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Nahar Net
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
Noteworthy and influential people who've died this year
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 June 2025, 14:59 May saw the death of a retired U.S. Supreme Court justice who came the high court as a Republican but became a favorite among liberals during his time on the bench. David H. Souter was was appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1990. But he offered a reliably liberal vote on issues such as abortion and freedom of expression. Souter retired from the court in 2009. The month also saw the death of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan. His time in office was marred by a corruption scandal that led to his imprisonment. But he was also celebrated by some for emptying the state's death row in 2003 with pardons and commutations in one of his last acts as governor. Other notable deaths in May include former U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond; former congressmen Gerald "Gerry" Connolly and Charles Rangel; actors Loretta Swit and George Wendt; feminist author Susan Brownmiller and Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o; and "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who have died in the first five months of this year (cause of death cited, if available): ___ JANUARY ___ Wayne Osmond, 73. A singer, guitarist and founding member of the million-album-selling family act The Osmonds, who were known for such 1970s teen hits as "One Bad Apple," "Yo-Yo" and "Down By the Lazy River." Jan. 1. David Lodge, 89. A witty and prolific British novelist and critic who gently satirized academia, religion and even his own loss of hearing in such highly praised narratives as the Booker Prize finalists "Small World" and "Nice Work." Jan. 1. Rosita Missoni, 93. The matriarch of the iconic Italian fashion house that made colorful zigzag-patterned knitwear high fashion and helped launch Italian ready-to-wear. Jan. 1. James Arthur Ray, 67. A self-help guru whose multimillion-dollar business toppled after he led a sweat lodge ceremony in Arizona that left three people dead. Jan. 3. Costas Simitis, 88. A former prime minister of Greece and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro. Jan. 5. Jean-Marie Le Pen, 96. The founder of France's far-right National Front was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him staunch supporters and widespread condemnation. Jan. 7. Peter Yarrow, 86. The singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war. Jan. 7. Nancy Leftenant-Colon, 104. The first Black woman to join the U.S. Army Nurse Corps after the military was desegregated in the 1940s. Jan. 8. Sam Moore, 89. The surviving half and higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave, which was known for such definitive hits of the era as "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin.'" Jan. 10. José "Cha Cha" Jiménez, 76. A prominent Civil Rights figure in Chicago who advocated for Puerto Rican rights, founded the Young Lords and co-founded the Rainbow Coalition. Jan. 10. David Lynch, 78. The filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive," and the TV series "Twin Peaks." Jan. 16. Bob Uecker, 90. He parlayed a forgettable playing career into a punch line for movie and TV appearances as "Mr. Baseball" and a Hall of Fame broadcasting tenure. Jan. 16. Joan Plowright, 95. An award-winning British actor who, with her late husband Laurence Olivier, did much to revitalize the U.K.'s theatrical scene in the decades after World War II. Jan. 16. Cecile Richards, 67. A national leader for abortion access and women's rights who led Planned Parenthood for 12 tumultuous years. Jan. 20. Mauricio Funes, 65. A president of El Salvador who spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences. Jan. 21. Valérie André, 102. A French aviator and parachutist who became the first woman to become a general officer in France. Jan. 21. Garth Hudson, 87. The Band's virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician who drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight" and "Rag Mama Rag." Jan. 21. Richard Williamson, 84. An ultra-traditionalist Catholic bishop whose denial of the Holocaust created a scandal in 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI rehabilitated him and other members of his breakaway society. Jan. 29. Dick Button, 95. He was one of the most accomplished men's figure skaters in history, and one of his sport's great innovators and promoters. Jan. 30. Marianne Faithfull, 78. The British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones' greatest songs. and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied. Jan. 30. ___ FEBRUARY ___ Horst Köhler, 81. A onetime head of the International Monetary Fund who became a popular German president before stunning the country by resigning abruptly in a flap over comments about the country's military. Feb. 1. Barbie Hsu, 48. A Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama "Meteor Garden" that once swept Asia. Feb. 2. Pneumonia triggered by the flu. The Aga Khan, 88. He became the spiritual leader of the world's millions of Ismaili Muslims at age 20 as a Harvard undergraduate, and poured a material empire built on billions of dollars in tithes into building homes, hospitals and schools in developing countries. Feb. 4. Kultida Woods, 80. The Thai-born mother of Tiger Woods, whom he credits with instilling in him a dominant spirit and encouraging him to wear a red shirt on Sunday as his power color. Feb. 4. Irv Gotti, 54. A music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule. Feb. 5. Virginia McCaskey, 102. She inherited the Chicago Bears from her father, George Halas, but avoided the spotlight during more than four decades as the team's principal owner. Feb. 6. Tony Roberts, 85. A versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies — often as Allen's best friend. Feb. 7. Sam Nujoma, 95. The fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, coming to be known as the father of his nation. Feb. 8. Tom Robbins, 92. The novelist and prankster-philosopher who charmed and addled millions of readers with such screwball adventures as "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Jitterbug Perfume." Feb. 9. Anne Marie Hochhalter, 43. She was partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting but found strength to forgive and to heal her soul after bonding with another family devastated by the tragedy. Feb. 16. Gene Hackman, 95. The Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry's most respected and honored performers. Feb. 17. Found dead with his wife, who had died a week earlier, in their home. Paquita la del Barrio, 77. A Mexican musical legend known for her powerful voice and fierce defense of women. Feb. 17. James Harrison, 88. An Australian man credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his record-breaking blood plasma donations over six decades. Feb. 17. Souleymane Cissé, 84. The Malian filmmaker was a pioneer of African cinema with a career spanning 50 years. Feb. 19. Mabel Staton, 92. The Black track and field standout who broke through racial barriers and became the only woman to compete for the United States in the long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Feb. 20. Clint Hill, 93. The Secret Service agent who leaped onto the back of President John F. Kennedy's limousine after the president was shot, then was forced to retire early because he remained haunted by memories of the assassination. Feb. 21. Joe Fusco, 87. A College Football Hall of Fame coach who won four NAIA Division II national championships in 19 years at Westminster College. Feb. 22. Roberta Flack, 88. The Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after that. Feb. 24. Michelle Trachtenberg, 39. A former child star who appeared in the 1996 "Harriet the Spy" hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl." Feb. 26. Boris Spassky, 88. A Soviet-era world chess champion who lost his title to American Bobby Fischer in a legendary 1972 match that became a proxy for Cold War rivalries. Feb. 27. David Johansen, 75. The wiry, gravelly-voiced singer and last surviving member of the glam and protopunk band the New York Dolls who later performed as his campy, pompadoured alter ego, Buster Poindexter. Feb. 28. ___ MARCH ___ Angie Stone, 63. The Grammy-nominated R&B singer was a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence and known for the hit song "Wish I Didn't Miss You." March 1. Car crash. Joey Molland, 77. A guitarist with the Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger that was known for such 1970s hits as "No Matter What" and "Day After Day." March 1. George Lowe, 67. The voice behind the irreverent animated superhero on Adult Swim's "Space Ghost Coast to Coast." March 2. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 70. A Cuban American who fought tirelessly for a free Cuba and who spent 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of a politically powerful South Florida family. March 3. Carl Dean, 82. Dolly Parton's devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit "Jolene." March 3. Oleg Gordievsky, 86. A Soviet KGB officer who helped change the course of the Cold War by covertly passing secrets to Britain. March 4. Roy Ayers, 84. A legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" that has been sampled by such R&B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube. March 4. Robert G. Clark, 95. He was elected in 1967 as Mississippi's first Black lawmaker of the 20th century and rose to the second-highest leadership role in the state House of Representatives. March 4. D'Wayne Wiggins, 64. A founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Tony! Toni! Tone! behind the classic songs "Anniversary," "It Never Rains (In Southern California)" and (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow." March 7. Junior Bridgeman, 71. A basketball standout who led Louisville to a Final Four, starred for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and then launched an even more successful career as a businessman with stakes in restaurants, publishing and the Bucks franchise. March 11. Ron Nessen, 90. A veteran broadcast journalist who was press secretary for President Gerald Ford and sought to restore the integrity that the position had lost during the Nixon administration. March 12. Raúl M. Grijalva, 77. The Democratic congressman was a champion of environmental protections and progressive ideals who took on principled but often futile causes during a two-decade career in Congress. March 13. Alan Simpson, 93. The former U.S. senator was a political legend whose quick wit bridged partisan gaps in the years before today's political acrimony. March 14. Nita Lowey, 87. The former congresswoman was a long-serving New York Democrat who was the first woman to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee. March 15. Émilie Dequenne, 43. The Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in "Rosetta." March 16. Cancer. Eddie Jordan, 76. An ex-Formula 1 team owner and media personality whose humor, strong opinions and often extravagant dress sense made him a popular pundit on TV after selling the team in 2005. March 20. George Foreman, 76. The fearsome heavyweight boxer who lost the "Rumble in the Jungle" to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old world champion and a successful businessman. March 21. Kitty Dukakis, 88. The wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who spoke openly about her struggles with depression and addiction. March 21. Paul "Greg" House, 63. He spent two decades on Tennessee's death row before he was finally freed, and later campaigned against the death penalty. March 22. Mia Love, 49. A daughter of Haitian immigrants who became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress. March 23. Brain cancer. David Childs, 83. The lead architect of the One World Trade Center skyscraper that rose from the site where the Twin Towers collapsed in New York City during the 9/11 attacks. March 26. Richard Chamberlain, 90. The handsome hero of the 1960s television series "Dr. Kildare" who found a second career as an award-winning "king of the miniseries." March 29. ___ APRIL ___ Val Kilmer, 65. The brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in "Top Gun," donned a voluminous cape as Batman in "Batman Forever" and portrayed Jim Morrison in "The Doors." April 1. Pneumonia. Theodore McCarrick, 94. A once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children. April 3. Jay North, 73. He starred as the towheaded mischief-maker on TV's "Dennis the Menace" for four seasons starting in 1959. April 6. Clem Burke, 70. His versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes. April 6. Cancer. Rubby Pérez, 69. Known for songs such as "Volveré," "El Africano" and "Tu Vas a Volar," he devoted his long career to merengue, the signature musical style of the Dominican Republic. April 8. Died after a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic. Octavio Dotel, 51. He pitched for 13 major league teams in a 15-year career and won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. April 8. Died after a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic. Kim Shin-jo, 82. A prominent ex-North Korean commando who resettled in South Korea as a pastor after his daring mission to assassinate then-South Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1968 failed. April 9. Mario Vargas Llosa, 89. The Peruvian author was a Nobel literature laureate and a giant of Latin American letters. April 13. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, 85. The former Malaysian prime minister was a moderate who extended the country's political freedoms but was criticized for lackluster leadership. April 14. Wink Martindale, 91. The genial host of such hit game shows as "Gambit" and "Tic-Tac-Dough" who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley. April 15. Nora Aunor, 71. She became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades. April 16. Bob Filner, 82. A 10-term U.S. congressman whose long political career ended abruptly after he was elected mayor of San Diego and driven from office amid sexual misconduct allegations. April 20. Pope Francis, 88. History's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change. April 21. Stroke. Steve McMichael, 67. A star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears' famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team whose larger-than-life personality made him a fixture in the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling. April 23. ALS. Tom Brown, 84. The two-sport star whose interception sealed the 1966 NFL title game for Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. April 23. Virginia Giuffre, 41. She accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein. April 25. Dick Barnett, 88. A basketball Hall of Famer who played on both New York Knicks NBA championship teams after being part of a historic college powerhouse at Tennessee A&I. April 27. ___ MAY ___ Ruth Buzzi, 88. She rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and made more than 200 television appearances during a 45-year career. May 1. Jill Sobule, 66. The award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song "I Kissed a Girl." May 1. Died in a house fire. George Ryan, 91. A former Illinois governor disgraced by a corruption scandal that landed him in prison yet heralded by some for clearing the state's death row. May 2. David H. Souter, 85. The retired Supreme Court justice who was the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench. May 8. Johnny Rodriguez, 73. The country music star who was a popular Mexican American singer best known for chart-topping hits in the 1970s such as "I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind," "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico" and "That's the Way Love Goes." May 9. Robert Benton, 92. The Oscar-winning filmmaker who helped reset the rules in Hollywood as the co-creator of "Bonnie and Clyde," and later received mainstream validation as the writer-director of "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Places in the Heart." May 11. Christopher "Kit" Bond, 86. A Republican who brought billions of dollars in federal funding to Missouri during his four terms in the U.S. Senate and was the state's the youngest person to be governor. May 13. José Mujica, 89. The former Uruguayan president, onetime Marxist guerilla and flower farmer whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world. May 13. Charles Strouse, 96. The three-time Tony Award-winner was Broadway's industrious, master melody-maker who composed the music for such classic musical theater hits as "Annie," "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Applause." May 15. George Wendt, 76. An actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy "Cheers" and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in "Art," "Hairspray" and "Elf." May 20. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, 75. The congressman was an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district. May 21. Susan Brownmiller, 90. A prominent feminist and author of the 1960s and '70s whose "Against Our Will" was a landmark and intensely debated bestseller about sexual assault. May 24. Phil Robertson, 79. The "Duck Dynasty" patriarch who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman's paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon. May 25. Charles Rangel, 94. The former New York congressman was an outspoken, gravel-voiced Harlem Democrat who spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. May 26. Rick Derringer, 77. The guitarist and singer who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded "Hang On Sloopy," had a hit with "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" and earned a Grammy Award for producing "Weird Al" Yankovic's debut album. May 26. Presley Chweneyagae, 40. The South African actor who gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film "Tsotsi", which won South Africa's first-ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. May 27. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, 87. The revered Kenyan man of letters and voice of dissent who in dozens of fiction and nonfiction books traced his country's history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny. May 28. Bernard Kerik, 69. He served as New York City's police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned. May 29. Loretta Swit, 87. She won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series "M.A.S.H." May 30. Etienne-Emile Baulieu, 98. A French scientist best known as the inventor of the abortion pill. May 30. Renée Victor, 86. She voiced the no-nonsense, sandal-throwing Abuelita in Disney's animated hit "Coco" and played the wisecracking Lupita on Showtime's "Weeds." May 30.
Mint
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
David H. Souter, former Republican Supreme Court Justice, dies at 85: A legacy of surprising liberalism
Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, known for his ascetic lifestyle and steady liberal voting record, passed away at the age of 85 on Thursday (May 9) at his home in New Hampshire. His death was confirmed by the Supreme Court in a statement released on Friday. Souter was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Initially seen as a moderate conservative, Souter's tenure on the Court ultimately leaned toward liberal decisions, particularly in areas like abortion rights, church-state relations, and freedom of expression. His most notable work came in the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision, where he joined a ruling reaffirming a woman's right to an abortion. In a 2012 interview, Souter expressed concerns about the state of American democracy, particularly the dangers of ignorance about government processes. 'What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough ... someone will come forward and say, 'Give me total power and I will solve this problem.' That is how the Roman republic fell,' he warned. Souter was known for his humble, reserved lifestyle. A bachelor throughout his life, he was described as a man of simple habits. He preferred a quiet, solitary life in New Hampshire and was dedicated to his work at the Court, often spending 12 or more hours a day at his office. His modest lifestyle extended to his dietary habits, where he was known to have a typical lunch of yogurt and an apple while working at his desk. Despite his reclusive nature, Souter was admired by his colleagues and staff for his kindness and sharp legal mind. "Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service," said Chief Justice John Roberts. In his retirement, Souter was vocal about his concerns for the future of democracy and the social climate. He cautioned against the growing "lack of faith" in government and society. Souter worried that an uninformed populace would eventually give way to authoritarianism. 'When problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible,' he said. He believed that this ignorance could ultimately lead to a crisis in democracy, where one person could seize total power. Despite being appointed by a Republican president, Souter's rulings were often aligned with liberal values. His role in upholding abortion rights and establishing firm boundaries on church-state relations earned him respect within liberal circles. Souter's legacy is marked by his intellectual rigor and dedication to his judicial duties. His long tenure and influential rulings left an indelible mark on American jurisprudence. Although he was not often in the limelight, his impact on the Supreme Court and the nation was profound. After retiring from the bench, Souter remained engaged with the legal world, continuing to serve on the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals. He also continued to spend his summers hiking in New Hampshire's mountains and living a quiet life in the home he bought in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. In recognition of his significant contribution to American law, Souter's death marks the end of a distinguished career that spanned nearly 20 years on the nation's highest court.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter dies at 85
Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the shy and frugal small-town New Englander who was touted as a conservative but surprised his Republican backers and nearly everyone else by becoming a staunch liberal on the high court, has died, the court said in a statement Friday. He was 85. Souter stepped down in 2009 after nearly two decades on the court where he cast key votes to uphold laws on campaign finance, environmental protection, civil rights and church-state separation. He also played a crucial role in upholding a woman's right to choose abortion. As an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, Souter was expected to join with then-Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and other conservatives who were determined to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that expanded abortion rights. But when a Pennsylvania test case came before the court in 1992, Souter instead joined moderate Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony M. Kennedy to affirm the right to abortion. Souter saw the issue as a matter of precedent. Repealing the constitutional right to abortion would be 'a surrender to political pressure,' he wrote. 'To overrule under fire in the absence of the most compelling reason to re-examine a watershed decision would subvert the Court's legitimacy beyond any serious question.' A second 5-4 decision that spring, with Souter in the majority, upheld the strict ban on school-sponsored prayers at graduations. The five justices who voted to uphold the abortion right and the ban on school prayers were all Republican appointees. But they no longer reflected the views of a more socially conservative GOP, and Souter was denounced by some in the party as a turn-coat. By the late 1990s, 'No more Souters' had become a rallying cry for conservative legal activists. 'Justice Souter was a judicial version of a disappearing phenomenon: the moderate New England Republican,' said Pamela Karlan, a professor at Stanford Law School. 'He was not a true liberal and would not have been a liberal on the court of the 1960s and '70s. But he believed in privacy and civil rights and precedents, and that made him a liberal on the court of his day.' He was unusual in other ways. Shortly after he arrived as a new justice in 1990, he was dubbed one of the city's 'most eligible bachelors' in the Washington Post, leading to a series of dinner invitations. He usually found himself seated between a single woman and a guest who spoke only Japanese, he later joked. Souter became adept at turning down invitations. He would dine with Justice John Paul Stevens and his wife, or with O'Connor, but mostly he worked and ate alone. He spent evenings jogging along the waterfront near his small apartment. Whenever the court took an extended break, Souter drove to the farmhouse where he grew up in tiny Weare, N.H., so he could hike. He was in good health and not yet 70 when President Obama moved into the White House in early 2009. Soon after, Souter passed word that he intended to retire. Obama chose Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina on the high court, to replace him. Souter was dubbed a 'stealth nominee' when he arrived in Washington in 1990, and he remained a mystery when he left. He did no interviews and made no public statements. Back in New Hampshire, he continued to serve part time as a retired judge on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, deciding low-profile cases out of the public spotlight. Souter was not the first justice to surprise the president who appointed him, but he may be among the last. Since Souter's time — and indeed, partly in reaction to him — presidents have carefully selected court nominees with public records showing they shared similar views on legal issues. Souter had deep ties to the Republican Party. He carried a gold watch that was a prized possession of a great-great-grandfather who attended the Republican party convention of 1860 that nominated Abraham Lincoln as president. The GOP supported environmental conservation and the separation of church and state when Souter was growing up. But it grew increasingly more conservative over the decades, and Souter didn't always agree. In July 1990, he was a 50-year-old bachelor who lived alone in a farm house with peeling paint and books on the floor. He had just been named to the U.S. court of appeals in Boston. Until then, he had spent his entire career as a prosecutor, state attorney and judge in New Hampshire. His scholarly manner and devotion to the law had won him influential admirers, including then-Sen. Warren Rudman and former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, who was then-White House chief of staff to the first President Bush. When the Supreme Court's liberal leader, William J. Brennan, suffered a stroke and announced his retirement, Souter's name made the president's short list of possible nominees. Bush was anxious to avoid a fight with Senate Democrats over abortion and civil rights. Republicans still smarted from the Senate's defeat in 1987 of Judge Robert Bork, whose strongly conservative writings convinced critics he was too extreme to be confirmed. Souter seemed an ideal nominee. He was conservative, or at least old-fashioned. He wrote with a fountain pen, not a computer. And he ignored television. He only learned Brennan was stepping down when a postal clerk in his town shared the news. Two days later, Souter stood in the White House press room as Bush announced his nomination. Souter was said to have no 'paper trail,' but Sununu privately assured activists that he would be a 'home run for conservatives.' Liberal Democrats, led by Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, were Souter's sharpest critics that summer, while the arch-conservative Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina led the fight to confirm him. In less than two years, it became clear that both sides had miscalculated. By the mid-1990s, Souter had allied himself with Stevens, another moderate Republican who also seemed to move left, and with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer, the two appointees of President Clinton. They formed a liberal bloc in cases where the court split along ideological lines. David Hackett Souter was born in Melrose, Mass., on Sept. 17, 1939, the only child of Joseph and Helen Souter. His father was a banker and his mother a gift shop clerk. When he was 11, the family moved to the New Hampshire farm house in Weare that remained Souter's primary home until after his retirement. As a Harvard undergraduate, Souter dated a young woman and spoke of marrying her. But when he won a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and went to England to study at Oxford University, she found someone else. Souter told friends he was disappointed he never married. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1966, he eschewed the big-city law firms and returned to the small-town life and rugged mountains of the New Hampshire he loved. Friends and former clerks say Souter was never a true conservative as his early backers said, nor was he a solid liberal as he was portrayed years later. Souter was 'a judge's judge,' said Penn Law Professor Kermit Roosevelt, who clerked for him in 1999. 'He didn't have a political agenda. People had a mistaken idea of what they were getting when he was appointed.' Sign up for Essential California for the L.A. Times biggest news, features and recommendations in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Chicago Tribune
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican who became a liberal darling, has died
WASHINGTON — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85. Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement Friday. He retired from the court in June 2009, giving President Barack Obama his first Supreme Court vacancy to fill. Obama, a Democrat, chose Sonia Sotomayor, the court's first Latina justice. Souter was appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1990. He was a reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations, freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts. In retirement, Souter warned that ignorance of how government works could undermine American democracy. 'What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough … some one person will come forward and say, 'Give me total power and I will solve this problem.' That is how the Roman republic fell,' Souter said in a 2012 interview. His lifestyle was spare — yogurt and an apple, consumed at his desk, was a typical lunch — and he shunned Washington's social scene. He couldn't wait to leave town in early summer. As soon as the court finished its work in late June, he climbed into his Volkswagen Jetta for the drive back to the worn farmhouse where his family moved when he was 11. Yet for all his reserve, Souter was beloved by colleagues, court employees and friends. He was a noted storyteller and generous with his time. 'Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service,' Chief Justice John Roberts said. Souter continued hearing cases on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for more than a decade after he left the high court, Roberts said.
Toronto Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican who became a liberal darling, dies at 85
WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85. Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the Supreme Court said in a statement Friday. He retired from the court in June 2009, giving President Barack Obama his first Supreme Court vacancy to fill. Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor, the court's first Latina justice. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Souter was appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1990. He was a reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations, freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts.
