In this Oct. 14, 1968, file photo, Walt Bellamy, New York Knicks basketball player, poses for a photo in New York. Bellamy, the Hall of Fame center who averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds in 14 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. He was 74. The Atlanta Hawks confirmed the death, but didn't provide details. (AP Photo/File) ATLANTA (AP) — Walt Bellamy, the Hall of Fame center who averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds in 14 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday. He was 74. The Atlanta Hawks confirmed the death, but didn't provide details. The Hawks said Bellamy attended the team's home opener Friday night. "Walt Bellamy was an enormously gifted Hall of Fame player who had a tremendous impact on our game," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement released by the league. "Off the court, he was an even more extraordinary person. Walt is going to be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. On behalf of the entire NBA family, our condolences and thoughts go out to Walt's family."
In this Aug. 26, 2013, file photo originally provided by the Motown Museum, Maxine Powell smiles during an event held in her honor at the Motown Museum in Detroit. (AP Photo/Motown Museum, Andre Smith, File) by Mike HouseholderAssociated Press Writer DETROIT (AP) — Maxine Powell, who was responsible for developing the charm, grace and style of Motown Records' artists during the Detroit label's 1960s heyday, died Monday at age 98. Motown Historical Museum CEO Allen Rawls said Powell died of natural causes at a hospital in Southfield, Mich.
Lee Thornton (Courtesy of the University of Maryland) (NNPA)--Lee Thornton, a former CNN and CBS correspondent and the interim dean for the University of Maryland’s journalism school, died Sept. 25 after a brief illness. She was 71.
This undated file image provided by Paramount Studios shows a scene from "The Hunt for Red October" starring, from left, Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin and Scott Glenn. The film is based on the book by Tom Clancy. (AP Photo/Paramount Studios) LOS ANGELES (AP) — With CIA analyst Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy created a character that spoke to audiences from both page and screen, representing the changing mood of a country facing growing geopolitical challenges. "Thrillers, like all art, are always a reflection of the culture," said fellow author Brad Meltzer. "No one captured that Cold War fear — and that uniquely American perspective— like Clancy. Jack Ryan wasn't just a character. He was us. He was every American in those days when we were a push-of-the-button away from nuclear war." Clancy brought such realism and attention to detail to his novels that in 1985, a year after the Cold War thriller "The Hunt for Red October" came out, a military official suspected the author of having access to classified material.
L.C. Greenwood L.C. Greenwood, entrepreneur, active in multiple charity and community organizations, and one of the last of the Steel Curtain Defensive Line of the 1970s four Super Bowl Pittsburgh Steelers has died.
In life and on stage with his Gibson Super 400 guitar, Jimmy Ponder was a force of nature because he blew people away. From the Hill District, to Manhattan, to Atlanta and beyond, he epitomized the Pittsburgh jazz guitar legacy. He died Sept. 16 after battling cancer for more than a year. He was 67.
In this Sept. 10, 1973, file photo, Muhammad Ali, right, winces as Ken Norton hits him with a left to the head during their re-match at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Norton, a former heavyweight champion, has died, his son said, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. He was 70. (AP Photo/File) by Tim DahlbergAP Boxing Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — One point on one card, a couple of points on some others. Ken Norton fought the greats, but the decisions he needed to be great never seemed to go his way. He busted Muhammad Ali's jaw to hand him only his second defeat. But he lost two narrow decisions to Ali the next two times they'd meet, including their final 1976 fight at Yankee Stadium. And after he lost by just one point to Larry Holmes in their 1978 heavyweight title fight, Norton's career was all but over. "Kenny was a good, good fighter. He beat a lot of guys," said Ed Schuyler Jr., who covered many of Norton's fights for The Associated Press. "He gave Ali fits because Ali let him fight coming forward instead of making him back up."
WILLIAM HERBERT GRAY, III (1941–2013) by Ron Todt PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III, who rose to influential positions in Congress and was the first black to become majority whip, died Monday at 71. Gray passed away suddenly Monday while in London with one of his sons to attend the Wimbledon tennis championships, said William Epstein, a former aide to Gray.
