Manfred Ohrenstein, a reformer who served in the New York State Senate for 34 years and successfully championed progressive legislation that safeguarded rent controls, legalized abortion, and repealed the death penalty, died on Nov. 18 at his home in Manhattan. He was 99.

In addition to his government service, Mr. Ohrenstein was a founder of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan.

Richard Perry, a record producer who became one of the most sought-after figures behind the scenes of pop music in the 1970s and ‘80s through his work with Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, the Pointer Sisters and others, died on Dec. 24 in Los Angeles. He was 82.

A trained oboist and drummer who had sung in a teenage doo-wop group, Mr. Perry had a deft ear for crafting the sharpest and most appealing performance of a song. Thatr often involved huge studio budgets and exacting attention to detail. For “You’re So Vain,” he went through three drummers in search of the ideal beat. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

“I try to make the artist the biggest and best they can possibly be,” he told Musician magazine in 1985. “I always conceived of producing as bringing the artist to life in someone’s living room in the most glorious, complimentary performance one could imagine.”

Yehuda Bauer, whose family narrowly escaped the Nazis in their flight to Mandatory Palestine from Czechoslovakia in 1939, and who later drew on that experience in becoming a leading scholar of the Holocaust and antisemitism, died on Oct. 18 at his home in Jerusalem. He was 98.

Fluent in German, English, Yiddish and other languages, Dr. Bauer pored over archives and conducted numerous interviews with survivors, material he used in writing some 40 books and countless journal articles.

“The Holocaust is unprecedented,” he often said. “But it is not unique. If it were unique, we could forget about it, because it could happen only once. But it could happen again. We are here because we want to avoid that.”

Lynda Obst a New York journalist turned Hollywood producer, who promoted women in films like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Contact” while writing dispatches from Hollywood for The Atlantic and The New York Times, died on Oct. 22 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 74.

As a producer, she excelled at frothy romantic comedies and serious science fiction dramas. She was at times an outspoken critic of the movie industry, especially its treatment of women, and was an advocate for stories focused on women.

In 1993, in need of an escape from the pressure chamber of Hollywood, Ms. Obst bought a ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas, about 80 miles west of Austin. With its awe-inspiring views, it became her happy place. “No special-effects house can beat our own,” she said.

Alan Rachins who became widely recognizable for his roles on “L.A. Law” and “Dharma & Greg,” died on Nov. 2 in Los Angeles. He was 82.

The characters — one an officious lawyer, the other an aging hippie — were eccentric, but extremely popular. “L.A. Law” was so popular that some real-life lawyers worried at the time that the show could affect juries’ behavior. In 1990, one lawyer told The New York Times, “Any lawyer who doesn’t watch ‘L.A. Law’ the night before he’s going to trial is a fool.” In 1998, Mr. Rachins was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.

Bernie Marcus, who envisioned a big-box store aimed at do-it-yourselfers and turned it into Home Depot, the world’s largest home-improvement retailer, died on Nov. 4 in Boca Raton FL. He was 95.

Today, Home Depot has more than 2,300 stores across North America, and records more than $150 billion in annual revenue. Home Depot employees were called “associates,” and not only were paid more than minimum wage, but also received stock options. More than 3,000 of the company’s original employees, including former secretaries and sales associates became millionaires as the company’s fortunes soared. The company would eventually employ more than half a million people.

He retired as chairman and chief executive in 2002, and devoted his life to philanthropy, supporting programs for children with brain disorders, children’s health, medical research, Jewish causes, veterans’ initiatives, national security, and political causes from which Home Depot stores distanced itself.

Of his success, Mr. Marcus said, “The key is not to make the sale; the key is to cultivate the customer…Care for them today, and they’ll be back tomorrow.”