Bob Thomas, Associated Press

The quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to favorites such as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie" died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis.

Phil Lesh, influential bassist and Grateful Dead founding member, dies at 84

By John Rogers, Associated Press

Lesh was the oldest and one of the longest surviving members of the band that came to define the acid rock sound emanating from San Francisco in the 1960s.

Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers pitcher who inspired ‘Fernandomania,’ dies at 63

By Beth Harris, Associated Press

Valenzuela was one of the most dominant players of his era and a wildly popular figure in the 1980s, although he was never elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fethullah Gülen, Turkish spiritual leader who self-exiled in the U.S., has died

By Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press

Gülen was a reclusive U.S.-based Islamic cleric who inspired a global social movement while facing unproven accusations he masterminded a failed 2016 coup in his native Turkey.

John Kinsel Sr., one of the last Navajo Code Talkers who served in WWII, dies at 107

By Associated Press

“Mr. Kinsel was a Marine who bravely and selflessly fought for all of us in the most terrifying circumstances with the greatest responsibility as a Navajo Code Talker,” Tribal President Buu Nygren said in a statement Sunday.

Mitzi Gaynor, among the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s musical golden age, dies at 93

By Kaitlyn Huamani, Bob Thomas, Associated Press

With an entertainment career that spanned eight decades across film, television and the stage, Mitzi Gaynor is best remembered for her turn in the 1958 film “South Pacific.”…

Liam Payne, former One Direction singer, dies in fall from Argentina hotel balcony at 31

By Isabel DeBre, Kaitlyn Huamani, Associated Press

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.

Lilly Ledbetter, fighter for equal pay, dies at 86

By Alexandra Olson, Associated Press

Ledbetter was a former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to landmark wage discrimination legislation named in her honor.