In passing: Robert Stafford, 93, former senator

Former Sen. Robert Stafford, a staunch environmentalist and champion of education whose name is familiar to countless college students through a loan program named for him, died Saturday. He was 93.

Stafford, who had been in declining health, was surrounded by family at a Rutland nursing home when he died at 9:30 a.m., said Neal Houston, his former chief of staff.

Stafford served two years as governor, 11 years in the House and 17 in the Senate before retiring in early 1989.

As ranking Republican on the Senate’s environment committee, Stafford repeatedly defended the Superfund program to clean up contaminated sites and shepherded bills combating acid rain and automobile pollution.

In 1988, Congress renamed the Federal Guaranteed Student Loan program the Robert T. Stafford Student Loan program. The low-interest loans are now known almost universally as Stafford loans to the millions who qualify for them each year.

Stafford is survived by his wife, Helen, and their four daughters. Houston said a private family service was being arranged. A larger public memorial would be held in January, he said.

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.

Mike Evans, 57, sitcom actor

Actor Mike Evans, best known as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” has died. He was 57.

Evans died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother’s home in Twentynine Palms, said his niece, Chrystal Evans.

Evans, along with Eric Monte, also created and wrote for “Good Times,” one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily black cast.

Michael Jonas Evans was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Salisbury, N.C. His father, Theodore Evans Sr., was a dentist while his mother, Annie Sue Evans, was a schoolteacher.

The family moved to Los Angeles when Evans was a child.

He studied acting at Los Angeles City College before getting the role of Lionel Jefferson in the 1970s situation comedy “All in the Family.”

Evans kept the role of Lionel when “The Jeffersons” launched in 1975. The hit show was a spinoff featuring bigoted Archie Bunker’s black neighbors in Queens who “move on up to the East Side” of Manhattan.

Evans was replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) for four years, then returned to the series from 1979 to 1981.

MANAMA, Bahrain

Abdul-Ameer al-Jamri, 67

Abdul-Ameer al-Jamri, a spiritual leader of Bahrain’s Shiite opposition who was jailed after riots against the country’s Sunni leadership, died Monday of heart and kidney failure. He was 67.

“He was a father figure for Shiite Bahrainis. His legacy will start today. He had great influence during his life,” said his son, Mansour al-Jamri, a leading columnist and editor at the independent Alwasat newspaper.

Shiites across the tiny island state went into deep mourning, hanging black flags and banners outside their houses and pasting pictures of al-Jamri on walls and car windows.

Although his poor health had kept him out of active politics for several years, al-Jamri remained a spiritual mentor to the main opposition party, al-Wefaq, which won 17 of the parliament’s 40 seats in last month’s elections.

COLUMBIA, S.C.

Verne Smith, 81, pivotal ex-senator

Former state Sen. Verne Smith, whose 2001 party switch to the GOP gave Republicans control of the state Senate for the first time since Reconstruction, died Sunday, his son said. He was 81.

Smith died after a long illness that prevented his bone marrow from fighting infections, said his son, Jeff. The condition, diagnosed after Smith had gall bladder surgery more than a year ago, kept Smith out of the state Senate all session this year and he resigned in July.

After the 2000 elections, South Carolina’s Senate was evenly split with 23 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Smith, with the urging of President Bush, bolted from the Democratic Party and gave Republicans control of the Senate and the Legislature. Republicans had controlled the House since 1994.

Before resigning, Smith had risen to No. 2 in Senate seniority. He was known as an advocate for the frail, elderly and children and worked to expand the state’s Medicaid programs to help them.