Harrison Smith

New York

Writer at The Washington Post

Obituary reporter @washpost, member @postguild. Tell me a story. [email protected]

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Articles

Rick Derringer, who sang the chart-topper ‘Hang On Sloopy,’ dies at 77

1 week ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

Rick Derringer, who sang the chart-topper ‘Hang On Sloopy,’ dies at 77 (washingtonpost.com) Rick Derringer, who sang the chart-topper ‘Hang On Sloopy,’ dies at 77 By Harrison Smith 2025052800331100 Rick Derringer, a wide-ranging musician who sang the garage-rock anthem "Hang On Sloopy," wrote the 1970s hit "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," produced parody songs for "Weird Al" Yankovic and gave pro wrestler Hulk Hogan a theme song, died May 26 in Ormond Beach, Florida. He was 77. His wife, Jenda...
Marthe Cohn, a Jewish spy in Nazi Germany, dies at 105

2 weeks ago | stripes.com | Harrison Smith

A Legion of Honor medal, France’s highest honor for merit, sits on display aboard the USS Bataan in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., May 7, 2016. Marthe Cohn, a spy for the French resistance in World War II and recipient of the honor, died on Wednesday, May 21, at the age of 105. (Michelle Reif/U.S. Marine Corps) When she was asked to spy for the French army, Marthe Cohn recalled decades later, she didn’t hesitate before saying yes.
Marthe Cohn, a Jewish spy in Nazi Germany, dies at 105

2 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

Marthe Cohn, a Jewish spy in Nazi Germany, dies at 105 (washingtonpost.com) Marthe Cohn, a Jewish spy in Nazi Germany, dies at 105 By Harrison Smith 2025052302535100 When she was asked to spy for the French army, Marthe Cohn recalled decades later, she didn't hesitate before saying yes. It was late 1944, months before the end of World War II in Europe.
William H. Luers, diplomat and Met museum leader, dies at 95

2 weeks ago | bostonglobe.com | Harrison Smith

William H. Luers, an arts-minded US diplomat who worked to shield the Czech writer and dissident Vaclav Havel from communist reprisals during the Cold War, and who later helped grow the Metropolitan Museum of Art while serving as president of the New York institution, died May 10 at his home in Washington Depot, Conn. He was 95. The cause was prostate cancer, said his wife, Wendy Luers.
Robert Benton, Oscar-winning screenwriter and director, dies at 92

3 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

Robert Benton, Oscar-winning screenwriter and director, dies at 92 (washingtonpost.com) Robert Benton, Oscar-winning screenwriter and director, dies at 92 By Harrison Smith 2025051421110000 Robert Benton, who helped usher in a bold new era of Hollywood filmmaking as a co-writer of "Bonnie and Clyde," and who later stepped behind the camera to direct acclaimed movies including "Kramer vs.
William H. Luers, U.S. diplomat and Met museum leader, dies at 95

3 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

William H. Luers, an arts-minded U.S. diplomat who worked to shield the Czech writer and dissident Vaclav Havel from communist reprisals during the Cold War, and who later helped grow the Metropolitan Museum of Art while serving as president of the New York institution, died May 10 at his home in Washington Depot, Connecticut. He was 95. The cause was prostate cancer, said his wife, Wendy Luers.
Johnny Rodriguez, pioneering Mexican American country star, dies at 73

3 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

Johnny Rodriguez, pioneering Mexican American country star, dies at 73 (washingtonpost.com) Johnny Rodriguez, pioneering Mexican American country star, dies at 73 By Harrison Smith 2025051300133900 Johnny Rodriguez, the first major Mexican American country star, who sang in both English and Spanish and wrote 1970s hits including "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico" — about a forlorn hitchhiker trying to get over a breakup — died May 9 in San Antonio. He was 73.
John S. Foster Jr., Pentagon scientist who developed warheads, dies at 102

4 weeks ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

John S. Foster Jr., Pentagon scientist who developed warheads, dies at 102 (washingtonpost.com) John S. Foster Jr., Pentagon scientist who developed warheads, dies at 102 By Harrison Smith 2025050803263800 John S.
Joe Louis Walker, a heavyweight blues guitarist, dies at 75

1 month ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

Joe Louis Walker, a heavyweight blues guitarist, dies at 75 (washingtonpost.com) Joe Louis Walker, a heavyweight blues guitarist, dies at 75 By Harrison Smith 2025050618294100 Joe Louis Walker, a raspy-voiced singer and guitarist who took an expansive approach to the blues, recording gritty, down-home albums as well as acclaimed records incorporating gospel, soul, jazz and rock, died April 30 at a hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York. He was 75.
Jane Gardam, British novelist with a mordant wit, dies at 96

1 month ago | washingtonpost.com | Harrison Smith

Jane Gardam, British novelist with a mordant wit, dies at 96 (washingtonpost.com) Jane Gardam, British novelist with a mordant wit, dies at 96 By Harrison Smith 2025050123405000 Jane Gardam, whose witty and perceptive novels explored the pangs of young love, the disappointments of old age and the twilight of the British Empire, died April 28 in Chipping Norton, in the Cotswolds region of England. She was 96.