National Obituaries

Howard Bragman, a beloved Hollywood publicist who specialized in crisis relations and whose clients have included Monica Lewinsky, Cameron Diaz, Ricki Lake, Sharon Osbourne and Chaz Bono, has died after a short battle with leukemia. He was 66.

BERLIN (AP) — Hans Modrow, who served as East Germany's last communist leader during a turbulent tenure that ended in the country's first and only free election, has died. He was 95.

LONDON (AP) — Hugh Hudson, a British filmmaker who debuted as a feature director with the Oscar-winning Olympics drama “Chariots of Fire” and later made such well-regarded movies as “My Life So Far” and the Oscar-nominated “Greystoke,” has died at ag

MADRID (AP) — Carlos Saura, Spain’s celebrated filmmaker whose career spanned over seven decades during which he earned three Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film has died. He was 91.

EMSDALE, Ont. — Mendelson Joe, a singer-songwriter, longtime activist and artist whose works focused on political and social commentary, has died at the age of 78. Joe's wife, Karen Robinson, confirmed he died Feb. 7 at his home in Emsdale, Ont.

NEW YORK (AP) — Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of "Walk on By," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and dozens of other hits, has died at 94.

NEW YORK (AP) — Eugene Lee, the six-time Emmy Award-winning production designer for "Saturday Night Live" who won three Tony Awards for his Broadway sets, including the complicated, greenified Emerald City of “Wicked,” has died. He was 83.

BRESCIA, Italy (AP) — Italian skier Elena Fanchini , whose career was cut short by a tumor, has died. She was 37. Fanchini passed away Wednesday at her home in Solato, near Brescia, the Italian Winter Sports Federation announced.

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Miroslav “Ciro” Blazevic, who coached the Croatian national soccer team to the semifinals of the 1998 World Cup in France, has died. He was 87.

Harry Whittington, the man who former Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot while they were hunting quail on a Texas ranch 17 years ago, has died. He was 95. Whittington died at his home Saturday in Austin, family friend Karl Rove said Monday.