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Tommy Jacquette dies at 65; South L.A. activist helped found the Watts Summer Festival

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

After the Watts Riots in 1965, Jacquette channeled his rage into community organizing. He helped create neighborhood programs for youth but is best known for his work with the festival.

Tommy Jacquette, who channeled a simmering rage to become one of South L.A.'s most important social activists, died this week of complications from cancer, his daughter said. He was 65.

Eli Sercarz dies at 75; UCLA scientist made key discoveries in immunology

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Sercarz studied the concepts behind autoimmune diseases.

Eli E. Sercarz, who explored the mechanisms of autoimmunity and developed key concepts about how the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, died of renal cell cancer Nov. 3 in Topanga. He was 75.

Memorial celebration to be held for late comedy writer Larry Gelbart

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The award-winning writer died Sept. 11.

A celebration of the life of award-winning comedy writer Larry Gelbart, who died Sept. 11 at age 81, will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills.

Jeanne-Claude dies at 74; collaborated with artist-husband Christo

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The artists attracted attention for decades by wrapping buildings and with temporary environmental projects such as 'Running Fence' in California in the 1970s and 'The Gates' in New York City in 2005.

Jeanne-Claude, whose collaboration with her husband Christo in creating massive environmental works of art such as the 24-mile-long "Running Fence" in California in the 1970s attracted worldwide attention for decades, has died. She was 74.

Donald E. Smallwood dies at 81; retired Orange County Superior Court presiding judge

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Smallwood oversaw the courts in 1992 and '93. He was honored for his initiatives to help battered women. He also served on the Newport-Mesa school board in the 1970s.

Donald E. Smallwood, a retired Orange County Superior Court presiding judge, died Nov. 12 at City of Hope in Duarte from complications after cancer surgery, said his son, Mark. He was 81.

Dr. Paul Zamecnik dies at 96; scientist made two major discoveries

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

He discovered transfer RNA, a crucial molecule in the synthesis of proteins in the cell, and antisense therapy, in which strands of DNA or RNA are used to block the activity of genes.

Most scientists are fortunate if they can make one major discovery in their lifetime. Dr. Paul Zamecnik made two, each of which should have won him a Nobel Prize.

Earl Cooley dies at 98; smoke jumper was one of the first to make the leap

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

He wrote a book about the U.S. Forest Service's storied corps of parachutists who jump in hazardous, remote areas to quickly control fires that ground-based crews cannot reach.

Earl Cooley, who was one of the first two U.S. Forest Service smoke jumpers to parachute into a forest fire and later was a spotter on the Mann Gulch fire that killed 13 firefighters, has died. He was 98.

Lewis Millett dies at 88; veteran of three wars was the recipient of the Medal of Honor

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The retired Army colonel was awarded the nation's highest military honor when he led a successful bayonet charge up Hill 180 in Korea. He earned numerous other medals during his 31-year career.

Lewis L. Millett, a retired Army colonel and veteran of three wars who received a Medal of Honor for leading a bayonet charge up a heavily defended hill during the Korean War, has died. He was 88.

Frances L. Brody dies at 93; philanthropist, arts advocate and collector

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

She was a founding benefactor of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a guiding patron of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Gardens in San Marino.

Frances Lasker Brody, a philanthropist, arts advocate and collector who influenced the development of Los Angeles' cultural life as a founding benefactor of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and later as a guiding patron of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Gardens in San Marino, has died. She was 93.

PASSINGS: Marvin Minoff, Jack Kissell, Bernard Wynne

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:55:00 -0800

Marvin Minoff, producer, dies at 78; Jack Kissell, actor, dies at 79; Bernard Wynne, artist, dies at 89

Marvin Minoff

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