Maria Esther Gatti de Islas, human rights activist

Maria Esther Gatti de Islas, 92, a human rights activist who helped found Uruguay's organization of relatives of people who disappeared during South America's "dirty wars," died Dec. 5.

A photograph of the eyes of her missing 18-month-old granddaughter became a symbol of the struggle of Uruguayan families to find out what happened to their loved ones who were taken away by a military dictatorship.

The girl was taken at the same time Mrs. Gatti's leftist activist daughter, Maria Emilia Islas, and son-in-law Jorge Zaffaroni were abducted in 1976 in Argentina as part of a crackdown coordinated by the dictatorships then ruling the nations of southern South America.

Mrs. Gatti became a militant in denouncing political disappearances. Working with an Argentine activist group, the Organization of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, Mrs. Gatti helped start the Uruguayan Association of Relatives of the Disappeared.

After a long investigation following the restoration of democracy, Mrs. Gatti's granddaughter, Mariana Zaffaroni, was found in 1992 living with a family of a former official of Argentina's repressive regime. Her identity was restored and her kidnappers were punished.

The fate of Mrs. Gatti's daughter and son-in-law are still unknown. They are among nearly 30 Uruguayans unaccounted for at home and about 300 people missing in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, rights groups say.

Hank Raymonds

Basketball Coach

Hank Raymonds, 86, a Marquette University athletic official who was head basketball coach from 1977 to 1983, compiling a career record of 126-50 at the Milwaukee college, died Dec. 6 of cancer.

Mr. Raymonds, a former assistant coach under Al McGuire, took over as head coach after McGuire's departure.

After his own coaching career, Mr. Raymonds continued working as the school's athletic director until 1987 and played a lead role in elevating Marquette's women's athletic teams to Division I status in 1985.

Mr. Raymonds joined Marquette's coaching staff in 1961 under then-head coach Eddie Hickey, who was Mr. Raymond's head coach at St. Louis University. Mr. Raymonds, a St. Louis native, was a 1949 graduate of St. Louis University.

Mr. Raymonds stayed on when McGuire took over as head coach in 1964, and became known as the sharp basketball tactician behind McGuire's charismatic personality.

Marquette won the NCAA national championship in 1977. All six of Mr. Raymonds's Marquette teams advanced to postseason play, including five trips to the NCAA Tournament. Five of his players were All-America honorees and 16 players were selected in the NBA draft. Rick Majerus succeeded Mr. Raymonds as coach in 1983.

- From News Services