Sports
Dick Butler - Longtime major and minor league baseball executive, who began his career as an assistant to Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler in the 1940's, who was president of several minor leagues before becoming Supervisor of Umpires for the American League in 1969, died Dec. 20 in Fort Worth, TX at age 92.
Earl Gillespie - Radio voice of the Milwaukee Braves baseball team from 1953 until 1964, including the World Series seasons of 1957 and 1958, who also did radio and television commentary for the Green Bay Packers, Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin over his broadcasting career, and who was and eight-time winner of the "Wisconsin Sportscaster Of the Year Award", died Dec. 12 in West Allis, WI after a stroke several months before at the age of 81.
Al Fallenstein - Minority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA team, who was an executive vice president of Taylor Corporation, was killed in a car accident along with his wife Erla on Dec. 16 near Mankato, MN at age 63.
Otto Graham - Hall of Fame quarterback who helped the Cleveland Browns to become the first NFL dynasty by leading them to 10 championship games in the 10 seasons he played for them from 1946 to 1955, who was known as "Automatic Otto" for never missing a game as a pro, and who compiled an astonishing regular season record of 105-17-4 during his career, died Dec. 17 of a heart aneurysm in Sarasota, FL at age 82.
Felix Kaspar - Austrian figure skating champion who won the bronze medal in the 1936 Winter Olympics, who was world and European champion in 1937 and 1938, and who was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1998, died Dec. 5 in Bradenton, FL of Alzheimer's disease at age 88.
Craig Kelly - Noted sports agent and attorney who represented some of college football's top coaches, whose clients included Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, Texas A&M's Dennis Franchione, Virginia's Al Groh and Florida's Ron Zook, died Dec. 12 of pancreatic cancer in West Columbia, SC at age 56.
Keith Magnuson - NHL defenseman who played from 1969 to 1980 for the Chicago Blackhawks, among whose 589 NHL games included 69 playoff games, who coached the team from 1980-82 and had a record of 49-57-26, and who was selected as a member of the Blackhawks' 75th anniversary all-star team in 2001, was killed in a car accident on Dec. 13 in Toronto at age 56.
Chuck Noe - Respected college basketball coach from the 1950's to the 70's who led programs at Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth and South Carolina, who was athletic director at VCU during the 1970's, and who later became a familiar voice on radio sports shows in Virginia, died Dec. 15 after a brief illness in Richmond, VA at age 79.
Michael Norwood - Expert diver and co-host of History Channel's "Deep Sea Divers", who served as a diving consultant on films such as "Limbo", who on Dec. 6 was diving with co-host John Chatterton and director of photography Danny Crowell for the wreck of the World War II ship USS Perry off the island of Angaur in the Philippines, began having trouble breathing and could not be revived after surfacing. He was 36 years old.
Jim Phillippe - Longtime public address speaker at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the announcing team with the legendary Tom Carnegie, who helped deliver information, news and interviews with drivers and celebrities to the fans during every race at the track from the 1950 Indianapolis 500 through the Brickyard 400 in August 2003, died Dec. 15 at age 84.
Peter Spivak - Commissioner of the U.S. Football League at its founding in 1981, who resigned as a judge in the early 1980s to help found the now-defunct USFL, and who was minority owner of the league's Michigan Panthers in 1983, when they won the championship, died Dec. 15 of a heart arrhythmia in Beverly Hills, MI at age 71.
Gordon Wood - Texas high school football coach who was the winningest coach in U.S. history when he retired in 1985, who compiled a career record of 396-91-15 with a career that began in 1940, and who won nine Texas state championships at Stamford and Brownwood high schools, died Dec. 17 in Abilene, TX at age 89.

Art and Literature
Patricia Clapp - Author of historical novels and plays for children and young adults such as "Witches Children: The Story of Salem" and "The Tamarack Tree", whose first book "Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth" was runner-up for the 1969 National Book Award for Children's Literature, died Dec. 10 in West Orange, NJ at age 91.
John Dreves - Master crystal maker known as creator of the classic olive bowl design that Steuben Glass introduced at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and which is still in production today, and who was a resident designer at Steuben from 1945 until his retirement in 1972, died Nov. 16 in Corning, NY at age 90.
Gisela Konopka - Social worker and author who gained international recognition for her research into adolescent development, whose books included "The Adolescent Girl in Conflict" and "Young Girls, a Portrait of Adolescence", and who moved thousands to embrace her belief that compassion is the surest treatment for the wounds of childhood, died Dec. 9 in Minneapolis at age 93.
Patrick McGrady - Co-author with nutritionist Nathan Pritkin of the best-selling diet book "Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise", who also wrote about health for The AP, Newsweek and United Press International, died Dec. 13 in Seattle at age 71.
Fadwa Toukan - The 'poet of Palestine' praised for her depictions of life under Israeli rule, who was an avid promoter of woman's rights through her poetry, who was a household name among Palestinians and a favorite of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, died Dec. 12 in Nablus, Palestine at age 86.
David Vaughan - Controversial British painter who was well-known in the art world since the early 1960's, whose work was exhibited in galleries around the world including London, New York and Paris and owned by such luminaries as John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Princess Margaret, and who was the father of actress Sadie Frost, died Nov. 11 in Manchester, England of Hepatitis C at the age of 58.

Politics and Military
Heydar Aliyev - Ruler of Azerbaijan for 30 years, first as the region's Communist leader, then as the country's elected president after independence from the Soviet Union, whose rule was characterized by electoral malpractice, human rights abuses and a muzzled press, died Dec. 12 in Cleveland, OH of congestive heart failure at age 80.
Sir Oswald Cheung - One of Hong Kong's most prominent political figures, who in 1965 became the first Chinese ever to be appointed a top attorney in the British system, and who was a member of Hong Kong's legislature from 1970 to 1981, died Dec. 10 in Hong Kong from burns suffered in an accidental fire in his home in September, 2003. He was 81.
Marcia Coggs - Wisconsin's first black woman state representative, who was elected in 1977 to the 18th Assembly District in Milwaukee and served until 1991, who was the matriarch of the successful political Coggs family which included her husband and several nephews, who was a well known activist who spent years working on issues such as fair housing, quality education, apartheid, integration and human rights, died Dec. 9 in Milwaukee at the age of 75.
Glenn Cunningham - Seven-term U.S. Congressman from Nebraska who served as a Republican from 1976 until 1990, who in 1948 became the youngest person elected mayor of Omaha where he served 2 terms, and for whom the Cunningham Lake was named, died Dec. 18 in Omaha at age 91.
George Fisher - Longtime political cartoonist for the Arkansas gazette, who for decades skewered Arkansas political figures like Govs. Orval Faubus and Bill Clinton, who was praised by Clinton as "the best cartoonist I ever saw", died Dec. 15 in Little Rock at age 80.
José María Ruiz Furlán - Guatemalan priest known as 'El Padre Chemita' who was one of the most influential political figures in the country, who served as mayor of Guatemala City from 1978 to 1982, who was excommunicated in 1995 because of his political dealings but who later was allowed to return to the priesthood, was shot to death on Dec. 14 at age 69.
Blas Ople - Colorful Philippine political figure, who was serving as Foreign Minister to president Gloria Arroyo, who was a loyal supporter of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, but who later backed democracy once Marcos was ousted, helping draft a pro-democracy constitution, died Dec. 13 in Taiwan after becoming ill on a plane while traveling to Japan with President Arroyo. He was 76 years old.
Thomas M. Rees - U.S. Congressman from California who served as a Democrat from 1965 to 1976, who was known for his willingness to express his strong liberal views on civil rights, the environment and opposition to the Vietnam War, and who was an authority on international trade, banking and housing issues, died Dec. 9 near Santa Cruz, CA of esophageal cancer at age 78.
William Roth - U.S. Senator from Delaware who served five terms until 2000, who was a relentless champion of tax cuts, co-sponsoring the 1981 Kemp-Roth tax-cut legislation, who oversaw high-profile inquiries into both alleged taxpayer abuses by the IRS and Pentagon overspending, but who is best known as the creator of the popular retirement account known as the Roth IRA, died Dec. 13 after collapsing at his daughter's home in Washington, DC. He was 82 years old.
Oscar Schachter - Pioneer of international law who as executive director of the U.N. Institute for Training and Research from 1966 until 1975, helped create the legal framework used by the United Nations, died Dec. 13 in New York City at age 88.
Joe Skeen - U.S. Congressman from New Mexico who served as a Republican from 1980 to 2002, who is one of only three people in U.S. history to win a congressional seat on a write-in vote (in 1980), who was known as a tough-minded conservative who defended private property rights, and who championed traditional Southwestern industries of ranching, farming and mining, often to the chagrin of environmentalists, died Dec. 14 in Roswell, NM of Parkinson's disease at age 76.
Robert Stanfield - Underwear company heir who became the leader of Canada's Progressive Conservatives party from 1967 to 1976, who led his party against Canada's popular president Pierre Trudeau, losing every major election during that period, and who was affectionately referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", died Dec. 16 in Ottawa after a lengthy illness at age 89.

Social and Religion
Alice Broom - Elderly Florida woman who was recognized as "Mother of the Year" in her community several years ago, who on Dec. 12 returned home from a doctors appointment, was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs owned by her neighbor (four Labrador mixes and two pit bulls). She was 81 years old. There had been four previous complaints to animal control about attacks by the dogs but Animal Control had yet to act. The dogs were killed.
Jimmy Brown - Man considered by media mogul Ted Turner to be a second father, who helped rear Turner from the age of 9 and remained a friend for life, who was best man at Mr. Turner's 1991 marriage to actress Jane Fonda, and as Turner family affairs manager, was houseman at Mr. Turner's North Florida plantation, Avalon, and spent time at Mr. Turner's Montana ranch. "He was my best friend and mentor," said Mr. Turner, chairman of Turner Enterprises and founder of CNN. "He helped raise me and was a second father to me and was like a second father to my children." Mr. Brown died Dec. 14 of a heart attack at his Tallahassee residence at the age of 79.
Carol Bundy - Accomplice and girlfriend of 1970's serial killer Douglas Daniel Clark (the Sunset Strip Slayer), who assisted him on several occasions in picking up prostitutes on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles who were then gruesomely murdered and cut up before being dumped in the San Fernando Valley (he even had a decapitated head in the refrigerator), and who was sentenced to 52 years in prison, died on Dec. 3 of heart failure at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, CA at age 61. Clark remains on death row at San Quentin.
Jenifer Estess - Theatre producer who founded the Manhattan theatre company Naked Angels, who was diagnosed with A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's disease) in 1997 and established Project A.L.S. as a fund-raising charity to help find a cure, whose story was told in the CBS movie "Jenifer" in 2001 starring Laura San Giacomo as Jenifer, who was named Glamour magazine's Woman of the Year in 2001, and whose memoir "Tales From the Bed: On Living, Dying and Having It All" will be released in 2004, succumbed to the disease on Dec. 16 in New York City at age 40.
Bill Evans - Aerospace engineer better known for his career as a model during the 1950's, who was the Zest soap man on television and who was seen in a series government posters as a soldier urging people to write letters to men overseas, died Dec. 12 of cancer in Marietta, GA at age 66.
Bishop Joseph Ferrario - Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1982, who in 1989 became the first U.S. bishop publicly accused of sexually abusing a minor (he always denied the charge and in 1991 it was dismissed as being filed too late), died Dec. 19 in Honolulu of a heart attack at age 77.
Sander and Audrey Harden - Nephew and niece of Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, whose mother Rebecca Harden was once married to the actress's brother Thaddeus Harden, and who had attended the premier of "Mona Lisa Smiles" the week before with their aunt, died of injuries sustained in a blaze in their mother's duplex in New York City. Sander, 6, died at the scene. Audrey, 10, and their mother Rebecca, 37, died Dec. 16, 2003.
Carl F.H. Henry - Theologian and close associate of Billy Graham who became the first editor of the magazine Christianity Today in 1955, who, along with Billy Graham, is considered a leader in the evangelical movement in the 20th century, and who published several major theological books including "The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism" and the six-volume "God, Revelation and Authority", died Nov. 7 in Watertown, WI at age 90.
Dante Johnson - Colorado man and aspiring rapper who performed as Mr. Livewire, who was driving on the freeway in Denver with a friend on Dec. 17, was shot three times by an unknown assailant and crashed his vehicle. He died Dec. 18 of those injuries on his 21st birthday. There is no known motive for the killing.
Rev. William J. O'Donnell - Roman Catholic priest famous in the San Francisco area for having been arrested about 250 times in 30 years in support of often radical causes here and abroad. A burly man with a don't-mess-with-me strut, Father Bill, as he was always called, was a familiar sight at demonstrations, wearing his trademark black leather jacket - protection, he said, against aggressive policemen - over his clerical collar, died of a heart attack on Dec. 8 in Berkeley, CA, at the age of 73.
Frank Schubert - America's last civilian lightkeeper, who for six decades maintained the beacons of New York Harbor for the safe passage of seafarers in a ghostly armada of merchantmen, warships and ocean liners, who tended lighthouses all his adult life: 3 years at old Orchard Light on a ledge south of Staten Island, 16 years at Governors Island and 43 years at Coney Island Light Station, at Norton's Point on the western tip of Sea Gate, Brooklyn, died of natural causes on Dec. 11 at the Coney Island lighthouse he had tended since 1960. He was 88.
Cardinal Paulos Tzauda - Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for more than 20 years, who was born in a village in Eritrea, was ordained a priest in 1944, named archbishop of Addis Ababa in 1977, serving there until his retirement in 1998, and who was elevated by Pope John Paul II to cardinal in 1985, died Dec. 10 in Vatican City at the age of 82.
Saul Wellman - U.S. Communist Party leader in the early 1950's who was one of the "Michigan Six" who were indicted on federal charges of trying to overthrow the U.S. government and who served six months in prison before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the charges unconstitutional, died Dec. 10 in Ann Arbor, MI following a stroke in November, 2003 at age 90.

Business and Science
Dr. Elizabeth Bates - Cognitive scientist who was a leading expert on the way infants develop language, who contended that language is developed based on a general set of mental abilities, and who was known for her outspoken criticism of the theories of linguists such as Noam Chomsky who believed the learning of language is a separate brain process, died Dec. 14 of pancreatic cancer in San Diego at age 56.
Eugene Cafiero - Predecessor to Lee Iacocca at Chrysler Corporation, who was president of the automaker from 1975 to 1978 during a period of roller coaster profits and losses for the company, and who became president the DeLorean Motor Company for several years after leaving Chrysler, died Dec. 8 in Naples, FL of pancreatic cancer at age 77.
Frederick Coulston - Founder of the nonprofit Coulston Foundation, which helped develop or test treatments for malaria, hepatitis and AIDS, who directed laboratories around the country, chaired science committees and published international journals, and who was constantly a target of animal-rights groups for using chimpanzees and other primates in his medical research (in 2002 he turned over 288 chimpanzees and 90 monkeys from his research facility to the Florida-based Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care), died Dec. 15 in Almogordo, NM at age 89.
Dr. Pope Duncan - President of Stetson University from 1977 to 1987, who was a part of the school for nearly 60 years as a professor of religion, president and chancellor, who is credited with turning the university around in the late 1970's and setting a standard for high levels of academic quality, and whose autobiography "Peripatetic Memoirs of an Educator" is to be published in 2004, died Dec. 18 in Deland, FL of Parkinson's disease at age 83.
Wallace Kuralt - Brother of the late CBS newsman Charles Kuralt, who owned the Intimate Bookshop chain of bookstores in North Carolina and Georgia, who in 1998 filed a lawsuit against Barnes & Noble and Borders Books accusing them cutting deals with publishers that unfairly created discounts that were not available to smaller operations, but who lost the case and ultimately was forced out of business, died Dec. 13 of Merkel cell carcinoma while seeking treatment in Fort Myers, FL at age 64.
David S. Lewis - Chairman and CEO of military defense contractor General Dynamics from 1971 until 1985, who guided development of the Trident nuclear submarine and F-16 fighter, who steered General Dynamics from a $6.9 million loss in 1970 to a profit of $381.7 million in 1984, but who was accused of "pervasive business misconduct" by the Navy at the time of his retirement for excessive cost overruns during the Reagan military buildup of the 1980's, died Dec. 15 in Charleston, SC at age 86.
Dr. Judd Marmor - Respected psychiatrist and psychoanalyst whose controversial stance in the early 1960's that homosexuality was a variant form of sexual behavior and not a mental illness, eventually led to it's removal as clinical disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1974, and who was elected president of the American Psychiatric Association in 1974, died Dec. 16 in Los Angeles at age 93.
John Mulheren - Wall Street trader who made a fortune during the 1980's, who was convicted on conspiracy and securities fraud charges in 1986 after being implicated by Ivan Boesky, who reestablished his reputation after the conviction was overturned in 1991 becoming the CEO of the firms Jamie Securities and Bear Wagner Specialists, died Dec. 15 in Rumson, NJ of a heart attack at age 54.
Rudolph Peterson - CEO of Bank of America during the 1960's, who joined the bank in 1936 and become its president and CEO in 1963, who saw the banks assets double during his six year tenure as president, and who upon retirement headed up a commission under President Nixon on international development, died Dec. 2 in Piedmont, CA at age 98.
Lloyd Rigler - Entrepreneur who made his fortune selling Adolph's Meat Tenderizer, who in 1948 bought the recipe and the name Adolph's Meat Tenderizer after discovering the seasoning in a Santa Barbara restaurant owned by Adolph Remp, who was a well known philanthropist of opera and ballet, and who was a lifelong bachelor who founded the American Assn. of Single People in 1999, died Dec. 14 of cancer in Hollywood, CA at age 88.
John Sidgmore - Internet entrepreneur who became chairman and chief executive of the WorldCom in 2002 after its founder Bernard Ebbers was forced to resign in scandal, who had previously built UUNet Technologies into the dominant carrier of Internet traffic, who became a senior executive at WorldCom when the company swallowed MFS Communications which had merged with UUNet, and who after becoming CEO at WorldCom was leading it through the largest bankruptcy reorganization ever, died Dec. 11 in Potomac, MD of acute pancreatitis and kidney failure at age 52.
A.P. 'Skip' Viragh - Financial advisor who founded and was CEO of Rydex Funds, who was a pioneer in the strategy of leveraged index funds (use of stock index futures and options to try to mimic market benchmarks), and who was named as one of the mutual fund industry's 'power elite' by the Investment News newspaper in 2001, died Dec. 11 of pancreatic cancer in Sarasota, FL at age 62.
Dr. David Weikart - Education researcher and founder of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, who undertook the famous Perry Preschool Project, a study of the affects of early education and pre-school on low income children, who in 1962 took 123 low-income 3- and 4-year-olds and placed half in a preschool with highly trained, well-paid teachers, then documented the results over the years (he found that the former preschoolers were more likely to own homes, earn more, were less likely to receive welfare or be arrested for crimes and have children in wedlock), died Dec. 16 in Saline, MI of leukemia at age 72.