OBITS (January to June)

Joseph Reina Jr. kissed the belly of his pregnant wife, Lisa, before he left for work in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. His infant son, Joseph, was born fatherless on Oct. 4. Denise Esposito always told her husband, New York City fireman Michael, to be careful. "Don't worry, I'm in God's hands," he would assure her. Those words comfort the young widow. Max Beilke, drafted in the Korean War, survived Vietnam and was the last American combat soldier to leave. His sister remembered seeing him on TV in 1973: "We knew he'd soon be home safely." The retired master sergeant died when terrorists brought war to the Pentagon. A year ago Christmas, the Twin Towers stood on what is now known as "Ground Zero." About 3,300 died on America's 9/11 day. Many others unexpectedly left this world in 2001, and on the pages that follow we remember a few as a reminder that man knows not his time. JANUARY

Ray Walston (Jan. 1), 86, prolific award-winning stage, screen, and TV actor who played the lovable extraterrestrial on the TV sitcom My Favorite Martian (1964-66) and the devil in the Broadway musical Damn Yankees. William P. Rogers (Jan. 2), 87, attorney general for Dwight Eisenhower, secretary of state for Richard Nixon. Marty Glickman (Jan. 3), 83, sports announcer for 55 years and a 1930s track star yanked from the 1936 Berlin Olympics to spare Nazi hosts possible embarrassment because he was Jewish. Robert Kerr (Jan. 3), 65, sports-medicine specialist known as the "steroid guru" for his support of performance-enhancing drugs during the 1980s; in his 1982 book he admitted to "treating" more than 4,000 athletes from 20 countries, including Olympic competitors. Les Brown (Jan. 4), 88, whose Band of Renown, with Doris Day singing, scored a No. 1 hit with "Sentimental Journey" during the big-band era. John G. Schmitz (Jan. 10), 70, national director of the 1960s-era John Birch Society and politician whose fiery rhetoric helped define right-wing Southern California Republicanism for nearly two decades. William R. Hewlett (Jan. 12), 87, brainy engineer who co-founded Hewlett-Packard Co. in a garage in 1938, ushering in the computer age and Silicon Valley. Laurent Kabila (Jan. 16), 59, career rebel in Congo who was welcomed as a liberator in 1997, when he led an uprising that swept away long-ruling dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, but became a brutal dictator himself; slain in a military coup. Leonard Woodcock (Jan. 16), 89, successor to Walter Reuther as president of the United Auto Workers through much of the 1970s, and an envoy to China under President Jimmy Carter, negotiating the reestablishment of full Sino-American diplomatic relations in 1979. Gregory Corso (Jan. 17), 70, one of the original circle of Beat poets that included Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac; wrote the 1958 poem "Bomb," an ode to atomic weapons. Tommie Agee (Jan. 22), 58, N.Y. Mets center fielder best remembered for his spectacular catches in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series to preserve a 5-0 victory en route to a 4-1 series upset of Baltimore. Roy T. Brown (Jan. 22), 69, who played Cooky the Clown, sidekick and pal to Bozo the Clown on WGN-TV for more than a quarter-century. Frank E. Toscani (Jan. 24), 89, who as American military governor of a small Sicilian town during World War II replaced a cherished 700-year-old bell that Benito Mussolini had melted for munitions, the inspiration for John Hersey's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1945 novel, A Bell for Adano. Al McGuire (Jan. 26), 72, Hall of Fame college basketball coach (Marquette) and fast-talking sports broadcaster who delighted fans with an endless stream of stories and one-liners about the games he worked. Johnnie Johnson (Jan. 30), 85, Royal Air Force's top gun in World War II and the Allies' No. 1 ace of the war's European theater; shot down 38 enemy planes. Michel Navratil (Jan. 31), 92, last male survivor of the 1912 sinking of the Titanic when he was 3.

FEBRUARY

J.J. Johnson (Feb. 4), 77, composer, arranger, master of bebop, and the most influential trombonist in postwar jazz. Dale Evans (Feb. 7), 88, singer-songwriter-actress who teamed with husband, Roy Rogers, in 35 movies; she wrote their theme song, "Happy Trails to You," and Gospel songs, including the classic "The Bible Tells Me So." Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Feb. 7), 94, bestselling lyrical writer, aviator, and widow of pilot Charles Lindbergh. Arlene Eisenberg (Feb. 8), 66, co-author (with her two daughters) of the definitive pregnancy book that sold nearly 10 million copies in 31 languages, What to Expect When You're Expecting. Rousas John Rushdoony (Feb. 8), 84, Presbyterian clergyman and theologian known as the father of Christian Reconstruction, a movement advocating strict implementation in America of not only biblical moral law but the civil law of ancient Israel. Abraham D. Beame (Feb. 10), 94, New York City's first Jewish mayor; guided the city through the 1975 fiscal crisis. Boris Goldovsky (Feb. 15), 92, opera impresario, conductor, pianist, and lecturer, best known for his commentary during the Saturday afternoon nationwide radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, from 1943 until 1990. Great Alzana (Harold Davis) (Feb. 16), 82, daredevil high-wire, net-shunning artist; the top-billed act for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus for 20 years. William H. Masters (Feb. 16), 85, obstetrics professor and half of the famed Masters and Johnson sex-research tandem. Richard Wurmbrand (Feb. 17), 91, Romanian-born founder of Voice of the Martyrs and ministries targeting Eastern Europe in the communist era. Roger Caras (Feb. 18), 72, author, broadcast journalist, champion of the animal world, and president emeritus of the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Dale Earnhardt (Feb. 18), 49, one of stock car racing's most successful and intimidating drivers and Winston Cup champion seven times; fatally injured in a crash at the Daytona 500. Stanley Kramer (Feb. 19), 87, one of Hollywood's most prolific movie producer-directors, whose films won 15 Oscars; they included Judgment at Nuremberg, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Defiant Ones, and On the Beach. Rosemary DeCamp (Feb. 20), 90, matriarchal character actress who played James Cagney's mother in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Marlo Thomas's mom in the 1960s television series That Girl, and starred with Ronald Reagan in This Is the Army (1943) and Night Unto Night (1949). Anthony Giacalone (Feb. 23), 82, reputed mob boss believed to hold the key to the unsolved 1975 disappearance of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. Claude Shannon (Feb. 24), 84, mathematician and computer scientist whose pioneering work with binary code helped usher in the digital age and the creation of artificial intelligence. Stan Margulies (Feb. 27), 80, three-time Emmy award winner who produced two of the most-watched miniseries in television history, Roots (1977) and The Thorn Birds (1983). George W. Wheelwright III (Feb. 27), 97, co-founder in the 1930s, with Edwin Land, of the company that eventually became Polaroid Corp.

MARCH

John Painter (March 1), 112, believed to be the nation's oldest war veteran; he enlisted in the Army at age 17 and led the infantry's horse-drawn ammunition caissons along the World War I front lines in Europe. Henry Wade (March 1), 86, former Dallas County district attorney (1950-86) whose career included the murder trial of Jack Ruby (Harvey Lee Oswald's slayer) and the 1973 Roe vs. Wade abortion case. Glenn Hughes (March 4), 50, singer who performed as the mustachioed, leather-clad biker in the disco band Village People. He died after a battle with lung cancer. Fred Lasswell (March 4), 84, cartoonist whose "Snuffy Smith" strip ran uninterrupted for nearly 60 years. James A. Rhodes (March 4), 91, former Ohio governor whose decision to quell an anti-war protest by sending National Guard troops to Kent State in 1970 led to four student deaths when the guardsmen opened fire. Harold E. Stassen (March 4), 93, perennial presidential candidate (in 1948, 1952, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992) whose name became synonymous with political futility despite his distinguished career as a governor (Minnesota), diplomat, Baptist leader, and university president. Leopold "Paul" Page (March 9), 87, who was among 1,200 Jews saved from the Holocaust by Oskar Schindler and whose unrelenting crusade succeeded in having the story of the death-camp rescuer made into the book and movie Schindler's List. James D. St. Clair (March 9), 80, Boston lawyer who failed to persuade the Supreme Court that Richard Nixon was not required to give Watergate tapes to a special prosecutor. Morton Downey Jr. (March 12), 67, chain-smoking, bombastic talk-show host who reigned over the first of the "trash TV" programs in the 1980s. Robert Ludlum (March 12), 73, who began writing at age 42 and authored 21 popular suspense thrillers and espionage tales that sold 290 million copies in 32 languages. John Phillips (March 18), 65, singer-songwriter who co-founded the Mamas and the Papas in 1965 and wrote its biggest hits, including "California Dreamin'." Adolph Levis (March 20), 89, high-school dropout who invented the Slim Jim dried meat snack in the 1940s; he and a partner sold their Cherry-Levis Food Products to General Mills in 1967 for about $20 million. William Hanna (March 22), 90, pioneering animator who co-founded and co-chaired Hanna Barbera Studios and who, with partner Joseph Barbera, created such beloved cartoon characters as the Flintstones, the Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, and Tom and Jerry. Rowland Evans (Mar. 23), 79, conservative political columnist and CNN host who teamed for many years with Robert Novak; he and Novak wrote a syndicated column, "Inside Report." David McTaggart (March 23), 69, radical environmentalist credited with building Greenpeace into a worldwide movement with 2.7 million members. Helge Ingstad (March 29), 101, Norwegian writer and adventurer who followed a hunch and an ancient map to identify in 1960 the place on theNewfoundland coast where Vikings landed 500 years before Columbus.

APRIL

Theodore "Ted" McCarty (April 1), 91, a key figure in the development of the electric guitar and former president of the Michigan-based Gibson Guitar Co., purveyor of guitars to the stars. Ed Roth (April 4), 69, "Big Daddy" to 1960s teenagers and the creator of sensuously customized hot-rod cars and repugnant cartoon characters, notably the slobbering Rat Fink. John B. Oakes (April 5), 87, former editorial page editor of The New York Times (1961-76) who developed the modern op-ed page format. Danny Gaither (April 6), 62, Gospel recording artist and original tenor voice of the former Gaither Trio, which he joined when he was 18. Kimberly Fuller (April 8), 25, youngest person (9) to undergo a life-saving heart-lung transplant in the United States. Willie Stargell (April 9), 61, slugger whose power and leadership carried the Pittsburgh Pirates to two World Series titles (1971, 1979); he hit 475 home runs in his 20-year career. Robert Aurand Moon (April 11), 83, postal inspector who invented the ZIP code, which took effect in July 1963. Harvey R. Ball (April 12), 79, commercial artist who invented the smiley face in 1963; he was paid $45 for the work by an insurance company seeking to boost the morale of workers; he never applied for a trademark. Alfred Moen (April 17), 84, whose invention of a single-handle faucet led to the creation of Moen Inc., one of the world's largest producers of plumbing products. Meldrim Thomson (April 19), 89, conservative former governor of New Hampshire (1973-79) known for his anti-tax, anti-gun control, and anti-feminist stands. Leon Sullivan (April 24), 78, former pastor and civil-rights crusader who wrote a code of business conduct that helped end apartheid in South Africa.

MAY

James E. Myers (May 9), 81, songwriter, promoter, and music publisher responsible for one of the seminal recordings in pop-music history, "Rock Around the Clock." Hartzell Spence (May 9), 93, freelance writer and founding editor of Yank magazine, a World War II-era publication for servicemen; generally credited with coining the term pinups. Perry Como (May 12), 88, one of America's most popular singers and entertainers from the late 1940s through the 1970s, known for his smooth and relaxed style; his many top-selling records include "Catch a Falling Star," "Till the End of Time," and "It's Impossible." Alexei A. Tupolev (May 12), 75, Russian aircraft designer of passenger planes, the Soviet space shuttle, and the nation's supersonic airliner, the Tu-144, whose hopes died in a crash at a June 1973 Paris air show. E. Brandt Gustavson (May 14), 64, president and CEO of National Religious Broadcasters since 1990, formerly top executive at Trans World Radio and the Moody Bible Institute's broadcasting network. Tad Szulc (May 21), 74, foreign correspondent for The New York Times who broke the story of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and later wrote biographies of Fidel Castro and Pope John Paul II. Whitman Mayo (May 22), 70, television actor who played Grady Wilson on the 1970s series Sanford and Son, the sidekick of junk dealer Fred Sanford. Lloyd Shearer (May 24), 84, a Hollywood fixture whose "Personality Parade" column in Parade, the Sunday supplement tabloid, reached up to 50 million readers. Victor K. Kiam II (May 27), 74, the entrepreneur known for commercials in which he said he liked Remington shavers so much, "I bought the company." Rep. Joe Moakley (May 28), 74, ardent liberal Democrat from Massachusetts. Richard Leach (May 29), 73, printer, publisher, and TV producer who turned his daughter-in-law's idea for a children's program into Barney & Friends. Charley Pell (May 29), 60, former University of Florida football coach who helped build a powerhouse program beginning in 1979 but who resigned during the 1984 season after the NCAA levied 59 sanctions against the Gators. Arlene Francis (May 31), 92, screen actress in the 1930s who became a household name in the 1950s and '60s through her appearances as a panelist on TV quiz shows, including a long-running stint on What's My Line?

JUNE

Birendra (Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva) (June 1), 55, king of Nepal who was shot to death by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra, in a massacre that nearly wiped out the entire royal family. Hank Ketcham (June 1), 81, cartoonist whose "Dennis the Menace" strip amused readers of comics for five decades; it was published in 48 countries and 19 languages. Imogene Coca (June 2), 92, saucer-eyed, rubber-faced comedienne who teamed with Sid Caesar on television's popular Your Show of Shows for five years in the early 1950s. Gene Woodling (June 2), 78, star outfielder on the New York Yankee teams that won five successive World Series (1949-53). Anthony Quinn (June 3), 86, the versatile international leading man in a film career that spanned six decades; he had major roles in 100 films, including his portrayal of the fierce Bedouin leader in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and in the title role in Zorba the Greek (1964). John Hartford (June 4), 63, actor, dancer, singer, and songwriter who penned the standard "Gentle on My Mind," which has been recorded more than 300 times. John McKay (June 10), 77, colorful football coach who led Southern California to four national championships (1962, 1967, 1972, 1974) before moving to the NFL as the first coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs (1975-84). Timothy McVeigh (June 11), 33, executed four years after he was convicted and sentenced in the April 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City that claimed 168 lives. Sam Jethroe (June 16), 83, one of the first black players in major-league baseball (1950, Boston Braves), oldest player ever to win rookie of the year (age 32). Carroll O'Connor (June 21), 76, Emmy-winning actor best known for his role as lovable, right-wing bigot Archie Bunker in the 1970s comedy series All in the Family. John Lee Hooker (June 21), 83, gravelly voiced veteran blues and rock singer from the Mississippi Delta who inspired generations of musicians. Jack Lemmon (June 27), 76, Academy Award-winning Hollywood legend, the star of Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple. Mortimer Adler (June 29), 98, a high-school dropout who became a philosopher at 15 and revolutionized American thought by insisting that reading the Great Books was the key to understanding the human condition. Chet Atkins (June 30), 77, musical giant whose guitar style influenced a generation of rock musicians; he sold more than 75 million albums and played on hundreds of hit records, including those of Elvis Presley ("Heartbreak Hotel"), Hank Williams Sr. ("Your Cheatin' Heart"), and The Everly Brothers ("Wake Up Little Susie").

Obituaries for July to December are here.