Kurt Masur obituary
Conductor who rose from the closed musical scene of East Germany to become an international figureThere was a time when the German term kapellmeister (literally, the music director of a chapel, and so...
View ArticleHarry Hyams obituary
Developer of Centre Point in London, which came to represent the avarice of the postwar property boomRarely was the property developer Harry Hyams seen in public – at least if there was any chance the...
View ArticleMary Smith obituary
My mother-in-law, Mary Smith, who has died aged 90, emigrated to England from Ireland in her teens, spent her working life in nursing, and devoted her retirement to travelling the world.Mary was born...
View ArticleOtto Newman obituary
My father, Otto Newman, who has died aged 93, escaped from the Nazis in Austria on Kristallnacht in 1938. Aged 16, he had been picked up and bundled into a truck but managed to jump off and run away....
View ArticleLetter: How football talk broke the ice when I met foxhunter Jimmy Hill
Giles Oakley writes: It’s often forgotten that Jimmy Hill was an enthusiastic hunter who loved to ride to hounds. I remember filming him and a somewhat snooty Horse of the Year commentator for a BBC...
View ArticleKenneth Partridge obituary
Interior designer who created homes for two of the Beatles and showrooms for Hardy Amies and Norman HartnellThe interior designer Kenneth Partridge, who has died aged 89, was an influential 1960s...
View ArticleGabriele Ferzetti obituary
Charismatic Italian actor who starred in Antonioni’s L’Avventura and played opposite George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret ServiceThe Italian actor Gabriele Ferzetti, who has died aged 90, was...
View ArticleLord Ezra obituary
Former chairman of the National Coal Board who forged a close working relationship with Joe Gormley, president of the National Union of MineworkersDerek Ezra, Lord Ezra, former chairman of the National...
View ArticleDon Leaver obituary
Television producer and director behind such popular dramas as Prime Suspect, A Touch of Frost, and, most notably, The AvengersDon Leaver, who has died aged 86, was an award-winning television director...
View ArticleYoram Tsafrir obituary
Israeli authority on the Byzantine Christian archaeology of the Holy LandThe particular achievement of the Israeli scholar Yoram Tsafrir, who has died aged 77, was to establish the Byzantine Christian...
View ArticleDon Howe obituary
Footballer who became one of the great coaches in the British gameDon Howe, who has died aged 80, made a bigger name for himself in football as No 2 to a succession of managers than most have done from...
View ArticleSimon Clark obituary
Simon Clark, a relative of mine, who has died aged 84, was a botanist of desert and upland plants, a leading authority on apple and pear varieties, a long-distance walker, gardener, photographer and...
View ArticleOliver Sacks remembered by his nephew, Jonathan Sacks
9 July 1933-30 August 2015A personal reminiscence of the writer and neurologist’s towering physique, his role as a defender of those with mental illness and his love of family• Read the Observer’s...
View ArticleSue Lloyd-Roberts remembered by Lyse Doucet
27 October 1950 – 13 October 2015The BBC’s chief international correspondent reflects on the remarkable career of the fearless investigative reporter, who died of leukaemia aged 64• Read the Observer’s...
View ArticleBrian Sewell remembered by Maggi Hambling
15 June 1931 – 19 September 2015The painter and sculptor recalls the knowledge, conviction and humour of the Evening Standard’s provocative art critic• Read the Observer’s obituaries of 2015 in full...
View ArticleOrnette Coleman remembered by Neneh Cherry
9 March 1930 - 11 June 2015The singer-songwriter recalls the ‘quiet intensity’ of the American saxophonist who with her stepfather, Don Cherry, took jazz in wild new directions• Read the Observer’s...
View ArticleBB King remembered by Joe Bonamassa
16 September 1925 – 14 May 2015The American blues rock guitarist has fond memories of the generosity of ‘the king of the blues’, who died in Las Vegas• Read the Observer’s obituaries of 2015 in full...
View ArticleCarey Lander remembered by Tracyanne Campbell
1 March 1982 - 11 October 2015Camera Obscura’s singer recalls the bravery, selflessness and humour of her bandmate and friend, who died of osteosarcoma this year at the age of 33• Read the Observer’s...
View ArticleSteve Strange remembered by Martin Kemp
28 May 1959 - 12 February 2015The actor and Spandau Ballet bassist recalls the Visage frontman, nightclub host and new romantic pioneer who kickstarted his band’s career• Read the Observer’s obituaries...
View ArticleCarol Burns obituary
Actor best known for playing the butch biker Franky Doyle in the Australian television soap Prisoner: Cell Block HThe Australian actor Carol Burns, who has died of cancer aged 68, gained a cult...
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