https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries en-us Copyright 2026 The New York Times Company Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:22:39 +0000 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:48:56 +0000 https://static01.nyt.com/images/misc/NYT_logo_rss_250x40.png https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/arts/music/plas-johnson-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/arts/music/plas-johnson-dead.html His recording for the theme song, written by Henry Mancini, included a solo improvised in the studio. He also backed Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. Matt Schudel Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:38:22 +0000 Johnson, Plas (1931-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Pop and Rock Music Rhythm and Blues (Music) Jazz Movies Saxophones The Pink Panther (Movie) Mancini, Henry https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/science/susumu-tonegawa-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/science/susumu-tonegawa-dead.html The first Japanese scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, he went on to discover how memories are stored, advancing understanding of how the brain works. Dylan Loeb McClain Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:29:55 +0000 Tonegawa, Susumu Deaths (Obituaries) Biology and Biochemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nobel Prizes Antibodies Brain Memory Immune System Research Brian Snyder/Reuters Susumu Tonegawa in 2005. “Few scientists have reshaped our understanding of biology as profoundly,” Myriam Heiman, the director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at M.I.T., said. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/us/denise-oliver-velez-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/us/denise-oliver-velez-dead.html She became the highest-ranking female member of the Young Lords in New York, where she pressed for women’s rights, and later joined the Black Panthers. Jeremy Fassler Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:52:56 +0000 Oliver-Velez, Denise (1947-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Black People Women's Rights Minorities Puerto Ricans Discrimination Young Lords Black Panther Party Black Filmmaker Foundation Pacifica Radio New York City Lee Romero/The New York Times Denise Oliver-Velez, then Denise Oliver, in 1970 as a member of the Young Lords. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/arts/design/dave-dawson-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/arts/design/dave-dawson-dead.html He and his wife knew nothing about the business when they decided to produce lighting in Charleston, S.C. Their company became a beacon of American manufacturing. Penelope Green Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:57:01 +0000 Dawson, Dave (1972-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Lighting Factories and Manufacturing Interior Design and Furnishings Charleston (SC) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/obituaries/hal-williams-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/obituaries/hal-williams-dead.html As a divorced father of three in Ohio, he moved to Hollywood to pursue his boyhood dream to act. He became a recognizable face on “Sanford and Son.” Alex Traub Sun, 19 Jul 2026 22:10:27 +0000 Williams, Hal (1934-2026) Actors and Actresses Television Black People Deaths (Obituaries) Foxx, Redd (1922-91) Columbus (Ohio) California 227 (TV Program) Good Times (TV Program) Sanford and Son (TV Program) NBC/NBCU Photo Bank Hal Williams, second from left, as Officer “Smitty” Smith on “Sanford and Son,” the role for which he was best known. With him, from left, are Howard Platt, Redd Foxx and, in the background, Demond Wilson. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/nyregion/lillian-roberts-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/nyregion/lillian-roberts-dead.html She unionized state hospitals and battled with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg during her feisty leadership of the nation’s largest municipal workers union. Alex Williams Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:30:17 +0000 Roberts, Lillian Deaths (Obituaries) Organized Labor Hospitals American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 37 New York City New York State James Estrin/The New York Times Lillian Roberts in 2003 at her office at District Council 37. After a long absence, she had returned to lead the powerful union the previous year, when she was well into her 70s. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/arts/music/joe-melson-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/arts/music/joe-melson-dead.html Working together closely, the pair turned out more than 200 songs, including “Crying,” “Running Scared” and “Blue Bayou.” Clay Risen Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:18:32 +0000 Melson, Joe (1935-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Pop and Rock Music Orbison, Roy Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Nashville (Tenn) Odessa (Tex) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/health/walt-odets-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/health/walt-odets-dead.html A psychologist, he wrote during the AIDS crisis about survivor’s guilt and depression in his H.I.V.-negative patients. Trip Gabriel Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:54:46 +0000 Odets, Walt Deaths (Obituaries) Homosexuality and Bisexuality Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Books and Literature Writing and Writers Psychology and Psychologists Watches and Clocks Odets, Clifford https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/sports/baseball/ron-hunt-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/sports/baseball/ron-hunt-dead.html Though he was notable as a Met, his record for being hit by pitches the most times in a modern-era season — 50 — came while playing for the Expos. Richard Goldstein Sat, 18 Jul 2026 17:54:36 +0000 Hunt, Ron (1941-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Baseball New York Mets Montreal Expos Records and Achievements Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Ron Hunt in an undated photo. In 1963 he was the runner-up in balloting to be the National League’s rookie of the year. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/sports/garfield-sobers-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/sports/garfield-sobers-dead.html A longtime West Indian captain, he could do it all on the pitch. Victor Mather Fri, 17 Jul 2026 20:16:36 +0000 Sobers, Garfield (1936-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Cricket (Game) Barbados West Indies Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Garfield Sobers, known as Garry, in 2019. He was a brilliant cricket player could not only bat and bowl well, but was also a great fielder. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/sports/athletes-victory-celebrations-world-cup.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/sports/athletes-victory-celebrations-world-cup.html The World Cup has brought renewed attention to the art of celebration. Here’s a look at all kinds of athletes whose rituals of triumph became part of their legacies. Amisha Padnani Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:56:46 +0000 World Cup 2026 (Soccer) Soccer Basketball Dawkins, Darryl Mbappe, Kylian (1998- ) Mutombo, Dikembe Henri Szwarc/Bongarts, via Getty Images Rashidi Yekini celebrating after he scored Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup goal in 1994. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/world/asia/lam-wing-kee-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/world/asia/lam-wing-kee-dead.html One of five booksellers kidnapped by Chinese officials in 2015, Mr. Lam spoke out after his release and became an international cause célèbre. Adam Nossiter Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:03:38 +0000 Lam Wing-kee Deaths (Obituaries) Hong Kong Book Trade and Publishing Books and Literature Political Prisoners Causeway Bay Books (Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Retailer) Mighty Current Media Communist Party of China China Taipei (Taiwan) An Rong Xu for The New York Times Lam Wing Kee in 2020 at the Causeway Bay Bookstore in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan’s ministry of culture saluted the store as “an inspiration and role model for democracy, liberty and human rights across borders.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/science/rudolph-marcus-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/science/rudolph-marcus-dead.html He received a 1992 Nobel Prize for developing a theory that explained fundamental processes behind photosynthesis, respiration, oxidation and even how fireflies produce light. Dylan Loeb McClain Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:13:19 +0000 Marcus, Rudolph (1923-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Chemistry Photosynthesis California Institute of Technology https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/movies/brenda-fricker-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/movies/brenda-fricker-dead.html She won for playing a stoic mother in “My Left Foot” and achieved cult status as a pigeon whisperer in Central Park in “Home Alone 2.” Natasha King Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:41:57 +0000 Fricker, Brenda Deaths (Obituaries) Actors and Actresses Movies My Left Foot (Movie) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (Movie) Academy Awards (Oscars) Ireland https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/technology/roger-summit-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/technology/roger-summit-dead.html A research scientist at Lockheed, he came up with the idea for a computer system that would search scientific and technical literature almost instantaneously. Michael S. Rosenwald Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:24:48 +0000 Summit, Roger (1930-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Search Engines Computers and the Internet Lockheed Martin Corporation https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/arts/television/dave-kendall-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/arts/television/dave-kendall-dead.html With his English accent and ubiquitous leather jacket, Mr. Kendall was the face of alternative music on MTV from 1989 to 1992. John S.W. MacDonald Thu, 16 Jul 2026 23:12:59 +0000 Kendall, Dave (d 2026) Deaths (Obituaries) MTV Networks 120 Minutes (TV Program) Pop and Rock Music Television Steve Eichner Dave Kendall at Limelight nightclub in New York in 1993. As the host of “120 Minutes” on MTV, he promoted acts like R.E.M., the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana, who became mainstream stars. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/science/mary-dell-chilton-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/science/mary-dell-chilton-dead.html In 1982, she led the research team that figured out how to genetically alter plants, a discovery that would eventually transform global agriculture. Jeré Longman Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:38:40 +0000 Chilton, Mary-Dell Deaths (Obituaries) Biotechnology and Bioengineering Agriculture and Farming Genetically Modified Food (GMOs) World Food Prize Bacteria Syngenta AG https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/movies/akihiro-miwa-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/movies/akihiro-miwa-dead.html In Japan, he was one of the first androgynous pop-culture stars and an inspirational figure. Abroad, he was known for his work in animated films by Hayao Miyazaki. Ash Wu Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:19:08 +0000 Miwa, Akihiro Deaths (Obituaries) Studio Ghibli Animated Films Actors and Actresses Music Gender Miyazaki, Hayao Mishima, Yukio Japan https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/world/africa/guy-scott-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/world/africa/guy-scott-dead.html Two decades after the fall of apartheid in South Africa, he served briefly as Africa’s only white president. Alan Cowell Wed, 15 Jul 2026 21:07:10 +0000 Scott, Guy L Deaths (Obituaries) Africa Zambia Politics and Government Race and Ethnicity Apartheid (Policy) Colonization Patriotic Front (Zambia) internal-open-access-from-nl Monirul Bhuiyan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Guy Scott in 2013, while serving as the vice president of Zambia. Earlier, as agriculture minister, he was credited with rescuing his country from potential famine after a severe drought. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/arts/television/scott-bryce-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/arts/television/scott-bryce-dead.html He originated the role of the scheming Craig Montgomery and appeared in 280 episodes of the CBS soap opera over more than two decades. Johnny Diaz Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:28:35 +0000 Bryce, Scott (1958-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) As The World Turns (TV Program) Soap Operas Television Actors and Actresses internal-eafs Robert Voets/CBS, via Everett Collection Scott Bryce in 2007. He originated the role of Craig Montgomery on “As the World Turns” in 1982 and played him off and on until 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/sports/baseball/phil-regan-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/sports/baseball/phil-regan-dead.html He won 14 games in 1966 in relief, some of them following brilliant performances by the team’s starters, including Sandy Koufax, who bestowed the nickname. Richard Sandomir Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:39:08 +0000 Regan, Phil (1937-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Baseball Coaches and Managers Koufax, Sandy Los Angeles Dodgers New York Mets Venezuela Sporting News, via Getty Images Phil Regan in 1966 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team on which he distinguished himself as a closer.