Obituaries NPR remembrances of remarkable individuals.

Obituaries

British author Frederick Forsyth poses for a photograph in Hertford, England, Aug. 17, 2006. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption

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Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

The Family Stone performs at Harvard Stadium in 1969. Ellis Herwig/Boston Globe/Getty Images hide caption

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Ellis Herwig/Boston Globe/Getty Images

Sly Stone, visionary funk frontman of the Family Stone, has died at age 82

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Stanley Nelson was the editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La. He was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2011 for his "courageous and determined efforts" to tell the story of unsolved murder from 1964. Nelson died at the age of 69. Paperny Films hide caption

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Paperny Films

Remembering Stanley Nelson, Louisiana journalist who exposed Ku Klux Klan secrets

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Edmund White at his home in 2019. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption

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Mary Altaffer/AP

Edmund White, who broke ground in gay literature, has died at 85

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Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is shown standing outside the Federal Court in Washington, June 4, 2009. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was a champion of local African languages. Shawn Miller/Library of Congress hide caption

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Shawn Miller/Library of Congress

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Kenyan literary giant who fought colonialism, dies at 87

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Marcel Ophuls believed subjectivity was key to filmmaking and saw documentaries as an antidote to the news. He's pictured above on May 5, 1987. Chip Hires/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Hires/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Marcel Ophuls, who chronicled 20th century conflict and atrocities, has died at 97

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George Wendt appeared as Norm in every episode of Cheers, earning six Primetime Emmy nominations. AJ Pics/Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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AJ Pics/Alamy Stock Photo

George Wendt, who played Norm on 'Cheers,' has died

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Charles Strouse, Broadway composer of 'Annie' and 'Bye Bye Birdie,' has died at 96

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Broadway composer Charles Strouse in New York City in 2011. Strouse died Thursday at 96. Andy Kropa/Getty Images hide caption

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Andy Kropa/Getty Images

Charles Strouse, Broadway composer of 'Annie' and 'Bye Bye Birdie,' has died at 96

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Former Uruguayan President José "Pepe" Mujica on Oct. 27, 2024. Natacha Pisarenko/AP hide caption

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Natacha Pisarenko/AP

Uruguay's ex-President José Mujica, nicknamed 'world's poorest president,' dies at 89

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Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In co-stars Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens at NBC's 75th Anniversary Party, in Los Angeles, in 2002. Buzzi was best known for her regular appearances in the variety TV show during the late 1960s and early 70s. Rene Macura/AP hide caption

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Pope Francis, who reached out to the margins of society, has died at 88

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Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers as he arrives at the Philippines' Manila Cathedral on Jan. 16, 2015. During his papacy, Francis strove to reach out to what he called the "periphery" of the world in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images hide caption

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Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Pope Francis, who reached out to the margins of society, has died at 88

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