John Atta Mills obituary: President of Ghana dies at 68

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The onetime headmistress of an elite girls’ school fatally shot Dr. Herman Tarnower, her lover and the creator of the famous “Scarsdale Diet.” The killing generated front-page headlines and national debates about whether she was a feminist martyr or vengeful murderer. She was 89. Full obituary
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The Hawaii Democrat was the second-longest-serving senator in U.S. history. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his World War II combat heroics. He was 88. Full obituary
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Niemeyer, who loved curves in design and disliked right angles, shared architecture’s Pritzker Prize in 1988. He designed the major buildings that form the heart of Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. He was 104. Full obituary | Photos

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Though already a television star for his role on 1960s sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie,” Hagman is best known for playing villainous patriarch J.R. Ewing in the TV soap “Dallas.” In 1980, an estimated 300 million viewers in 57 countries saw J.R. get shot. Hagman was 81. Full obituary
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Writer of the bestselling 1962 book “Sex and the Single Girl,” Brown broke ground by discussing the sex life of single women. The book led to led to a syndicated newspaper column, a movie of the same name and, in 1965, to Brown’s role as editor of Cosmopolitan. She was 90. Full obituary

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A rare author and screenwriter whose works appealed to highbrow readers and mainstream movie-goers, Ephron wrote fiction that was distinguished by characters who seemed simultaneously normal and extraordinary. Her hit movies include “Sleepless in Seattle,” “When Harry Met Sally...” and “Julie & Julia.” She was 71. Full obituary

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Best known for her Oscar-nominated supporting role as a blowsy barfly in the 1972 movie “Fat City,” Tyrrell’s film credits also included “Islands in the Stream,” “Angel,” and “Cry-Baby.” Critics “hailed her as one of the best screen drunks they’d ever seen,” Roderick Mann later wrote in The Times. She was 67. Full obituary

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Dubbed “one of the true powerhouses of the pop music business” by Fortune magazine in 1986, the year she became BMI’s president and chief executive, Frances Williams Preston was a key figure in Nashville’s growth as a major music center, and nurtured the careers of numerous songwriters. She was 83. Full obituary

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The star linebacker at USC and for his hometown San Diego Chargers made the Pro Bowl 12 years in a row and was voted All-Pro 10 times. He apparently ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 43. Full obituary

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Born Thomas Austin Preston Jr., the colorful and quotable Amarillo Slim won the World Series of Poker in 1972 and began promoting the game on TV and in books. He brought the game “out of the back alleys,” one expert said. He was 83. Full obituary

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By Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times

July 25, 2012 12 AM PT

JOHANNESBURG — Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, who vowed that the nation’s oil reserves would be used for the good of the people, died Tuesday shortly after becoming ill, officials said.

Mills, who turned 68 on Saturday, had planned to run for a second term as president in December.

According to reports from Ghana, Mills complained of pains Monday and died Tuesday at a military hospital in the capital, Accra. No other details were given, but he was said to be suffering from throat cancer.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama, who was sworn in as president hours after Mills died, said the country was “devastated” by the death.

People cried in the streets of Accra upon hearing the news, the Associated Press reported.

Ghana, which has posted strong growth in recent years, is seen as a beacon of democracy in West Africa. Ghana’s main export is cocoa, but the country began oil production two years ago.

President Obama visited in 2009, six months after Mills took office. When Obama received him in the Oval Office in March, the president praised Mills’ record as a leader.

Mills’ predecessor, John Kufuor, stepped down after two presidential terms. Mills had twice run unsuccessfully for president against Kufuor before capturing the office in 2008 after a runoff vote that was the closest in the country’s history. Mills had run on a platform of change.

“People are complaining. They’re saying that their standard of living has deteriorated these past years,” he told AP at the time. “So if Ghana is a model of growth, it’s not translating into something people can feel.”

Born in 1944 in Western Ghana, Mills held a law degree from the University of Ghana. He earned a doctorate from London’s School of Oriental and African Studies before studying at Stanford University as a Fulbright scholar.

Mills taught at the University of Ghana for many years before entering politics. He also served as vice president to Ghana’s military ruler, Jerry Rawlings, from 1997 to 2001.

Mills is survived by his wife, Ernestina Naadu Mills, and their son, Sam Kofi Atta Mills.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com