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Notable local deaths of 2024: Remembering those we lost
A look back at the people who died in 2024, from all over the San...
News Obituaries
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Javier Batiz, 80, Mexican rock pioneer and mentor to Carlos Santana, dies
"Once I heard the sound Javier had I knew," Carlos Santana recalled, "right then and...
Award-winning San Diego singer-songwriter Paul Kamanski dies at 68
Crafting vivid stories with his music was an enduring passions for San Carlos native Paul...
‘Endless Summer’ star Mike Hynson dies; surf icon known for his style
"He was a rebel, a troublemaker, but at the end of the day he was...
Joanne Chory, Salk plant biologist who found ways to blunt impacts of climate change, dies at 69
She remained a tireless researcher for decades after developing Parkinson's disease.
Patti McGee, pioneering pro skateboarder with a San Diego youth, dies at 79
Considered the first professional female skateboarder, McGee carved a name for herself in the male-dominated...
Liam Payne, former One Direction singer, dies after fall from hotel
Officials in Buenos Aires say the 31-year-old performer “had thrown himself from the balcony of...
Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter and actor, dies at 88
With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks, he represented a new breed of country songwriters...
Phil Donahue, whose daytime talk show launched an indelible TV genre, has died at 88
The affable host launched his show in Ohio in 1967, creating a format that is...
Lou Dobbs, conservative pundit and longtime cable TV host for Fox Business and CNN, dies at 78
He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on FOX Business from 2011 to 2021, following two separate...
Comedian Bob Newhart, deadpan master of sitcoms and telephone monologues, dies at 94
Newhart is best remembered now as the star of two hit television shows of the...
Doug Ingle, voice of San Diego-bred band Iron Butterfly, dead at 78
Doug Ingle, the lead singer and organist of Iron Butterfly, the San Diego-bred band that...
Legendary attorney Milt Silverman, who defended some of San Diego’s most notorious cases, dies
San Diego powerhouse attorney Milt Silverman, whose courtroom successes included some of the biggest cases...
‘The Bee Guy of Encinitas,’ who died May 13, leaves a legacy of pollinator protection
A man whom many people referred to as the “Bee Guy of Encinitas” because of...
James Hubbell, San Diego’s iconic sculptor, artist, naturalist and peace advocate, dies at 92
James T. Hubbell, an iconic local sculptor, artist and humanitarian whose organically inspired works can...
Sax great David Sanborn dead at 78. ‘I think people relate to a lyrical humanness in my playing,’ he said
David Sanborn, one of the most popular and influential saxophonists of the past 50 years,...
Sean Burroughs, Padres first-round pick who made Petco Park history, dies at 43
Sean Burroughs, a former first-round draft pick of the Padres who became a part of...
Joan Jacobs, San Diego community leader and philanthropist, dies at 91
Joan Jacobs, one half of a powerhouse philanthropic couple whose gifts have shaped the cultural,...
Vernor Vinge, visionary sci-fi author who helped foretell the rise of internet and AI, dies in La Jolla at 79
Vernor Vinge, the San Diego State University professor whose award-winning science fiction novels helped foretell...
Frank L. Hope, lead architect of San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, dies at 93
Frank L. Hope, one of San Diego's postwar architects who helped reshape the city and...
Bob Boss was a leading San Diego guitarist in many genres: ‘The joy he brought to people was epic’
There are few things that Bob Boss didn't do extremely well as a musician in...
Former SDSU president Stephen L. Weber, who guided the school through tremendous change and growth, dies at 82
Stephen L. Weber, who greatly improved San Diego State University's standing in teaching and research...
Candace Carroll, ‘a pioneer as a woman lawyer in San Diego,’ dies at 79
Candace Mattoon Carroll, a highly regarded appellate attorney and past president of the San Diego...
Mojo Nixon, rock ‘n’ roll wild man, Sirius XM radio host and former MTV mainstay, is dead at 66
Mojo Nixon, the roots-rocking wild man and former San Diegan who was an MTV mainstay...
Trish Dugger, Encinitas’ first poet laureate, has died
Trish Dugger, 94, the city of Encinitas’ first and thus far only poet laureate, died...
Roy Cazares, respected judge, inspiration for Latinos in legal community, dies at 81
Teenage Roy Benjamin Cazares spent his summers in the 1950s reading to his siblings in...
California Ballet founder Maxine Mahon, who left indelible stamp on San Diego dance scene, dies at 82
For 50 years, Maxine Mahon was San Diego's doyenne of dance as the founder and...
Founder of Cal State San Marcos dies after lengthy illness
Bill W. Stacy, the founding president of California State University San Marcos, died Jan. 4...
Longtime San Diego developer, political activist William “Pat” Kruer dead at 78
He was a proud child of the Upper Midwest, but nonetheless seized an early opportunity...
San Diego contemporary art leaders mourn the death of L.A. conceptual artist Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith may have spent her working life in Los Angeles, but the conceptual and...
Les McCann, oft-sampled soul-jazz pioneer, dead at 88: ‘I had a feeling that… I could do anything’
Les McCann stood only 5 foot 7, but he was a towering figure when he...
Remembering the San Diegans we lost in 2023
Mary Shepardson, Jan. 22, 77A Poway resident since age 3, she was a member of...
Tom Smothers, dead at 86, knew his artistic legacy with the Smothers Brothers: ‘We were unique’
Tom Smothers, who died Tuesday from cancer at the age of 86, was a folk...
Norman Lear, dead at 101, loved jazz and moshing at Foo Fighters’ concerts: ‘It’s like I’m one of them,’ he said
Norman Lear, the legendary TV producer and devoted advocate of liberal causes, will be best...
Norman Lear, producer of TV’s ‘All in the Family’ and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101
LOS ANGELES — Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with "All...
‘He was the conscience’: Deputy state prosecutor, three-term lawmaker Howard Wayne dies at 75 after brief illness
Howard Wayne — the unabashed liberal who spent most of his life in public service,...
Robert Irwin, prominent San Diego installation artist, dies at 95
Robert Irwin, a longtime San Diego artist associated with the Light and Space movement of...
David McCallum, star of hit TV series ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘NCIS,’ dies at 90
LOS ANGELES — Actor David McCallum, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series "The Man...
Dan Rios, longtime newspaper photographer who chronicled San Diego County history, dies at 84
NORTH COUNTY — Dan Rios, a longtime North County newspaper photographer who donated his 1 million-image collection...
Jimmy Buffett, in his own words: ‘What I see at my shows might look like Sodom and Gomorrah’
Jimmy Buffett, who died Friday at the age of 76 following a four-year battle with...
‘He saved so many lives of San Diegans’: Greg Knoll, longtime Legal Aid Society CEO, dies
Greg Knoll, a passionate advocate for impoverished San Diegans and leader of the Legal Aid...
Byron Shewman, an Aztecs volleyball great with a heart for humanitarianism, dies at 76
Byron Shewman, a standout athlete at Mar Vista High School and Southwestern College and a...
Ron Cephas Jones, ‘This Is Us’ actor who won 2 Emmys, dies at 66
LOS ANGELES — Ron Cephas Jones, a veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his...
Renata Scotto, soprano of uncommon intensity, dies at 89
Renata Scotto, a soprano of uncommon intensity who became a successful director after her singing...
Clarence Avant, ‘Black Godfather’ of entertainment, and benefactor of athletes and politicians, dies at 92
NEW YORK — Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide...
Robbie Robertson, former leader of The Band, is dead at 80. Revisit our 2002 interview with the rock legend
Robbie Robertson, the leader and co-founder of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Band...
Rodriguez dead at 81. Detroit troubadour, subject of Oscar-winning film, inspired a generation
Has there ever been a more unlikely musical subject of an Oscar-winning film documentary than...
‘It’s what he loved’: Poway backpackers mourn Eddie Lindros, avid hiker who introduced thousands to the mountains
As Larry Ott prepared for the 3-mile hike to the summit of Iron Mountain last...
Sinead O’Connor, dead at 56, was a singular artist: ‘I would have liked to be a priest,’ she told us in 2013
In a world of cookie-cutter pop-music stars and automatons, Sinéad O’Connor was a one-off. The...
Rick Froberg, singer for influential San Diego indie-rock band Drive Like Jehu, dies at 55
Rick Froberg, the singer, guitarist and visual artist best known for taking the knotty, overdriven...
Paxton Whitehead, longtime associate artist at San Diego’s Old Globe, dead at 85
Paxton Whitehead, a comic actor who earned a Tony nomination for his role in a...
Longtime leader of San Diego’s tuna industry dies at 94
Fisherman, lawyer, lobbyist — Augie Felando spent his working years in and around the ocean,...
Harry Markowitz, Nobel laureate, UC San Diego professor who revolutionized investing, dies at 95
Harry Markowitz, the renowned scholar who was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for research...
National City’s new city manager dies two days after being promoted
Armando Vergara, a longtime National City employee who had just been promoted to city manager,...
Veteran San Diego defense lawyer collapses during court argument, later dies
Longtime San Diego criminal defense attorney Stephen Cline collapsed in a downtown San Diego courtroom...
George Winston, dead at 74: ‘I have no doubt I’ll be forgotten, and that’s good’ said the New Age pianist
Unlike many musicians who sold millions of albums and drew devoted concert audiences for several...
Salk widow Francoise Gilot, muse to Picasso, dies at 101
NEW YORK — Françoise Gilot, an accomplished painter whose art was eclipsed by her long...
Carey Driscoll, whose Acoustic Music San Diego concerts showcased legends and little-known artists, dies at 72
Carey Driscoll was a big bear of a man with a mane of white hair,...
James Goldsborough, former Union-Tribune opinion columnist, dies at 86
James Goldsborough, a veteran opinion columnist who left the Union-Tribune in protest and went on...
Sam Zell, business tycoon whose purchase of L.A. Times led to financial disaster, dies
Sam Zell, who made his billions resurrecting troubled businesses that ran the gamut from bicycles...
Gloria Molina, Chicana who blazed paths across L.A. politics, dies
Gloria Molina, the daughter of working-class parents and an unapologetic Chicana who transformed the political...
Veteran San Diego newscaster Paul Bloom dies at 76
Paul Bloom, a TV reporter and anchor who worked at several San Diego stations in...
Gordon Lightfoot, mournful Canadian singer-songwriter, dies at 84
Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian singer-songwriter whose graceful and literate songwriting made him one of the...
Harry Belafonte, dead at 96, championed ‘Long Road to Freedom’ in his music and his life
If there was one constant during Harry Belafonte's groundbreaking career, it was that he repeatedly...
George Coburn, Pearl Harbor survivor who lived with ‘twinkle in his eye,’ dies at 103
George Coburn, a Pearl Harbor survivor who never forgot his harrowing wartime experiences but refused...
Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan dies at 92
Richard J. Riordan, the take-charge venture capitalist who as mayor shepherded Los Angeles’ rebound from...
Lew Scarr, longtime Union-Tribune reporter and columnist, dies at 96
Lew Scarr, a longtime Union-Tribune reporter whose storytelling range covered topics as momentous as a...
Ahmad Jamal, dead at 92. Revisit our 2007 interview with the jazz piano giant
Ahmad Jamal was a jazz piano master whose feathery touch, lyrical elegance and pinpoint command...
Businessman Arie de Jong, whose family founded Hollandia Dairy, dies at 84
Businessman, family man, local history buff. Those are some of the ways that loved ones...
John Brockington, football star and organ-donor advocate, dies at 74
John Brockington believed in providence, that what happened to him — the football career, the...
Ricochet, San Diego’s beloved surfing therapy dog, dies at 15
SAN DIEGO — Ricochet, San Diego’s favorite surfing therapy dog, has caught her final wave. The 15-year-old...
Theophilus ‘Theo’ Logan, 105, made homeownership possible for Black San Diegans
Theophilus “Theo” Logan is best known for his work in local real estate, where he...
Lance Reddick, TV star known for ‘The Wire’ and ‘Fringe,’ dies at 60
Lance Reddick, who was known for his roles on television series "The Wire," "Fringe" and...
Bobby Caldwell, smooth ‘What You Won’t Do for Love’ singer, dies at 71
Bobby Caldwell, a blue-eyed soul singer whose smooth touch camouflaged his idiosyncrasies, died on Tuesday...
Carlsbad resident Rolly Crump, Disney designer who helped define the look of Disneyland, dies at 93
Animator-turned-theme park designer Rolly Crump, who was instrumental in the design of early Disneyland, died...
San Diego’s Italian community mourns loss of beloved pastor
SAN DIEGO — Father Louis Maria Solcia was more than a “father” in the religious sense, but...
Gerald M. Trimble, 1935-2023: Downtown San Diego’s redevelopment leader
Jerry Trimble, who arrived in San Diego in 1977 to take charge of downtown's faltering...
David Lindley, dead at 78, an arresting music great who was nearly arrested on stage in San Diego
David Lindley may not have been a household name for most music fans, but he...
Charles Harrington Elster, San Diego word maven and author, dies at 65
Charles Harrington Elster, a writer who turned a love of the English language into a...
David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78
David Lindley, a multitalented guitarist who was a fixture in Los Angeles recording studios during...
Wayne Shorter, influential jazz saxophonist and composer, dies at 89
Wayne Shorter, a saxophonist and composer who was universally acknowledged as one of the most...
San Diego Opera’s longtime arts educator Nicolas Reveles praised for his passions, wit and kindness
April 14 was going to be a big full-circle moment for Nicolas Reveles. After retiring...
Music, skating communities mourn loss of multitalented San Diego artist known as ‘O’
Last week's unexpected death of prominent member of San Diego's music, arts and skateboarding communities...
San Diego Holocaust survivor Rose Schindler dies at 93
It wasn't long before Rose Schindler's words drew tears from her audience members, as often...
Raquel Welch, international icon from La Jolla who starred in ‘One Million Years B.C.,’ dies at 82
Raquel Welch had only three lines in the 1966 film “One Million Years B.C.,” but...
Burt Bacharach, dead at 94, was a music legend who spoke out: ‘I account for what I will say’
As one of the greatest and most innovative songwriters in pop-music history, Burt Bacharach inspired...
Burt Bacharach, songwriter who was ‘synonym for pop-music success,’ dies at 94
At the Brill Building, the legendary songwriters’ mecca on Broadway in New York City, composer...
Lisa Loring, original Wednesday Addams, dies at 64
Lisa Loring, the actor who originated the role of Wednesday Addams onscreen, has died. She...
Actor Cindy Williams, the optimistic Shirley of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ dies at 75
Cindy Williams, who played sweet, wide-eyed Shirley Feeney on the “Happy Days” spinoff “Laverne &...
Tom Verlaine, singer and guitarist for seminal art-punk band Television, dies at 73
Tom Verlaine, the singer and guitarist who fronted the singular, ambitious and oblique New York...
Polo Polo, Mexican comedian known for live albums and adult humor, dies at 78
Mexican comedian Polo Polo, who was known for his irreverent adult humor and live comedy...