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Obituaries of note

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 20, 2005

SOL M. LINOWITZ, 91, a diplomat, lawyer and businessman who played key roles in Middle East peace negotiations and the Panama Canal Treaty during the Carter administration, died Friday in Washington, D.C. The former chairman of Xerox Corp. was ambassador to the Organization of American States during the Johnson administration and in 1977 helped negotiate the historic transfer of the Panama Canal to Panama. He also represented President Carter in Middle East peace negotiations that followed the 1978 Camp David Accords.

ANDRE NORTON, 93, a science fiction and fantasy author whose works included the popular "Witch World" series, died Thursday in Nashville. In 1977, she became the first woman to receive the Grand Master of Fantasy Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She won the Nebula Grand Master Award in 1984. Her last complete novel, Three Hands of Scorpio, is set to be released in April.

SY WEXLER, 88, whose educational movies - from Smoking and Heart Disease to Teeth Are for Life - flickered for decades in classrooms around the world, died March 10 in Los Angeles. His films, usually from 11 to 28 minutes long, were shot in black and white. In hundreds of films, the award-winning documentary filmmaker brought to life processes like the metabolizing protein (How a Hamburger Turns Into You) and the problem-solving abilities of animals (Squeak the Squirrel).

THE REV. NATHANIEL A. URSHAN, 84, who helped guide the United Pentecostal Church International into a global organization with 3-million members in 138 countries, died March 11 in Indianapolis. He became general superintendent of the United Pentecostals in 1978, when the denomination had about 400,000 members.

WILLIAM M. LESTER, 97, who revolutionized the plastics industry 70 years ago with his design for an automatic molding machine, died March 12 in Delray Beach. In 1935, he built a machine based on a long-standing method for shaping rubber. It injected melted plastic into a cavity formed by engraved metal slabs that joined together, much like a wafflemaker. Today, his injection molding remains one of two primary methods for producing plastic products.

BARTOLO MASCARELLO, 78, who produced some of Italy's most renowned wines using only traditional methods and refusing to bow to technological advances, died March 12 in Barolo.

[Last modified March 20, 2005, 01:09:07]