Obituary - Current Affairs for January, 2016

Arindam Sengupta, the managing editor of TOI succumbed to cancer after a brief and brave battle against the disease. He was 61 years old at the time of his death.

Marvin Minsky combined scientist’s thirst for knowledge with the quest for truth as a pioneering explorer of artificial intelligence. He has passed away on January 24 at the age of 88. The cause of death was cerebral haemorrhage. Prior to the advent of the microprocessor and the supercomputer, Minsky a revered computer science educator in 1959 co founded MIT Artificial Intelligence Project called Artificial Intelligence Laboratory with college John McCarthy.

Italian director Ettore Scola has passed away on 19th January 2016 at the age of 84. He is among the last generation of Italian filmmakers with a keen eye for key issues in the nation. He has directed movies including the world's greatest actors including Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Fanny Ardant and Jack Lemmon.

Well known Indian dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai has created an indelible mark on Indian classical dance as a well known dancer and choreographer. She was educated at Shantiniketan and is a disciple of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. She was trained in Bharatnatyam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattom. Dance was her life, passion and existence.

Senior journalist and scholar Aroon Tikekar has passed away on 19th January 2016 in Mumbai at the age of 72. He has written over 20 books and passed away on account of breathing related complications. He became the Language and Literature Expert and Acquisitions Specialist at the US Library of Congress Office in New Delhi. He started his career with TOI.

Glenn Frey, founding member and guitarist of the Eagles was a popular and commercially successful artist who has passed away on 18th January 2016 in NY at age 67. Frey succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia. He is a founding member of the rock band The Eagles.

Ex Maharashtra health minister and senior BJP leader Dr. Daulatrao Aher has passed away on 19th January 2016 following illness in Nashik at 74. He was an ENT surgeon hailing from Nashiki taluka in Maharashtra. He has also headed social and educational institutions.

David Bowie has had a constellation named after him, namely 7 stars in the shape of an iconic lightning bolt. Astronomers have announced the registration of the constellation situated in the vicinity of Mars following the death of the artist. Lightning bolt first appeared on Bowie’s face on the cover of the Aladdin Sane album.

Renowned Kannada lyricist and film maker Geethapriya has suffered a heart attack on 17th January 2016 in Nebgaluru. He was 84 and survived by a wife, son and two daughters. Lakshman Rao Mohite was born in June 1931 and his pen name is Geethapriya. The movie bagged National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada and State awards and the artist was awarded the Puttanna Kanagal Award in 1986 in recognition for his contribution to the Kannada film industry.

President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of Shri. V Rama Rao, former Sikkim governor. Shri Rao has served the nation in different capacities during his public life. He worked as member of the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council for terms from 1966-1990. The nation will remember him for contributions and the pursuit of excellence in public life.

Veteran filmmaker Anil Ganguly has passed away at his residence following a brief illness at the age of 82. Gangly is a noted director and screenwriter working in Hindi cinema from the 1970s to 1990s. He is known for starring in Kora Kagaz and Tapasya both of which won National Awards.

Mohammad Abdul Rahim Quershi, Assistant General Secretary and Spokesman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has died of a cardiac arrest on 15th January, 2016 at Hyderabad Telangana at the age of 81. Qureshi was also president of progressive cultural organisation Tameer-e-Millat was founded in 1980. This organisation works in the field of education and professional empowerment. He led the group for two decades. Islamic scholar had held a BSc degree in maths and was a law graduate from Osmania University.

Bollywood actor Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay has passed away on 14th January 2016 on account of a heart attack in Hyderabad at the age of 66. He is known for his role in films such as Swades and Lagaan. Vivek was born in 1949 and his known for his role in Lagaan as the astrologer Guran.

Brian Bedford, a well known British stage actor has passed away at the age of 80 on January 13th 2016 in Santa Barbara California. He was the winner of a Tony award on first of 7 nominations, appeared on stage and is known for acting and directing Shakespeare.

British actor Alan Rickman, a classically trained stage star and screen villain in Harry Potter movies at the age of 69. Rickman’s family has indicated that the actor has died after a battle with cancer. He was born in the 1940s and studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Film roles including the psychopathic villain in Die Hard and a deceased lover in Truly Madly Deeply.

Lt General Jacob Farj Rafael Jacob is the last surviving general from the trinity leading India to the greatest military victory till now. He passed away after prolonged illness in the Army R&R Hospital on 13th January at the age of 92. If Army Chief General Sam Bahadur Manekshaw was the fountainhead of the decisive military war leading to liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in the 1970s, another popular figure was the Lt-General Jagjit Singh Aurora. JFR Jacob is a major general and was the right hand man of the Chief of Staff of Kolkata based EAC.

Monte Irvin, a Hall of Fame outfielder and player in Major League Baseball has passed away on 11th January 2016 due to natural causes at his Houston, Texas home at the age of 96. Irvin was a star for the Newark Eagles of African American League Baseball in the 1930s and 1940s serving in the US army during the 1940s. Jackie Robinson has become the first black player to be permitted into Major League baseball and in the 1940s, after Larry Doby and Hank Thompson broke the race barrier, Irvin was part of the NY Giants at age 30.

Maria Teresa de Filippis, first woman to compete in the world championship Formula One grand prix, has passed away at the age of 89. Italian started three grand prix races in a privately entered Maserati 250F has finished in the best place of the 10th in Spa-Francorchamps in 1958. De Filippis founded the Maserati Club and was the president of the former drivers’ association.

Russia’s 20 year old chess master Ivan Bukavshin has died of a suspected stoke on 12th January 2016, according to Russian Chess Federation. Bukavshin has been the grandmaster in 2011 and has won the Russian Cup the previous year.

Angus Scrimm, a veteran character actor best know for his role as the Tall Man in the phantasm horror franchise has passed away at the age of 89. Other credits include a 2008 film “ I Sell the Dead” and popular TV show Alias. Scrimm was born Lawrence Rory Guy in Kansas City, Kansas.

Rhythm and blues artist Otis Clay, a Blues Hall of Fame musician was also a community activist on West Side, Chicago passed away at age 73. The erstwhile Grammy nominee has passed away following a heart attack and was preparing for the US and EU tours. He has been nominated for 2 Blues Music Awards , one for the album with Billy Price and one for soul blues music artists. Clay was inducted into Blues Hall of Fame in the year 2013.

Iran’s princess Ashraf Pahlavi, the twin sister of the nation’s deposed Shah has passed away at the age of 96. She was epitomised in an Andy Warhol portrait. Born on October 26, 1919, she was the daughter of monarch Reza Shah who came to power in a coup in 1921. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, her twin brother was pushed into taking power in a US engineered 1953 coup.

CM of J&K, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed died in a hospital in Delhi of multiple organ failure and was laid to rest with full state honours in Bijbehara town, Anantnag district. A 7 day state mourning will also be observed. He founded PDP in 1999. Former chief ministers of the state - Omar Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad - were among those who attended the funeral prayers which were led by Sayeed's trusted aide, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar. Sayeed was given a 21 gun salute and laid to rest after the ceremonial last post was played for the deceased CM. Meanwhile ruling PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is now set to be the first woman CM of the hilly state following Sayeed’s death.

Well known Gujarati writer and poet Labhshankar Thakar passed away on 6th January 2016 following prolonged illness at the age of 80. Born in 1935 in Sedia, Gujarat. he was famous for pens like Ramya Ghosha (1965), Manasni Vaat (1968), Mara Namne Darwaje (1972), Boom Kagalma Kora (1974), Pravahan (1986), plays including Asatyakumar Ekagrani Dharpakad, Make Believe (1967), Mari Jawani Maza (1973), Bathtub ma Machhali (1982) and novels Akasmat (1968) and Kon? (1968).

Pierre Boulez, former principal conductor of the NY Philharmonic who was also a famous composer and teacher passed away in Baden-Baden Germany at the age of 90. Known for conducting musicals like Wagner and Mahler, he was born in Montbrison, France. He studied mathematics in youth before switching to music. He was trained in 12 tone composition. He conducted an enormous range from Mahler to Beethoven and Stockhausen.

Sarosh Homi Kapadia, Ex-Chief Justice of India passed away on 4 January 2016 in Mumbai at the age of 68. He is survived by wife and a son and a daughter.Born in the 1940s, during 1990s, he was elevated to the Bench as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court, and in 1993, he was appointed as a Permanent Judge.On 12 May 2010, he was sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of India by the President Pratibha Patil and retired in September 2012.

BJP MLA Raghunandan Mandal has passed away at Korka district at the age of 63. His death was condoled by Arjun Munda, and CM Raghubar Das. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Sussex fast bowler Matthew Hobden died at the age of 22 on 3rd January 2016. His death was announced by the ECB. He was a 1993 born English player who made his county championship debut on June 1, 2014. He was also part of the team which won the National Village Cricket Knockout Final at Lord’s.

Vilmos Zsigmond, the winner of the Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind passed away on January 1, 2016 at the age of 85. He was also Oscar nominated for 3 other movies namely The Deer Hunter, The River and The Black Dahlia.

Shri Bardhan was the general secretary of CPI from 1996 to 2012 and The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of veteran CPI leader Shri A.B. Bardhan. Vardhan was also part of the freedom movement as a member of the All India Students Federation.

The singer died following congestive heart failure from complication of a kidney transplant at the age of 65. She was daughter of late jazz legend Nat King Cole and carved her own success with hits like This Will Be. She won the Grammy Award for best R&B female performance and also earned Grammy Award for Best New Artist in the 1970s.

Iam Murdock known for founding one of the most well known Linux distributions passed away on 28th December 2015 at the age of 42. He was an American software engineer who founded the Debian Project and Progeny Linux systems, a commercial Linux firm. The Debian Manifesto was written when he was still a student at Purdue University and he was appointed CTO of Free Standards Group. He joined Sun Microsystems in 2007. Till his death, he worked for Docker, Inc.