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Douglas Kirkland, who took portraits of movie stars, dies at 88

For more than 60 years, Mr. Kirkland was a leading celebrity photographer, using his courteous and exuberant nature as a calling card into stars’ homes and hotel rooms and onto movie sets.

Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, former longtime rector of Trinity Church, dies at 72

During nearly two decades leading Trinity Church, the Rev. Lloyd offered spiritual guidance through events including the nearby Boston Marathon bombings.

Stephanie Dabney, electrifying prima ballerina, dies at 64

Firebird became Ms. Dabney’s signature role, and she performed it more than any other during her career.

Billy Sothern, crusading New Orleans defense lawyer, dies at 45

Billy Sothern, a defense lawyer renowned for taking on some of Louisiana’s toughest capital cases — including the wrongful conviction of Albert Woodfox, who spent 42 years in solitary confinement for a crime he didn’t commit — died Sept. 30 at his home in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where he and his family had moved during the pandemic. He was 45.

Anton Fier, ferocious drummer who played across genres, dies at 66
Even at his musical peak in the 1980s, Anton Fier, a drummer, producer and bandleader who brought power and precision to his work with acts as diverse as the Feelies, Herbie Hancock, Laurie Anderson and his own star-studded ensemble, the Golden Palominos, seemed to glimpse a dark end for himself.

David Beckwith, who scooped the Supreme Court on Roe, dies at 79
David Beckwith's 1973 Time magazine report about the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling gained new attention this year after a draft of the opinion overturning Roe was leaked in advance.

Latest Headlines in Obituaries

Japanese avant-garde pioneer composer Ichiyanagi dies at 89

Mr. Ichiyanagi studied at The Juilliard School and emerged a pioneer, using free-spirited compositional techniques that left much to chance, incorporating not only traditional Japanese elements and instruments but also electronic music.

Judy Tenuta, brash ‘Love Goddess’ comedian, dies at 72

A brash standup comic, Judy Tenuta cheekily styled herself as the “Love Goddess” and toured with George Carlin as she built her career in the 1980s golden age of comedy.

Colin Alevras, inventive New York chef and restaurateur, dies at 51

Colin Alevras, an inventive chef and sommelier whose tiny, cultish East Village restaurant, the Tasting Room, helped popularize a quirky, personal farmers market cuisine during its nine-year existence, died on Oct. 1 at his home in lower Manhattan. He was 51.

Jerzy Urban, acerbic communist turned free-speech hero, dies at 89

As the most visible face of the Polish communist regime, Mr. Urban sprinkled a rare dash of humor and candor over a society where the leadership otherwise offered very little of either.

Patricia Cloherty, trailblazing venture capitalist, dies at 80

One of the first women to succeed in the field of venture capitalism, she also was a key financial supporter of fledgling companies in post-Communist Russia.

Charles Fuller, Pulitzer recipient for ‘A Soldier’s Play,’ dies at 83

Mr. Fuller was only the second Black playwright to win the Pulitzer for drama.

Laurence Silberman, titan of conservative jurisprudence, dies at 86

His opinions on Second Amendment rights and the separation of powers resonated across American jurisprudence.

David Beckwith, who scooped Supreme Court on Roe v. Wade, dies at 79

Although David Beckwith's story on the Roe case was not widely heralded at the time, it received renewed attention earlier this year as journalists and historians pointed out that Politico's Supreme Court scoop was not entirely unprecedented.