People News Roundup: Ram Dass passes away; Joseph Segel dies at 88 and more

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Ram Dass, psychedelic drug pioneer, dies at home aged 88

Ram Dass, who in the 1960s joined Timothy Leary in promoting psychedelic drugs as the path to inner enlightenment before undergoing a spiritual rebirth he spelled out in the influential book "Be Here Now," died at home on Sunday. He was 88 years old. "With tender hearts we share that Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) died peacefully at home in Maui on December 22, 2019 surrounded by loved ones," according to his official Instagram account.

Home shopping network QVC founder Joseph Segel dies at 88

Joseph Segel, the founder of home shopping television channel QVC, died on Saturday at the age of 88, the company's parent said on Sunday. Qurate Retail Group called Segel the "quintessential entrepreneur" in a statement announcing his death.

French fashion designer Ungaro dies at 86

Designer Emanuel Ungaro, who trained with Spanish maestro Cristobal Balenciaga before becoming a fixture of the Paris fashion scene for four decades, has died at the age of 86, French media reported on Sunday. Ungaro, who retired from his eponymous fashion house in 2004, had been in poor health for the past two years, his family told AFP.