Final Chapters: Powers Boothe, Chris Cornell, Roger Ailes

Powers Boothe was a character actor known for his roles as a villain in TV’s “Deadwood” and the movies “Tombstone,” “Sin City” and “The Avengers.” He died May 14 of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist. He was 68. Boothe won an Emmy award in 1980 for playing cult leader Jim Jones in the TV movie “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.” He had memorable roles as ruthless saloon owner Cy Tolliver in “Deadwood,” gunman Curly Bill Brocius in “Tombstone” and a corrupt senator in “Sin City.”

Chris Cornell was lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He died May 17 in Detroit hours after Soundgarden had performed there. He was 52. The death was a suicide by hanging, the Wayne County medical examiner’s office said in a statement. Cornell and Soundgarden played a concert on May 14 at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City. Soundgarden’s 1994 album “Superunknown” won two Grammys and sold more than five million units in the U.S.

Roger Ailes was a communications maestro who transformed TV news by creating Fox News Channel, only to be ousted from his media empire at the height of his reign for alleged sexual harassment. He died May 18 after a fall at his Palm Beach, Fla., home on May 10 caused bleeding on the brain, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office said. He was 77.

Brad Grey was chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures for 12 years. He died May 14 at his home in Los Angeles. A family spokesperson said he was battling cancer. He was 59. Before exiting Paramount in February, Grey oversaw franchises such as “Star Trek,” “Transformers” and “Mission: Impossible.” He produced director Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” which won Best Picture in 2007. He also produced multiple Emmy Award-winning television shows, including “The Sopranos,” “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”

Steve Palermo was a former major-league umpire whose career ended when he was shot and partly paralyzed in 1991 after intervening in a robbery outside a Dallas restaurant. He died May 14 of cancer in Overland Park. He was 67. Palmero was an American League umpire for 15 seasons. He was hired as an umpire supervisor by Major League Baseball in 2000 and held the position until his death.

Ian Brady was a killer of five children whose role in the 1960s “Moors Murders” made him one of Britain’s most reviled criminals. He died May 15 at a high-security psychiatric hospital in northwestern England, health officials said. No cause of death was immediately given. He was 79. Brady and his girlfriend, Myra Hindley, were convicted and sentenced to life in 1966 for the vicious murders of 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey and 17-year-old Edward Evans. Brady was also found guilty of killing John Kilbride, 12. The pair confessed in 1987 to murdering two more children, Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett, 12. Hindley died in prison in 2002. British newspapers greeted news of Brady’s death with grim satisfaction. “Monster Brady is dead,” said the front page of The Sun. “Burn in hell Brady,” said the Daily Mirror.

Wayne Walker was a Pro Bowl linebacker for the Detroit Lions. He died May 19 in Boise, Idaho, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 80. Walker played for the Lions during 1958-72 and made the Pro Bowl three times. He also was a kicker, scoring 345 points in his career. After his playing career, he was an NFL analyst for CBS and the San Francisco 49ers.

Oleg Vidov was a matinee idol in the Soviet Union who defected to the United States at the height of the Cold War and enjoyed a long acting career in Hollywood. He died May 15 at his home near Los Angeles of complications from cancer, according to his wife, Joan Borsten Vidov. He was 73. Vidov orchestrated an escape to the West through Yugoslavia in 1985 and landed in California, where he was dubbed the “Soviet Robert Redford.” Among the films he appeared in were “Red Heat” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and “Wild Orchid” with Mickey Rourke.

Chuck Davis was a dancer and choreographer widely regarded as America’s foremost master of African dance. He died May 14 at his home in Durham, N.C. No cause of death was announced. He was 80. Davis’ death was announced by the African American Dance Ensemble, which he founded in Durham in the early 1980s and directed until 2015.

Beatrice Trum Hunter was an early organic foods advocate best known as the author of “The Natural Foods Cookbook.” She died May 17 in hospice care in Hillsborough, N.H. She was 98. Hunter wrote “The Natural Foods Cookbook” in 1961, long before organic foods became a staple at supermarkets. She wrote 38 books in all.

Frank Brian was a basketball star at LSU and played 10 years in the pros. He died May 14 in his hometown of Zachary, La. He was 94. He was All-Southeastern Conference in basketball in 1942-43 and again in 1947 after returning from serving in the Army in World War II. Brian was National Basketball League rookie of the year in 1948 with the Anderson Packers. He played for Tri-Cities and Fort Wayne in the NBA. He was a two-time All-Star in both the NBL and NBA, and played in the NBA’s first All-Star Game in 1951.