Travis Bean dies at 63; innovative guitar-maker

Jerry Garcia and the Rolling Stones are among the fans of Travis Bean's electric guitars, made with a solid aluminum neck and headstock. He came up with the design in a Burbank shop in the 1970s and quit making them after five years rather than compromise quality.

Joseph Hittelman dies at 100; physician persecuted in McCarthy era

L.A. doctor's advocacy of reforms such as healthcare for the poor brought the attention of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He refused to answer their questions and was blacklisted for several years.

J. Terrence Lanni dies at 68; casino exec helped Las Vegas clean up its image

The corporate world trusted J. Terrence Lanni, a USC grad whose staid personality reassured investors that Las Vegas was no longer run by mobsters. Under his stewardship, MGM Grand grew into a 17-resort conglomerate.

Sam Perricone dies at 91; giant of citrus industry

Sam Perricone, a resident of Sunset Beach in Orange County, owned or was a partner in approximately 25 businesses related to agriculture.

David Zamora dies at 56; Colton mayor

Zamora, who worked for the San Bernardino County city for nearly three decades, was elected mayor less than a year ago. He had a heart attack while driving to City Hall and struck a pole.

Theodore Roszak dies at 77; scholar coined the term 'counterculture'

A historian, social critic and novelist, Roszak examined the intellectual underpinnings of the social uprising of American youths that began in the mid-1960s.

Roberts Blossom dies at 87; character played neighbor in 'Home Alone'

Roberts Blossom also won three Obie Awards for his off-Broadway work and performed on Broadway and TV and in many other films. He was a poet whose works were published in several books.

Sherwood Schwartz dies at 94; 'Gilligan's Island' and 'Brady Bunch' creator

Comedy writer and producer Sherwood Schwartz also wrote the memorable theme song lyrics for the wacky tale of a shipwrecked 'three-hour tour' and the story of the marriage between a 'lovely lady' with three daughters and 'a man named Brady' with three sons.

Roland Petit dies at 87; acclaimed choreographer

Roland Petit choreographed for Rudolf Nureyev and other great dancers during an eclectic career that included a stint as the head of the Paris Opera.

Robert Sklar dies at 74; historian broke new ground in study of American film

At NYU, Robert Sklar examined and wrote about the relationship between American cinema and the forces of social change. He was also one of the first fantasy baseball Rotisserie League participants. He died in Spain after a bicycling accident.

Sam Denoff dies at 83; Emmy-winning writer

Sam Denoff wrote for 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' and helped create the Marlo Thomas sitcom 'That Girl.'

Anne LaBastille dies at 77; naturalist inspired women to explore outdoors

The author of 'Woodswoman,' Anne LaBastille gained fame as a writer while living in a remote part of the Adirondack Mountains.

Argentine singer killed in Guatemala ambush

Songwriter Facundo Cabral was riding with a concert promoter who may have been the intended target of the gunmen, Guatemala's interior minister says.

Betty Ford dies at 93; former first lady

The wife of President Gerald R. Ford drew on her own experience with addiction in founding famed rehabilitation clinic.

Edna Aliewine dies at 90; Watts community activist founded Christmas parade

With a slogan of 'don't move, improve,' Edna Aliewine also co-created the Watts walk of fame and founded the Watts-Willowbrook Chamber of Commerce and the Watts Community Beautiful Corp.

Mark Whitehead dies at 50; cyclist was part of U.S. team that participated in blood doping during 1984 Summer Olympics

His 20 national championships included the team pursuit in 1984, which contributed to his being chosen for the U.S. squad that competed in the Los Angeles Games.

Dick Williams dies at 82; old-school manager won back-to-back World Series with the Oakland A's

The Hall of Fame inductee spent more than six decades in pro baseball, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the day he graduated from Pasadena High in 1947. As a manager he also won pennants with the Red Sox and Padres.