National Obituaries

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Greg Iles, the Mississippi author of the “Natchez Burning” trilogy and other works, has died. He was 65.

SYDNEY (AP) — Bob Simpson, a former player, captain and coach and one of the most influential figures in Australian cricket, has died at the age of 89.

Tristan Rogers, who played legacy character Robert Scorpio on ABC's “General Hospital,” died Friday, less than one month after he made a special appearance on the soap opera. He was 79.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Former Delaware Gov. Mike Castle, a Republican moderate who championed creating the popular 50 State Quarters Program of commemorative coins while he served in Congress, has died. He was 86.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Gerry Spence, the fringe jacket-wearing trial lawyer from Wyoming known for a string of major court wins starting with a multimillion-dollar judgment against a plutonium processor in the landmark Karen Silkwood case, has died.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Lionel Taylor, who starred for the Denver Broncos in the 1960s and became the first wide receiver in pro football history to record a 100-catch season, has died. He was 89.

TOKYO (AP) — Genshitsu Sen, a former Kamikaze pilot trainee who later promoted peace as a grand master of the Japanese tea ceremony, has died, officials said Thursday. He was 102.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Danielle Spencer, who played the wisecracking and tattling little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom “What's Happening!!” has died at 60.

The Italian sportsman Mattia Debertolis, who competed in foot orienteering, has died after featuring in an event at the World Games in China’s southwest city of Chengdu.

TOKYO (AP) — Kunishige Kamamoto, who scored 75 goals in 76 games for Japan's national team, died Sunday according to the Japan Football Association. He was 81 and the association said he died of pneumonia.