Judith Jones obit

Legendary Editor Judith Jones Dies At 93

 

She was not on the list.

Judith Jones may not have been a household name, but without her, some of the world's most famous books may never have made it to many library and kitchen shelves.

The editor died Wednesday at her home in Vermont, according to a statement from the publisher Knopf.

She was 93.

Her stepdaughter said the cause was complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Jones worked at Knopf for more than five decades. She retired in 2011 as senior editor and vice president.

It was 1950 when Jones at age 27 was working in Paris as an editorial assistant at Doubleday Publishing. She stumbled upon a book in the discard pile as she was in the middle of writing rejection letters. This one, however, she could not put down. She was struck by the face on the cover. It was Anne Frank.

    It is with tremendous sadness that we share the news that longtime Knopf editor Judith Jones has passed away. https://t.co/qUjkqBnjsi pic.twitter.com/b8T1XjG7GT

    — Alfred A. Knopf (@AAKnopf) August 2, 2017

"I read all afternoon with the tears coming down my face," Jones told NPR's Jacki Lyden in a 1998 interview. "When my boss got back, it was evening by then. He said, 'What are you doing still here?' And I said, 'We have to have this book!' And he said, 'What? That book by that kid?'"

The book by that kid became The Diary of Anne Frank. It had already been released in German and Dutch, but Jones convinced her bosses to publish it in the United States, vastly expanding its readership.

It went on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide in more than 60 languages.

That canny move convinced Knopf to hire Jones in 1957. Once again she persuaded a publishing house to take a risk on another rejected work; this one a manuscript co-authored by Julia Child.

Jones got Mastering the Art of French Cooking published in 1961 and helped revolutionize the way Americans cook.

As Jones wrote in her 2007 autobiography The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food:

    "With a new, exotic, unfamiliar style of cooking, more than ever we are flying blind — we may never even have tasted the dish we are trying to reproduce — and we need a lot of hand-holding. So I kept my eyes and ears, to say nothing of my taste buds, open to the kind of writer-cook who was particularly gifted, like Julia, at explaining the techniques of a different cooking culture."

Throughout her career, Jones championed various cookbook authors who went on to become icons: James Beard, Marcella Hazan and Lida Bastianich, said Knopf in its statement.

A scene from the film Julie & Julia, when Judith Jones discovers Julia Child's seminal work.

She also worked with such luminary authors as John Updike and Anne Tyler.

In addition to editing, she wrote several books about cooking and baking, some alongside her husband, Evan Jones, reports The Washington Post.

She leaves behind four children and stepchildren, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, says The Post.

In 2015, Jones told Eater.com,

    "Julia once said to me, and I've quoted her on this, 'Judith! We were born at the right time.' And I said, 'Yes, Julia, but we had to act on it.'"

Ara Parseghian obit

Former Notre Dame HC Ara Parseghian Dies at Age 94

He was not on the list.

The University of Notre Dame announced Wednesday that former Fighting Irish head football coach Ara Parseghian died at the age of 94.

In July, Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune reported Parseghian was hospitalized with a hip infection, and surgery was not considered an option as he had previously undergone five hip procedures.

Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins released the following statement regarding Parseghian and his impact on the university:

"Notre Dame mourns the loss of a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and good man—Ara Parseghian. Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field.

"He continued to demonstrate that leadership by raising millions of research dollars seeking a cure for the terrible disease that took the lives of three of his grandchildren. Whenever we asked for Ara's help at Notre Dame, he was there.

"My prayers are with Katie, his family and many friends as we mourn his passing and celebrate a life that was so well lived."

Parseghian coached Notre Dame from 1964 through 1974, posting a 95-17-4 record, which included a pair of national championships.

Prior to his time at Notre Dame, Parseghian coached at Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern. Upon his retirement in 1974, the Akron, Ohio, native boasted a career record of 170-58-6.

During his two-year playing career with the Cleveland Browns as a halfback, Parseghian won two championships.

Following his coaching tenure, Parseghian became a highly regarded college football analyst for both ABC Sports and CBS Sports from 1975 through 1988.

Goldy McJohn obit

Goldy McJohn, Original Steppenwolf Keyboardist, Dies at 72

He was not on the list.

Goldy McJohn, a founding member of Steppenwolf and the keyboardist who powered some of the band's best songs, has died at age 72.

The news was confirmed on his Facebook page, which reports that "Goldy suffered a sudden and fatal heart attack the morning of August 1st, 2017."

McJohn helped form Steppenwolf in late 1967 in Toronto along with singer John Kay and drummer Jerry Edmonton after they split from Jack London & the Sparrows, which also included Bruce Palmer, who later joined Buffalo Springfield. Earlier McJohn was a member of the Mynah Birds with Palmer and future R&B star Rick James. Neil Young (who also joined Buffalo Springfield) was a member of that band after McJohn left.

The keyboardist found his biggest success with Steppenwolf, whose self-titled debut album from 1968 included the hits "Born to Be Wild" (which reached No. 2) and "The Pusher," both which featured McJohn's heavy Hammon B3 organ fills. He's often credited as a pioneer in the instrument's prominent use in metal and hard rock.

McJohn played on six more albums with Steppenwolf, including 1968's The Second, which highlighted another Top 5 single, "Magic Carpet Ride," and again featured his soaring organ. His last album with band, 1974's Slow Flux, was followed by his termination from the group by leader Kay.

Over the years, McJohn also played with a band called Manbeast, which he formed with Steppenwolf drummer Edmonton when that group was on a break in the early '70s, a later version of Humble Pie with Steve Marriott and with a revamped Steppenwolf that didn't include Kay.

He later moved to Washington with his wife, Sonja, and released a series of solo albums and led bands with Steppenwolf-referenced names like Born to Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride. According to the Facebook post, McJohn was actively involved in a project called Stand Up for the Music, which had announced a new charity event just hours before his death.

“I was devastated," noted Anthony Spadaro, who's referred to as a managing partner. "We all are still devastated, but I know in my heart, as does Sonja, that this concert must go on. Goldy would want us to do this. As Goldy would say, 'It's showtime.'"

Steppenwolf were nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction this past year, but didn't make the cut.

John Reaves obit

Ex-Florida QB John Reaves dies at age 67

 

 He was not on the list.

Former Florida and NFL quarterback John Reaves, who finished his college career as the NCAA's all-time leading passer and later struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, has died. He was 67.

Reaves was found dead at his home Tuesday, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death is being investigated, the office said.

"It's sad to see that John has passed on, but we'll celebrate his life down there in Tampa with so many good friends and Gators," said Steve Spurrier, who coached Reaves with the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits and later hired him as an assistant at Florida. "His memory will always be with us."

Reaves dealt with dependency for most of his 11-year career as an NFL journeyman, a run that began as a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1972. He also played for Cincinnati (1975-78), Minnesota (1979-80) and Houston (1981). He returned to play for Tampa Bay during the NFL strike in 1987.

The Vikings put him in the Hazelden Clinic in 1980, and for the next two decades Reaves lived a life of sobriety while becoming the No. 2 passer in USFL history and then coaching eight years in the Southeastern Conference at Florida (1990-94) and South Carolina (1995-97).

"John was a guy that was always trying to help other people," former Buccaneers teammate Jimmie Giles told ESPN's Jenna Laine. "He was in the real estate business for a long time, and he did a lot of things for a lot of the players that couldn't help themselves. He was one of the great guys that always stood up for his players as a quarterback."

Reaves threw for a school-record 342 yards and five touchdowns in his first college game, breaking the mark of Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner, and setting the tone for his career. Reaves left school as the NCAA's career leading passer, throwing for 7,581 yards and an SEC-record 54 touchdowns.

"The Gators lost one of their own in John Reaves," said Florida coach Jim McElwain, who recruited Reaves' son, Stephen, to Michigan State. "Obviously got to know the family very well. My thoughts and prayers go out to that family who's been through a lot. At the same time, I do know this: I don't think anybody will ever realize how much the Florida Gators truly meant to John Reaves."

Reaves, receiver Carlos Alvarez and running back Tommy Durrance formed the corps of the so-called "Super Sophs" who finished 9-1-1 in 1969. In the lone setback at Auburn, Reaves threw nine interceptions, which remains an NCAA record nearly 50 years later.

Reaves' most memorable moment came in the 1971 season finale against Miami, the game best known for the "Florida Flop."

With the Gators leading 45-8 late in the fourth quarter, Florida defenders laid down and let the Hurricanes score so Reaves could have the ball back and get the 15 yards he needed to break Jim Plunkett's NCAA passing record.

Miami coach Fran Curci refused to shake hands with Florida coach Doug Dickey after the game. Making matters worse, several Gators headed to the Orange Bowl's east end zone and jumped into a pool that housed Miami Dolphins mascot Flipper during NFL games.

Reaves was born in 1950 in Anniston, Alabama. His family moved to Tampa when he was a child. Reaves led T.R. Robinson High School to the Class 2A state championship game in 1967 and earned player of the year honors in the state.

After his professional career, Reaves sold real estate in Tampa. He was arrested on gun and drug possession charges in 2008, and in May 2009, he entered an Atlanta area substance abuse rehabilitation program.

"My favorite memories of John are when I got a chance to coach him during our time with the Tampa Bay Bandits in the United States Football League in 1983, '84 and '85," Spurrier said. "He was a wonderful player to coach and a super teammate. Our second year he threw for more than 4,000 yards. I thought he was easily the best quarterback in the league, but I think Jim Kelly got voted as the All-USFL quarterback. But John was outstanding throwing the ball and directing the team.

"He was as good a pure dropback passer as I've ever coached."

Reaves was an assistant football coach for the Florida Gators under head coach Steve Spurrier from 1990 to 1994 , working primarily with the Gators quarterbacks, including Shane Matthews. He left Gainesville to become an assistant coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks under head coach Brad Scott from 1995 to 1997.

Reaves was to play for the Orlando Renegades during the USFL's 1986 fall season, but the league dissolved before they could play a game. Reaves next appeared as a replacement player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1987 strike. Reaves's NFL career was that of a journeyman back-up—and his NFL career total of 3,417 yards showed it. In Reaves's two seasons as the Bandits' full-time starting quarterback, however, he threw for over 4,000 yards passing both years (1984 and 1985), and just over 10,000 total yards in his three-season USFL career (1983–85).