Corazon C. Aquino, the unassuming housewife who toppled a dictator and restored democracy to the Philippines as its 11th president, has died. She was 76.

The elegant democracy icon, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008, was admitted to a hospital intensive care unit in late June after she stopped eating.

Rest In Peace, Corazon.

Actress Virginia Carroll, who appeared in numerous Westerns, died of natural causes July 23 in Santa Barbara. She was 95.

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Carroll's first marriage was to actor Ralph Byrd, who played Dick Tracy in early films and on TV. Her brother was L.A. newscaster Frank Carroll, while her second husband Lloyd McLean was a Fox cameraman.

She is survived by a daughter.

Rest In Peace, Virginia.

Sandford Dody, 90, a ghostwriter who as alter ego, confidant and shadow coaxed best-selling autobiographies out of Bette Davis, Helen Hayes and other stars of stage and screen, died July 4 of pneumonia at Christ Hospital in Jersey City, N.J. He lived in New York.

His death was confirmed by his close friend of 60 years, Granville McGee.

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Sandford John Dody was born in New York City on Aug. 30, 1918. When he was 12, his father sent him to live in a boarding house in Tucson because he had battled asthma his whole life. Survivors include a half brother, Peter Dody of Chevy Chase.

Rest In Peace, Sandford.

azz composer George Russell, a MacArthur fellow whose theories influenced the modal music of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, has died.

His publicist says Russell, who taught at the New England Conservatory, died Monday in Boston at age 86 of complications from Alzheimer's.

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Russell is survived by his wife, his son and three grandchildren. A release says a memorial service will be planned.

Rest In Peace, George.

Merce Cunningham, the avant-garde dancer and choreographer who revolutionized modern dance by creating works of pure movement divorced from storytelling and even from their musical accompaniment, has died at age 90, a spokeswoman said Monday.

Cunningham died on Sunday at his Manhattan home of natural causes, said Leah Sandals, spokeswoman for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Sandals would not specify the exact cause of death.

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The foundation did not provide information Monday on Cunningham's survivors and funeral arrangements were incomplete. The foundation said it was receiving visitors at the Manhattan studio all day on Monday.

Rest In Peace, Merce.