Retired Ford engineer was Navy vet, pilot

James D. Wilkinson, a Navy veteran, former pilot and longtime engineer at the Ford Motor Co. axle plant in Sterling Heights, died Sunday, May 12, 2013, at Summerlin Hospital in Las Vegas. He was 76.

Journalist and author Haynes Johnson dies at 81

Washington — Haynes Johnson, a pioneering Washington journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the civil rights movement and migrated from newspapers to television, books and teaching, died Friday. He was 81.

Mack Emerman, founder of studio where James Brown, Eric Clapton recorded, dies

Miami — Mack Emerman, the founder of Criteria Recording Studios where acts including Eric Clapton, James Brown and the Bee Gees made some of their most famous records, has died after a long illness, according to his daughter. He was 89.

Bernard Waber, 'Lyle, Lyle Crocodile' author, dies at age 91

Bernard Waber, author of such children's favorites as 'The House on East 88th Street' and 'Lyle, Lyle Crocodile,' has died.

Betty Bauerle, first in family to go to college, stressed value of education to 6 children

As a teacher and a mother of six, Betty Bauerle always emphasized the importance of aneducation, both for her students and her children.

USA Today founder Al Neuharth says goodbye on video at his memorial

Melbourne, Fla. — USA Today founder Al Neuharth posthumously addressed mourners at his Florida memorial service Tuesday with a video he taped before his death last month.

Popular psychologist Joyce Brothers dead at 85

Los Angeles — Joyce Brothers, the pop psychologist who pioneered the television advice show in the 1950s and enjoyed a long and prolific career as a syndicated columnist, author, and television and film personality, has died. She was 85.

Steelers Hall of Famer Jack Butler dies at 85

Pittsburgh — Jack Butler, who helped revolutionize the way cornerbacks played in the NFL during his Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with a staph infection. He was 85.

Patriarch of fashion brand Missoni dies in Italy

Milan — Ottavio Missoni, the patriarch of the iconic fashion brand of zigzag-patterned knitwear that has added a classy touch of color and style to countless well-dressed women, died Thursday in northern Italy. He was 92.

Kris Kross rapper’s funeral held in Atlanta

Atlanta — Chris Smith remembered his Kris Kross hip-hop partner Chris Kelly on Thursday as a true friend who he's sure is in heaven now.

‘Young and Restless’ star Jeanne Cooper dies at 84

Los Angeles — Jeanne Cooper, the enduring soap opera star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on "The Young and the Restless," has died. She was 84.

Longtime Detroit deputy police chief James Bannon, 84, dies

After rising from a patrolman to second in command in his 45-year career with the Detroit Police Department, James Bannon shouldered many of the administrative duties and commanded respect throughout the ranks, even in the midst of an investigation into the police chief.

Special effects master Ray Harryhausen dies at 92

London — When Ray Harryhausen was 13, he was so overwhelmed by "King Kong" that he vowed he would create otherworldly creatures on film. He fulfilled his desire as an adult, thrilling audiences with skeletons in a sword fight, a gigantic octopus destroying the Golden Gate Bridge, and a six-armed dancing goddess.

Italy state TV: Ex-Premier Giulio Andreotti dies

Rome — Giulio Andreotti, Italy's former seven-time premier and a symbol of post-war Italy, died Monday at his home in Rome, Italian officials said. He ...

Longtime Detroit deputy police chief James Bannon, 84, dies

After rising from a patrolman to second in command in his 45-year career with the Detroit Police Department, James Bannon shouldered many of the administrative ...

Report: Former Dow Jones exec William Cox Jr. dies

New York — Former Dow Jones & Co. executive William Cox Jr. has died at age 82, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Chris Kelly, of ’90s rap duo Kris Kross, dies of possible drug overdose

Atlanta — Chris Kelly, half of the 1990s kid rap duo behind one of the decade's most memorable songs, "Jump," has died at an Atlanta hospital of an ...

Early Hollywood superstar Deanna Durbin dies at 91

Los Angeles — Deanna Durbin, a star whose songs and smile made her one of the biggest box office draws of Hollywood's Golden Age with fans that included ...

Oldest concentration camp survivor dead at 107

Vienna — An Austrian organization that tracks the fate of Nazi concentration camp inmates says the oldest known survivor of such a camp has died aged 107. ...

George Jones, country superstar, has died at 81

Nashville, Tenn. — When it comes to country music, George Jones was The Voice.

‘M.A.S.H.’ regular Allan Arbus dies at 95

Allan Arbus, who played the wise — and wisecracking — psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on TV’s “M.A.S.H.,” has died at age 95.

Divinyls lead singer Chrissy Amphlett dead at 53

Sydney — Chrissy Amphlett, the raunchy lead singer of the Australian rock band Divinyls whose hit "I Touch Myself" brought her international fame in the ...

USA Today founder key to newspapers’ JOA

Cocoa Beach, Fla. — USA Today founder Al Neuharth died Friday in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He was 89.