Obituaries

One of television's greatest comedy writers has died. Madelyn Pugh Davis, who with Bob Carroll, Jr., wrote the scripts for the legendary I Love Lucy television series, has died at the age of 90.

She continued to work with Lucille Ball over the following decades.

"Madelyn was such a class act," Arnaz said. "She was a very private person, very soft-spoken, genteel, feminine — all those lovely words you associate with great ladies. And yet she had the ability to write this wacky, insane comedy for my mother.

"She and Bob together were just such a wonderful team, a great match-up. They complemented each other's zaniness."

Davis and Carroll, who were along for the "I Love Lucy" show's entire ride, wrote a string of classic episodes such as the ones in which Lucy and Ethel ( Vivian Vance) are chocolate candy dippers trying to contend with a fast-moving conveyor belt, Lucy stomps grapes in Italy, and she gets increasingly drunk doing a TV commercial for the health tonic Vitameatavegamin.

_____

Republican strategist William Rusher, who also published William F. Buckley's magazine National Review, after a long illness. He was 87.
_____

Actor Michael Sarrazin, 70, of cancer.
_____

Norwegian distance runner Greta Waitz, 57, after a six-year battle with cancer.
_____