Todor Zhivkov,86, the Communist ruler of Bulgaria from 1954 until his ouster in 1989, died Wednesday night at a hospital in the capital, Sofia. Doctors said he died of complications following a respiratory infection in July.

Fabrice Simon,47, a fashion designer whose sparkling evening wear symbolized the glamour of the 1980s, died July 29 of AIDS

in New York.

Yuen Charoensuk,84, Thailand's famed crocodile hunter and tamer, died Saturday in Bangkok of lung disease. Also known as Uncle Yao, he suffered from emphysema.

DTC Alfred Schnittke,63, one of the former Soviet Union's most prolific composers whose works ranged from symphonies to movie themes, died yesterday in Hamburg, Germany.

Pub Date: 8/07/98