NYT > Obituaries https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries en-us Copyright 2026 The New York Times Company Sat, 07 Nov 2026 15:13:43 +0000 Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:25:01 +0000 NYT > Obituaries https://static01.nyt.com/images/misc/NYT_logo_rss_250x40.png https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries How the New York Times Obituaries Desk Covers Death by Suicide https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/07/obituaries/suicide-deaths.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/07/obituaries/suicide-deaths.html There is more openness about discussing suicide now. But sometimes families talk about it only reluctantly, or not at all. Clay Risen Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:24:38 +0000 Suicides and Suicide Attempts Deaths (Obituaries) News and News Media Cobain, Kurt Gilmer, Erin (1982-2021) Glaze, Mark Hemingway, Ernest Kessler, Alice (1936-2025) Photo Illustrations by Leslie dela Vega/The New York Times; Photographs, via Getty Images John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia Governor and Senator, Dies at 89 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/politics/jay-rockefeller-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/politics/jay-rockefeller-dead.html The rare Democrat in a fabled family of wealthy Republicans, he served 30 years as senator and helped bring health insurance to millions of low-income children. Robert D. McFadden Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:10:45 +0000 United States Politics and Government Mines and Mining Law and Legislation Deaths (Obituaries) Elections, Senate Chase Manhattan Bank Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Rockefeller, John D IV Appalachian Region West Virginia Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times John D. Rockefeller IV on Capitol Hill in 2009. He served five terms as a U.S. senator and two as governor. Martin Blinder Has Died. He Was Blamed for the ‘Twinkie Defense.’ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/martin-blinder-twinkie-defense-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/martin-blinder-twinkie-defense-dead.html A forensic psychiatrist, he testified that consuming sugary foods could cause antisocial behavior. To his dismay, a catchphrase was born. He was 89. Clay Risen Fri, 06 Nov 2026 16:04:23 +0000 Blinder, Martin (1937-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Psychiatry and Psychiatrists Forensic Science Murders, Attempted Murders and Homicides Milk, Harvey Moscone, George R California Lonnie Thompson Has Died. He Dodged Avalanches to Preserve Climate History. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/science/lonnie-thompson-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/science/lonnie-thompson-dead.html His observations helped establish shriveling mountain glaciers as an unmistakable consequence of human-caused warming. He was 78. Raymond Zhong Sat, 07 Nov 2026 14:19:29 +0000 Global Warming Glaciers Deaths (Obituaries) Geology Thompson, Lonnie G Antarctic Regions Harriet Hancock, a Force in South Carolina’s Gay Rights Movement, Has Died https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/us/harriet-hancock-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/us/harriet-hancock-dead.html She became an early and leading activist for gay and lesbian rights in a time and place where that was extremely rare. She was 89. Jeré Longman Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:25:53 +0000 Hancock, Harriet (1936-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Homosexuality and Bisexuality Civil Rights and Liberties South Carolina Klaus-Michael Kühne Has Died. His Company Played a Dark Role in Nazi Germany. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/world/europe/klaus-michael-kuhne-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/world/europe/klaus-michael-kuhne-dead.html As Klaus-Michael Kühne’s business became a global force in container shipping, he resisted demands to document its wartime activities. He was 89. Jonathan Kandell Thu, 05 Nov 2026 21:16:14 +0000 Kuhne, Klaus-Michael Deaths (Obituaries) Holocaust and the Nazi Era Ships and Shipping Freight (Cargo) High Net Worth Individuals Philanthropy Germany Hamburg (Germany) Kuehne + Nagel Klaus-Michael Kühne in an undated photo. He was a major philanthropist in culture and education. John Frieda, Hair-Care Mogul Who Soothed Women’s Curls, Has Died https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/style/john-frieda-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/style/john-frieda-dead.html He was a celebrity stylist to rock stars and royalty whose blockbuster product, Frizz Ease, changed his fortunes (and women’s hair) forever. He was 75. Penelope Green Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:27:56 +0000 Frieda, John Deaths (Obituaries) Hair Beauty Salons Cosmetics and Toiletries Celebrities Great Britain Lulu (Singer) (1948- ) Lumley, Joanna internal-eafs Seth Wenig/Associated Press John Frieda in 2008. He made his name as a young assistant stylist in Mayfair in the late 1960s and then made a fortune with a blockbuster product called Frizz Ease. Juan Atkins Has Died. He Helped Invent Techno Music. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/arts/music/juan-atkins-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/arts/music/juan-atkins-dead.html He combined the futurism of Kraftwerk with the funk of George Clinton to arrive at techno, making Detroit a capital of the genre. He was 64. Alex Williams Fri, 06 Nov 2026 22:00:31 +0000 Atkins, Juan (1962- ) Deaths (Obituaries) techno Music Electronics Detroit (Mich) Kraftwerk (Music Group) Clinton, George (1941- ) Yellow Magic Orchestra (Music Group) Michael Tullberg/Getty Images Juan Atkins performing at the Electronic Music Awards in 2017. Rolling Stone wrote that he “invented techno, full stop — he conceived it and named it.” Beverly Whipple Has Died. She Introduced the G-Spot to the Mainstream. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/science/beverly-whipple-g-spot-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/science/beverly-whipple-g-spot-dead.html Dr. Whipple studied the female erogenous zone and, with collaborators, wrote a best seller about women’s sexuality. She was 85. Randi Hutter Epstein Wed, 04 Nov 2026 23:03:06 +0000 Whipple, Beverly (1941-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Sex Sex Education Vagina Women and Girls Research Books and Literature The G Spot and Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality (Book) Ladas, Alice Kahn (1921-2023) Perry, John Delbert Mel Evans/Associated Press Beverly Whipple in 2007. Her book “The G Spot: And Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality,” examined the concept of female sexual pleasure. Sinclair Clark Made Museum Masterpieces. Why Was His Name Left Out? https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/obituaries/sinclair-clark-overlooked.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/obituaries/sinclair-clark-overlooked.html As a taxidermy tanner, he prepared the thick, heavy skins of majestic creatures for display in museums across the world. But for a long time, he went unnamed. Gordon K. Hurd Fri, 06 Nov 2026 21:22:07 +0000 Clark, Sinclair (1902-99) Museums Black People Biographical Information Taxidermy Milton L. Williams Has Died. His Legal Career Touched Major N.Y.C. Events. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/obituaries/milton-l-williams-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/obituaries/milton-l-williams-dead.html He was executive director of the inquiry into the Attica prison uprising and made a provocative decision in the Central Park jogger case. He died at 93. Sam Roberts Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:46:51 +0000 Williams, Milton L Jr Legal Profession False Arrests, Convictions and Imprisonments Decisions and Verdicts Central Park Jogger Case (1989) Courts and the Judiciary Ethics and Official Misconduct Bellacosa, Joseph W New York City Attica Correctional Facility Deaths (Obituaries) Dith Pran/The New York Times Justice Milton L. Williams was the first Black man appointed as the administrative head of New York City’s vast criminal and civil court system. In the Style of P.C. Vey: The Funniest Reader Cartoons We Received https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/business/media/pc-vey-new-yorker-cartoons.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/business/media/pc-vey-new-yorker-cartoons.html More than 200 people answered our call for cartoons in the spirit of P.C. Vey. Here are some of the best ones. Amisha Padnani and Michael S. Rosenwald Thu, 05 Nov 2026 22:21:47 +0000 Comedy and Humor Vey, PC (1955-2026) Cartoons and Cartoonists Simon Winchester, Author of ‘The Professor and the Madman,’ Has Died https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/obituaries/simon-winchester-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/obituaries/simon-winchester-dead.html He was a geologist who switched careers and became a prolific and adventurous journalist. He died at 82. Alan Cowell Thu, 05 Nov 2026 21:46:37 +0000 Winchester, Simon (1944- ) Books and Literature Writing and Writers News and News Media Guardian (British Newspaper) The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary (Book) Deaths (Obituaries) David Levenson/Getty Images Simon Winchester spent much of his career reporting for The Guardian. Senji Kuroi Has Died. He Interpreted ‘the Salaried Soul.’ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/world/asia/senji-kuroi-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/world/asia/senji-kuroi-dead.html In books and essays, he captured the unease beneath Japan’s economic miracle and wrote about everyday people who might never appear in headlines. Jonathan Kandell Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:23:57 +0000 Kuroi, Senji (1932-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) novelist Books and Literature Writing and Writers Social Conditions and Trends Japan The Asahi Shimbun, via Getty Images Senji Kuroi in 1972. He published dozens of novels, short-story collections and essays, earning major Japanese literary prizes. Herbert Blomstedt, Low-Key, Long-Performing Maestro, Dies at 99 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/arts/music/herbert-blomstedt-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/04/arts/music/herbert-blomstedt-dead.html He never achieved the celebrity of more glamorous colleagues, but drew acclaim as he remained at the podium until virtually the end of his long life. Vivien Schweitzer Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:35:57 +0000 Blomstedt, Herbert Classical Music San Francisco Symphony Deaths (Obituaries) Richard Termine for The New York Times Herbert Blomstedt leading the New York Philharmonic in 2012. His reputation only improved as he passed 90, then 95, well after most maestros have retired. Ryū Murakami, Writer Who Explored Japan’s Dark Side, Dies at 74 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/03/books/ryu-murakami-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/03/books/ryu-murakami-dead.html His books about sex, drugs and social misfits amid the country’s economic boom — and subsequent bust — sold millions of copies. Clay Risen Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:57:46 +0000 Murakami, Ryu Writing and Writers Books and Literature Japan Deaths (Obituaries) Fang Yingzhong/Color China Photo, via Associated Press Ryū Murakami in 2010. His first novel, “Almost Transparent Blue,” depicted a side of Japan that ran counter to the strait-laced, socially conservative image favored by the mainstream. The Only Photographer Who Covered the Sharpeville Massacre Has Died https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/03/obituaries/ian-berry-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/03/obituaries/ian-berry-dead.html Ian Berry was there when the police opened fire on peaceful protesters in the South African township. He died at 92. Adam Nossiter Tue, 03 Nov 2026 18:02:33 +0000 Berry, Ian (1934- ) Photography Magnum Photos Deaths (Obituaries) Peter Marlow/Magnum Photos Ian Berry in 1995. William Nordhaus Dies; Nobel Winner Influenced Climate Policy https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/02/business/economy/williiam-nordhaus-nobel-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/02/business/economy/williiam-nordhaus-nobel-dead.html The Yale professor moved climate change into mainstream economic analysis. Lydia DePillis Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:04:11 +0000 Global Warming Nobel Prizes Deaths (Obituaries) Nordhaus, William D Monica Jorge for The New York Times Dr. William Nordhaus in 2018, the year he shared the Nobel for economic science. John Thorne, the Writer Who Celebrated Humble Food https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/02/books/review/john-thorne-appraisal.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/02/books/review/john-thorne-appraisal.html John Thorne, who died last week at 83, was interested in making humble things sing. Dwight Garner Mon, 02 Nov 2026 21:48:01 +0000 Books and Literature Cooking and Cookbooks Thorne, John Content Type: Personal Profile Martin Erlichman, Barbra Streisand’s Longtime Manager, Dies at 97 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/obituaries/martin-erlichman-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/obituaries/martin-erlichman-dead.html He had other clients, like Chevy Chase and Joan Rivers, and he produced movies. But he was best known as Ms. Streisand’s negotiator and protector. Ben Sisario Sun, 01 Nov 2026 23:13:43 +0000 Erlichman, Martin Streisand, Barbra Pop and Rock Music Deaths (Obituaries) Kevin Mazur/WireImage, via Getty Images Martin Erlichman in 2010. Since 1961, he was Barbra Streisand’s manager, except for an interruption of about a decade. Jerry Koosman, Who Helped the Miracle Mets Win the World Series, Has Died https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/obituaries/jerry-koosman-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/obituaries/jerry-koosman-dead.html A two-time All Star, in 1969 he joined with Tom Seaver in a pitching combo that propelled the team to an astonishing season. Richard Goldstein Sun, 01 Nov 2026 20:24:01 +0000 Koosman, Jerry Deaths (Obituaries) Baseball World Series New York Mets Larry C. Morris/The New York Times Jerry Koosman in 1968 pitching against the Houston Astros. He won 140 games and lost 137 in his 12 seasons with the Mets, going 17-9 in the year the Miracle Mets won the World Series. Joseph Lagu, Who Led Independence Movement in Southern Sudan, Has Died https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/world/africa/joseph-lagu-sudan-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/world/africa/joseph-lagu-sudan-dead.html He played a pivotal role in winning his region’s autonomy from Sudan in 1972, then served as a high-ranking diplomat. He was 94. Clay Risen Sun, 01 Nov 2026 10:02:33 +0000 Lagu, Joseph (1931-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) War and Armed Conflicts Secession and Independence Movements Defense and Military Forces Politics and Government Muslims and Islam Bashir, Omar Hassan Al- South Sudan Sudan Keystone Pictures USA/Zumapress.Com Joseph Lagu in 1968. Cyril Hilsum, Who Helped Invent Flat-Panel Displays in TVs and iPhones, Has Died at 101 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/technology/cyril-hilsum-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/01/technology/cyril-hilsum-dead.html The man who helped develop the technology for liquid crystal displays — the screens in flat-panel televisions and laptops — has died at 101. Michael S. Rosenwald Sun, 01 Nov 2026 10:00:44 +0000 Hilsum, Cyril (1925-2026) Deaths (Obituaries) Engineering and Engineers Physics Television Sets and Media Devices Computers and the Internet Digital and High-Definition Television Inventions and Patents Smartphones Laptop Computers Great Britain via Hilsum Family Cyril Hilsum with a fellow scientist in England in 1966. Known as “the father of liquid crystals,” he helped develop the technology that allowed electronic screens to go from bulky to svelte.