DIED. Jean Stafford, 63, caustic lady of letters whose tautly structured short stories won a 1970 Pulitzer Prize; of a heart attack; in White Plains, N.Y. Acclaimed for her first novel, Boston Adventure, at age 29, Stafford went on to publish two more novels, numerous short stories and many nonfiction works. The widow of Press Critic A.J. Liebling and a sharp wit in conversation and prose, Stafford said: "I write for myself and God and a few close friends."

DIED. Luscious ("Luke") Easter, 63, big (6 ft. 4 1/2 in.), fence-busting first baseman for the Cleveland Indians (1949-54) and one of the first blacks to play in baseball's major leagues; of gunshot wounds inflicted by two robbers who shot him as he left a bank with the payroll for his co-workers at the TRW Inc. plant where he was a union steward; in Euclid, Ohio.

DIED. Ugo La Malfa, 75, newly named Deputy Premier of Italy and venerated leader of his country's small but influential Republican Party; of a stroke; in Rome. Active in the anti-Fascist resistance during World War II, the Sicilian-born La Malfa established himself as a champion of lean, efficient government and unfettered private enterprise while serving in seven governments and every parliament since 1946. Sometimes called the Ugocentric for his strong individuality, he was also nicknamed Cassandra for his pessimism. But he was perhaps best known as the Conscience of Italy for his personal integrity and his not always popular insistence that Italians must work harder, pay more taxes and live within their means.

DIED. Emmett Kelly, 80, creator of the sad-eyed hobo clown Weary Willie, whose mournful pantomime made him Ringling Brothers' biggest attraction for 14 years; of a heart attack; in Sarasota, Fla. Raised on a Missouri farm, Kelly left home at 19 seeking his fortune as a cartoonist in Kansas City. A series of jobs painting sideshow banners and Kewpie dolls drew him to the Big Top, and in 1922 he joined a small troupe as an aerialist-clown. He achieved lasting fame when he broke with the white-faced clown tradition to create the ragtag Willie, who delighted millions of circus fans with his soulful stares while nibbling on a cabbage, or misguided attempts to sweep up a moving spotlight with a broom.

DIED. Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra, 86, Ecuador's charismatic Caudillo who was elected President five times and deposed four; of a heart attack; in Quito. Though he spent only 13 years in power and nearly 30 years in exile in Argentina, he unnerved opponents throughout his life with his vow: "Give me a balcony, and I will govern Ecuador again." Last elected in 1969, he was removed in 1972, but returned to Quito earlier this year "to meditate and await death."

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