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Obituaries
Military man became Darwin's hero
ALAN STRETTON, 1922-2012
When Cyclone Tracy came ashore and obliterated Darwin in the early hours of Christmas Day, 1974, Alan Stretton had greatness thrust upon him.
Humble life that made a difference
DAVID MILLS, 1948-2012
David Mills never felt the need for wealth or official status. Yet Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, in a message to his funeral, called him ''a fine man … a force for good in a troubled world''.
Lone gunman theorist never wavered in his belief
ARLEN SPENCER, 1930-2012
Arlen Specter came to prominence as an assistant counsel to the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963.
Warrior fought for his people's sovereign rights
RUSSELL MEANS, 1939-2012
Russell Means was an American Indian activist in the 1970s and later became an actor, appearing as the chief Chingachgook in The Last of the Mohicans (1992). He looked every inch the warrior: tall, good-looking, his long black hair arranged in braids.
Architect's key Opera House role
CHARLES WEATHERBURN, 1916-2012
Charles Weatherburn was the 18th NSW government architect and he served the state with distinction, often making difficult decisions on complex projects such as the Sydney Opera House.
Caring oncologist made time for all
DENISE LONERGAN, 1953-2012
Associate Professor Denise Lonergan was a caring, thoughtful person, with a keen sense of humour, who devoted herself to her work as a radiation oncologist.
Self-taught scientist trumped cynics
STANFORD OVSHINSKY, 1922-2012
Stanford Ovshinsky was not a household name like Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein, but he was often compared to them, for good reason.
Singing farmer not permitted to go to war
DICK PUDDICOMBE, 1920-2012
It was a dreadful moment on the high seas for a young man who just wanted to ''do his bit'' in the war. Dick Puddicombe had tried to enlist, he'd begged to enlist, but because he was in a reserved occupation, he was refused permission to enlist.
Uniting force in economics
HARRY EDWARDS, 1927-2012
Harry Edwards, an economist and founding father of Macquarie University, carried his academic training into more rugged domains by championing microloans for the poor and serving 21 years in Federal Parliament.
Notable music all-rounder
BRIAN CROSSLEY, 1926-2012
From an early age there was evidence of the abiding passion of Brian Crossley's life: music. As a boy he would crouch on the floor, his ear pressed to the wireless's speaker, the better to hear an orchestral concert, playing at low volume, which the other members of the family preferred not to hear.
'The father of modern skiiing'
EMILE ALLAIS, 1912-2012
Émile Allais was a daring champion French skier who helped shape his sport by developing and popularising a new style of skiing in the 1930s - keeping the skis parallel - as well as by coaching Olympic teams and designing ski equipment.
Sex academic was a hands-on researcher
ETHEL PERSON, 1934-2012
Ethel Person was a Columbia University psychiatrist who did pioneering research on sexuality, visiting sex shops and drag dance clubs to help herself understand what motivates transsexuals and transvestites, and conducting broad-based clinical studies on the role of sexual fantasy in people’s lives.
Underwater warrior, from go to whoa
COMMANDER BILL KING, 1910-2012
Commander Bill King, who has died aged 102, was the much-decorated, last surviving British submarine captain of the Second World War – he was in command of his first boat on day one and of his third when Japan surrendered.
Man and machine opened patients' hearts
PROFESSOR HUGH BENTALL, 1920-2012
Professor Hugh Bentall, became, on April 17, 1953, the first British surgeon to carry out an open-heart operation when, with Bill Cleland, he operated on a 30-year-old woman with a blocked aortic valve. The procedure was made possible by the newly-developed heart-lung machine, before the advent of which there was no means of cutting into the heart without killing the patient.
Marrow man found cure for blood diseases
E. DONNALL THOMAS, 1920-2012
Dr. E. Donnall Thomas showed that it was possible to transplant bone marrow to save the lives of patients dying from blood cancer and other blood disorders, a discovery that earned him a Nobel Prize,
Spitfire pilot honoured his comrades in verse
WILLIAM WALKER, 1913-2012
Flight Lieutenant William Walker was shot down in his Spitfire during the Battle of Britain and wounded. Late in his life, having become the oldest surviving pilot of the Battle, he wrote poetry in memory of his fellow aircrew.
Canny libertarian loved adventure
NEVILLE KENNARD, 1937-2012
Neville Kennard blended a range of achievements in business with physical and adventurous activities and forthright promotion of independent economic and social ideas.
Legendary All Black prop who excelled at business
SIR WILSON WHINERAY, 1935-2012
Sir Wilson Whineray is best remembered by rugby union followers for a try in 1964. He was captain of the All Blacks for their final tour game against the Barbarians at Cardiff Arms Park on February 15 that year.
Liberal presidential nominee was routed by Nixon
GEORGE McGOVERN, 1922-2012
George McGovern was the US senator who won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1972 as an opponent of the war in Vietnam, and a champion of liberal causes, and was then trounced by President Richard Nixon in the general election.
Music pioneer gave Marley worldwide audience
DANNY SIMS, 1936-2012
Danny Sims was one of the first black music entrepreneurs, and the first non-Jamaican, to recognise the global potential of the reggae superstar Bob Marley.
Surgeon never forgot those in need
GLEN 'HERB' COOREY, 1932-2012
Herb Coorey was a talented surgeon, administrator and philanthropist, and a respected leader in Australia's Lebanese community.
A dedication to justice and rights
JANE WOODRUFF, 1948-2012
Jane Woodruff was a human rights and social justice advocate for people with disabilities, children, their families and women in NSW.
Man who motivated a generation
STEPHEN COVEY, 1932-2012
Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1990) became a publishing phenomenon, selling more than 20 million copies in 38 languages.
Historian's turf was Tongan royalty
ELIZABETH WOOD-ELLEM, 1930-2012
Elizabeth Wood-Ellem was born in Tonga and grew up to be one of its leading historians, writing and editing books about the island nation.
Missionary shared knowledge of art
IVAN PAGE, 1938-2012
With the death of Father Ivan Page, M. Afr., the Australian scholarly community lost a man who enjoyed a rich and varied career. He was a knowledgeable art historian who delighted in sharing his discovery of little-known treasures.
Activist's work took her from Fiji to the world stage
RUTH LECHTE, 1932-2012
In 1962, Ruth Lechte and Anne Walker went to Fiji at the invitation of a group of local women to be the first staff of the Fiji YWCA. With Fijian Amelia Rokotuivuna they established multiracial kindergartens and more than 50 youth and women's clubs.
Bassist's style was music to the ears
ED GASTON, 1929-2012
Some musicians are like actors who cloak themselves in the music they play. Others cannot help but let the real them shine through every note. Ed Gaston was undoubtedly in the latter camp.
Emmanuelle, and deeply unwell...
SYLVIA KRISTEL, 1952-2012
Sylvia Kristel starred in a series of notorious 1970s soft-porn films beginning with Emmanuelle (1974), which followed the sexual exploits of a bored young diplomat’s wife in the fleshpots of Thailand.
'Hard bastard of the North Sea'
MAJOR ROY BATES, 1921-2012
Paddy Roy Bates, better-known as Prince Roy of Sealand – the title he awarded himself 36 years ago – has died aged 91 in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, overlooking the Thames estuary where he earned fame as a modern buccaneer.
Coerced confession led to reform and repeal
GEORGE WHITMORE JR, 1944-2012
George Whitmore Jr. was an eighth-grade dropout whose confession in 1964 to three New York murders he did not commit had a decisive role in the Supreme Court’s Miranda ruling protecting criminal suspects and in the partial repeal of capital punishment in New York State.
