Roy Evans, 88, the former president of the International Table Tennis Federation who was instrumental in the “ping-pong diplomacy” between China and the United States, died May 18 in Cardiff, Wales.
He was in Beijing in 1971 when he was summoned to meet Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, who said China was eager to restore its place in the sport after a six-year absence from competition.
He suggested that China invite several Western teams to visit after that year’s championships in Japan. Later, he was astonished to learn that China had invited the U.S. team, too.
That year, President Richard M. Nixon announced steps to facilitate visits by Chinese to the United States and to relax trade restrictions. A year later, he visited China.
PTC Douglas V. Fowley, 86, a character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and television series during his five-decade career, died May 21 in Los Angeles. Mr. Fowley, who had parts in “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Walking Tall,” appeared in films alongside some of entertainment’s biggest names, including Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Esther Williams, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
Pub Date: 5/29/98
