Obituaries: January 21-27, 2008

Sunday, January 27, 2008 

The following deaths were reported over the past week:

Richard Darman, Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget , 64

Richard Darman, who was the trustee of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Non-Executive Chairman of the AES corporation, as well as being the aide to five presidents died of Leukemia on Friday. In 1990 he successfully persuaded Congress to raise taxes, despite the fact that former president George Bush pledge to do otherwise.

Sources

• Douglas Martin. "Richard G. Darman, 64, Aide for 5 Presidents, Dies" — New York Times, January 26, 2008
• "HHMI Trustee Richard G. Darman Dies" — HHMI News, January 25, 2008
• "AES Remembers Richard Darman, Chairman of the Board" — Welt Online, January 26, 2008

Thomas Cecil Gray, pioneer in anesthesiology, 95

Thomas Cecil Gray born 11 March 1913 in Liverpool, died 21 January 2008. He died peacefully at home on the Wirral. A requiem mass will be held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on 26 January 2008. He pioneered modern Anaesthetic techniques.

Born in Liverpool in 1913, educated at Ampleforth College, he qualified in medicine at The University of Liverpool in 1937. He began his career as a General Practitioner before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps.

He later returned to the University to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and was made Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed as a result.

Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. Until recently Professor Gray continued to give occasional lectures at the university.

Professor Gray was presented with a CBE by Her Majesty the Queen and in 1982 was honoured by Pope John Paul II who made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. In 2007 the Liverpool Echo included him in its list of the 700 greatest Liverpudlians, as part of Liverpools 700th anniversary.

Married twice. He married his first wife Marjorie Kathleen Hely in 1937 they had 2 children, she died in died 1978; He married Pamela Mary Corning in 1979, they had 1 son before she died on 5 January 2008. He had four grandchildren.

Sources

• "Professor Cecil Gray, CBE KCSG" — Old Amplefordians, January 25, 2008
• Ben Turner. "Anaesthetic pioneer dies" — Liverpool Echo, January 21, 2008

Marie Smith Jones, last remaining speaker of Eyak, 89

Marie Smith Jones, who is believed to be the last remaining speaker of the Alaskan language Eyak has died at age 89. She was an activist who supported conservation and the rights of indigenous people. She is survived by her nine children, none of whom can speak Eyak. Her Eyak name was Udach' Kuqax*a'a'ch, which she translated as "a sound that calls people from afar".

Sources

• Rachel Shields. "Farewell, Udach' Kuqax*a'a'ch, the last native speaker of Eyak" — The Independent, January 25, 2008
• "Last Alaska language speaker dies" — BBC News Online, Marie Smith Jones

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Heath Ledger, Australian actor, 28 ===

According to police in New York City, New York, Australian actor Heath Ledger, 28, has died from a suspected overdose of prescription drugs. He was found by his housekeeper in his Manhattan apartment.

At about 3:26 p.m. EST (UTC-5), the housekeeper was on her way to inform Ledger that his masseuse had arrived when she discovered his naked body on the bed.

Ledger starred in the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain where he was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He also starred in the 2000 movie The Patriot with Mel Gibson.

Sources

• The Associated Press. "'Brokeback Mountain' star Heath Ledger found dead" — CTV News, January 22, 2008
• "Heath Ledger is found dead in US" — BBC News Online, January 23, 2008
• "Actor heath ledger 'found dead'" — News.com.au, January 23, 2008
• "Actor Heath Ledger Dies" — WLTX.com, January 23, 2008
• "Heath Ledger Found Dead" — Cinematical, January 23, 2008
• Sewell Chan. "Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28" — NyTimes, January 22, 2008
• "Actor Heath Ledger is found dead" — Agence France-Presse, January 22, 2008
• "Heath Ledger found Dead in New York" — Guardian Unlimited, January 22, 2008
• "Heath Ledger found dead" — The Sun, January 22, 2008

Randy Salerno, Journalist, Morning news presenter, 45

Journalist and morning news presenter for CBS died in a snowmobile accident. He was pronounced very soon after the emergency services arrived. Scott Hirschey, a childhood friend of Salerno was driving the snowmobile, was also injured.

Sources

• "CBS 2's Randy Salerno Dies In Snowmobile Accident" — CBS, January 25, 2008
• "Friend charged in snowmobiling death of Channel 2 anchor Randy Salerno" — Chicago tribune, January 25, 2008