Nickname (if any)

Descriptive biography

Secondary category

Proof of death (description)

Proof of death (URL)

Subject of federal investigation or inquiry?

Computer engineer, rear admiral in the navy

obituary in nytimes

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/03/us/rear-adm-grace-m-hopper-dies-innovator-in-computers-was-85.html?mcubz=0

Peter W. Smith was a longtime GOP activist who was known for trying to obtain from hackers what he believed were emails deleted from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's personal account.

Written about in national media

https://www.wsj.com/articles/details-emerge-in-suicide-of-gop-activist-who-sought-hillary-clinton-emails-1500051276

Possibly. Special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly investigating the effort to obtain Hillary Clinton's emails from hackers https://www.wsj.com/articles/special-counsel-examines-possible-role-flynn-played-in-seeking-clinton-emails-from-hackers-1503694304

Musician, singer, songwriter, considered one of the pioneers of Christian rock music

arts-entertainment

Obituary in NYtimes

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/arts/music/04norman.html

Corpus Christi, Texas

Author of both fiction and non-fiction

arts-entertainment

Obituary in NYtimes

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/books/21fast.html

Vivien Thomas was an African-American surgical technician known for developing a treatment for blue baby syndrome despite having only a high school degree.

academia/education

Obituary in Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1985/11/28/vivien-thomas-researcher-for-hopkins-surgery-dies/6ea67fe4-d92a-4973-9a09-304fbbba48e0/?utm_term=.378dae761094

pancreatic cancer

Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo was a prominent mobster and leader among the Mafia and member of the New York City Genovese crime family well-known for their loansharking operations. He was the subject of a two-year federal investigation, and his conviction which followed both tied Frank Sinatra to organized crime and revealed corruption among New Jersey public officials.

business/finance

Medical records from his prison doctor published by the NIH

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4900793/

Mountainside, New Jersey

Metastatic prostate cancer

Hoboken, New Jersey

Yes, federal agents wire tapped conversations between him and his mob associates; these transcripts tied Frank Sinatra to crime and revealed corruption amongst prominent businessmen and state officials.

Lloyd Sealy was the first black man within the New York City Police Department to hold several high-ranking positions including commander, and was also the NYPD's first African American officer to graduate from the FBI National Academy. He later went on to become the first black Associate Professor of Law and Police Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and helped found a national coalition of black police officers.

academia/education

NY Times published an obituary

http://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/06/nyregion/lloyd-sealy-the-first-black-man-in-several-high-police-posts-dies.html

Edward Anderson

Chuck Berry was a singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of rock and roll music.

arts-entertainment

Obituary in St. Louis Post Dispatch

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/hail-and-farewell-rock-legend-chuck-berry-dies-at/article_ff0a2a77-8b25-5573-868c-dcbf7674372e.html

Wentzville, Missouri

American journalist, lawyer and moderator for NBC's Meet the Press for over sixteen years.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/16/usa.television

Cory Monteith was an actor best known for playing Finn in the TV series Glee.

arts-entertainment

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/arts/television/cory-monteith-star-of-hit-show-glee-is-dead-at-31.html?mcubz=0

Vancouver, Canada

Madeleine L'Engle was an author best known for fantasy children's books including A Wrinkle in Time.

arts-entertainment

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/books/08lengle.html?mcubz=0

New York City, NY

Manny Farber was a painter, film critic and prose writer who has influenced several film makers and coined the term "underground film".

arts-entertainment

arts-entertainment

https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1D91638F933A1575BC0A96E9C8B63

Unspecified (probably natural death)

Les Blank was a documentary filmmaker whose work has been awarded by the American Film Institute and the International Documentary Association and who has received the Edward MacDowell Medal.

arts-entertainment

arts-entertainment

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/movies/les-blank-documentary-filmmaker-dies-at-77.html

Hank Stram was an American football coach; he won Super Bowl IV with the Kansas City Chiefs

Newspaper article

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/sports/football/hank-stram-82-a-football-innovator-and-a-hall-of-fame-coach.html

Complications of diabetes

Alex Lowe was an American mountaineer who died in an avalanche in Tibet

Newspaper article

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/07/world/alex-lowe-40-alpinist-dies-swept-away-on-a-tibet-ascent.html

Shisha Pangma, Tibet

Swept away by avalanche

"Big Bank Hank" was a founding member of the rap group the Sugarhill Gang.

arts-entertainment

Multiple obituaries: LA Times, The Guardian etc.

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-big-bank-hank-20141112-story.html

Rapper and founding member of A Tribe Called Quest

arts-entertainment

Multiple obits, including NYTimes

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/24/arts/music/malik-taylor-phife-dawg-of-a-tribe-called-quest-dies-at-45.html?mcubz=0

Complications with diabetes

Beerman was a American Reform rabbi who was a liberal activist and in favor of a two-state solution in the Middle East.

religious/spiritual

Obituary (LA Times)

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-leonard-beerman-20141225-story.html

Congestive heart failure

Altoona, Pennsylvania

She was a German and American actress, and the first actress to win more than one Academy Award.

arts-entertainment

arts-entertainment

Obituary (LA Times)

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-luise-rainer-20141230-story.html

London, England, UK

Düsseldorf, German Empire

Mike Delegeane served in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1954 and served as a translator to visiting Greek dignitaries.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=186760100

Redwood City, CA

San Francisco, CA

Chris Quinonez, also known as Sgt Quinonez, served the US Marine Reserves as an infantryman with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion 23rd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, USMCR, during the opening stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His awards include the Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, and the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=christopher-quinonez&pid=186775354

Edith "Edie" Windsor was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, the landmark 2013 case that overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Following this, all state-approved same-sex marriages had to be recognized at the federal level.

Newspaper article

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/us/edith-windsor-dead-same-sex-marriage-doma.html?mcubz=0

New York City, New York

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Marlon Brando Jr. is widely believed to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of all time--surprising, given his disdain for formal acting training. He was less content to study a role than to become it, and while this led to behind-the-scenes insanity in his later career, it just as often led to engrossing performances.

arts-entertainment

Newspaper article

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/02/movies/marlon-brando-oscarwinning-actor-is-dead-at-80.html?mcubz=0

Los Angeles, California

Pulmonary fibrosis

Omaha, Nebraska

Founder of Playboy magazine

arts-entertainment

business/finance

Lots of news headlines

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hugh-hefner-dead_us_56684df8e4b080eddf5654ba

Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, CA

"T," "the good-looking guy," "The Greek," or "Shark Eyes"

Tino Fiumara was known as the leader of the Genovese organized crime family's New Jersey faction and was connected to several alleged murders.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/09/a_top_new_jersey_mobster_with.html

Natural causes / cancer

Livingston, New Jersey

Former mayor of Denver, CO

Coverage in NYT (but note: in U.S. section, not in the obit section so probably not picked up by the Higgins code, yes?)

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/19/us/quigg-newton-is-dead-at-91-supported-urban-medicine.html?mcubz=0

Barry Winchell was known as an infantry soldier in the United States Army who was murdered by a fellow soldier and who later became a reference point in the debate over the policy informally known as "Don't ask, don't tell."

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2000/05/kentucky-murder-200005

Nashville, Tennessee

Massive head injuries from a baseball bat strike to the head

Kansas City, Missouri

Hugh Hefner was a prominent magazine publisher and well-known playboy.

arts-entertainment

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/obituaries/hugh-hefner-dead.html?mcubz=0

Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, CA

yes, investigations on alleged drug parties @ Playboy mansion

Chauncey Bailey was a well-known journalist and editor of The Oakland Post, killed by the subject of an investigative piece.

San Jose Mercury News obituary

http://www.mercurynews.com/2007/08/06/funeral-for-chauncey-bailey-is-wednesday/

Hugues-Adhémar

Hugues-Adhémar Cuénod was a Swiss tenor, who performed internationally in operas and concert halls.

arts-entertainment

New York Times obituary from December 7, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/arts/music/08cuenod.html

Vevey, Switzerland

Old Age (unspecified)

Corseaux-sur-Vevey, Switzerland

Nathan Irving "Nat" Hentoff was an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media. He often wrote on First Amendment issues, vigorously defending the freedom of the press. (Wikipedia)

academia/education

Obituary in The Santa Barbara Independent

http://www.independent.com/news/2017/feb/09/nat-hentoff-1925-2017/

New York, New York

Boston, Massachusetts