October 20, 2012

2012Przemysław Gintrowski, Polish poet and composer (born 1951)^[†]

Przemysław Adam Gintrowski was a Polish composer and musician.

2012Paul Kurtz, American philosopher and academic (born 1925)^[†]

Paul Kurtz was an American scientific skeptic and secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism". He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, having previously also taught at Vassar, Trinity, and Union colleges, and the New School for Social Research.

2012Dave May, American baseball player (born 1943)^[†]

David LaFrance May was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1967 through 1978 for the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. May was a member of the AL pennant winning Orioles team in 1969 and, was an American League All-Star player with the Brewers in 1973. He was the father of MLB scout David May Jr. and MLB player Derrick May.

2012John McConnell, American activist, created Earth Day (born 1915)^[†]

John McConnell was the founder and creator of Earth Day, and The Earth Society Foundation. He was known for designing the Earth Flag, pursuing causes relating to peace, religion, and science.

2012E. Donnall Thomas, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920)^[†]

Edward Donnall "Don" Thomas was an American physician, professor emeritus at the University of Washington, and director emeritus of the clinical research division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In 1990 he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Joseph E. Murray for the development of cell and organ transplantation. Thomas and his wife and research partner Dottie Thomas developed bone marrow transplantation as a treatment for leukemia.

2012Raymond Watson, American businessman (born 1926)^[†]

Raymond "Ray" L. Watson was the former president of the Irvine Company, and served as chief planner during the 1960s and 1970s. He was also chairman of Walt Disney Productions from 1983 to 1984, and served on the Disney board from 1972 until March 2004.