Chicago Sun-Times

Paul Wells, top Midwest carp angler, dies at 55

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 02:18:42 -0500

Paul Wells was a carp-bait mixologist. Breadcrumbs, bird seed, molasses and a touch of cayenne pepper were just some of the ingredients he combined in his blender to lure the carp, a once-denigrated fish that has become the center of a huge angling industry. Mr. Wells adjusted his bait recipes depending on the time of year, the temperature and whether the water was tannic or clear, or fast-moving or calm. It worked. Mr. Wells had a roomful of 200 fishing trophies, medals and plaques. “Some people can just see through the water and know where the fish are,” said Paul …

A.C. Lyles, 95, Paramount Pictures mail boy became producer

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 19:24:25 -0500

LOS ANGELES — A.C. Lyles, who rose from mail boy to producer at Paramount Pictures and became the studio’s longest-serving employee during a tenure that lasted more than three-quarters of a century, has died at age 95. Mr. Lyles, whose most recent title with Paramount was ambassador of goodwill, died Friday at his Los Angeles home, longtime family friend Ben Wheeler said. Mr. Lyles was just 18 when the lifelong movie fan arrived in Hollywood from his native Florida, going to work in Paramount’s mailroom in 1937. There, as the person who delivered fan letters, the outgoing Mr. Lyles became …

Dick Mitchell, former Sun-Times editor, dies at 67

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:36:12 -0500

Watching Dick Mitchell on deadline was a little like watching Fred Astaire dance. Tall and slim, “Mitch” glided through the Chicago Sun-Times newsroom, communicating intelligence, elegance and graceful authority. As a reporter, that unruffled calm helped him investigate “heater” stories, like the bloody Attica prison uprising of 1971. When he became an editor, it gave confidence to the reporters who worked for him. Mr. Mitchell, 67, died Wednesday at his Oak Park home of complications from emphysema. He won awards at the Chicago Sun-Times for his 1983 reports on how $10,000 in campaign re-election funds for Mayor Jane Byrne found …

Pete T. Cenarrusa, 95, Idaho legislator was ‘the most prominent Basque in the United States for many years’

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 02:18:18 -0500

BOISE, Idaho — Pete T. Cenarrusa, a Basque-American who held state office in Idaho uninterrupted for more than five decades and spent nearly as long in the sheep business, has died. He was 95. Mr. Cenarrusa died about noon on Sunday at his home in Boise after a battle with lung cancer, said Roy Eiguren, president of the Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture. Mr. Cenarrusa’s wife of 66 years, Freda, was at his side. “He was an exceptional human being who did so much for Idaho and its people,” said Eiguren. “He will be deeply missed.” Mr. Cenarrusa was elected …

Marcella Hazan, 89, authored famed Italian cookbooks

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 02:18:28 -0500

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. — Marcella Hazan, the Italian-born cookbook author who taught generations of Americans how to create simple, fresh Italian food, died Sunday. She was 89. Ms. Hazan died in the morning at her home in Florida, according to an email from her son, Giuliano Hazan, and posts on Facebook and Twitter from her husband and daughter-in-law. Ms. Hazan was best known for her six cookbooks, which were written by her in Italian and translated into English by Victor, her husband of 57 years. The recipes were traditional, tasty and sparse — her famous tomato sauce contained only tomatoes, …

L.C. Greenwood, 67, defensive end of ‘Steel Curtain’ tormented QBs

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 02:16:46 -0500

PITTSBURGH — L.C. Greenwood, the relentless left end of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense of the 1970s, has died. He was 67. The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Mr. Greenwood died Sunday from undisclosed causes just before noon at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Mr. Greenwood played for the Steelers from 1969-81, helping Pittsburgh win an unprecedented four Super Bowls in a six-year span. Mr. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes and Dwight White formed the bedrock of the defense that helped turn a perennial loser into a dynasty. “L.C. was one of the …

New Lenox woman had a passion for area’s history

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 21:44:01 -0500

The Francis-Walker home in New Lenox is expected to soon become a historic landmark, thanks in large measure to research done by Diane Batson, who after retiring as a teacher and librarian made landmarks her legacy. Ms. Batson died Sept. 5 of cancer. She was 75.

Evelyn Lowery, 88, civil rights pioneer

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:27:33 -0500

ATLANTA — Evelyn Lowery, a pioneer in civil rights and women’s empowerment and the wife of the Rev. Joseph Lowery, died Thursday at her home in Georgia, a family spokeswoman said. Family spokeswoman Diane Larche said Ms. Lowery, 88, died Thursday morning. She had been hospitalized since Sept. 18 after suffering a severe stroke and returned home on Wednesday night, after medical experts said the stroke had caused irreversible damage. Joseph Lowery said his wife devoted her life to serving others. “My beloved Evelyn was a special woman, whose life was committed to service, especially around the issues of empowering …

Bishop Timothy Lyne, former Holy Name pastor, dies at 94

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 02:18:35 -0500

Bishop Timothy J. Lyne, one of the oldest Roman Catholic bishops in the United States, had a front-row seat to Chicago history during 70 years as a priest.

Michael Moses Ward, 41, survived MOVE bombing in Philadelphia in 1985

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 02:22:10 -0500

Michael Moses Ward, one of two survivors of the 1985 bombing of the militant group MOVE in a Philadelphia neighborhood and the only child to make it out alive, has died at 41. Mr. Ward died aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean, according to the Brevard County, Fla., medical examiner’s office. His body was found in a hot tub Friday, the apparent victim of a drowning, investigator Craig Engelson said Wednesday. Mr. Ward was a 13-year-old boy known as Birdie Africa when Philadelphia police, trying to dislodge MOVE from its fortified inner-city compound, dropped explosives on the roof. The …

Ernest Wentcher, insurance exec who funded college scholarships, dies at 99

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 02:18:52 -0500

Insurance executive Ernest Wentcher started a foundation that awarded more than $3 million in scholarships to more than 200 college students. His life swept from Siberia’s Bolshevik era to working in U.S. Naval Intelligence in World War II, where he met Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower. Mr. Wentcher died Sept. 15 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 99.

Alvaro Mutis Jaramillo, 90, celebrated Colombian writer, poet

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:27:44 -0500

MEXICO CITY — Prolific Colombian writer and poet Alvaro Mutis Jaramillo died in Mexico’s capital Sunday. He was 90 years old. The cause of death couldn’t immediately be confirmed, though Mexican media quoted his wife, Carmen Miracle, as saying he died at a cardiac hospital from a cardio-respiratory problem. Mr. Mutis enjoyed wide popularity outside Colombia and was considered by critics as one of the most outstanding poets and storytellers of his generation, after his good friend, Nobel laureate Gabriel García Marquez. Despite the difficulties he faced, including time in a Mexican prison, Mr. Mutis produced an extensive collection of …

Stan Stephens, 78, Alaskan motivated to protect environment after Valdez disaster

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 02:12:13 -0500

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Stan Stephens, an Alaska tourism leader whose passion for Prince William Sound took new form after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, died Saturday, his family said. He was 78. His family said he succumbed to a rare disease, amyloidosis, in which a buildup of proteins damaged his heart and caused shooting nerve pain in his limbs. He had been struggling with it for years. His Stan Stephens Charters, which now operates as Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises, carried hundreds of thousands of tourists into Prince William Sound over the years to see calving glaciers and …

Vlatko Markovic, 76, top Croatian soccer player

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:41:37 -0500

ZAGREB, Croatia — Vlatko Markovic, a former top player and coach who also led the Croatian Football Federation, has died. He was 76. The federation said Mr. Markovic died early Monday in a Zagreb hospital after being admitted with pneumonia. He had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. The Bosnian-born Mr. Markovic played as a midfielder for Celik Zenica, Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Vienna and FC Austria during his career. He later coached Dinamo Zagreb, Standard Liege, Nice, Rapid Vienna, Hajduk Split and the Croatian national team when it split from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Mr. Markovic led the Croatian Football Federation …

Stanislaw Szozda, 62, Poland Olympian, world cycling champion

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 02:22:20 -0500

WARSAW, Poland — Stanislaw Szozda, an Olympic medalist and former world cycling champion, has died, the Polish Cycling Federation said Monday. He was 62. The federation said on its website that Mr. Szozda, “one of Poland’s best cyclists in history,” has died after battling a “serious illness” for some months. Mr. Szozda won silver at the 1972 Munich Olympics and again at the 1976 Montreal Games in the team time trial. He also won team world championship titles in 1973 and 1975. Mr. Szozda was also the winner of the 1971 Tour de Pologne. His career ended after he sustained …

John Vanderhoof, 91, governor of Colorado for 2 years

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:27:22 -0500

DENVER — Former Colorado Gov. John Vanderhoof, a onetime fighter pilot, businessman and bank executive who served as the state’s chief executive for only two years, has died. He was 91. Mr. Vanderhoof, a Republican, became the 37th governor of Colorado in 1973 when his predecessor joined the Nixon administration. However, his tenure as the state’s chief executive was short-lived, as Democrats took control and held the office for 25 years. Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a statement Monday that Mr. Vanderhoof died on Sept. 19. A cause of death was not specified. “Gov. Vanderhoof believed in public service and …