2010 deaths

Helen Matusevich Oujesky (August 14, 1930 – February 1, 2010) was an American professor of microbiology at the University of Texas, San Antonio. In this capacity she actively pursued environmental research on pollution of soil and water, particularly of toxic wastes.In her career span of 45 years in the field of education and research, Oujesky was the recipient of several awards such as from the National Science Foundation, Student Science Training Programs for High School Students, Minority Research Programs for Minority High School Students, and an Intervention Model Program for Girls Using Laboratory Activities in Science, Math and Engineering. On 30 January 1997, her name was incorporated in the Texas Women's Hall of Fame.

Christopher Kovacevich (Serbian: Христофор Ковачевић / Hristofor Kovačević; December 25, 1928 – August 18, 2010) was metropolitan bishop of Libertyville and Chicago in the Serbian Orthodox Church making him Primate of Serbian Orthodox Christians in America. He was also the first American-born bishop to serve a diocese of the Serbian Church in North America.

Mildred Fay Jefferson (April 6, 1927 – October 15, 2010) was an American physician and anti-abortion political activist. The first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School, the first woman to graduate in surgery from Harvard Medical School and the first woman to become a member of the Boston Surgical Society, she is known for her opposition to the legalization of abortion and her work as president of the National Right to Life Committee.

Billy Buie Blakeley (June 13, 1934 – October 27, 2010) was an American basketball coach. He coached at the high school, college, and professional levels.

John Neil Seward Jr. (October 11, 1924 – November 10, 2010) was a World War II veteran who was assigned to military intelligence in 1941 because of his knowledge of Japanese at a time when very few Americans knew the language. Following the war, Seward continued his intelligence work in Japan, during Allied occupation. After his time in the military and, later on, in the CIA, he worked with a number of companies and became a prolific writer. Some of his 45 books, in Japanese and English, are still used today. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1986 for his efforts to spread knowledge of Japanese culture and language.

Shelley Mayfield (June 19, 1924 – March 22, 2010) was an American golf course architect and professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s.

Clinton Clarence Hartung (August 10, 1922 – July 8, 2010), nicknamed "the Hondo Hurricane", was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952.

Viva Leroy Nash (September 10, 1915 – February 12, 2010) was an American career criminal and one of the oldest prisoners in history as well as one of those longest incarcerated (for a total of 70 years), spending almost 80 years behind bars. He was the oldest American on death row at the time of his death in February 2010.Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Nash spent much of his life in and out of prison for crimes including transporting stolen vehicles, robbery, and attempted murder. He was first imprisoned in 1930 at 15 years old for armed robbery.
In 1947 at 32 years old, he was sentenced to prison again after shooting a Connecticut police officer. He spent almost 25 years behind bars.
In 1977 he was sentenced to life for having murdered postal carrier David J. Woodhurst, but escaped from a prison work crew in 1982, at age 66, where soon after he went into a coin shop in Phoenix, Arizona, and shot an employee dead.Nash was sentenced to death in 1983. His attorneys claimed that senility had rendered him legally incompetent to be executed, describing him as a "doddering old man, who can't hear, can't see, can't walk, and is very, very loony". The sentence was never carried out; Nash died of natural causes on February 12, 2010, at the age of 94 in the Arizona Eyman State Prison Complex. At the time of his death, he was the oldest person on death row in the US. Sadamichi Hirasawa died on death row in Japan in 1987, nearly one year older with a full 95 years and three months.

Frank Waring Lewis (August 25, 1912 – November 18, 2010) was an American cryptographer and cryptic crossword compiler. His puzzles were printed in The Nation for over 60 years, for a total of 2,962 puzzles. Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Vonnegut, and Katha Pollitt were listed among the fans of his puzzles.

Elli Parvo (born Elvira Gobbo; 17 October 1915 – 19 February 2010) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1934 and 1960.