In Passing

Robert Takasugi, federal judge

Los Angeles – U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi, who was sent to an internment camp with his family during World War II and overcame discrimination to become the first Japanese-American appointed to the federal bench, has died at the age of 78.

Takasugi, a much-honored jurist who authored groundbreaking opinions on constitutional issues during his 33 years on the bench, died Tuesday at a Los Angeles nursing home.

Born in Tacoma, Takasugi and his mother moved to Los Angeles in his teens; he attended the University of California at Los Angeles and University of Southern California Law Center.

He was appointed to the East Los Angeles Municipal Court bench by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1973. He was named to the federal bench by President Gerald Ford in 1976.

C. Gwathmey, modern architect

New York – Charles Gwathmey, an architect known for his influential modernist home designs and famous clients like director Steven Spielberg, has died. He was 71.

Gwathmey died of cancer Monday in Manhattan.

The architect formed the firm of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates with Robert Siegel in 1968. Along with homes, their projects included a controversial overhaul and addition to New York’s Guggenheim Museum and other museum designs.

Gwathmey’s homes, many of them in Long Island’s wealthy Hamptons area, are notable for their unorthodox geometrical designs and complex use of space. Along with Spielberg, his clients included Jerry Seinfeld and Hollywood mogul David Geffen.