obituaries

Jeff Beck, guitar legend who influenced generations, dies at 78

By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

His representatives said in a statement Wednesday that Beck died Tuesday after "suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis. Beck influenced generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player's guitar player.

Constantine, Olympic gold medalist and last king of Greece, dies at 82

By Demetris Nellas, Associated Press

Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, who won an Olympic gold medal before becoming entangled in his country's volatile politics in the 1960s as king and spent decades in exile, has died.

Charles Simic, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, dies at 84

The death of Simic, the country’s poet laureate from 2007-2008, was confirmed Monday by executive editor Dan Halpern at Alfred A. Knopf.

Russell Banks, award-winning author of ‘Cloudsplitter,’ dies at 82

By Hillel Italie, Associated Press

Russell Banks, an award-winning fiction writer who imagined the dreams and downfalls of everyone from modern blue-collar workers to the radical abolitionist John Brown in “Cloudsplitter," has died. He was 82.

Anita Pointer, one of The Pointer Sisters singers, dies at 74

By Associated Press

Anita Pointer, one of four sibling singers who earned pop success and critical acclaim as The Pointer Sisters, died Saturday at the age of 74, her publicist announced.

Benedict XVI, pope who resigned to spend final years in quiet, dies at 95

By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday.

Barbara Walters, trailblazing television journalist, dies at 93

By Frazier Moore, Associated Press

Barbara Walters, the intrepid interviewer, anchor and program host who led the way as the first woman to become a TV news superstar during a network career remarkable for its duration and variety, has died. She was 93.

Influential people we said goodbye to in 2022

Queen Elizabeth II who modernized the British monarchy, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev who introduced glasnost and actor Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman, are among some of the notables who died this year.

Vivienne Westwood, influential punk fashion maverick, dies at 81

By Gregory Katz, Associated Press

Westwood’s fashion career began in the 1970s with the punk explosion, when her radical approach to urban street style took the world by storm.

Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of ‘the beautiful game,’ dies at 82

By Tales Azzoni, Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press

Pelé was one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century. He won a record three World Cups with Brazil and was the standard-bearer of "the beautiful game" with the national team and his club Santos.