Passing mentions: the notable lives lost in 2024

Notable Deaths and Historical Reflections

• Alexei Navalny (Russia):

  • Died in Russian custody one day after appearing in a court hearing via video link, where he joked about needing funds for his prison account.
  • Former personal friend and The Economist's Russia editor, Arkady Ostrovsky, noted Navalny was aware of the high likelihood of death but chose to return to Russia to challenge Putin's regime.
  • Ostrovsky characterized Navalny's death as crushing the narrative that "good wins over evil" in the immediate term, though he affirmed this outcome is necessary for humanity's long-term survival.
  • Navalny's legacy is viewed as secure, with the expectation that political change in Russia is inevitable following Vladimir Putin's eventual departure from power.

• Yahya Sinwar (Hamas):

  • A key Hamas member and architect of the October 7 attacks, Sinwar was assassinated as part of a broader strike against several key Hamas figures.
  • Sinwar was unique in straddling both the military and political wings of Hamas, having become the leader of Gaza after his 2011 release from Israeli prison.
  • Following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar was appointed head of Hamas's political branch, positioning himself as the ultimate leader of the Palestinian people.
  • His death is significant as it removes the mastermind behind the strategic shift from pragmatic truce signals to the October 7 offensive.

• Alex Salmond (Scottish Nationalism):

  • Transformed the Scottish National Party (SNP) from a fringe political group into a governing force.
  • Stepped down as First Minister following the 2014 independence referendum defeat, later facing party infighting and harassment allegations.
  • Despite his resignation, his legacy cemented Scottish independence as the dominant issue in Scottish politics.

• John Prescott (UK Politics):

  • Former British Deputy Prime Minister who passed away after 50 years in politics.
  • Instrumental in bridging the divide between traditional Labour support and the "New Labour" movement, enabling Tony Blair's three election victories.
  • Nicknamed "Two Jags" due to the use of two ministerial Jaguar cars, though he maintained strong connections to his working-class roots and trade unionism.

• Willie Mays (Baseball):

  • Retired with 22 Major League career years, accumulating nearly 3,300 hits, 660 home runs, and 339 steals.
  • Won two National League Most Valuable Player awards and 12 Gold Glove awards.
  • Notable for a career .301 batting average and setting a National League career home run record at the time of his passing.

• Music and Culture:

  • Quincy Jones: Ruled popular music for five decades, producing for Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin; credited with breaking racial barriers in the industry.
  • Dame Maggie Smith: Two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actress; expanded her career in film and television, gaining new audiences through roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.

Space and Science: Bill Anders and the Earthrise

• Apollo 8 Mission: Originally assigned to the lunar landing vehicle testing (Apollo 7), Bill Anders flew on Apollo 8 after the lunar module was delayed, leading NASA to risk the first crewed mission outside Earth orbit to beat Soviet advances.
  • Anders estimated the mission's success probability at no more than one in three, expecting many would not return.
• Earthrise Photograph:
  • While surveying the Moon's barren grey surface, Anders spotted Earth rising, prompting him to grab a camera and manually adjust aperture settings without a light meter.
  • The mission crew captured only three color photographs of "Earthrise" because film had to be conserved for landing site surveys, despite Anders' desire to take more.
  • The image, depicting a fragile blue marble against the void, became a catalyst for the modern environmental movement and appeared on stamps, in magazines, and on college walls.
  • Anders described the view as making the planet look like a "Christmas tree ornament," highlighting the irony of wars and social unrest on such a delicate surface during Christmas Eve 1968.

Sexuality and History: Dr. Ruth Westheimer

• Early Life and Trauma: Born in Germany, Dr. Ruth was sent to Switzerland on the Kindertransport at age 10; her parents were arrested by the Nazis, and she eventually joined an orphanage where most parents were killed in camps.
  • She trained in Israel as a sniper, learning to assemble submachine guns and throw grenades, before becoming a prominent sex therapist.
• Career and Media Influence:
  • Launched the radio show Sexually Speaking in 1980, which expanded to a national television phenomenon, The Dr. Ruth Show, in 1984.
  • Known for breaking puritanical silences on sexual health, she used humor to discuss topics like masturbation, famously suggesting a cucumber to a lonely widow on The David Letterman Show.
  • Her "gutural German-Jewish-American accent" and grandmotherly persona disarmed hosts and audiences, allowing her to deliver frank advice.
• Philosophy and Legacy:
  • Identified as an "old-fashioned square" who valued long-term relationships and contraception, utilizing Talmudic quotes in her therapy.
  • Maintained her status as America's leading sex expert well into her 80s, noting a quarter-inch loss in height due to aging.