Roll call of those who died in 2006

Gerald Ford ended "our long national nightmare." Saddam Hussein was the United States' adversary in two wars. So different, these men died in the waning days of 2006, and the world paused to note their passing.

One was 93, a former president who lived longer than any of his peers, died peacefully and was mourned as the man who brought decency and dignity to the presidency after the battering of Watergate.

The other was 69, a former dictator hanged for crimes against the Iraqi people, brought to justice more than 3 ½ years after a U.S.-led invasion that removed him from power.

Betty Friedan gave rise to the modern women's movement, striking a chord that continues to ring four decades later. Friedan, with her book "The Feminine Mystique," was one of many remarkable women whose deaths touched us in 2006. She and Coretta Scott King crusaded for human rights. Shelley Winters and Wendy Wasserstein made their mark in the performing arts, while Jeane Kirkpatrick and Ann Richards served in government.

The leaders, visionaries and heroes who left us in 2006 also include director Robert Altman, whose works included such masterpieces as "Nashville" and "The Player," and James Brown, the enormously influential "Godfather of Soul."

Australian adventurer Steve Irwin captivated fans worldwide with his show "The Crocodile Hunter." Ed Bradley's interviews informed and inspired "60 Minutes" viewers for a quarter-century. Aaron Spelling excelled at packaging stylish TV shows such as "Charlie's Angels."

Caspar Weinberger oversaw the Pentagon's biggest peacetime spending increase but was indicted — and later pardoned — for his role in the Iran-contra affair. Kenneth Lay also fell afoul of the law, convicted shortly before his death for his role in the Enron collapse.

Economists Milton Friedman and John Kenneth Galbraith were philosophical opposites, but both excelled at combining academic prowess, political influence and success with the reading public.

Here is a roll call of some of the notables who died in 2006. (Cause of death, if available, is cited for younger people.)

JANUARY

Urbano Lazzaro, 81. Italian resistance fighter credited with arresting Mussolini. Jan. 3.

Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 62. Emir of Dubai; prominent thoroughbred breeder. Jan. 4.

Lou Rawls, 72. Velvet-voiced singer of such hits as "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing." Jan. 6.

Shelley Winters, 85. Outspoken, Oscar-winning star ("The Diary of Anne Frank"). Jan. 14.

Thomas A. Murphy, 90. CEO of General Motors as it shifted to more fuel-efficient cars in 1970s. Jan. 18.

Wilson Pickett, 64. Fiery soul-music pioneer ("Mustang Sally"). Jan. 19.

Anthony Franciosa, 77. Hollywood actor ("A Face in the Crowd"). Jan. 19.

Ibrahim Rugova, 61. Kosovo president; epitomized its long struggle for independence from Serbia. Jan. 21.

Virginia Smith, 94. Eight-term Nebraska congresswoman. Jan. 23.

Fayard Nicholas, 91. With brother Harold, he wowed the tap-dancing world. Jan. 24.

Morris Silverman, 93. Businessman and philanthropist; established nation's richest prize for medical research. Jan. 26.

Johannes Rau, 75. Former German president; promoted deeper ties with Israel. Jan. 27.

Rabbi Yitzhak Kadouri, about 106. Influential leader of Kabbalah school of Jewish mystical thought. Jan. 28.

Nam June Paik, 74. Avant-garde artist credited with inventing video art. Jan. 29.

Wendy Wasserstein, 55. Playwright who celebrated women's lives ("The Heidi Chronicles"). Jan. 30. Lymphoma.

Moira Shearer, 80. British ballerina and actress whose debut film, "The Red Shoes," created a sensation. Jan. 31.

FEBRUARY

Al Lewis, 82. Grandpa on "The Munsters." Feb. 3.

Betty Friedan, 85. Her "The Feminine Mystique" helped shatter the cozy suburban ideal in postwar America. Feb. 4.

George T. Davis, 98. Storied San Francisco lawyer; involved in Nuremberg trials. Feb. 4.

Reuven Frank, 85. Former NBC News president. Feb. 5.

Sir Freddie Laker, 83. British entrepreneur; changed air travel with low-cost Skytrain service. Feb. 9.

Dr. Norman Shumway, 83. Performed first successful heart transplant in U.S. Feb. 10.

Curt Gowdy, 86. Sportscaster; called 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games, first Super Bowl. Feb. 20.

Archbishop Paul C. Marcinkus, 84. Top official at Vatican's bank before scandal ended his tenure. Feb. 20.

Donald Herbert, 44. Brain-injured firefighter who suddenly spoke after nearly a decade of silence. Feb. 21. Suspected heart attack.

Dennis Weaver, 81. Chester on "Gunsmoke" and the cowboy-cop hero in "McCloud." Feb. 24.

Don Knotts, 81. Won five Emmys for playing the bumbling Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show." Feb. 24.

Darren McGavin, 83. Tough-talking actor; grouchy dad in "A Christmas Story." Feb. 25.

Henry M. Morris, 87. Influential advocate of the creationist theory ("The Genesis Flood"). Feb. 25.

Otis Chandler, 78. Turned family-owned Los Angeles Times into one of the nation's most distinguished newspapers. Feb. 27.

Retired Brig. Gen. Robert L. Scott, 97. World War II ace, wrote "God Is My Co-Pilot." Feb. 27.

MARCH

Harry Browne, 72. Twice ran for president as Libertarian. March 1.

Richard Kuklinski, 70. Notorious Mafia hitman known as "The Iceman." March 5.

Dana Reeve, 44. Actress-singer, devoted herself to husband Christopher Reeve after he was paralyzed. March 6. Lung cancer.

Kirby Puckett, 45. Baseball Hall of Famer; carried Minnesota Twins to two World Series titles. March 6. Stroke.

Gordon Parks, 93. Life photographer; Hollywood's first major black director ("Shaft"). March 7.

John Profumo, 91. Former British Cabinet minister whose affair with a call girl also involved with a Soviet spy caused huge scandal in 1963. March 9.

Maureen Stapleton, 80. Oscar-winning actress; excelled on stage, screen, television. March 13.

Robert C. Baker, 84. Food-science professor behind such innovations as chicken nuggets. March 13.

Ray Meyer, 92. Longtime DePaul basketball coach. March 17.

G. William Miller, 81. Former Federal Reserve chairman; Treasury secretary during Carter administration. March 17.

Oleg Cassini, 92. His designs helped make Jacqueline Kennedy the most glamorous first lady. March 17.

Desmond T. Doss Sr., 87. A conscientious objector who, though a noncombatant, earned a Medal of Honor. March 23.

J. Glenn Beall Jr., 78. Former Maryland senator. March 24.

Buck Owens, 76. The flashy rhinestone cowboy who shaped country music with such hits as "Act Naturally." March 25.

Lyn Nofziger, 81. Ronald Reagan's political adviser. March 27.

Paul Dana, 30. Up-and-coming race-car driver. March 26. Crash.

Rudolf Vrba, 81. Described death-camp horrors after escaping Auschwitz, saving thousands. March 27.

Bernard Siegan, 81. Conservative legal scholar. March 27.

Caspar Weinberger, 88. Consummate Cold Warrior; President Reagan's defense secretary. March 28.

APRIL

Michael Novosel, 83. Won Medal of Honor for heroism as medevac pilot in Vietnam. April 2.

Gene Pitney, 66. Singer with a string of hits ("Town Without Pity"). April 5.

J.B. Fuqua, 87. Tycoon who built multibillion-dollar conglomerate Fuqua Industries. April 5.

Maggie Dixon, 28. U.S. Military Academy women's basketball coach. April 6. Irregular heartbeat.

June Pointer, 52. Youngest of the hit-making Pointer Sisters ("I'm So Excited"). April 11. Cancer.

The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, 81. Former Yale chaplain known for Vietnam-era peace activism. April 12.

Dame Muriel Spark, 88. British novelist ("The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie"). April 13.

Elford Albin Cederberg, 88. Thirteen-term Michigan congressman. April 17.

Scott Crossfield, 84. First man to fly twice the speed of sound. April 19.

Ed Davis, 89. Tough-talking former Los Angeles police chief. April 22.

Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum, 91. Spiritual leader of Satmar Hassidim, ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect. April 24.

Jane Jacobs, 89. Author who greatly influenced urban planning. April 25.

Alexander B. Trowbridge, 76. Former commerce secretary. April 27.

John Kenneth Galbraith, 97. Economist whose influence stretched from White House to Main Street. April 29.

MAY

Louis Rukeyser, 73. Public-TV host known for common-sense commentary on business. May 2.

Earl Woods, 74. Loving force behind son Tiger Woods' career. May 3.

Lillian Asplund, 99. Last Titanic survivor with memories of sinking. May 6.

A.M. Rosenthal, 84. Editor who lifted The New York Times from economic doldrums. May 10.

Floyd Patterson, 71. Boxing great who regained heavyweight title in 1960. May 11.

"Sonny" Montgomery, 85. Fifteen-term Mississippi congressman who pushed through modernized GI Bill. May 12.

Bruce Merrifield, 84. Won 1984 Nobel for chemistry for work that assisted in the development of medications. May 14.

Stanley Kunitz, 100. Former U.S. poet laureate and Pulitzer winner. May 14.

Chic Hecht, 77. Former Nevada senator. May 15.

Cy Feuer, 95. Co-producer of Broadway smashes ("Guys and Dolls"). May 17.

Katherine Dunham, 96. Choreographer who brought African influence to U.S. dance. May 21.

Lloyd Bentsen, 85. Former Treasury secretary, Texas senator who famously put down Dan Quayle. May 23.

Romeo Lucas Garcia, 81. Former Guatemalan president. May 27.

Raymond Davis Jr., 91. Shared 2002 Nobel in physics for detecting particles produced by nuclear reactions in the sun. May 31.

JUNE

Perry Richardson Bass, 91. Texan billionaire, one of last links to colorful era of oil wildcatters. June 1.

Frank Spencer, 87. FBI agent who helped investigate 1963 Birmingham church bombing. June 2.

Billy Preston, 59. Exuberant keyboardist and singer ("Nothing From Nothing"); played with the Beatles. June 6. Heart infection; kidney failure.

Arnold Newman, 88. Photographer who revealed the souls of artists, politicians. June 6.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, 39. Leader of al-Qaida in Iraq; masterminded suicide bombings, beheadings. June 7. U.S. air strike.

James Cameron, 92. Survived attempted lynching, founded America's Black Holocaust Museum. June 11.

Kenneth Thomson, 82. Canada's richest man. June 12.

Evelyn Dubrow, 95. Longtime advocate for labor, women's rights, garment-workers union lobbyist. June 20.

Aaron Spelling, 83. TV impresario whose stylish shows ("Beverly Hills 90210") were wildly popular. June 23.

Patsy Ramsey, 49. Thrust into spotlight by unsolved slaying of her daughter, JonBenet. June 24. Cancer.

JULY

Ryutaro Hashimoto, 68. Former Japanese prime minister. July 1.

Kenneth Lay, 64. Enron founder who tumbled into disgrace. July 5.

Syd Barrett, 60. Co-founder of Pink Floyd ("The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"). July 7.

June Allyson, 88. Hollywood's "perfect wife." July 8.

Shamil Basayev, 41. Chechnyan warlord; claimed responsibility for deadly Russian school siege. Announced July 10. Allegedly killed by Russian forces.

Red Buttons, 87. Actor-comedian; won Oscar for a dramatic turn in "Sayonara." July 13.

Mickey Spillane, 88. Macho mystery writer who wowed millions of readers. July 17.

Robert Mardian, 82. Attorney for Nixon re-election committee; Watergate conviction was overturned. July 17.

Jack Warden, 85. Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated actor. ("Heaven Can Wait"). July 19.

Ta Mok, about 80. Known as "The Butcher" for his brutality while with Cambodia's communist Khmer Rouge. July 21.

James West, 55. Former Spokane mayor; ousted after an Internet sex scandal. July 22. Cancer.

AUGUST

Bob Thaves, 81. Created quirky comic strip "Frank & Ernest." Aug. 1.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, 90. Soprano who won global acclaim. Aug. 3.

Susan Butcher, 51. Four-time Iditarod sled-dog-race winner. Aug. 5. Leukemia.

James A. Van Allen, 91. Physicist; discovered radiation belts surrounding Earth. Aug. 9.

Mike Douglas, 81. TV talk-show host and singer. Aug. 11.

Bruno Kirby, 57. Character actor ("When Harry Met Sally"). Aug. 14.

Alfredo Stroessner, 93. Ruled Paraguay for decades with a blend of guile and force before his ouster in 1989. Aug. 16.

Joe Rosenthal, 94. Associated Press photojournalist who took picture of flag-raising on Iwo Jima. Aug. 20.

Maynard Ferguson, 78. Jazz trumpeter. Aug. 23.

Maria Esther de Capovilla, 116. Believed to be world's oldest person. Aug. 27. Her successor in that category, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden, died Dec. 11, also at 116.

William F. Quinn, 87. Hawaii's first governor after it became a state in 1959. Aug. 28.

Naguib Mahfouz, 94. First Arab writer to win Nobel in literature. Aug. 30.

Glenn Ford, 90. Actor who played strong, thoughtful protagonists ("The Blackboard Jungle"). Aug. 30.

SEPTEMBER

Warren Mitofsky, 71. Longtime CBS News polling chief; pioneered use of exit polls. Sept. 1.

Nellie Connally, 87. Former Texas first lady; was in President Kennedy's limousine when he was assassinated. Sept. 1.

Gyorgy Faludy, 95. Poet and translator considered one of Hungary's greatest literary figures. Sept. 1.

Bob Mathias, 75. Two-time Olympic decathlon champion; four-term California congressman. Sept. 2.

Daniel Smith, 20. Anna Nicole Smith's son; sudden passing made headlines worldwide. Sept 10. Drug combination.

Patty Berg, 88. Golfer; won 15 major LPGA titles. Sept. 10.

Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, 88. Longtime king of the Pacific Island nation of Tonga. Sept. 11.

Oriana Fallaci, 76. Italian journalist noted for probing interviews with powerful people. Sept. 15.

Patricia Kennedy Lawford, 84. Her marriage to Peter Lawford lent Hollywood glamour to the Kennedy dynasty. Sept. 17.

Dean Everett Wooldridge, 93. Co-founded aerospace giant TRW. Sept. 20.

Pham Xuan An, 79. Led a perilous double life as a communist spy and a reporter during the Vietnam War. Sept. 20.

Joel T. Broyhill, 86. Eleven-term Virginia congressman. Sept. 24.

Iva Toguri D'Aquino, 90. Convicted of treason as alleged propagandist Tokyo Rose; later pardoned. Sept. 26.

Byron Nelson, 94. Golfer; his 11 straight tournament victories in 1945 stand as one of sports' most enduring records. Sept. 26.

OCTOBER

Helen Chenoweth-Hage, 68. Three-term Idaho congresswoman; outspoken archconservative. Oct. 2.

R.W. Apple Jr., 71. Colorful New York Times correspondent. Oct. 4.

Buck O'Neil, 94. Negro Leagues batting ace; a star of PBS' "Baseball." Oct. 6.

Ray Noorda, 82. Founded software maker Novell, was known as the father of network computing. Oct. 9.

Dr. Mason Andrews, 87. Delivered nation's first test-tube baby in 1981. Oct. 13.

Freddy Fender, 69. Texas' "Bebop Kid"; sang the smash country ballad "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Oct. 14.

Gerry Studds, 69. First openly gay member of Congress; homosexuality exposed during a 1983 page scandal. Oct. 14.

Valentin Paniagua, 69. Former interim president of Peru. Oct. 16.

Marc Hodler, 87. International Olympic Committee member who blew the whistle on the Salt Lake City bidding. Oct. 18.

Jane Wyatt, 96. Actress who for six years on "Father Knows Best" was one of TV's favorite moms. Oct. 20.

Enolia P. McMillan, 102. First female NAACP president. Oct. 24.

Trevor Berbick, about 51. Former heavyweight champion. Oct. 28. Fatal beating.

Red Auerbach, 89. Basketball Hall of Famer, guided the Boston Celtics to 16 championships. Oct. 28.

Robert Anderson, 85. As CEO of Rockwell International, oversaw building of space shuttle, B-1B bomber. Oct. 28.

P.W. Botha, 90. Apartheid-era South African president. Oct. 31.

NOVEMBER

William Styron, 81. Pulitzer-winning novelist ("The Confessions of Nat Turner.") Nov. 1.

Frank W. Dunham Jr., 64. Attorney for Zacarias Moussaoui and in other high-profile terrorism cases. Nov. 3.

William Lee Brent, 75. A Black Panther who hijacked a jet to Cuba in 1969, spent 37 years in exile. Nov. 4.

Samuel H. Bowers, 82. Former Ku Klux Klan leader, convicted of ordering death of civil-rights leader Vernon Dahmer Sr. Nov. 5, in prison.

Bulent Ecevit, 81. Former Turkish prime minister, a political force for almost half a century. Nov. 5.

Ed Bradley, 65. TV journalist who created a distinctive, powerful body of work on "60 Minutes." Nov. 9.

Markus Wolf, 83. The "man without a face" who outwitted the West as East Germany's spymaster. Nov. 9.

Jack Palance, 87. Hollywood heavy ("Shane") who turned successfully to comedy, winning Oscar for "City Slickers." Nov. 10.

Gerald Levert, 40. Fiery R&B singer of passionate love songs ("Casanova.") Nov. 10.

Milton Friedman, 94. Nobel-winning economist who advocated an unfettered free market. Nov. 16.

Bo Schembechler, 77. One of college football's great coaches, compiling a 194-48-5 record at Michigan. Nov. 17.

Robert Altman, 81. Caustic Hollywood director ("Nashville"). Nov. 20.

Pierre Gemayel, 34. A rising star in one of Lebanon's most prominent political families. Nov. 21. Assassinated.

Gerald M. Boyd, 56. First black managing editor of The New York Times. Nov. 23. Lung cancer.

Betty Comden, 89. Her collaboration with Adolph Green produced "On the Town," "Singin' in the Rain." Nov. 23.

Anita O'Day, 87. One of the most respected jazz vocalists of the 1940s. Nov. 23.

Willie Pep, 84. Hall-of-fame boxer. Nov. 23.

Alexander Litvinenko, 43. Former Russian spy who criticized his homeland's government. Nov. 23. Poisoned.

DECEMBER

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, 80. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Reagan administration; the first woman in the post. Dec. 7.

Moses Hardy, 113. Believed to be the second-oldest man in the world, last black U.S. veteran of World War I. Dec. 7.

Georgia Gibbs, 87. Hitmaking 1950s singer ("Kiss of Fire," "Dance With Me, Henry.") Dec. 9.

Martin Nodell, 91. Created the comic-book superhero Green Lantern. Dec. 9.

Peter Boyle, 71. Curmudgeonly father on "Everybody Loves Raymond." Dec. 12.

Lamar Hunt, 74. Owner of football's Kansas City Chiefs; coined term "Super Bowl." Dec. 13.

Richard Carlson, 45. Advocated positive thinking in the book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Dec. 13. Cardiac arrest.

Catherine Pollard, 88. Boy Scouts of America's first female scoutmaster. Dec. 13.

Ahmet Ertegun, 83. Founder of Atlantic Records; popularized Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin. Dec. 14.

Larry Sherry, 71. Dodgers reliever; 1959 World Series' most valuable player. Dec. 17.

Joe Barbera, 95. With Bill Hanna, created Yogi Bear, Tom and Jerry, other classic cartoons. Dec. 18.

Saparmurat Niyazov, 66. Turkmenistan's eccentric and iron-fisted president. Dec. 21. Cardiac arrest.

Frank Stanton, 98. CBS president for 26 years, who helped turn its TV operation into the "Tiffany network." Dec. 24.

James Brown, 73. The pompadoured dynamo of music for a half-century; classic singles included "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)." Dec. 25.

Gerald Ford, 93. 38th U.S. president, a former Michigan congressman who did much to restore national confidence after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace in 1974. Dec. 26.

Saddam Hussein, 69. Deposed Iraqi dictator hanged for the killing of 148 people after an attempt to assassinate him in 1982. Dec. 30.