Cleusa Millet,67, who reluctantly gave up a career as an obstetrician to become the high priestess of a widely practiced African-Brazilian religion, died of cardiac arrest Thursday in her hometown of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.

Known to her followers as Mae Cleusa, or Mother Cleusa, she was the leader of the most famous temple of a religion known as candomble.

Maynard Parker,58, who was editor of Newsweek magazine for 17 years, died Friday in New York of complications from pneumonia. He had recently recovered from leukemia.

The Rev. Lynn Hageman,67, a drug-counseling pioneer who founded Exodus House, a nationally known drug-treatment center in East Harlem, N.Y., died of a heart attack Oct. 3.

Pub Date: 10/18/98