Saturday, November 30, 2013

Bill McKinney , American actor (Deliverance, The Outlaw Josey Wales), died from esophageal cancer he was 80.

William Denison "Bill" McKinney was an American character actor whose most famous role was the sadistic mountain man in the movie Deliverance. McKinney was also recognizable for his performances in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Union cavalry commander Captain "Redlegs" Terrill in The Outlaw Josey Wales died from esophageal cancer he was 80..

(September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) 

Early life

McKinney was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had an unsettled life as a child, moving twelve times. Once when his family moved from Tennessee to Georgia, he was beaten by a gang and thrown into a creek. At the age of 19, he joined the Navy during the Korean War. He served two years on a mine sweeper in Korean waters, as well as being stationed at Port Hueneme in Ventura County, California.[citation needed]
While on leave from this posting, he visited Los Angeles; during this time, he decided he wanted to be an actor. Upon his discharge in 1954, he settled in southern California, attending acting school at the famous Pasadena Playhouse in 1957. His classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Mako. During this time, McKinney supported himself by working as an arborist, trimming and taking down trees - he continued working in this field until the mid-1970s, by which time he was appearing in major films.[citation needed]

Career

After Pasadena Playhouse he moved onto Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio, making his movie debut in exploitation pic She Freak (1967). For ten years he was a teacher at Cave Spring Middle School. He made his television debut in 1968 on an episode of The Monkees and attracted attention as Lobo in Alias Smith and Jones. It was the film Deliverance which provided his breakthrough in 1972, and remains his signature role.[citation needed]
He cemented his reputation as an onscreen villain in the 1970s with appearances in Junior Bonner, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and The Parallax View. It was with Clint Eastwood that McKinney would become most associated, becoming part of Eastwood's stock company[1] after they worked together in Michael Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, in which McKinney played a character called Crazy Driver. He starred as 'Capt. "Redlegs" Terrell' in The Outlaw Josey Wales under Eastwood's direction. He appeared in another six Eastwood films from The Gauntlet in 1977, Every Which Way but Loose in 1978, Any Which Way You Can in 1980, Pink Cadillac in 1989 when the stock company disbanded.
Other memorable roles include a misanthrope who is done in by John Wayne's The Shootist. He also appeared in such later films as First Blood (1982), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), Against All Odds (1984), Back to the Future Part III (1990), and The Green Mile (1999). He appeared in the TV movie The Execution of Private Slovik (1974), while guest-starring on such television shows as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Starsky and Hutch, The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote and Columbo. He also had an uncredited role in the TV miniseries Roots (1977), playing alongside Georg Stanford Brown, Lloyd Bridges and Burl Ives.
McKinney took up singing in the late 1990s, eventually releasing an album of standards and country & western songs appropriately titled Love Songs from Antri, reflecting Don Job's pronunciation of the infamous town featured in Deliverance. One of his songs featured in the film Undertow, directed by David Gordon Green. [2] He also played Jonah Hex in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series called "Showdown". In February 2010 he accepted a role in the Robin Hood–inspired horror film Sherwood Horror[3] and formerly had a short cameo in 2001 Maniacs.[4]

Death

McKinney's death was announced on his Facebook page on December 1, 2011.[5][6] The announcement read:
"Today our dear Bill McKinney passed away at Valley Presbyterian Hospice. An avid smoker for 25 years of his younger life, he died of cancer of the esophagus. He was 80 and still strong enough to have filmed a Dorito's commercial 2 weeks prior to his passing, and he continued to work on his biography with his writing partner. Hopefully 2012 will bring a publisher for the wild ride his life was. He is survived by son Clinton, along with several ex-wives. R.I.P. Bill sept.12 1931 - dec. 1 2011" [sic]".


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François Lesage, French embroidery designer, died he was 82.


François Lesage was a French embroidery designer and heir to the embroidery atelier  died he was 82., Maison Lesage. Lesage was a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur.[1]
Lesage was born in Chaville, France, on March 31, 1929.[2]
Lesage inherited the Maison Lesage, which was bought by his father, Albert Lesage, in 1924.[2] He became well known for his embroidery work throughout the French high fashion houses in Paris.[1] Lesage shepherded the business throughout the late 20th Century, at a time when many other traditional embroidery houses in France disappeared.[1] Under Lesage, the House collaborated with new, well known fashion clients, including Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Balenciaga and Dior.[1] Lesage partnered with many of the era's best known fashion designers, including Elsa Schiaparelli and Vionnet.[1]
François Lesage sold the Maison Lesage to Chanel in 2002. Chanel had begun its acquisition of many of Paris' top petites mains in a bid to ensure their continued survival in a changing fashion industry.[1]
Lesage was awarded the Maître d'Art from the French Ministry of Culture in November 2011, just one week before his death.[2] At the time, Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand said, "I cannot imagine fashion without embroidery, embroidery without Monsieur Lesage."[2]
Francois Lesage died at a Paris hospital on December 1, 2011, at the age of 82.[2] He was survived by his wife and four children.[3]


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Kuldeep Manak, Indian Punjabi language singer, died from pneumonia he was 62.

Kuldeep Manak was a noted Punjabi singer[3][4] of Indian Punjab died from pneumonia he was 62.. He was best known for singing a rare genre of Punjabi music, Kali,[5] also known by its plural form kalian or kaliyan.[1][6]

 

(Punjabi: ਕੁਲਦੀਪ ਮਾਣਕ‌) ( 15 November 1951 - 30 November 2011)


Early life

Manak was born as Latif Muhammad (Urdu: لطیف محمد‎) on 15 November 1951, to father Nikka Khan, in the village of Jalal[1] in Bathinda district of Indian Punjab. He completed his matriculation from the village school, where he was a keen field hockey player. He had an inclination towards singing from a very young age and was persuaded by his teachers to sing and perform on stage.

Family

Manak's father, Nikka Khan, was a singer himself. Manak had two brothers: Siddqui, a devotional singer, and Rafiq, a tantric, who was also briefly noted. Kuldeep Manak's ancestors were the Hazoori Raagis (designated cantors) of Kirtan for Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha.
He was married to Sarabjeet and had two children, a son named Yudhvir Manak and a daughter named Shakti.[3] They both are married. Yudhvir is following in his father's footsteps as a singer.[3][7]

Career

Manak learned music under Ustad Khushi Muhammad Qawwal[8] of Firozpur[5] He left Bathinda and went to Ludhiana to pursue his career as a singer and started singing with the duo Harcharan Grewal and Seema.[1] When they came to Delhi, a music company official spotted Manak and asked him to record the song jija akhian na maar ve main kall di kurhi (written by Babu Singh Maan Mararawala) with Seema. In 1968, at the age of 17,[6] he was given the chance to record the song with Seema. His first record features this song along with laung karaa mittra, machhli paunge maape (written by Gurdev Singh Maan).[1] This record was a runaway success.
Later, he started an office at Bathinda along with writer Dilip Singh Sidhu of Kanakwal, but did not stay there for long and returned to Ludhiana. The first folk song sung by Manak was “maa Mirze di boldi”, followed by, “ohne maut ne waajan maarian”.[citation needed]
The writer and lyricist, Hardev Dilgir (also known as Dev Tharikewala) spotted Manak at one of his live performances and penned many Lok Gathavan (English: old folk stories) for him.[6]
His first EP, Punjab Dian Lok Gathawan,[9] was released by HMV in 1973 which included the 4 songs Jaimal Phatta, Heer Di Kali (Teri Khatar Heere) (Kali), Raja Rasalu and Dulla Bhatti (Dulleya ve tokra chukayeen aanke), all penned by Hardev Dilgir and music composed by Ram Saran Das. This was followed by another Lok Gathawan album in 1974 including Gorakh da Tilla and Allah Bismillah teri Jugni. In 1976 his first LP, Ik Tara, was released including the kali Tere Tille Ton,[2][8] Chheti Kar Sarwan Bachcha and Garh Mughlane Dian Naaran and more. Further albums included , 'Sahiban Bani Bharaawan Di' (1978), 'Sahiban Da Tarla' (1979), 'Maa Hundhi Ae Maa' (1980), 'Akhan ch Najaiz Vikdi', 'Ichhran Dhaahan Maardi' (1981), 'Mehroo Posti' (1982) 'Jugni Yaaran Di' (1983), 'Bhul Jaan Waaliye' (1986), 'Singh Soorme' and 'Do Gabhru Punjab De'. Manak's voice was versatile as within one album he sang in many different pitches and tones to reflect a song's meaning. For example in the album 'Sahiban da Tarla' the songs Sahiban da Tarla, Yaari Yaaran di and Teri aan ma Teri Ranjha are all sang with different pitches.[citation needed]

In films

He also acted and sung in many Punjabi films like 'Saidan Jogan' (1979) with the song, sathon naee majhin chaar hundian, 'Lambardaarni' (1980) with yaaran da truck balliye (song), and Balbiro Bhabi (1981) as actor, singer and composer. He also sung a song, "ajj dhee ik raje di", in the 1983 film Sassi Punnu.[10]

Politics

Manak also took part in the parliament elections of 1996 as an independent member from Bathinda[11] but did not win.

In popular culture

On 25 December 2012, a tribute album was released by Moviebox under the title The Folk King (subtitle Ustad Kuldeep Manak Ji Tribute) and featured a number of artists interpreting his songs, including Aman Hayer, Angrej Ali, Balwinder Safri, Jazzy B, Malkit Singh, Manmohan Waris, Sukshinder Shinda and A.S. Kang.
Live renditions had also been recorded during the Brit Asia Music Awards 2012 with Angrez Ali (singing "Vaar Banda Bahadur"), Malkit Singh ("G.T. Road Te"), Sukhshinder Shinda (" Maa Hundi ae Maa"), A.S. Kang ("Chithiyan Sahiba Jatti Ne", Manmohan Waris ("Sahiba Bani Bharaawa Di"), Balwinder Safri ("Nakhre Bin Sohni") and Jazzy B ("Tere Tille To")


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Martina Davis-Correia, American civil rights activist, died from breast cancer he was 44.

Martina Davis-Correia was an American civil rights activist died from breast cancer he was 44.. She was the older sister of Troy Anthony Davis, a cause célèbre in the campaign to abolish capital punishment. Davis-Correia was a steadfast supporter and public organizer on his behalf. She died of breast cancer at the age of 44.[1]

(1967 – December 1, 2011) 



The week before her brother's execution, Correia made an emotional, symbolic gesture in support of him when she got up from her wheelchair. "I'm here to tell you that I'm going to stand here for my brother today," she said. Correia then stood up on stage with the help of others around her.[2]
The COO of Amnesty International called Davis-Correia "a powerful example of how one person can make a difference ... she remained brave and defiant to the core of her being, stating her conviction that one day [her brother's] death would be the catalyst for ending the death penalty."[3] the full statement is here.
Davis-Correia was a trained nurse and served in the 1991 Gulf War.[1] To obtain a voice in civic society, she turned to organizations within civic society. These included Georgians for an Alternative to the Death Penalty, The Campaign to End the Death Penalty, on whose national board she served, and Amnesty International,[1] where she chaired the Steering Committee for Amnesty International/USA's Program to Abolish the Death Penalty and where, for 11 years, she served as Amnesty International’s coordinator in Georgia for local death penalty programs.[3]

Awards

  • The Georgia Civil Liberties Award from the American Civil Liberties Union, 2009[4]
  • The Frederick Douglas Award from the Southern Center for Human Rights,2009[4]
  • The Sean McBride Award for Outstanding Contributions to Human Rights from the Irish section of Amnesty International.[5]


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Arthur Beetson, Australian rugby league footballer, first Indigenous Australian to captain a national team in any sport, heart attack.Arthur Beetson, 66, Australian rugby league footballer, first Indigenous Australian to captain a national team in any sport, died from a heart attack he was 66.

Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson OAM  was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach died from a heart attack he was 66.. He represented Australia, NSW and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His main position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport [3] and is frequently cited as the best post-war forward in Australian rugby league history. He also had an extensive coaching career, spanning the 1970s to the 1990s, coaching Australia, Queensland, Eastern Suburbs, Redcliffe Dolphins and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. On 1 December 2011, Beetson died after a heart attack, aged 66.

(22 January 1945 – 1 December 2011[2])

Playing career

Beetson's mother was a member of the Stolen Generation.[4] His rugby league career began with Redcliffe in the Brisbane Rugby League competition between 1964 and 1965. After winning the club's player of the year award in 1965 as well as the Brisbane Rugby League premiership with them, he moved to Sydney to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the Balmain Tigers. In his first year with them, 1966, he played in the grand final against St. George and was also selected to make his representative debut for Australia against England and scored two tries. Beetson played with Balmain from then until 1970, with a spell in England with Hull Kingston Rovers in 1968.[5] He later joined the Eastern Suburbs club where he stayed from 1971 to 1978, where he captained the side to the 1974 and 1975 premierships. During the 1976 NSWRFL season, Beetson captained Eastern Suburbs to victory in their unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge match against British champions St. Helens in Sydney. This Easts team would go down as one of the greatest club sides in rugby league history. During this period Beetson also played with distinction for Australia and in 1974 he was named as Rugby League Week's player of the year.
He possessed great strength and toughness, a surprising turn of speed for a big man and was unequalled as a ball player. His skill as a footballer was matched only by his skill as an eater, earning nicknames such as 'Meat Pie Artie'. He is known and immortalised by his performance of eating 11 hot dogs before a gala dinner for the Australian team in 1973.
His big frame, pure speed and brilliant ball skills won countless games for all his teams. His off-loading and attacking workrate broke the mould for front rowers and changed the way they played the game.
After two years with Parramatta in 1979 and 1980, capped off with a man of the match performance in the Eels 8-5 Tooth Cup Final win over Balmain. Beetson achieved further immortality as captain of Queensland in the inaugural 1980 State of Origin game, won 20–10 by Queensland on 8 July. He returned to Queensland for one final year of playing with his old Redcliffe team in 1981. He also captained Queensland for the final 'traditional' interstate match in 1981 and at the end of the season the Dolphins were beaten in the final minute of the grand final by Southern Suburbs.
In 1987 he received the Medal of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the sport of Rugby League".

Post-playing

Beetson's coaching career began while still playing for Easts in 1977. He was captain-coach of Redcliffe in 1981 and that season was appointed coach of the Queensland State of Origin side, taking them to repeated series victories over New South Wales from 1981 to 1984 . He had a brief, but unsuccessful period, coaching Australia in 1983 before returning to coach his former club Eastern Suburbs, from 1985 to 1988, being named Coach of the Year in 1987 and Cronulla-Sutherland for the 1992 and 1993 seasons, where he enjoyed mixed success.
Beetson has also spent many years years as a recruitment officer for both Eastern Suburbs and Queensland.
In the post-1999 NRL season an Aboriginal side managed by Arthur Beetson defeated the Papua New Guinean national team. He then pushed, unsuccessfully, for an Australia Day match against the Australian national team.[6]

Accolades

Big Artie the autobiography.jpg
Beetson is often regarded as Australia's best ever forward, and in 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal, then in 2001 the Centenary Medal "for service to Australian society through the sport of rugby league". He was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2003. In May 2004 his book, Big Artie: The Autobiography was published. Also that year he became the seventh selected post-war "Immortal" of the Australian game with Churchill, Raper, Gasnier, Fulton, Langlands and Wally Lewis.
In February 2008, Beetson was named in a list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.[7][8] Beetson went on to be named in the front-row in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel's majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players.[9][10] Beetson chose to boycott the presentation ceremony, stating that he did not agree with the direction rugby league is taking.[11] In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century at second-row.[12] In 2008, rugby league in Australia's centenary year, Beetson was named at second-row forward in the Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century.[13] He was made a life member of the Sydney Cricket Ground and a plaque in the Walk of Honour there commemorates his career. He is a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
As part of the Centenary of League celebrations in 2008, Beetson was retrospectively awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as Man of the Match in the 1974 Grand final.[14]

Death

On 1 December 2011, Beetson died following a heart attack while riding his bicycle at Paradise Point on the Gold Coast, Queensland. He was 66.[15]

Public memorial

The Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh announced that a bronze statue of Beetson is to be situated at Lang Park.[16] It was unveiled on 3 July 2012.[17]


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Eric Arnott, British eye surgeon, died he was 82.

Eric John Arnott FRCS[1][2] was a British ophthalmologist and surgeon who specialized in cataracts, a condition which in many parts of the world still remains the principal cause of blindness died he was 82.. He is known for inventing new surgical techniques for treatment of various ophthalmological disorders, and received professional awards for his contributions.

(12 June 1929 – 1 December 2011)

Career

Arnott was educated at Harrow School (Elmfield) and Trinity College, Dublin where he was awarded the Surgical Prize in 1952; BA (Hons) 1953 and MB (Hons), BCh(Hons)and BAO (Hons)1954. He gained his Diploma in Ophthalmology (DO) in 1956 and Fellowship to the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1963.
Arnott's first ophthalmic appointment was as Houseman at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin, following which he held early appointments at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and University College Hospital London, where he trained under Sir Stewart Duke-Elder and Henry Stallard.
Whilst at Moorfields he worked with Sir Harold Ridley, the inventor of the intraocular lens; Arnott was inspired by Ridley’s work on the intraocular lens and they later became lifelong friends.
After completing training at University College Hospital, Arnott was appointed as consultant initially to the Royal Eye Hospital and later, in 1965, to Charing Cross Hospital; then still in the Strand. In 1973 the hospital moved to its current site in Fulham, where Arnott was responsible for setting up the ophthalmic surgical services.
In 1974, Arnott and his wife Veronica organised the first Live International Ophthalmic Micro-Surgical Symposium in Charing Cross Hospital, where ten of the world’s top eye surgeons performed live surgery, relayed to over 300 international delegates, courtesy of the BBC. This novel concept in advanced surgical teaching set a standard for future surgical conferences. He later organised two other live symposia with Professor Emanuel Rosen, with the objective of bringing new ideas in cataract surgery to a wider audience.
Arnott was known for his pioneering work in ophthalmology and many of today’s top eye surgeons were trained by him whilst registrars at Charing Cross.
He retired from the NHS in 1994.

Phacoemulsification

In 1968, whilst Secretary of the Ophthalmic Society of the United Kingdom he invited Dr Charles Kelman MD, the inventor of phacoemulsification ("phaco"), to address the Society. Kelman had found a method of removing the cataract through an incision of 3.5mm compared to the 12mm required for most surgery at the time. This meant that patients no longer had to remain in bed for two weeks after surgery with all movement restricted.
In 1971, Arnott visited the USA to attend one of Kelman’s first courses. On his return, he privately raised the finance to buy the expensive equipment required for the procedure. When he started performing this new type of cataract operation, history indicates that it was not well received by his colleagues. Six years later Arnott was virtually alone in performing and teaching this procedure outside America.
Today, almost all cataract surgery is carried out using a variation of the technique that Arnott pioneered in the UK in the early seventies.

Lens implantation

In 1974, influenced by Sir Harold Ridley's work on lens implantation, Arnott designed the Little-Arnott lens, which was manufactured by Rayners. This was one of the first intraocular lenses to be positioned behind the iris, the normal position of the natural lens. Previously, lenses were implanted in front of the iris, and many of them caused severe ocular problems.[3] Arnott followed this up with several other designs before inventing “the totally encircling loop” lens [3] which was manufactured under license by Alcon, Pharmacia and Smith & Nephew and others. Clinical data demonstrated that this lens maintained an excellent position within the eye and over 2 million were implanted worldwide during the 1980s and 1990s.[4]
During the seventies, all of the lenses designed by Arnott were made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). In 1981, Arnott and Richard Packard, his then senior registrar at Charing Cross Hospital, were the first to describe the use of a soft lens material, which could be folded to go through a small incision.[5] In 1988 Arnott was the first surgeon to insert a bi-focal lens implant in Europe.
Following cataract removal, it used to be common for patients to require thick pebble glasses to be able to see. Nowadays, virtually all patients receive a lens implant following cataract surgery, avoiding the need for glasses.

Other contributions

Arnott was also responsible for introducing other surgical techniques.
In 1966 he was amongst the first surgeons in the world to follow Dermot Pearce’s use of the surgical microscope.[6]
In 1967 he and Paddy Condon, his then senior registrar, used the first silicone implant for retinal detachment surgery.
In 1968 he modified the final approach to glaucoma surgery by making the opening into the anterior chamber through the clear cornea, as opposed to the previous dialysis approach.
In 1976 he and Jared Emery of Houston, Texas, invented the diamond tipped “spear headed” surgical knife for making the phaco incision and in 1978 he was the first surgeon to perform a combined phaco cataract and glaucoma operation.
Arnott was very early in recognising the new trend of laser refractive surgery to correct myopia (shortsightedness). He acquired one of the first excimer lasers, which he located in Cromwell Hospital in 1991, where his private practice was based. In 1992 he was the first person in the UK to perform LASIK.[7]
In 2000 Arnott received an award from the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club - the IIIC Medal, at the Club's annual autumn meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

Charity work

In 1982 he reduced his work in the NHS (from maximum part time) to four sessions a week and began concentrating on charitable work at the Royal Masonic Hospital, London, (where he remained an honouree consultant until 1994) and international teaching commitments.
Over the course of his career, Arnott lectured and performed live surgery throughout the world, paying particular attention to the Asian and African continents where cataracts are most prevalent.
In 1984 he was one of the first surgeons to demonstrate phaco surgery and lens implantation in India and in 1991 he received a special award from the Asian branch of the Royal National Institute for the Blind for “outstanding support“ to blind Asians in London and India. The same award was presented a year later to his son Stephen,[8] who managed Arnott's private practice. In 1996, Arnott was invited to officially open the first meeting of the Indian Academy of Ophthalmology, and in 1998 he was made an honorary visiting Professor at Indore University.
After Arnott’s retirement in 1999, with the help of his wife Veronica[8] and son Stephen, he raised funds to fund and equip a mobile operating theatre to perform modern eye surgery in remote Indian villages. This project was undertaken in conjunction with the Sathya Sai Institute.[9]
Along with Dr G Chandra, he established the charity organisation 'Balrampur Hospital Foundation UK' in 2007 and served as a Trustee and its President.

Medical societies

Arnott was a member of many international ophthalmic societies and was the founder President of the European Society for Phaco and Laser Surgery (1986–89), Secretary of the Ophthalmic Society of the United Kingdom (1967 – 1968), President of the Chelsea Clinical Society (1985) and President of the International Association of Ocular Surgeons (1983).
He was also one of the original founder members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
In 2007 Arnott received the Honoured Guest award from the ASCRS for his services to ophthalmology.[10]

Publications

He wrote over 40 published scientific articles for British and foreign ophthalmic journals on strabismus surgery, congenital abnormalities, cataract extraction, Phaco-emulsification and intra-ocular lenses.[11]
Between 1992 and 1997 he wrote a regular chapter on the latest ophthalmic advances for the annual Royal College of General Practitioners Reference Book[12]
Arnott was co-author of the 1983 textbook Extra-capsular Cataract Surgery and contributed specialist chapters to many other medical books including Emergency Surgery by H Dudley, Intra-ocular Lens Implantation by Rosen et al., Current Perspectives in Ophthalmic Surgery by Easty et al., and a Colour Atlas of Lens Implantation by Percival.[13]
Arnott, with assistance from his son Stephen, wrote and published “A New Beginning in Sight” in September 2006, chronicling the development of modern cataract and refractive surgery.[14]

Personal life

Arnott was born in Sunningdale, Berkshire, the second son of Sir Robert Arnott Bt.[8] and Cynthia Amelia (née James) . His family were notable Anglo-Irish philanthropists who owned, amongst other things, Arnotts department store, the Irish Times, and the Phoenix Park Racecourse.
He was married to Veronica (née Langué) from 1960 until her death in 2011 and had two sons, Stephen John 1962, Robert Laureston John 1971 and one daughter Tatiana Amelia 1963.[8]
Until 2001 he remained fit by swimming a mile every morning and in 1974 he successfully completed a challenge to swim from the infamous Alcatraz Island to the shore of San Francisco.
When Arnott finally retired at the age of 70 years, he bought a retirement cottage in Cornwall in Mounts Bay overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from where he wrote his memoirs “A New Beginning in Sight” before his death 1 December 2011.


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Shingo Araki, Japanese animation artist and character designer, died he was 72.

Shingo Araki [1][2] was a Japanese animation artist and character designer died he was 72..[3][4]

(荒木 伸吾 Araki Shingo?, January 1, 1939 – December 1, 2011)


Career

He developed an interest for drawing at age five.[1] He graduated in Aichi Prefecture. In 1955, at age eighteen, he debuted as a cartoonist in the "Machi" magazine. He then joined Mushi Production as animator in 1965 and later founded Studio Jaguar in 1966. In 1970, he debuted as animation director in the Mushi TV Series "Joe of Tomorrow", and later worked on the anime adaptations of several of Go Nagai's manga, including Devilman (1972), Cutie Honey (1973), and UFO Robo Grendizer (1975), serving as a character designer on the latter two. With his work on Cutie Honey as well as Mahō no Mako-chan, Mahou Tsukai Chappy, Majokko Megu-chan, and Hana no Ko Lunlun, Araki was an important figure in Toei Animation's early magical girl anime series of the 1970s.
He usually collaborated with animation director Michi Himeno, whom he met in 1973. They formed Araki Production in 1975. He worked as animation director in 1978's "Goodbye Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love". He, with Himeno, have been celebrated for their success. The Araki-Himeno duo collaborated on TV series and animated films such as "Saint Seiya" (1986–89), "Saint Seiya Overture" from 2004.
Some of his successes are Majokko Megu-chan (1974), Lupin III (1977), Mugen Kido SSX (Captain Harlock, 1978), Versailles no Bara (Lady Oscar, 1979), Hana no Ko Lunlun (Angel, 1979, which featured character designs by Michi Himeno and animation by Araki), Uchû Densetsu Ulysses 31 (Ulises 31, produced 1980, released 1981), and the versions for OVA of Fuma no Kojirô (1991). International accreditation came with Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac, 1986), for his dynamic drawing style along with the elegant drawings styles of Michi. This Dynamic Duel, as they are known, have been instrumental in the success of the series.
Working for Toei Animation and Tokyo Movie Shinshia, Araki was also an animator on several American productions which outsourced animation work to Japan, including Inspector Gadget (Season 1, 1983–84, animation), Mighty Orbots (1984, key animation), The Adventures of the American Rabbit (1986) and G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987).

Works

Anime television series

Movies

Original Video Animations

Video Games


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Bill Waller, American politician, Governor of Mississippi (1972–1976), died from heart failure he was 85.


William Lowe "Bill" Waller, Sr.  was an American politician. A Democrat, Waller served as the Governor of Mississippi from 1972 to 1976 died from heart failure he was 85.. During his military service he attained the rank of sergeant and was offered a commission in the Counter Intelligence Corps, but he declined being discharged on November 30, 1953. He returned to Jackson, Mississippi, to active Army Reserve duty under Colonel Purser Hewitt, and resumed his legal career.[1]

(October 21, 1926 – November 30, 2011)

 As a local prosecutor, he unsuccessfully prosecuted Byron De La Beckwith in the murder of civil rights advocate Medgar Evers (the first two murder trials of De La Beckwith both in 1964 ended in hung juries and subsequently because De La Beckwith was never acquitted in these trials, he was later eligible to be prosecuted again). In 1994, De La Beckwith was found guilty of the murder.
In 1971, Waller defeated Lieutenant Governor Charles L. Sullivan in the Democratic primary run-off. His main opponent in the general election was Evers' brother, James Charles Evers, then the mayor of Fayette, who ran as an independent. Waller handily prevailed, 601,222 (77 percent) to Evers' 172,762 (22.1 percent).
Waller is credited with winning elections without using racially charged or racially offensive rhetoric. He organized working class white voters and African American voters separately and usually did not merge their election efforts until it was too late in the election cycle for internal conflicts to disrupt the campaign. Litigation in the Southern Mississippi federal court and in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans stripped the Regular Democrats of Mississippi of their official status and their 25 seats in the 1972 Democratic National Convention.[2] Prior to a national party policy conference in December of 1974, the Loyalist and Regular Democratic Party factions united when the subject and Aaron Henry were elected as co-chairmen of the Mississippi delegation to the Kansas City conference.[3] Waller effectively shut-down the segregationist Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission by vetoing its appropriation while he was governor. He appointed many blacks to positions in state government.
After leaving office, Waller lost the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 1978 and for governor again in 1987. He practiced law in Jackson for several years.
His son is the Hon. William L. Waller, Jr., Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court.[4]
On November 30, 2011, Waller died at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson of heart failure after being admitted the previous night. He was 85.[5][6]

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Benyamin Sönmez, German-born Turkish cellist, died he was 28.

Benyamin Sönmez  was a Turkish classical cellist died he was 28..[1]

(January 16, 1983 – November 30, 2011)


Early years and family

Benyamin was born to Turkish parents in Bremen, Germany. His father went in the 1970s to Germany as a tourist taking his musical instrument saz with him. He stayed there, formed a musical group and earned his life playing music at weddings. Later, his mother followed his father in Germany. As Benyamin was three years old, the family with two boys returned home.[2]
Benyamin spent his childhood in Akşehir, a town in Konya Province, where the alleged tomb of Nasreddin Hoca is located. During his primary school years, he contributed to family's budget by selling food and drinks at street.[2]
Benyamin Sönmez grew up in a family that performed music altogether at home. As his father played tambur and his mother sang, his elder brother Mehmet and he accompanied their parents by playing kanun and darbuka. He remembers that his childhood toys were musical instruments like kanun, oud, cümbüş, electronic organ, darbuka, tambur, saz, ney as well as guitar. His father, a talented musician without any musical education, made Benyamin love music and introduced him in playing various musical instruments.
As a child, he accompanied his father at his father's musical performances with his group on stage at weddings. Benyamin envied his father, and imitated him at home after their return. A member of his father's musical group became aware of his elder brother's musical talent and advised to send him to conservatory. His brother Mehmet Sönmez studied playing contrabass at Ankara State Conservatory. After winning an international prize, his brother went to Belgium to play with the Royal Orchestra. He is currently a member of the Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra.

Education

Benyamin was a primary school pupil as his brother Mehmet studied at the conservatory in Ankara. Mehmet listened to classical music at home when he was on vacation. Once, Benyamin was very impressed by Shostakovich's music, his brother listened at home to. Mehmet, noticing his interest in classical music, took him to Ankara, where he, at the age of 13, took part at an admission test for the conservatory at the Hacettepe University. He failed the test and his brother was told by the jury that Benyamin was not talented for music.[2]
Returned home, Benyamin was eager to study music. He took the test the next year again. Passed the test, he was asked what musical instrument he liked to play. He replied violoncello, because its name sounded nice to him, even though he had never seen an example of it. The jury looked at his fingers and approved his choice. He saw the cello for the first time in the conservatory's string instruments workshop. He says he would not have complained if he had to study viola or violin instead of cello.[2]
In the first years in the conservatory, he surprised everyone by playing works that were actually reserved for higher classes. He used to start the day by playing Dvořák and finish with Elgar. Benyamin was very impressed by Rostropovich. Even he admired Heinrich Schiff, André Navarra, Pierre Fournier and Pablo Casals much, he used to try imitate Rostropovich.[2]
At the age of 17, he decided to take part at a cello contest at the Bilkent University, which had a different and heavier musical repertoire than at the conservatory. He practized four months long for this contest instead of preparing for the examination that was scheduled one day before it. Benyamin failed his examination indeed, however won the first prize the next day at the contest in front of a jury composed of an American cellist, Gürer Aykal and Doğan Cangal, who was a member of the examination commission the day before. Sönmez says by winning the first prize, he was able to save the honor of his cello teacher Nuray Eşen. From then on, he practiced much more seriously.[2]
For further studies, Benyamin was recommended to Natalia Gutman by Yuri Bashmet via pianist Gulmira Tokombaeva, a teacher from Kyrgyzstan at the Ankara conservatory. Between 2003 and 2007, he studied under Natalia Gutman, first at Stuttgart Hochschule für Musik in Germany and later at Moscow Conservatory in Russia. In Moscow, he was frequently invited to her home, where he had the opportunity to meet notable writers, artists and musicians including Yuri Bashmet, Viktor Tretiakov, Vasily Lobanov, Eliso Virsaladze, Mischa Maisky, Kurt Masur.[2]

Career

By the time, he was 17, having proved his superior musical skills, he came first in the national cello contest. He was given a place within BBC soloists in 2000. He won a special award at the International Young Concert Artists Contest organized in Leipzig, Germany in 2001.
Benyamin Sonmez became prize winner in the 2006 International Adam Cello Festival and Competition in New Zealand that was chaired by Rostropovich.
Sönmez, receiving great attention and admiration at each country he visited, had a rich repertoire from Bach to Sofia Gubaidulina. He also had master class performances with the great cellists like Rostropovich, David Geringas, Philippe Muller, Alexander Rudin, Stefan Popov, Frans Helmerson, Ruben Dobrovsky, Miklós Perényi and Yo-Yo Ma.
Sonmez has also studied authentic performance of the Cello Suites of Bach, together with the master of baroque cello Anner Bylsma. Of the important music festivals, he was invited to the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and Oleg Kagan International Music Festival in Germany, the International Adam Cello Festival & Competition in New Zealand, RNCM Manchester International Cello Festival in the United Kingdom and Istanbul International Music Festival in Turkey.
His last invitation was to the 80th birthday of M. Rostropovich in 2007. Sonmez, who has performed duo concerts with Oxana Yablonskaya, played his art at important musical centers such as Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Moscow, New York, Washington D.C. and Istanbul. He was living in istanbul, Turkey.
His repertoire included modern composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Alfred Schnittke, Giya Kancheli, Sofia Gubaidulina, Ástor Piazzolla and Zoltán Kodály as well as the composers of Baroque and other eras.
He played an 18th-century Matteo Goffriller cello from Venice, Italy.

Death

Young cellist Benyamin Sonmez died on December 1, 2011, at the age of 28, after a heart attack in Ankara. Following a funeral ceremony at the Hacettepe University Conservatory, his body was transferred to Fethiye, Muğla Province, where he was laid to rest.[3][4]


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Colin Burgess, the original drummer of AC/DC, passed away on Dec. 16, 2023, at the age of 77

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