Rose E. Bird

Age: 63

Summary: liberal California judge who became the first woman chief justice of the state's supreme court when Gov. Jerry Brown appointed her chief justice in 1977, but California voters removed her from office in 1986 because of her staunch opposition to the death penalty, and who was widely criticized for being soft on crime as a passionate advocate for the environment and consumer rights.

Cause of Death: Breast cancer

Born: November 2, 1936

Died: December 4, 1999

Location: Palo Alto, California