obituaries

Ram Dass meditates at the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco in January 1970.

Arts

Ram Dass, Spiritual Teacher And Psychedelics Pioneer, Dies At 88

5:41pm December 23, 2019

by Andrew Limbong

His name meant "servant of God," a title given to him by a Hindu mystic he met in India in the '60s. Ram Dass wrote books popularizing New Age thinking and toured the U.S. lecturing about mindfulness.

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National

Bill Ebeltoft's Brother Remembers The Life Of A Hero Whose Life Changed After Vietnam

4:48pm December 20, 2019

Bill Ebeltoft was a decorated hero whose life changed dramatically after the trauma of the Vietnam war. His brother wrote an obit in their small town paper that's gone viral.

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Sports

Herman Boone, Football Coach Portrayed In 'Remember The Titans,' Dies At 84

4:45pm December 19, 2019

High school football coach Herman Boone of Alexandria, Va., who was portrayed in the movie Remember the Titans, died Wednesday at age 84.

Former high school football coach Herman Boone, center, has died at age 84. He's seen here with his friend and colleague Bill Yoast, left — who died earlier this year — and former Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr.

Herman Boone, Football Coach Of 'Remember The Titans' Fame, Dies

12:31pm December 19, 2019

by Bill Chappell

Boone, who was 84, died just seven months after the death of Bill Yoast, his friend and fellow coach at T.C. Williams High School.

Arts

'Fresh Air' Remembers 'Do The Right Thing' And 'Ruby' Actor Danny Aiello

2:15pm December 17, 2019

by Terry Gross

The Oscar-nominated actor, who died Dec. 12, started out as an official with the New York Transit Union, but quit when he was 35 to pursue acting. Originally broadcast in 1992.

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Actor Danny Aiello, Best Known For 'Do The Right Thing', Dies At 86

4:49pm December 13, 2019

by Neda Ulaby

Actor Danny Aiello died on Thursday at age 86. He was best known — and received an Oscar nomination — for playing the pizza parlor owner in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing.

George Laurer in 2011 at the University of Maryland's Innovation Hall of Fame. His many inventions, including the Universal Product Code, led to his induction into the hall in 1991.

National

IBM Engineer Who Designed The Universal Product Code Dies At 94

8:06pm December 12, 2019

by Sam Gringlas

The bar code is now a packaging mainstay, but it probably wouldn't have worked without George Laurer.

Swedish singer Marie Fredriksson, performing in Cologne, Germany on March 19, 2011.

Music & Culture

Roxette's Marie Fredriksson Dead At 61

2:22pm December 10, 2019

by Neda Ulaby

As half of Roxette, Fredriksson was one of Sweden's most notable pop exports, selling tens of millions of albums and garnering several hit songs.

Pete Frates, (seated, center) participates in the Ice Bucket Challenge with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to raise money for ALS research at the Statehouse in Boston in 2015.

Pete Frates, A Driving Force Behind The Viral Ice Bucket Challenge, Dies At 34

6:14pm December 09, 2019

by Sam Gringlas

The former Boston College baseball star was diagnosed with ALS when he was 27. He turned a fundraising challenge into a national story and helped raise millions for ALS research.

Pete Frates, Who Helped Raise Millions For ALS Research, Dies At 34

5:33pm December 09, 2019

by Andrew Limbong

Pete Frates, a college baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS and then helped to raise millions of dollars for research into the disease, died Monday at age 34.

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