A slightly delayed Memorial Monday but there are a few passings of note. Graham Greene (the actor), designer Giorgio Armani, & Katharine, Duchess of Kent.
Graham Greene was born June 22nd, 1952. He was First Nations, specifically Oneida, & very active in television, film, & theater. Greene's career spanned 50 years, during which he won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in Dances with Wolves. He was also praised for his role in the 1994 movie Maverick (and of course, QPL does have access to the tv show that the movie is based on). In discussing Native American people in film, Greene noted that he would like to see depictions of them beyond being just stoic, saying, "My people are very funny." With such a long career, he had the opportunity to do a wide range of representation, as well as a variety of genres. In terms of movies, Greene appeared in: Thunderheart, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Grey Owl, the Green Mile, Snow Dogs, Transamerica, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Winter's Tale, Wind River, A Thief of Time. Then there are the tv shows that he appeared in or had a long-running character in: Murder, She Wrote, Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Defiance, Longmire, Project Blue Book, 1883. Graham Greene passed away September 1, 2025.
Giorgio Armani was born July 11, 1934. Armani began his career as a window dresser & sales clerk at La Rinascente in Milan, later designing mensware for Nino Cerruti & freelancing for multiple manufacturers. In 1973, he & a partner opened a design office & in 1975, they founded Giorgio Armani, S.P.A (known simply as Armani), launching with men's & women's ready-to-war collection. As the brand expanded globally, several lines were introduced & the presence of cosmetics, perfumes, & home furnishings was established. And of course, Armani ventured into costume design, which led to work in over 100 films & cemented his international reputation. He also became an advocate for ethical practices within the fashion industry, including banning underweight models & promoting sustainable fashion. Armani passed away September 4, 2025. If you want to read up on him, QPL has access to a few books that make mention of Giorgio Armani (along with a few other designers) - Fashion: The 50 Most Influential Fashion Designers of All Time, 50 Fashion Designers You Should Know, & Fashion Designers A-Z: The Collection of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent was born February 22, 1933. She married into the British Royal Family, marrying Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II). In 1996, the Duchess of Kent took a position as a music teacher & continued on for several years, all the while maintaining a low profile & allowing her royal identity to remain unrecognized by the school community, preferring to go by "Mrs. Kent." In later years, she talked about her career as a music teacher & said "teaching children is very satisfying. It's a privilege. To me, it's one of the most exciting jobs anyone can do." From 1999 to 2007, the Duchess of Kent was the director of the National Foundation for Youth Music & for a while, she served as the president of the Royal Northern College of Music. The Duke & Duchess of Kent both also took on royal duties. The Duchess of Kent passed away September 4, 2025. Of course, the Quincy Public Library has access to all sorts of materials relating to the British Royal Family.