The New York Times published an obituary for rocket scientist Yvonne Brill, which began by describing her beef stroganoff. After much protest, the writer rewrote the original lede: "She made a mean beef stroganoff."

Gerda Lerner, a pioneer of women's studies, died on January 2 at the age of 92. The New York Times' obituary sheds light on Lerner's fascinating life. In the mid-60s, she "entered an academic world in which women’s history scarcely existed." She went on to establish what is considered to be the first focused on women's history in the U.S. We have a lot to thank Lerner for.

In 2009, Elinor Ostrom, a political economist at Indiana University, became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics. On June 12 of this year, Ostrom died at the age of 78. A bit about her work from the Los Angeles Times' obituary of Ostrom: "Ostrom, a Los Angeles native who taught at Indiana University for nearly five decades, made her reputation by challenging a concept in the social sciences called the 'tragedy of the commons.'"

"Evelyn Bryan Johnson last flew a plane in 2005. Two years later, she remained eager to get back behind the controls," the New York Times reports. "But the loss of a leg and glaucoma conspired to end the flying career of the woman who at her death at 102, on Thursday in Jefferson City, Tenn., had piloted an airplane more hours than anybody else alive — 57,635.4 hours, or more than 6 1/2 years. No woman has flown more and only one man has. Neither have aeronautical giants like Chuck Yeager and John Glenn."

"Adrienne Rich, a poet of towering reputation and towering rage, whose work — distinguished by an unswerving progressive vision and a dazzling, empathic ferocity — brought the oppression of women and lesbians to the forefront of poetic discourse and kept it there for nearly a half-century, died on Tuesday," the New York Times reports. "Ms. Rich was for decades among the most influential writers of the feminist movement and one of the best-known American public intellectuals. She wrote two dozen volumes of poetry and more than a half-dozen of prose; the poetry alone has sold nearly 800,000 copies."

Ruth Barcan Marcus, who made significant advances in the traditionally male-dominated field of logic, has passed away at the age of 90. The New York Times reports that Marcus broke gender barriers in her area of philosophical study. However, the Times came under fire for not initially publishing an obituary of Marcus. An American Association of University Women blog post noted that Marcus may have been "the victim of the Times’ overall lack of coverage of women in its obituary section."

Mary Eady, feminist leader in Canada, has died at the age of 85. The Globe and Mail reports that as Women's Bureau director in Manitoba she "championed women’s rights on issues including pension reform, daycare and employment equity." She later served as deputy minister of labor in Manitoba and Women's Bureau director in Ottawa. "'Are you one of those women’s lib types?' people would ask her. 'Yes!' she would say, with a gentle smile. 'Isn’t everybody?'"

McCaffrey made her mark in the male-dominated world of science fiction writing starting in the 1960s, with books including the New York Times bestselling The White Dragon and the two dozen Dragonriders of Pern novels.

Barbara Grier, the co-founder of groundbreaking lesbian publishing house Naiad Press, has died of lung cancer at the age of 78. Along with her longtime partner Donna McBride, Grier founded Naiad Press in 1973 to publish books by and about lesbians.

“Maryellen was one of those girls that’s just always smiling and in a good mood. For being a girl that punched other girls in the face for a living, she was just very well respected by everyone.”

The American woman who helped create the Pink Ribbon campaign for breast cancer awareness has died. Evelyn Lauder was the daughter-in-law of Estee Lauder, who gave the name to the well-known cosmetics company. Evelyn Lauder died of ovarian cancer in New York City on Saturday. She was 75.

Laura Pollan who was one of Cuba's leading Las Damas de Blanco, died in hospital on October 14. Las Damas marched every Sunday in support of politial prisones. Pollan was married to Hector Maceda who was jailed in 2003 and who was released earlier this year.

The director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership at the University of Rochester, has gdied. Also a Long Island politician, Bredes is best known for her fight against a nuclear power plant on Long Island in the late 1980's; once she famously showed a photo of her infant son asking the public hearing to weigh that evidence.

Right To Information activist and NGO worker Shehla Masood was shot dead in front of her residence in Bhopal on Tuesday morning. According to reports, Shehla recently joined a fast in support of Anna Hazare's ‘India Against Corruption' campaign.

Christina Santiago was killed at the Sugarland Concert. The 29 year-old was a manager at the Community Care Project and board member of Amigas Latinas serving a lesbian, bisexual, transgender, women and was named to the Windy City Timess 30 Under 30 list. Her partner of two years, Alisha Marie Brennon survives her.