James Biddle Preservationist
James Biddle, 75, who was president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for more than a decade, died March 10 at the suburban family estate outside Philadelphia where he was born. No cause of death was given.
Mr. Biddle was a sixth-generation Philadelphian whose ancestors included William Biddle, a friend of William Penn's who came to New Jersey in 1681, and financier Nicholas Biddle, who founded the second bank in the United States.
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Mr. Biddle studied art and archaeology at Princeton University, served in the Army and, in 1959, married Louisa DuPont Copeland.
After working as a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, he served as president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation from 1968 to 1980.
Richard P. Godwin Defense Department Official
Richard P. Godwin, 82, a Defense Department official in the Reagan administration, died March 3 in San Rafael, Calif. He had complications from progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease similar to Parkinson's disease.
After working for more than two decades at Bechtel Corp., an engineering and construction company, Mr. Godwin was brought to the Defense Department in 1987 to become the first undersecretary for procurement. He was brought in following reports that the Pentagon was paying excessive amounts for items such as coffeepots and toilet seats.
He resigned in 1988, saying he was not getting support from Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Deputy Secretary William Howard Taft IV to carry out the reforms. Since then, many of the changes Mr. Godwin pushed have been adopted, including increased competition for suppliers.
George Scott Gospel Singer
George Scott, 75, a founding member of the Blind Boys of Alabama gospel group, died March 9 in Durham, N.C., of complications from diabetes and a heart condition, a month after winning his fourth consecutive Grammy Award.
The gospel group won the award of Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for "There Will Be a Light" with Ben Harper.
Mr. Scott, a native of Alabama, formed the Happy Land Jubilee Singers with Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter, whom he met while they were students at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in Talladega. The group changed its name to the Blind Boys of Alabama in the mid-1940s. Mr. Scott, known for his booming baritone, retired last year from the group's touring schedule but still made recordings.
Nicole DeHuff Actress
Nicole DeHuff, 31, an actress who memorably took a volleyball in the face from Ben Stiller in the 2000 hit movie "Meet the Parents," died Feb. 16 in Hollywood of complications from pneumonia.
"Meet the Parents" was Ms. DeHuff's first film. In the movie, a bumbling Stiller, who is dating her sister, accidentally breaks her nose during a volleyball game on the eve of her wedding. The action is one of many that estrange Stiller from Ms. DeHuff's menacing father, played by Robert De Niro.
The actress also appeared in the films "Suspect Zero" and "See Arnold Run" and had a starring role in the recently completed movie "Unbeatable Harold," which was directed by her husband, Ari Palitz.
