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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016
Deaths: Ali, Haggard, Reagan, Shandling among departed
Continued from Page 1A
boundaries through his musi-
cianship and striking visuals;
Prince, who was considered
one of the most inventive and
influential musicians of mod-
ern times; and George Michael,
first a teenybopper heartthrob
and then a mature solo artist
with videos that played up his
considerable appeal.
Among the political fig-
ures who died in 2016 was the
world’s longest reigning mon-
arch: King Bhumibol Adulya-
dej, who was revered in Thai-
land as a demigod, a father
figure and an anchor of sta-
bility through decades of
upheaval.
Others in the world of public
affairs included former United
National
Secretary-Gen-
eral Boutros Boutros-Ghali,
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia, ex-senator and
astronaut John Glenn, former
U.S. Attorney General Janet
Reno, former Israeli leader
Shimon Peres and former U.S.
first lady Nancy Reagan.
In the sports arena, the
year saw the passing of leg-
endary boxer Muhammad Ali,
whose fast fists and outspo-
ken personality brought him
fans around the world. Other
sports figures included: golfer
Arnold Palmer, Gordie “Mr.
Hockey” Howe, basketball
players Dwayne “Pearl” Wash-
ington and Nate Thurmond,
Olympians Vera Caslavska
and Tommy Kono, wrestlers
Harry Fujiwara and Chyna,
and mixed martial arts fighter
Kimbo Slice.
Artists and entertainers who
died in 2016 included author
Harper Lee, conductor Pierre
Boulez, musicians Leonard
Cohen, Merle Haggard, Mau-
rice White, Frank Sinatra Jr.
and Phife Dawg, and actors
Gene Wilder, Abe Vigoda,
Florence Henderson, Alan
Rickman, Carrie Fisher, Deb-
bie Reynolds, Robert Vaughn,
Garry Shandling, Doris Rob-
erts, Alan Thicke, Fyvush Fin-
kel and Anton Yelchin.
Here is a roll call of some
of the people who died in
2016. (Cause of death cited for
younger people, if available.)
JANUARY
Pierre Boulez, 90. Former
principal conductor of the New
York Philharmonic, one of the
leading figures in modern clas-
sical music. Jan. 5.
Otis Clay, 73. Hall of fame
rhythm and blues artist known
as much for his charitable work
in Chicago as for his singing.
Jan. 8.
David Bowie, 69. Oth-
er-worldly musician who
broke pop and rock boundaries
with his creative musicianship
and a genre-spanning persona
he christened Ziggy Stardust.
Jan. 10.
Alan Rickman, 69. Classi-
cally-trained British stage star
and sensual screen villain in
the “Harry Potter” saga and
other films. Jan. 14.
Glenn Frey, 67. Rock ‘n’
roll rebel who co-founded the
Eagles and with Don Henley
formed one of history’s most
successful songwriting teams
with such hits as “Hotel Cal-
AP Photos
Performances by pop music icons, from left, Prince in 1985, David Bowie in 1995, and
George Michael in 2008. The entertainers were among a number of influential entertain-
ers, sports stars and political figures who died in 2016.
ifornia” and “Life in the Fast
Lane.” Jan. 18.
Abe Vigoda, 94. Actor
whose leathery, sad-eyed
face made him ideal for play-
ing the over-the-hill detec-
tive Phil Fish in the 1970s TV
series “Barney Miller” and the
doomed Mafia soldier in “The
Godfather.” Jan. 26.
went from New York City
playground wonder to Big
East star at Syracuse. April 20.
Prince, 57. One of the most
inventive and influential musi-
cians of modern times with
hits including “Little Red Cor-
vette,” ‘’Let’s Go Crazy” and
“When Doves Cry.” April 21.
FEBRUARY
Tommy Kono, 85. He
took up weightlifting in an
internment camp for Japa-
nese-Americans and went on
to win two Olympic gold med-
als for the United States. May
1.
Morley Safer, 84. Veteran
“60 Minutes” correspondent
who exposed a military atroc-
ity in Vietnam that played an
early role in changing Ameri-
cans’ view of the war. May 19.
Rosalie Chris Lerman,
90. Survivor of the Aus-
chwitz-Birkenau Nazi death
camp who was a passionate
advocate of Holocaust remem-
brance. May 19.
Maurice White, 74. Earth,
Wind & Fire founder whose
horn-driven band sold more
than 90 million albums. Feb. 3.
Antonin Scalia, 79. Influ-
ential conservative and most
provocative member of the
Supreme Court. Feb. 13.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 93.
Egyptian diplomat who helped
negotiate his country’s land-
mark peace deal with Israel but
clashed with the United States
as U.N. secretary-general. Feb.
16.
Harper Lee, 89. Elusive
novelist whose child’s-eye
view of racial injustice in a
small Southern town, “To Kill
a Mockingbird,” became an
Oscar-winning film. Feb. 19.
MARCH
Nancy Reagan, 94. Back-
stage adviser and fierce pro-
tector of Ronald Reagan in his
journey from actor to president
— and finally during his bat-
tle with Alzheimer’s disease.
March 6.
Rob Ford, 46. Pugnacious,
populist former mayor of
Toronto whose career crashed
in a drug-driven, obsceni-
ty-laced debacle. March 22.
Cancer.
Phife Dawg, 45. Lyricist
whose witty wordplay was a
linchpin of the groundbreaking
hip-hop group A Tribe Called
Quest. March 22. Complica-
tions from diabetes.
Garry Shandling, 66. Actor
and comedian who master-
minded a brand of phony docu-
drama with “The Larry Sand-
ers Show.” March 24.
Patty Duke, 69. As a teen,
she won an Oscar for playing
Helen Keller in “The Miracle
Worker,” then maintained a
long career while battling per-
sonal demons. March 29.
APRIL
Merle Haggard, 79. Coun-
try giant who rose from pov-
erty and prison to international
fame through his songs about
outlaws and underdogs. April
6.
Dwayne “Pearl” Washing-
ton, 52. Basketball player who
MAY
JUNE
Muhammad Ali,
74.
Heavyweight
champion
whose fast fists, irrepressible
personality and determined
spirit transcended sports and
captivated the world. June 3.
Gordie Howe, 88. Known
as “Mr. Hockey,” the Cana-
dian farm boy whose blend
of talent and toughness made
him the NHL’s quintessential
star. June 10.
Anton Yelchin, 27. Rising
actor best known for playing
Chekov in the new “Star Trek”
films. June 19. Hit by his car
in his driveway.
Pat Summitt, 64. Winnin-
gest coach in Division I col-
lege basketball history who
lifted the women’s game from
obscurity to national prom-
inence during her 38-year
career at Tennessee. June 28.
JULY
Elie Wiesel, 87. Roma-
nian-born Holocaust survi-
vor whose classic “Night”
launched his career as one
of the world’s foremost wit-
nesses and humanitarians.
July 2.
Clown
Dimitri,
80.
Beloved Swiss clown and
mime who studied under Mar-
cel Marceau. July 19.
Rev. Tim LaHaye, 90.
Co-author of the “Left
Behind” series, a literary jug-
gernaut that brought end-
times prophecy into main-
stream bookstores. July 25.
Almquist: Midwife ‘excited to be here’
Continued from Page 1A
The 30-year-old graduated
in spring from the Yale School
of Nursing and is now a certi-
fied nurse midwife at Colum-
bia Memorial Hospital.
One of two midwives there,
Almquist works in the Wom-
en’s Center clinic, caring for
women aged 13 to 85-plus
through annual exams, gyno-
cological issues, birth control
counseling and prenatal visits.
She’s often on call for hospital
births or patients who go into
labor.
“It makes things exciting.
You never know what you’re
going to get in a day,” she said.
An outdoor enthusiast who
does a lot of hiking, backpack-
ing and whitewater rafting,
Almquist knew she wanted to
live in the Pacific Northwest
and spoke with many hospitals
in Washington and Oregon. She
fell in love Astoria and Colum-
bia Memorial, she said.
Though she is busy settling
into the hospital routine, Alm-
quist has already volunteered
for the North Coast Land Con-
servancy. An erstwhile vegeta-
ble farmer, she hopes to become
involved with the North Coast
Food Web.
“So far, it’s been so great,
just how friendly everyone in
the community is. I moved
here not knowing anybody,
and everyone’s been super-wel-
coming,” she said. “I’m excited
to be here.”
Natural nurturer
While pursuing her under-
graduate degree in environ-
mental studies and religion at
Middlebury College, she got
involved with climate change
activism, organizing marches,
rallies and other events — work
she considers very import-
ant but very draining, and that
doesn’t often yield benefits that
the organizer gets to see.
Her next move — becom-
ing a vegetable farmer and
helping low-income families
access fresh food — “was, in
some sense, a response to that,
in terms of being able to plant a
seed and watch it grow and har-
vest it, and actually have these
tangible results from the labor
that you put in,” she said.
Midwifery, she said, is an
extension of that — a different
side of nurturing.
“You’re nurturing fami-
lies and humans and women,
instead of plants,” she said. “As
a midwife, you get to see every
day how working with women,
and how the smallest things,
can be a big help.”
Almquist’s advice for aspir-
ing midwives: Remember to
be present in every midwifing
moment.
This can be harder with hos-
pital midwifery than with home
births, she said, because, at a
hospital, “you end up having
a lot of back-to-back patients,
and your schedule’s really
full,” she said. “It’s important
to remember that each visit is
really significant to that woman
that you’re meeting with, and
that it’s really important to take
the time to listen and to be pres-
ent in that visit.”
“And,” she added, “remem-
ber that it’s such a gift to be able
to be there for women in this
important period of their life.
And, so, enjoy it.”
AUGUST
John McLaughlin, 89. Con-
servative political commen-
tator and host of a television
show that pioneered holler-
ing-heads discussions of poli-
tics. Aug. 16.
Sonia Rykiel, 86. French
designer whose relaxed sweat-
ers in berry-colored stripes and
eye-popping motifs helped lib-
erate women from stuffy suits.
Aug. 25.
Gene Wilder, 83. Frizzy-
haired actor who brought his
deft comedic touch to such
unforgettable roles as the neu-
rotic accountant in “The Pro-
ducers.” Aug. 28.
Vera Caslavska, 74. Sev-
en-time Olympic gymnastics
gold medalist who stood up
against the 1968 Soviet-led
invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Aug. 30.
SEPTEMBER
Phyllis Schlafly, 92. Out-
spoken conservative activist
who helped defeat the Equal
Rights Amendment in the
1970s. Sept. 5.
Rose Mofford, 94. Arizo-
na’s first female governor and
a shepherd for the state during
a period of political turbulence.
Sept. 15.
Arnold Palmer, 87. Golf-
ing great who brought a coun-
try-club sport to the masses
with a hard-charging style,
charisma and a commoner’s
touch. Sept. 25.
Shimon Peres, 93. Former
Israeli president and prime
minister whose life story mir-
rored that of the Jewish state
AP Photo/Rob Carr
AP Photo/Marta Lavandier
Author Harper Lee smiles
during a ceremony honor-
ing the four new members
of the Alabama Academy of
Honor in Montgomery, Ala.,
in 2007. The elusive author
of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
died Feb. 19. She was 89.
Democratic
gubernatori-
al candidate Janet Reno
gives a concession speech
in 2002 at her Miami Lakes,
Fla., campaign headquar-
ters saying she told Bill
McBride “he was going to
be a great governor.”
and who was celebrated as a
Nobel prize-winning visionary
who pushed his country toward
peace. Sept. 28.
bearded rebels to victorious
revolution in 1959, embraced
Soviet-style communism and
challenged U.S. power during
his half-century of rule in
Cuba. Nov. 25.
OCTOBER
King Bhumibol Adulya-
dej, 88. World’s longest reign-
ing monarch, he was revered in
Thailand as a demigod, a hum-
ble father figure and an anchor
of stability through decades of
upheaval. Oct. 13.
Junko Tabei, 77. The first
woman to climb Mount Ever-
est. Oct. 20.
Tom Hayden, 76. 1960s
antiwar activist whose name
became forever linked with
the Chicago 7 trial, Vietnam
War protests and his ex-wife,
actress Jane Fonda. Oct. 23.
NOVEMBER
Janet Reno, 78. First
woman to serve as U.S. attor-
ney general and the center of
several political storms during
the Clinton administration.
Nov. 7.
Leonard Cohen, 82. Cana-
dian singer-songwriter who
blended spirituality and sex-
uality in songs like “Hallelu-
jah,” ‘’Suzanne” and “Bird on
a Wire.” Nov. 7.
Gwen Ifill, 61. Co-anchor
of PBS’ “NewsHour” and a
veteran journalist who mod-
erated two vice presidential
debates. Nov. 14.
Florence Henderson, 82.
Broadway star who became
one of America’s most beloved
television moms in “The Brady
Bunch.” Nov. 24.
Fidel Castro, 90. He led his
DECEMBER
Jayaram Jayalalithaa, 68.
South Indian actress who
turned to politics and became
the highest elected official in
the state of Tamil Nadu. Dec. 4.
John Glenn, 95. His 1962
flight as the first U.S. astronaut
to orbit the Earth made him
an all-American hero and pro-
pelled him to a long career in
the U.S. Senate. Dec. 8.
Alan Thicke, 69. Versa-
tile performer who gained his
greatest renown as the beloved
dad on the sitcom “Growing
Pains.” Dec. 13.
Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99. Jet-set-
ting Hungarian actress and
socialite who helped invent a
new kind of fame out of mul-
tiple marriages, conspicu-
ous wealth and jaded wisdom
about the glamorous life. Dec.
18.
George Michael, 53. Musi-
cian who shot to stardom at
an early age in the teen duo
WHAM! and moved smoothly
into a solo career. Dec. 25.
Carrie Fisher, 60. Actress
who found enduring fame as
Princess Leia in the original
“Star Wars” trilogy. Dec. 27.
Debbie Reynolds, 84.
Actress who lit up the screen in
“Singin’ in the Rain’ and other
Hollywood classics, one day
after losing her daughter, Car-
rie Fisher. Dec. 28.