Monday, July 7

Noteworthy

Calogero Rizzuto, architect
Italy, Noteworthy, Profiles

Calogero Rizzuto, architect

Calogero Rizzuto –an Italian architect and historic preservationist – died from Covid-19 on 23 March 2020.   Rizzuto graduated from University of Palermo with a degree in architecture in 1983 and worked as a resident architect in Rosolini until 1989. In the following years, he acquired great competence as a manager in the cultural and tourism sector through projects in Sicily.   Since 2007, Rizzuto had been responsible for the cultural heritage of the Sicilian region on the Soprintendenzen in Ragusa and Syracuse. He also worked at the Museum of Kamarina. Since Summer 2019, he held the position of First Director of the Archaeological Parks of Syracuse (Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, Villa Romana del Tellaro, ancient Heloros) and devoted himself to...
Nashom Wooden, artist
Noteworthy, Profiles, United States

Nashom Wooden, artist

Nashom Wooden –an American performing artist – died due to Covid-19 on March 23, 2020.   Wooden was a member of the electronic dance music band The Ones and performed as a drag queen under the stage name Mona Foot.   Wooden was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and entered the New York nightlife scene as a Club Kid in the mid-1980s. By 1989, he worked in Manhattan running the men's clothing department at Patricia Field's boutique while developing the drag queen persona Mona Foot with his friend and former roommate Lady Bunny. Wooden credits RuPaul as an early mentor; RuPaul taught Wooden how to apply makeup, and both appeared in an off-Broadway play titled My Pet Homo. As Mona Foot, Wooden hosted the weekly drag competition "Mona Foot's ...
Zororo Makamba, journalist
Noteworthy, Profiles

Zororo Makamba, journalist

Zororo Makamba โ€‘ a Zimbabwean journalist and the son of Irene and James Makamba – died on 23 March 2020 due to COVIDโ€‘19.   Makamba posted commentary on Zimbabwean politics and society online under the heading "State of the Nation", and hosted current affairs programs on ZiFM Stereo and M-Net television affiliate Zambezi Magic.   He had myasthenia gravis, a neuroskeletomuscular autoimmune disease, and underwent surgery to remove a thymoma gland tumour in November 2019. He was diagnosed on 21 March 2020 with COVID-19, twelve days after returning from New York City and five days after going to a doctor with a cough and fever. He died in Harare two days later, the first death in the country due to the disease.  
Benito Joanet, football player and manager
Noteworthy, Profiles, Spain

Benito Joanet, football player and manager

Benito Joanet Giménez โ€‘ a Spanish football player and manager โ€‘ died in Alicante on 22 March 2020 from COVID-19.   Born in Esplugues de Llobregat, Joanet played as a goalkeeper for Espanyol, Real Zaragoza, Terrassa, Europa and Deportivo de La Coruña.   After retiring he became a football manager, taking charge of Hércules, Castellón, Antequerano, Cádiz, Mallorca, Tenerife, Espanyol, Salamanca and Las Palmas.
Mike Longo, jazz pianist, composer & author
Noteworthy, Profiles, United States

Mike Longo, jazz pianist, composer & author

Michael Josef Longo โ€‘ an American jazz pianist, composer, and author โ€‘ died in Manhattan on March 23, 2020, three days after his 83rd birthday, from complications of COVID-19.   Longo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents who had a musical background. His father played bass, his mother played organ at church, and his music training began at a young age. Mike recalled seeing Sugar Chile Robinson playing boogie woogie piano: "The first time I saw him, man, he knocked me out. I must have been three or four years old. He played after the Count Basie show, so I went home and started picking out boogie woogie bass lines." His parents took him for formal lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at four. He moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida soon after. At the ag...
Lorenzo Sanz, businessman
Noteworthy, Profiles, Spain

Lorenzo Sanz, businessman

Lorenzo Sanz Mancebo –a Spanish businessman who was the president of Real Madrid between 1995 and 2000, and owner of Málaga CF – succumbed to Covid-19 on 21 March 2020.     Born on 9 August 1943 in Madrid, Spain, Sanz played as a goalkeeper in his youth for several minor Madrilenian league teams, including Puerta Bonita. An astute businessman, he made his fortune in real estate and construction.   Sanz was a director of Real Madrid from 1985 to 1995. He then became president of Real Madrid on 26 November 1995 after Ramón Mendoza was forced to resign due to the economic, social, and sporting problems of the club. Sanz tried to turn the club around by bringing in star players like Davor Šuker and Predrag Mijatoviฤ‡ with his ...
William Stern, businessman
Noteworthy, Profiles, United Kingdom

William Stern, businessman

William George Stern โ€‘ a businessman most notable as the owner of the British Stern Group of companies – died of Covid-19 on 21 March 2020. When the British Stern Group of companies collapsed in 1973, Stern became Britain's biggest bankrupt with debts of £118 million. The uninsured losses sustained by thousands of investors led directly to the creation of Britain's first Policyholders' Protection Act. He died during the Covid-19 pandemic due to complications brought on by Covid-19. He was born Vilmos György Stern or Ze’ev HaKohen Stern in Budapest, the youngest of three children of Chaim Stern, who owned a textile factory supplying goods to the Hungarian government. When Hungary was invaded by Nazi Germany in March 1944, Stern along with hi...
Tarcisio Stramare, theologist
Italy, Noteworthy, Profiles

Tarcisio Stramare, theologist

Tarcisio Stramare โ€‘ an Italian priest, a biblical scholar, writer and teacher – died on 20 March 2020 after suffering from Covid-19. He was considered one of the greatest international scholars of Josephology. Stramare studied in Rome and Jerusalem nas became religious of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph, being ordained a priest in 1952. A learned scholar, already in the 1970s he was called to occupy the chair of Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Lateran University and, subsequently, at the Pontifical Urban University and at the Pontifical theological faculty "Marianum". He received some important assignments from the Holy See, both in the Pontifical Commission for the Nova Vulgata (since 1973), of which he was responsible for the editions of the t...
Luciano Federici, footballer
Italy, Noteworthy, Profiles

Luciano Federici, footballer

Luciano Federici –an Italian professional footballer – died from Covid-19 on 18 March 2020.   He played in all three of Italy's top professional leagues, including for Carrarese, Cosenza and Pisa.   On 18 March 2020, Federici died from COVID-19 in Italy.
Antonio Michele Stanca, geneticist
Italy, Noteworthy, Profiles

Antonio Michele Stanca, geneticist

Antonio Michele Stanca –an Italian geneticist โ€‘ died of COVID-19 on 19 March 2020 in Fidenza, aged 77.   He was born in Soleto, Italy. He graduated in University of Bari, majoring in agricultural science.   He had been a professor at the University of Milan, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Piacenza, Institut national agronomique de Tunisie  (INAT) of Tunis, and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.