William R. Lucas, Official Blamed in Challenger Tragedy, Dies at 102

The strong-willed director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, he failed to pass on warnings from engineers that the space shuttle launch was at risk.

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Monica Getz, Advocate for Divorce Court Reform, Dies at 90

Her troubled marriage to the jazz star Stan Getz led to a headline-making divorce case. The result of the trial gave her a cause to fight for.

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Jay Mazur, Zealous Advocate for Garment Workers, Dies at 92

A blunt-speaking, Bronx-born labor leader, he successfully pushed to legalize undocumented union members but fought a losing battle against globalization.

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Thomas Gaither, Who Chose Jail After Civil Rights Sit-ins, Dies at 86

When he and other Black protesters were arrested at a whites-only lunch counter in 1961, they tried a new strategy — ‘Jail No Bail’ — and energized a movement.

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David Schneiderman, Village Voice Editor and Publisher, Dies at 77

Named editor in chief of the venerable alternative weekly in 1978, he was not welcomed with open arms. But his commitment to strong journalism won people over.

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Paul Oreffice, a Combative Chief of Dow Chemical, Dies at 97

He led the company as it flourished in the ’70s and ’80s while confronting veterans and environmentalists over its toxic products like Agent Orange and dioxin.

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Richard A. Easterlin, ‘Father of Happiness Economics,’ Dies at 98

He put forth the so-called Easterlin paradox, finding that the richer you are doesn’t mean the more satisfied you’ll be with your life.

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Prince Johnson, Warlord Who Executed Liberia’s President, Dies at 72

A rebel leader in Liberia’s civil wars, he was accused of numerous atrocities. The most notorious was the videotaped mutilation and killing of President Samuel Doe.

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Steve Mariotti, Whose Trauma Led Him to Help Youths at Risk, Dies at 71

After he was mugged, he took a therapist’s advice to work with “difficult students at a difficult school.” They ignored him until the lessons turned to business.

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Robert Dixon, Last Surviving Buffalo Soldier, Dies at 103

A member of one of the U.S. Army’s all-Black regiments, formed after the Civil War, he trained West Point cadets in horsemanship during World War II.

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