Emil Gilels, 68, world-acclaimed pianist who taught at the Moscow Conservatory of Music; he was the first Soviet artist to perform in the United States after the Stalin era in the 1950s; the last previous had been Serge Prokofiev in 1921; he appeared in New York and Chicago in 1955; Oct. 14, in Moscow.
Alice C. Browning, Chicago writer who, in the 1940s, was publisher of Negro Story magazine, which carried some of the earliest works of such writers as Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes and Chester Himes; she helped guide literary movements among blacks in the 1940s and again in the 1970s and was founder and prime mover of the International Black Writers Conference; Oct. 15, in a Crestwood nursing home.
John Henry ``Blind John`` Davis, 71, blues pianist who accompanied most of the great blues musicians on their records; he achieved international fame as a pianist and singer whose performances also included show tunes and standards; he had been a resident of Chicago since the age of 2, when his family moved from Mississippi; Oct. 12, in Chicago.
Alexander D. Wallace, 80, a Tulane University mathematician who helped develop the ``new math`` for elementary and secondary schools; as part of a team of mathematicians and educators, he helped develop the system that revolutionized the way mathematics was taught in the 1960s; he also was the founder of topological algebra, which is used in circuit design for guided missile systems and computer design; he was a consultant to industry, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the National Science Foundation; Oct. 16, in New Orleans.
Sidney R. Rabb, 84, chairman of the board of Stop & Shop Cos., based in Quincy, Mass., which operates supermarkets and other stores throughout New England; he was a philanthropist who donated time and money to many groups and institutions, including Beth Israel Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital; Oct. 13, in Boston.
Johnny Olson, 75, announcer who for 14 years told contestants on television`s ``The Price Is Right`` to ``come on down``; the veteran of 40 years in show business also had been host MC on such earlier TV shows as
``Break the Bank`` and ``Whiz Quiz`` and had worked behind the scenes on such shows as ``What`s My Line`` and ``To Tell the Truth``; Oct. 12, in Santa Monica, Calif., of a brain hemorrhage, one week after suffering a stroke.
Luis Medina, 43, Chicago architectural photographer whose work was exhibited throughout the world; Oct. 12, in Miami, of a brain tumor.
Paul Burney Johnson Jr., 69, governor of Mississippi from 1964 to 1968 who campaigned in 1963 as a staunch segregationist but guided the state out of segregation after winning election; his moderate approach during his tenure was credited with helping end racial violence in the state; Oct. 14, in a Jackson, Miss., hospital, apparently of a heart attack.
Edwin Bliss Wheeler, 67, retired Marine Corps major general who commanded the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam in the late 1960s and served in the corps for more than 30 years before retiring in 1972; his last assignment was as assistant chief of staff for the Marine Corps; Oct. 14, in Dallas, of a heart attack.
Francesca Bertini, 93, star of silent films who was considered the first
``diva`` of the Italian cinema; she made her film debut in 1904 and became an international star in 1915 with the film ``Assunta Spina``; in 1921, she married a Swiss count and semi-retired from the screen; Oct. 13, in Rome.
Bernard P. McDonough, 82, industrialist and philanthropist who was one of West Virginia`s wealthiest residents; in 1980, he sold for $180 million his McDonough Co., which included Endicott-Johnson Shoe Co., three concrete and building supply companies and the O. Ames Co., a manufacturer of garden tools; a year later, he bought part of the company back for $50 million; in 1972 he contributed $2 million to Georgetown University; Oct. 12, in Parkersburg, W.Va.
Osgood Caruthers, 70, foreign correspondent for 25 years who, at various times, served as bureau chief for the Associated Press, New York Times and Los Angeles Times and reported from western Europe, the Balkans, Middle East and Soviet Union; for four years in the 1960s, he was deputy press spokesman for the United Nations in New York; Oct. 14, in his West Stockbridge, Mass., home. Abdel-Moneim Rifai, 68, a former prime minister of Jordan and close adviser to King Hussein; a poet and royal counselor when not in government, he was prime minister for brief periods in 1969 and 1970; he also served as foreign minister and ambassador to several countries and the United Nations;
Oct. 17, in Amman, Jordan, of a heart attack.
Numa Francois Montet, 93, U.S. representative from Louisiana`s 3d Congressional District from 1929 to 1937; he was a one-time ally of Huey
``Kingfish`` Long but later joined his opponents and gave his allegiance to President Franklin Roosevelt; Oct. 12, in Thibodaux, La.