Obituaries

Melancholy and hilarious: Disch in 1986

Thomas M. Disch: Poet and writer of death-haunted science fiction who won plaudits for 'Camp Concentration'

The death of the American writer Thomas M. Disch, by his own hand, on the Fourth of July, was the last act of a drama that had been unfolding in public for several years.

Inside Obituaries

Ed Arno: Cartoonist with a surreal wit

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Ed Arno's brisk stabs of surreal wit punctuated the refined columns of The New Yorker for 30 years. Unlike other long-lived cartoonists, whose entire artistic development can be traced within that magazine's back catalogue, entry to the New Yorker pantheon was a late career move for Arno, who lived the first half of his life in Eastern Europe.

Tony Melody: Star of the TV series 'Rule Britannia'

Thursday, 10 July 2008

The slightly sad-looking face and receding hairline of Tony Melody were familiar to television viewers in dozens of programmes over half a century, particularly sitcoms and soaps. He was a prolific character actor who provided the perfect foil to top comedy stars such as Hylda Baker, Eric Sykes and Harry Worth.

Sir John Templeton: Successful stock investor who gave millions to encourage the rational exploration of spirituality

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

John Templeton was a highly successful stock investor who, starting in 1937, made a fortune on Wall Street and by mid life had become a philanthropist noted for encouraging rational exploration of spirituality.

Fred Yates: Self-styled 'happy Lowry'

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

The painter Fred Yates used colour to break away from the early influence of L.S. Lowry, whom he knew in post-war Manchester art circles. Despite the local industrial landscape "school" Lowry spawned, there were as many canvases at inter-war Manchester Academy exhibitions of holiday beaches as there were of chimneys and smog. It was to this tradition of northern escapism that Yates, a self-styled "happy Lowry", belonged.

Robert Harling: Typographer, designer, 'House & Garden' editor and author of riveting novels of 'old Fleet Street'

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

A month or so before the Second World War began in 1939, Robert Harling, not yet editor of House & Garden, met Ian Fleming, not yet synonymous with James Bond. The meeting was (as Harling found later) no accident.

Irina Baronova: Balanchine 'baby ballerina'

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

Irina Baronova was one of the original "baby ballerinas" recruited in 1932 by the choreographer George Balanchine to be the stars of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo.

Rene Harris: Controversial president of Nauru

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

Ren� Harris, four times president of the tiny island nation of Nauru, was one of the South Pacific's most controversial politicians. He was a larger-than-life character: physically rotund, with a forceful personality and a ruthless reputation. Allegations of corruption pursued him for much of his political career. The country's longest-serving politician, he lost his seat only in April, after 31 years in parliament.

Jesse Helms: Powerful Republican senator who championed right-wing causes during three decades in Congress

Monday, 7 July 2008

Jesse Helms belonged to an almost vanished breed of racist lawmakers who grew up in the old South when it was segregationist and uniformly Democratic but became Republicans in disgust at President Lyndon John's civil rights legislation.

Michael Marland: Headteacher and educationalist

Monday, 7 July 2008

Michael Marland was one of the educational pioneers of the second half of the 20th century. He passionately believed that education was a leading force for social change. His practice as an English teacher in secondary schools, alongside his extensive journalism and publishing, made him an inspiration to a generation of teachers in the 1960s and 1970s. As head of two large London comprehensives, he will be remembered by fellow professionals for his contribution to inner-city education and his promotion of strong community relations.

Simone Ortega: Bestselling cookery writer

Monday, 7 July 2008

Long before celebrity chefs captured the headlines, Simone Ortega transformed the culinary lives of millions of Spaniards – and reputedly saved countless marriages – with her best-selling 1,080 recetas de cocina, translated into English last year as 1,080 Recipes. Her collection of simple – she claimed, foolproof – home recipes has reprinted 49 times since it first appeared in 1972. With 3.5 million copies sold, her book is believed to be outranked in the Spanish-speaking world only by Don Quixote and the Bible.

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