Obituary

Two towers of white spray

Yoshioka Masamitsu saw Pearl Harbor from the air

The last of the attackers on the “day of infamy” died on August 28th, aged 106

Obituary

Maggie Smith, the dowager countess of comic timing

She could transform herself into anyone, hilariously

The storyteller of Beirut

Elias Khoury encapsulated the confusions of the Middle East

The Lebanese novelist and activist for Palestinians died on September 15th, aged 76

The land of forgetting

Francisco Lopera’s travels in the Andes began to solve a great mystery

The Colombian neurologist and Alzheimer’s researcher died on September 10th, aged 73

Samba plus sunshine

Sérgio Mendes sent Brazil’s party spirit out into the world

The pianist, arranger and bandleader died on September 5th, aged 83

How to mend a cathedral

Simon Verity believed in working the medieval way

The stonemason and grotto-builder died on August 11th, aged 79

The anatomy of love

Helen Fisher found out the science behind romance

The biological anthropologist died on August 17th, aged 79

Sweet stardom

Wally Amos built, and lost, a delicious empire

The showbiz promoter of Famous Amos cookies died on August 13th, aged 88

Running the peaks

Joss Naylor never let any mountain defeat him

The sheep-farmer and champion fell-runner died on June 28th, aged 88

Out of Stalin’s terror

Inna Solovyova studied both stagecraft and the Russian soul

The historian of the Moscow Art Theatre died on May 29th, aged 96

The Country Girl

Edna O’Brien’s books scandalised Ireland

The novelist and playwright died on July 27th, aged 93

Weapons into light

Thomas Neff’s idea rid the world of a third of its nuclear warheads

The physicist and government adviser died on July 11th, aged 80