William Baxter; Helped Dismantle AT & T
William Baxter, 69, the federal antitrust lawyer who orchestrated the dismantling of AT & T and reorganization of the telephone industry. As antitrust chief in the U.S. Department of Justice during the Reagan administration, Baxter settled the government’s seven-year case against the telephone monopoly and established the framework for its breakup into Baby Bells. His work on the AT & T case earned him, along with Thomas E. Kauper, the John Sherman Award for outstanding work from the Justice Department in 1996. As assistant attorney general, Baxter also dismissed a long-running antitrust case against IBM and restructured the federal merger guidelines for corporations. Baxter earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford University and spent much of his life teaching law there. Over the years, he served on presidential task forces on antitrust policy for Lyndon B. Johnson and on telecommunications policy for Richard M. Nixon. His work for Citibank involving credit cards resulted in his book “Retail Banking in the Electronic Age,” published in 1977. On Friday in Los Altos, Calif.
Roy Benavidez; Medal of Honor Winner
Roy Benavidez, 63, the Latino hero who as a Green Beret earned the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. President Reagan awarded Benavidez the medal in 1981 for his heroism demonstrated on May 2, 1968. Benavidez, wounded three dozen times during a rescue operation that day, saved eight fellow Green Berets trapped by enemy fire during a secret mission into Cambodia. His story was chronicled in the 1995 book “Medal of Honor: A Vietnam Warrior’s Story,” which he co-wrote with John Craig. The son of a sharecropper, Benavidez had only a seventh-grade education but often spoke to Latino students about the importance of studying hard and being a good citizen. Several Texas schools were named for him. On Sunday in San Antonio of respiratory failure and complications of diabetes.
Evelyn Del Rio; Former Child Actress
Evelyn Del Rio, 67, a former child actress who performed with W.C. Fields. Born Evelyn Bernadette Janer in Cantano, Puerto Rico, she began her career at age 3 with a radio show called “The Baby Evelyn Show.” Known as “the Latin Shirley Temple,” Del Rio was a headline dancer at the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater from age 3 to 13. She also toured with Carmen Miranda. Del Rio acted in 17 movies, including “The Bank Dick” and “You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man” with Fields. She performed for servicemen during World War II. After marrying Arthur L. Anderson, Del Rio largely retired as an entertainer to raise their four sons. On Thursday in Burbank of complications from diabetes and a stroke.
David H. McDade; Band Founder
David H. “Butch” McDade, 52, the drummer and songwriter for the Amazing Rhythm Aces. McDade founded the band and played with it until the group broke up in 1981. He wrote many songs for the band, including “Last Letter Home,” “The Beautiful Lie” and “Pretty Words.” Singer and songwriter Russell Smith reorganized the band in 1995, and wrote its most durable hit, “Third Rate Romance.” McDade also had played drums for Tanya Tucker, Leon Russell, Lonnie Mack and Roy Clark. On Sunday in Maryville, Tenn., of cancer.
Joseph F. Unanue; Executive at Goya Foods
Joseph F. Unanue, 41, an executive with Goya Foods, one of the country’s largest Latino-owned businesses. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Unanue graduated from Duke University and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina. He was a professor of business administration at the University of Puerto Rico. Unanue, the former general manager of Goya de Puerto Rico, was named vice president of operations for the company in 1995. His father, Joseph A. Unanue, is president and chief executive of the company, based in Secaucus, N.J. On Saturday in Seattle of complications of bone cancer.
George Van Eps; Developed 7-String Guitar
George Van Eps, 85, the jazz guitarist known for developing the seven-string guitar. A native of Plainfield, N.J., Van Eps started playing his father’s banjo while recuperating from a childhood bout with rheumatic fever. By age 11 he was playing in clubs, and he made his first album, still playing banjo, when he was 14. Impressed by jazz guitarist Eddie Lang, whom he heard on radio, Van Eps switched to guitar and later played with Lang in the Smith Ballew Band. Van Eps also worked with Benny Goodman, George Gershwin and Fats Waller. When he moved to Los Angeles in 1936, Van Eps enlisted guitar maker Epi Stathopoulo to add a seventh string to his instrument. The added string enabled Van Eps to add bass lines so that he could play lead lines, bass notes and harmonic rhythm support all at once. Van Eps worked as a studio musician in Hollywood for many years and more recently performed in Orange County clubs. On Sunday in Newport Beach of pneumonia.
