Victor Navarra, 55, a longtime firefighter who coordinated the start of the New York City Marathon for a quarter-century, died Sunday of cancer in his head and neck that he believed was caused by his volunteer work at the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, his family said.
Navarra earned praise for handling the daunting logistical task of staging the marathon as it grew into an event with nearly 40,000 runners.
Navarra, an avid runner, first volunteered for the marathon in 1981 and became coordinator in 1983, family spokeswoman and friend Terry Raskyn said.
He and his wife, Joanne, eventually started a race consulting firm that would take them around the world. Despite his illness, he attended this year’s marathon, with his wife coordinating the start.
Rhoda Pritzker, 93, whose late husband was a founder of the Hyatt hotel chain and a namesake of the world’s most prestigious architecture prize, died Dec. 23 in Casey Key, Fla., her son said.
She was married to Chicago businessman Jack Pritzker. He and brother Abram Nicholas Pritzker built an empire that includes the Hyatt hotel chain. Jack Pritzker died in 1979.
Rhoda Pritzker was born in Manchester, England, and worked as a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corp. and other outlets. She moved to the United States and continued working as a journalist.
She became a philanthropist and served on many boards including The Theater School at DePaul University, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota Bay, Fla., and the New College of Florida.
The family is responsible for the Pritzker Prize, considered architecture’s most prestigious honor.
