Obituaries

FILES-US-JOURNALIST-CAPTIVE(FILES) Former US hostage Terry Anderson and his fiancee Madeleine Bassil arrive at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on December 10, 1991. American journalist Terry Anderson, who was snatched by Islamic militants in Lebanon in 1985 and held hostage for six years, died at age 76 on April 21, 2024, his former employer the Associated Press (AP) said. Anderson, then the AP's Beirut bureau chief, was the longest-held Western hostage in Lebanon when he was finally released in 1991. (Photo by Ted HORODYNSKY / AFP) (Photo by TED HORODYNSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Terry Anderson, AP reporter abducted in Lebanon and held captive for years, has died at 76

Terry Anderson was chief Middle East correspondent for the AP when he was kidnapped in Beirut in 1985 by the militant group Hezbollah, who suspected he was a spy. His 1991 best-seller ‘Den of Lions’ chronicles his torture and time in captivity.

By Associated Press

Music

Andrew Davis, longtime Lyric Opera music director, dies at 80

British conductor, who led nearly 700 Lyric performances of 62 operas, died in Chicago from leukemia.

By Ronald Blum | Associated Press

Obit Mandisa. Mandisa accepts the award for pop/contemporary album of the year at the Dove Awards Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album ‘Overcomer’, has died.

Music

Mandisa, Grammy-winning singer and 'American Idol' alum, dies at 47

Mandisa, whose full name is Mandisa Lynn Hundley, was born near Sacramento, California, and grew up singing in church.

By Associated Press

Bears

Former Bears executive Bill Tobin dies at 83

Tobin was a longtime Bears executive who served as the team’s de facto general manager from 1986 to 1992.

By Patrick Finley

Obit Dickey Betts. Dickey Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, exits the funeral of Gregg Allman at Snow's Memorial Chapel, June 3, 2017, in Macon, Ga. Guitar legend Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” died Thursday, April 18, 2024. He was 80. (Jason Vorhees/The Macon Telegraph via AP, File)

Music

Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist, dies at 80

As a child, Betts changed schools often because his father worked construction, and those memories later inspired him to write “Ramblin’ Man,” the band’s biggest hit.

By Associated Press

Obituaries

Jun Mhoon, producer who toured as Staple Singers' drummer in 6th grade, dies at 69

Mr. Mhoon toured with the gospel group and was “just as cute as he could be,” says singer Mavis Staples. The experience paved the way for his success in the music industry.

By Mitch Dudek

Walter "Slim" Coleman (center) speaks at a rally in the Loop called to protest an immigration raid in Little Village in 2007.

Obituaries

Walter 'Slim' Coleman, 'supreme organizer' who helped elect Mayor Harold Washington, dies at 80

Mr. Coleman led countless demonstrations in his six decades as an activist. “Slim believed the real power was in organization, putting people in the streets and packing people into government meetings,” said friend Michael Klonsky.

By Mitch Dudek

MLB

Carl Erskine, Dodgers pitcher and last member of 'Boys of Summer,' dies at 97

Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major-league career with the Dodgers from 1948 to 1959, helping them win five National League pennants. He threw a no-hitter against the Cubs in 1952.

By Associated Press

MLB

Whitey Herzog, Cardinals' Hall of Fame manager who led team to World Series title, dies at 92

Herzog guided St. Louis to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball.”

By Associated Press

Obituaries

Robert Grossman, Hyde Park lawyer and writer, dies at 89

Mr. Grossman was the principal writer of the 1967 Illinois Housing Development Act, which established the Illinois Housing Development Authority to finance affordable housing across Illinois. He also hosted an early coffee at his Hyde Park home for Barack Obama when he was running for state Senate.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Obituaries

Chris Crane, former Exelon CEO and nuclear energy proponent, dies at 65

The company said Chris Crane will be remembered for his “transformational milestones” on safety and equity, specifically related to his work in the nuclear energy field.

By Violet Miller

Cubs

Former Cubs and A's pitcher Ken Holtzman dies at 78

Holtzman played 15 seasons in the majors from 1965 to 1979, beginning and ending his career with the Cubs.

By Steve Greenberg

Obit-HerrickFILE - In this Feb. 6, 2016, photo, Gene Herrick smiles during an interview at his home in Rocky Mount, Va. Herrick, a retired Associated Press photographer who covered the Korean War and is known for his iconic images of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the trial of the killers of Emmett Till in the early years of the Civil Rights Movement, died Friday, April 12, 2024. He was 97. (Stephanie Klein-Davis/The Roanoke Times via AP, file) ORG XMIT: VAROA302

Obituaries

Gene Herrick, AP photographer who covered the Korean War and civil rights, dies at 97

As a photographer for the Associated Press, Gene Herrick photographed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the men accused of killing Emmett Till. He also covered Major League Baseball, Elvis Presley and five U.S. presidents.

By Associated Press

Obit Faith Ringgold. Artist Faith Ringgold poses for a portrait in front of a painted self-portrait during a press preview of her exhibition, "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960s" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, June 19, 2013. Ringgold died Friday at her home in Englewood, N.J., at the age of 93.

Art

Faith Ringgold, pioneering Black artist and author, dies at 93

A founder in 1971 of the Where We At artists collective for Black women, Ringgold became a social activist, frequently protesting the lack of representation of Black and female artists in American museums.

By Associated Press

Obituaries

Hans Aeschbacher, beloved chef for Bulls, Blackhawks, dead at 80

As executive chef at the old Chicago Stadium and the United Center in the early 1990s, he cooked for athletes and their families as well as team owners. He later headed the kitchen for Smith & Wollensky and also worked at Chicago Cut Steakhouse.

By Mitch Dudek

"The Godfather" 50th Anniversary Celebration. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: (L-R) Eleanor Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola attend "The Godfather" 50th Anniversary Celebration at Paramount Theatre on February 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Entertainment and Culture

Eleanor Coppola, Emmy-winning filmmaker and wife of Francis Ford Coppola, dies at 87

The couple had been married for 61 years at the time of her passing.

By Associated Press

Obituaries

Robert MacNeil, creator and first anchor of PBS 'NewsHour,' dies at 93

MacNeil first gained prominence for his coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings for PBS and began his half-hour “Robert MacNeil Report” on PBS in 1975 with his friend Jim Lehrer as Washington correspondent.

By Associated Press

News

O.J. Simpson dies at 76

A message posted Thursday on Simpson’s official X account — formerly Twitter — said he died after battling cancer.

By Ken Ritter | AP

Chef and caterer Julius Russell holding a glass of red wine

Obituaries

Julius Russell, personal chef and caterer to Ye, Dwyane Wade, dies at 53

The Chicagoan quit a career in sales to pursue his dream of being a chef.

By Mitch Dudek

MLB

Jerry Grote, 1969 Miracle Mets' catcher, dies at 81

A two-time All-Star, Grote played 16 seasons in the majors and batted .252 with 39 home runs and 404 RBI.

By Associated Press

Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough wears a botanical print top as she speaks into a microphone at a podium.

Obituaries

Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough dies at 73

Karen Yarbrough was the first Black person and first woman to serve as Cook County clerk. Mayor Brandon Johnson said Yarbrough “forged a path for officials like myself and others” as a pioneer and tireless legislator.

By Emmanuel Camarillo and Violet Miller

Obituaries

Paul Phillips, Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist for four decades, dies at 77

Mr. Phillips was always the first on stage warming up before performances at Orchestra Hall.

By Mitch Dudek