John dePol (91) artist whose familiar woodcut images were known for both their technical excellence and their artistry. DePol’s work was featured in illustrated books, in books about his work, and in numerous exhibitions and one-man shows in museums and galleries across the country and overseas,. He died in Cliffside Park, New Jersey on December 17, 2004.

Agnes Martin (92) abstract painter whose works hang in galleries across the US. In 1998, Martin won the National Medal of Art from the National Endowment of the Arts. She died in Taos, New Mexico on December 16, 2004.

Bernarda Bryson Shahn (101) painter and illustrator who also supported the career of her renowned artist husband, Ben Shahn, and gained early recognition for her lithographs, many of which portrayed the disappearing American frontier. Bernarda Shahn died in Monmouth County, New Jersey on December 13, 2004.

Dr. Sheldon Margen (85) pioneer in nutritional science whose research was used as a foundation for some of the dietary guidelines now listed on packaged food in the US. Margen also cofounded the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, one of the first of its kind. He died of cancer in Berkeley, California on December 18, 2004.

Dr. William A. Silverman (87) neonatologist who helped to create care plans for premature infants and gave parents a greater say in their babies’ care. In the ‘50s, Silverman determined that the improper use of oxygen was blinding many premature babies. He felt that little thought was given to the quality of life of premature infants beyond survival and was a strong advocate of clinical trials. He died of renal failure in Greenbrae, California on December 16, 2004.

Robert E. Smith (75) pathologist and academic who founded two Bay Area medical supply companies that helped to develop drugs to combat AIDS and other infectious diseases. Smith died of complications from diabetes in Livermore, California on December 16, 2004.

Mel Gabler (89) conservative Texas textbook critic who, with his wife, Norma, reviewed public school textbooks for more than 40 years, poring over publishers’ offerings looking for factual errors and examples of what they deemed liberal bias. The Gablers founded a nonprofit Christian-focused group, Educational Research Analysts, to examine textbooks under consideration for adoption by the Texas State Board of Education and testified before state regulators on their contents. They found hundreds of errors in 10 US history books after publishers and the state had approved them, leading to a fine levied on textbook publishers of about $1 million. Mel Gabler died of a massive brain hemorrhage after a fall at his home in Tyler, Texas on December 17, 2004.

Johnnie Carl (57) musical director of the Hour of Power Orchestra at Los Angeles’s Crystal Cathedral and one of the most prominent arrangers and composers of sacred music. Carl won a gold record as an arranger/composer on John Tesh’s Live from Red Rocks. He wrote more than 3,500 arrangements, and his music had been performed by Celine Dion, the London Symphony, Michael Crawford, and his best friend, pianist Roger Williams (their most recent CD went platinum). Minutes after police moved within a few feet of him in an attempted rescue, Carl, who suffered from bipolar disorder, shot himself to death, in Garden Grove, California on December 17, 2004

Martha Carson (83) US southern gospel musician whose dynamic performance style was an important influence on singers such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Ray, and Barbara Mandrell. Carson’s biggest hit, “Satisfied” (1951), which she wrote herself, became the first gospel song to top the country charts and has since been recorded by scores of artists. She died in Nashville, Tennessee on December 16, 2004.

Dorothy Chapman (83) writer and editor with the Orlando Sentinel for 25 years and the newspaper’s first restaurant critic. Chapman created “Thought You’d Never Ask,” a weekly restaurant recipe column that remains the Sentinel’s oldest continuous local column. She also wrote four cookbooks and was president of the Florida Press Club. She died of cancer in Orlando, Florida on December 12, 2004.

Michael Combs (42) rock guitarist, boyfriend of actor-director Clint Eastwood’s daughter Alison, reported missing Dec. 13 after snowboarding with her. Combs reportedly complained earlier that he wasn’t feeling well and had a headache. The next day his body was found in a gully just off a ski trail. An autopsy showed he died of a seizure disorder, in Vail, Colorado on December 14, 2004.

Sidonie Goossens (105) classical harpist who played with the BBC Symphony Orchestra as principal harpist for 50 years. Goossens gave her last performance with the group in 1991 at age 92. She was the first harpist to be featured on radio (1924) and TV (1926) and was a member of a famous family of musicians that included three conductors (her brother, father, and grandfather), an oboe player (her brother), a French horn player (another brother) and a second harpist (her sister). She died in her sleep in Reigate, England on December 15, 2004.

Athena Starwoman (59) Australian astrologer, columnist, and TV commentator whose real name was known to few. Starwoman wrote a regular column for Woman’s Day and for newspapers and overseas magazines. She published several books on star signs and helped to popularize astrology. She died of breast cancer in Australia on December 16, 2004.

George Barber (90) one of the last surviving chaplains from the US landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day during World War II. Barber was one of four chaplains with the Army’s 1st Infantry Division when Allied forces landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944 who spent the day ministering to the wounded and dying. More than 1,500 GIs were killed that day. Barber died in Whittier, California on December 17, 2004.

Pauline Gore (92) political matriarch whose son Al Gore became US vice president and nearly captured the presidency. Pauline’s husband, Albert Gore Sr. (d. 1998), had a long career (1939-70) in both houses of Congress. Trained as a lawyer, Pauline Gore was a familiar figure on the campaign trails of her husband and her son. She died of a heart attack in Carthage, Tennessee on December 15, 2004.

E. E. (Bo) Edwards 3rd (61) criminal defense lawyer who built a reputation fighting government forfeiture laws. Edwards believed the government abused its power by taking money and property from people on the mere suspicion that it was the product of criminal activity and worked with Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) on the Civil Asset Reform Act of 2000, which shifted the burden of proof to the government. His most famous case involved a landscaper with no previous run-ins with the law who was stopped in an airport in 1991 for carrying $9,600 in cash, which he said he planned to use to buy shrubs from a greenhouse but was accused, instead, of being a drug courier (a judge ordered the money returned). Edwards died while awaiting a kidney transplant, in Nashville, Tennessee on December 14, 2004.

Arthur (Bo) Agee Sr. (52) father of a high school basketball player whose life was chronicled in the acclaimed 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams. The younger Agee took Chicago’s Marshall High School to the state tournament in 1991. The elder Agee appeared with his son in the documentary. That same year he overcame a cocaine habit and later became a minister. He was shot to death in an alley near his home in Berwyn, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, on December 15, 2004.

Ted Abernathy (71) former major league baseball pitcher who twice led the National League in saves during the ‘60s and pitched for seven teams during his major league career. Abernathy appeared in 681 games and picked up 148 saves during his career (1955-72). He died in Gastonia, North Carolina on December 16, 2004.

H. R. (Bum) Bright (84) former owner of the Dallas Cowboys and a leading Texas businessman, who bought gas and oil leases and became a millionaire by the time he was 31. Bright bought the Cowboys in 1984 for $85 million (he sold it to current owner Jerry Jones for $170 million). He was also a member of the Texas A&M Board of Trustees and donated $25 million to the university He died in Highland Park, Texas on December 12, 2004.

Rod Kanehl (70) former baseball player who hit the first grand slam in the history of the New York Mets. Kanehl spent eight years in the Yankees’ minor league system before joining the Mets in their inaugural season in 1962. A long shot to make the team, he won over manager Casey Stengel by crashing through fences to catch balls. Kanehl spent three seasons with the Mets, playing every position but pitcher and catcher. He died of a heart attack in New York City on December 14, 2004.

Bobby Mattick (89) former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays (1980-81) who helped to develop the talent that produced five division titles and two World Series championships. Mattick joined the Blue Jays in 1976 as the expansion team’s scouting supervisor. He played in the majors as an outfielder (1938-42) with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. He died of a stroke in Scottsdale, Arizona on December 16, 2004.

Lorenzo J. (Larry) Ponza Jr. (86) tinkerer who developed and perfected the modern pitching machine. Ponza’s 1952 invention, the “Power Pitcher,” became the prototype for pitching machines that he and others built. His 1974 machine, “The Hummer,” became a batting practice staple for players from Little League to the Major Leagues because it could be set to replicate fast balls, ground balls, and pop-up flies. Ponza sold his company in the early ‘90s. He died of a cancer-related illness in Santa Cruz, California on December 15, 2004.

Ray Rude (88) entrepreneur who went from farmer to multimillionaire benefactor after developing the Duraflex diving board. In 1948, Rude developed an aluminum diving board from a discarded airplane wing panel; it led to his Nevada-based Duraflex diving company, which has made thousands of the diving boards used in the Olympics since 1960. Rude returned to his hometown in 2002 and died in Stanley, North Dakota on December 16, 2004.