Deaths in 2015

This is a chronology of notable deaths in 2015. Names are reported under the date of death. Names under each date are reported in alphabetical order by family name or pseudonym. Deaths of non-human organisms are also reported here if they first have their own Wikipedia article. A typical entry reports information in the following sequence:

• Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent country of citizenship, reason for notability, established cause of death (if known) and reference.

May 2015

1

• Pete Brown, 80, American professional golfer.
• Amitabha Chowdhury, 87, Indian journalist.
• David Day, 63, Australian radio broadcaster (5KA, Triple M).
• María Elena Velasco, 74, Mexican actress, comedienne and film producer (La India María), stomach cancer.
• Gary Liddell, 60, Scottish footballer, (Grimsby Town, Heart of Midlothian). (death announced on this date)

April 2015

30

• Lennart Bodström, 87, Swedish politician, Minister for Foreign Affairs (1982–1985).
• Milap Chand Jain, 86, Indian judge and politician, Governor of Rajasthan (1990).
• Ben E. King, 76, American soul and R&B singer ("Stand by Me"), coronary heart disease.
• Gregory Mertens, 24, Belgian footballer, heart attack.
• Patachou, 96, French singer and actress.
• Ronald Senator, 89, British composer, house fire.
• Sky Classic, 28, Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse.

29

• Charles Benton, 84, American public digital media promoter, CEO of the Benton Foundation, cancer.
• Carlos Calderón Fajardo, 69, Peruvian journalist and novelist.
• Giovanni Canestri, 96, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Cagliari (1984–1987) and Genoa (1987–1995).
• Gopulu, 91, Indian cartoonist (Ananda Vikatan).
• Nicholas Gruner, 72, Canadian Roman Catholic priest, promoter of the message of Our Lady of Fatima, heart attack.
• John G. Heyburn II, 66, American federal judge, U.S. Chief Justice for the Western District of Kentucky (2001–2008), liver cancer.
• Valmir Louruz, 71, Brazilian football manager (Juventude, Pelotas).
• fr, 88, French businessman, CEO of Michelin (1955–1999).
• Vardan Militosyan, 64, Armenian weightlifter.
• Jean Nidetch, 91, American businesswoman, founder of Weight Watchers.
• Calvin Peete, 71, American golfer, Tournament Players champion (1985).
• Dan Walker, 92, American politician, Governor of Illinois (1973–1977), heart failure.
• Notable convicted drug traffickers executed by Indonesian firing squad:
  • Andrew Chan, 31, Australian
  • Rodrigo Gularte, 42, Brazilian
  • Myuran Sukumaran, 34, Australian

28

• Antônio Abujamra, 82, Brazilian actor and director.
• fr, 32, Swiss ice hockey player (EV Zug), traffic collision.
• zh, 8, Chinese actor, leukemia.
• René Féret, 69, French actor and director (Solemn Communion).
• Ashura Hara, 68, Japanese professional wrestler, pneumonia.
• Keith Harris, 67, British ventriloquist (Orville the Duck, Cuddles the Monkey), cancer.
• Yoshihiko Osaki, 76, Japanese Olympic swimmer, silver medalist (1960), pneumonia.
• ru, 52, Kazakh and Russian singer (A-Studio), heart attack.
• Xu Guangxian, 94, Chinese chemist.

27

• Randy Bennett, 51, Canadian swimming coach, cancer.
• Suzanne Crough, 52, American actress (The Partridge Family).
• Jack Ely, 71, American singer ("Louie Louie").
• Gene Fullmer, 83, American professional boxer, two-time middleweight world champion.
• Verne Gagne, 89, American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter (AWA).
• Frank Henderson, 92, American politician, member of the Idaho House of Representatives (2004–2014).
• Guy LeBlanc, 54, Canadian keyboard player (Nathan Mahl, Camel), kidney cancer.
• Andrew Lesnie, 59, Australian cinematographer (The Lord of the Rings, I Am Legend, The Water Diviner), Oscar winner (2002), heart attack.
• Harvey R. Miller, 82, American lawyer, ALS.
• Marty Napoleon, 93, American jazz pianist.
• T. H. Poole Sr., 88, American civil rights leader, complications from Alzheimer's disease.
• Lionel Repka, 80, Canadian ice hockey player (Fort Wayne Komets), liver cancer.
• Rudy Reyna, 67, Mexican professional wrestler, diabetes.
• Inês Etienne Romeu, 72, Brazilian political prisoner.
• Abraham Rotstein, 86, Canadian economist.
• de, 62, American classical trumpeter, (Empire Brass), heart attack.
• Chris Turner, 64, English football player and manager (Peterborough).

26

• Masudur Rahman Baidya, 46, Indian swimmer, heart attack.
• Talal Akbar Bugti, 63, Pakistani tribal leader and politician, cardiac arrest.
• Hojatollah Khatib, 61, Iranian sports administrator (Persepolis), cancer.
• Izatullo Khayoyev, 78, Tajik politician, Vice-President (1990–1991), Prime Minister (1991–1992).
• Jayne Meadows, 95, American actress (I've Got a Secret, Undercurrent, Song of the Thin Man).
• Marcel Pronovost, 84, Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs).
• Bill Valentine, 82, American baseball umpire.
• Wang Guozhen, 58, Chinese poet, liver cancer.

25

• Colin Bloomfield, 33, British radio presenter (BBC Radio Derby), skin cancer.
• Arthur Brittenden, 90, British newspaper editor.
• Edward Coke, 7th Earl of Leicester, 78, British nobleman.
• Jim Fanning, 87, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs) and manager (Montreal Expos).
• Paolo Galletti, 78, Italian swimmer.
• Jiří Hledík, 86, Czech footballer (FC Hradec Králové).
• zh, 56, Chinese politician, Communist Party Secretary for Quanzhou, breast cancer.
• fr, 55, Czech racing driver, triple European hillclimb champion (1995, 1997, 1998), training collision.
• Sabeen Mahmud, 40, Pakistani human rights activist, shot.
• Don Mankiewicz, 93, American screenwriter (I Want to Live!, Ironside, Profiles in Courage), heart failure.
• Mike Phillips, 59, American basketball player (Kentucky Wildcats, FC Barcelona), fall.
• Christine Stewart, 74, Canadian politician, Secretary of State (1993–1997) and Minister of the Environment (1997–1999).
• Richard West, 84, British journalist and author.
• Notable deaths consequent to the 2015 Nepal earthquake:
  • Dan Fredinburg, 33, American executive, head of privacy at Google.
  • Matthias Kuhle, 67, German geographer.

24

• Władysław Bartoszewski, 93, Polish politician and resistance fighter, Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1995, 2000–2001).
• Ken Birch, 81, British footballer (Bangor City).
• Thomas Joseph Connolly, 92, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Baker (1971–1999).
• Rustum Ghazaleh, 61, Syrian military officer, head injury.
• Ismail Hussain, 65, Indian politician, MP for Barpeta (2009–2014), cancer.
• Michael Mustill, Baron Mustill, 83, British judge, barrister and peer.
• es, 95, Chilean actress.
• es, 74, Mexican poet.
• Raymond Roussin, 75, Canadian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Gravelbourg (1995–1998) and Victoria (1999–2004), Archbishop of Vancouver (2004–2009).
• Success Express, 30, American-born Australian Thoroughbred racehorse.
• Sid Tepper, 96, American songwriter ("Red Roses for a Blue Lady").
• George C. Young, 98, American lawyer and judge, heart attack.

23

• Afzaal Ahmed, 66, Pakistani cricketer.
• Aziz Asli, 77, Iranian footballer (Persepolis).
• Frana Cardno, New Zealand politician, Mayor of Southland District (1992–2013), bile duct cancer.
• Sir Philip Carter, 87, British football director (Everton).
• Richard Corliss, 71, American film critic (Time), stroke.
• Ray Jackson, 74, Australian aboriginal activist and Wiradjuri elder.
• Marie Herbst, 86, American politician, Mayor of Vernon, Connecticut (1979–1986), member of the Connecticut Senate (1987–1992).
• Pierre Claude Nolin, 64, Canadian politician, Speaker of the Senate (since 2014), cancer.
• Paul Ryan, 69, American actor, television host and correspondent (Entertainment Tonight), leukemia.
• Jim Steffen, 78, American football player (Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins).
• E. M. Subramaniam, 67, Indian Carnatic percussionist.
• Sawyer Sweeten, 19, American actor (Everybody Loves Raymond), suicide by gunshot.
• pt, 65, Brazilian television director and producer.
• Francis Tsai, 48, American comic book, film and video game concept artist (Spider-Man, TMNT, The Bourne Conspiracy), ALS.
• Sixto Valencia Burgos, 81, Mexican comic artist (Memín Pinguín, MAD).
• Guillermo Zúñiga Martínez, 72, Mexican academic and politician, Mayor of Xalapa (1988–1991), MP for Veracruz (1994–1997).

22

• Dick Balharry, 77, British conservationist, cancer.
• ru, 49, Russian politician, interim mayor of Kaluga (since 2013).
• Desmond Boal, 85, Northern Irish lawyer and politician, MP for Belfast Shankill (1960–1972).
• Dorothy Custer, 103, American comedian.
• Jay Fullmer, 78, American professional boxer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
• Yoichi Funado, 71, Japanese novelist, thymic cancer.
• Régis Ghesquière, 65, Belgian decathlete, heart attack.
• Alasdair Graham, 85, Canadian politician, Senator for Nova Scotia (1972–2004).
• Nagare Hagiwara, 62, Japanese actor, traffic collision.
• Lois Lilienstein, 78, American actress (The Elephant Show) and singer (Sharon, Lois & Bram), cancer.
• Robert Penfold, 98, British army general, general manager of the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (1972–1979).
• Aideen O'Kelly, 74, Irish actress.
• Rex Robinson, 89, British actor (Doctor Who, Yes Minister, Only Fools and Horses). (death announced on this date)
• Charles Scott, 67, American judge, District Attorney for Caddo Parish, Louisiana (since 2009).
• Páll Skúlason, 69, Icelandic philosopher.
• Gennadi Vengerov, 55, Belarusian-born Soviet actor (Enemy at the Gates), lung and bone cancer.
• Irene Woodall, 69, American magazine editor.

21

• M. H. Abrams, 102, American literary critic.
• Mykola Bahrov, 77, Ukrainian academician and politician.
• Steve Byrnes, 56, American sports announcer (NASCAR on Fox), head and neck cancer.
• Gideon Eilat, 91, Israeli soldier.
• Betsy von Furstenberg, 83, German-born American actress (As the World Turns) and baroness, Alzheimer's disease.
• Mary Doyle Keefe, 92, American model ("Rosie the Riveter").
• Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov, 49, Tajik-Russian film director (Luna Papa).
• Ferenc Konrád, 70, Hungarian water polo player, Olympic bronze (1968), silver (1972) and gold (1976) medalist.
• Wally Lester, 73, American singer (The Skyliners), pancreatic cancer.
• Jim McCarthy, 90, Irish rugby union player (national team).
• ru, 67, Russian ice hockey player and coach, trafic collision.
• John Moshoeu, 49, South African footballer (Kaizer Chiefs, Giant Blackpool, national team), African Cup of Nations champion (1996), cancer.
• Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, 88, Indian politician, Chief Minister of Odisha (1980–1989, 1995–1999), Governor of Assam (2009–2014), heart attack.
• Robert P. Patterson, Jr., 91, American federal judge.
• Sydney Valpy Radley-Walters, 95, Canadian WWII tank commander.
• Abdel Rahman el-Abnudi, 76, Egyptian poet.
• ru, 77, Soviet footballer (Zenit Saint Petersburg).
• Dave Walker, 73, English footballer (Burnley, Southampton).
• Elizabeth Weaver, 74, American judge, Michigan Supreme Court Justice (1995–2010), Chief Justice (1991–2001).
• Cindy Yang, 24, Taiwanese model and actress (First of May), suicide by helium inhalation.

20

• Gilberto Almeida, 86, Ecuadorian painter.
• Richard Anthony, 77, Egyptian-born French singer.
• Gary Brain, 72, New Zealand timpanist and conductor.
• Doug Buffone, 70, American football player (Chicago Bears) and radio host.
• Cláudio Cunha, 68, Brazilian actor.
• Hassan El-Shazly, 71, Egyptian footballer (Tersana, national team).
• pt, 65, Brazilian politician, MP (1998–2014), complications from surgery.
• Peter Howell, 96, British actor (Emergency – Ward 10, The Lord of the Rings, The Prisoner).
• ja, 74, Japanese musician, composer and music producer, suicide.
• Aharon Lichtenstein, 81, French-born American-Israeli rabbi, recipient of the Israel Prize (2014).
• Bob Maloubier, 92, French secret agent.
• Roy Mason, 91, British politician, MP for Barnsley (1953–1983) and Barnsley Central (1983–1987), Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1976–1979).
• Frederic Morton, 90, Austrian-born American writer.
• Bob St. Clair, 84, American Hall of Fame football player (San Francisco 49ers).
• Ibrahim Yusri, 65, Egyptian actor (The Terrorist), kidney failure.
• de, 78, German radio host and television presenter.
• hr, 72, Croatian chemist.

19

• Sir Raymond Carr, 96, British historian.
• Haney Catchings, 66, American football coach (Prairie View A&M, Tuskegee), cancer.
• Uche Chukwumerije, 75, Nigerian politician, Senator for Abia North (since 2003), lung cancer.
• Pat Dowell, 66, American film critic.
• William Price Fox, 89, American novelist.
• Eva Galambos, 87, American politician, Mayor of Sandy Springs, Georgia (2005–2014), cancer.
• Freddie Gray, 25, American police suspect, severed spinal cord.
• Sandra Mackey, 77, American writer.
• István Marton, 72, Hungarian politician.
• Tom McCabe, 60, Scottish politician, Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform (2004–2007).
• Ali Abu Mukhammad, 43, Dagestani-Russian Islamist leader, Emir of the Caucasus Emirate (since 2014), shot.
• ja, 88, Japanese voice actor (Moomin), aortic dissection.
• Theodosia Okoh, 92, Ghanaian flag designer and sports administrator.
• Gerard Ouimette, 75, American criminal (Patriarca crime family), lung cancer.
• Michael J. D. Powell, 78, British mathematician.
• Else Repål, 85, Norwegian politician.
• Oktay Sinanoğlu, 80, Turkish scientist.
• Bernard Stollman, 85, American record label founder (ESP-Disk), colon and spine cancer.
• Elio Toaff, 99, Italian rabbi, Chief Rabbi of Rome (1951–2002).
• Betty Willis, 91, American graphic designer (Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign).

18

• Sir Christopher Bayly, 69, British historian.
• fr, 91, French prosecutor and politician.
• Walter Conahan, 87, American politician, member of the South Dakota Senate (1983–1989), cancer.
• Francesco Dapiran, 94, Italian Olympic rower (1948).
• Gunnar Gravdahl, 87, Norwegian politician, Mayor of Bærum (1989–1992).
• Sir Roger Lobo, 91, Macanese-born Hong Kong businessman and politician, senior unofficial member of the Legislative Council (1980–1985), moved "Lobo Motion" (1984), cancer.
• Mario Pirani, 89, Italian journalist (la Repubblica), economist, and writer.
• Ann Price, 72, American restaurateur (Ann's Snack Bar).
• Bill Schultz, 76, New Zealand rugby league player (Eastern Suburbs, national team).
• de, 82, German philosopher.
• Erwin Waldner, 82, German footballer (VfB Stuttgart, SPAL Ferrara).

17

• Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, 72, Iraqi general and commander (Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order).
• Renato Altissimo, 74, Italian politician, Minister of Health (1979–1980, 1981–1983), Minister of Trade and Industry (1983–1986).
• Brian Couzens, 82, British music industry executive (Chandos Records).
• Richie D'Horsie, 58, Filipino actor and comedian (Eat Bulaga!, Iskul Bukol), diabetes.
• Mariano Gago, 66, Portuguese physicist and politician, sudden cardiac death.
• Francis George, 78, American Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Chicago (1997–2014), President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops (2007–2010), bladder cancer.
• Peter Graham, 60, English cricketer.
• Robert P. Griffin, 91, American politician, member of the U.S. Senate from Michigan (1966–1977) and House of Representatives from Michigan's 9th district (1957–1966).
• Jaroslav Holík, 72, Czech ice hockey player, world champion (1972).
• Gary Ignacio, 49, Filipino rock musician (Alamid), bone cancer.
• ru, 85, Soviet footballer (Spartak Yerevan).
• Viktor Korshunov, 85, Russian actor, People's Artist of the USSR.
• Scotty Probasco, 86, American businessman and philanthropist.
• Don Quayle, 84, American broadcast journalist, President of NPR (1970–1973).
• Jeremiah J. Rodell, 93, American brigadier general and priest.
• Keith Shackleton, 92, British painter and television presenter.
• Ann Stepan, 71, American politician, member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1991–1993).
• A. Alfred Taubman, 91, American real estate developer, philanthropist and football team owner (Michigan Panthers).
• Fred Tucker, 93, New Zealand air force pilot.

16

• Ron Bailey, 88, New Zealand politician, MP for Heretaunga (1960–1981).
• Driss Bamous, 73, Moroccan footballer.
• Valery Belousov, 66, Russian ice hockey player and coach.
• Attaphol Buspakom, 53, Thai football player and coach, blood infection.
• Oles Buzina, 45, Ukrainian journalist, shot.
• Fidgi Haig, 47, Haitian-born American soccer coach, heart attack.
• Stanislav Gross, 45, Czech politician, Prime Minister (2004–2005), amytrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Jule Huffman, 91, American television broadcaster and weatherman (Mr. Cartoon, WSAZ-TV).
• Johnny Kemp, 55, Bahamian singer ("Just Got Paid"), fall from cruise ship. (body discovered on this date)
• Heino Kleiminger, 76, German footballer (F.C. Hansa Rostock, East Germany national team), cancer.
• Eduard Koblmueller, 69, Austrian mountaineer, hypothermia.
• ru, 66, Soviet footballer (Chornomorets Odesa).
• Nimal Mendis, 81, Sri Lankan singer and songwriter.
• Tommy Preston, 82, Scottish footballer (Hibernian).
• Lee Remmel, 90, American public relations director (Green Bay Packers).
• Smuggler, 13, American Thoroughbred racehorse, complications from foaling.

15

• Sidney Abbott, 77, American feminist activist, fire.
• Kinya Aikawa, 80, Japanese actor (Speed Racer, Naruhodo! The World), lung cancer.
• Zaur Ardzinba, 65, Abkhazian politician.
• Bidyut Chakraborty, 56, Indian film director.
• Jonathan Crombie, 48, Canadian actor (Anne of Green Gables), brain hemorrhage.
• Margaret Harrison, 96, Scottish peace campaigner.
• Billy Ray Hearn, 85, American record label chairman, heart disease.
• John Howard, 94, American optical physicist.
• Oleg Kalashnikov, 52, Ukrainian politician, shot.
• Felice Leonardo, 100, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant’Agata de’ Goti (1957–1991).
• Betty Lucas, 90, Australian actress (Prisoner, Taurus Rising, Richmond Hill) (death announced on this date).
• Alexander Nadson, 88, Belarusian religious leader, Apostolic Visitor for Belarusian Greek-Catholic faithful abroad (since 1986).
• Luis Ortega Álvarez, 62, Spanish judge, member of the Constitutional Court of Spain (since 2011).
• Margo Reed, 73, American jazz musician, complications from dementia.
• Mykola Storozhenko, 86, Ukrainian painter.
• Barbara Strauch, 63, American author and reporter (The New York Times), breast cancer.
• Surya Bahadur Thapa, 88, Nepalese politician, Prime Minister (1963–1964, 1965–1969, 1979–1983, 1997–1998, 2003–2004), respiratory failure.
• Gunilla Wolde, 75, Swedish writer and illustrator.

14

• Norman H. Bangerter, 82, American politician, Governor of Utah (1985–1993), stroke.
• Klaus Bednarz, 72, German journalist and writer.
• Homaro Cantu, 38, American chef, suicide by hanging.
• Sheldon Galbraith, 92, Canadian figure skating coach.
• Ameril Umbra Kato, 68, Filipino warlord, leader of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, heart attack.
• Kō Kojima, 87, Japanese manga artist, cerebral hemorrhage.
• Majid Rahnema, 91, Iranian diplomat and politician.
• Tom Raper, 76, American businessman and philanthropist.
• Mark Reeds, 55, Canadian ice hockey player (St. Louis Blues) and coach (Ottawa Senators), pneumonia.
• Meir Rosenne, 84, Israeli lawyer and diplomat, Ambassador to France (1979–1983) and United States (1983–1987).
• Kevin Rosier, 53, American super heavyweight kickboxing champion and mixed martial artist (UFC), heart attack.
• Vilas Sarang, 73, Indian author.
• Howie Schumm, 75, Canadian football player (Edmonton Eskimos).
• Arnold Schütz, 80, German footballer (Werder Bremen).
• Percy Sledge, 74, American R&B singer ("When a Man Loves a Woman"), liver cancer.
• Buddy Temple, 73, American businessman and politician.
• Roberto Tucci, 93, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, President of Vatican Radio (1985–2001), Cardinal-Priest of S. Ignazio di Loyola a Campo Marzio (since 2001).
• Kathrine Sorley Walker, 95, English ballet critic.

13

• Bruce Alger, 96, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 5th district (1955–1965), heart ailment.
• Brice Bosnich, 78, Australian chemist.
• Gerald Calabrese, 90, American politician and basketball player (Syracuse Nationals), Mayor of Cliffside Park, New Jersey (since 1965).
• Ronnie Carroll, 80, Northern Irish singer and political candidate.
• Mária Gulácsy, 73, Hungarian fencer, Olympic silver medalist (1968).
• Pat King, 68, Irish Gaelic football player and coach.
• Thelma Coyne Long, 96, Australian Hall of Fame tennis player.
• Eduardo Galeano, 74, Uruguayan journalist, writer and novelist, lung cancer.
• Claire Gordon, 74, British actress (Konga, Beat Girl).
• Günter Grass, 87, German novelist (The Tin Drum), Nobel Prize laureate in Literature (1999), lung infection.
• Neal Nitz, 61, American politician.
• Bob Pinkalla, 86, American ten-pin bowler, heart failure.
• Elizabeth Brown Pryor, 64, American author and historian.
• Antônio Alberto Guimarães Rezende, 89, Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Caetité (1981–2002).
• Haanii Shivraj, 29, Malaysian actress, cancer.
• Orma Slack, 112, Canadian supercentenarian, nation's oldest living person.
• Serhiy Sukhobok, 45, Ukrainian journalist, shot.
• Herb Trimpe, 75, American comic book artist (The Incredible Hulk, Thor), co-creator of Wolverine.

12

• Ibrahim Sulayman Muhammad Arbaysh, 35, Saudi Arabian suspected terrorist, drone attack.
• Paulo Brossard, 90, Brazilian jurist and politician, Minister of Justice (1986–1989), justice of the Supreme Federal Court (1989–1994).
• Jože Ciuha, 90, Slovenian painter.
• Patrice Dominguez, 65, French tennis player.
• Alfred Eick, 99, German U-boat commander.
• André Mba Obame, 57, Gabonese politician.
• William Slatter, 87, American news anchor.
• Mario Wallenda, 74, American highwire artiste (The Flying Wallendas).

11

• Bill Arhos, 80, American musician, founder of Austin City Limits, heart disease.
• Charlie Beasley, 69, American basketball player.
• Martin Tore Bjørndal, 70, Norwegian diplomat.
• Gary Carswell, 45, Manx motorcyclist, crash during race practice.
• Jimmy Gunn, 66, American football player (Chicago Bears), heart failure.
• Peter Jones, 95, British WWII army officer.
• Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, 62, Bangladeshi politician and convicted war criminal, execution by hanging.
• Sheila Kitzinger, 86, British natural childbirth activist.
• Janusz Kurczab, 77, Polish Olympic fencer (1960), mountaineer and expedition leader.
• François Maspero, 83, French writer and translator.
• Viv Nicholson, 79, British football pools winner, complications of a stroke and dementia.
• Heino Pulli, 77, Finnish ice hockey player.
• Hanut Singh Rathore, 81, Indian army officer.
• Tekena Tamuno, 83, Nigerian history professor.
• Kyle Testerman, 80, American politician, Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee (1972–1975, 1984–1987).
• Levi Watkins, 70, American heart surgeon, complications from a heart attack and a stroke.

10

• Andrzej Ajnenkiel, 84, Polish historian.
• Richie Benaud, 84, Australian cricket captain and television commentator, skin cancer.
• Raúl Héctor Castro, 98, Mexican-born American politician and diplomat, Governor of Arizona (1975–1977), United States Ambassador to El Salvador (1964–1968), Bolivia (1968–1969) and Argentina (1977–1980).
• David Dank, 76, American politician, member of Oklahoma House of Representatives (since 2007), heart attack.
• Desmond Digby, 82, New Zealand-born Australian theatre designer, children's book illustrator and painter.
• Eduardo Gauggel Medina, 48, Honduran lawyer and politician, MP (since 2014), shot.
• Eduardo Gauggel Rivas, 70, Honduran lawyer and politician, member of the Supreme Court (1994–1998), shot.
• Ray Graves, 96, American football player and coach.
• Ronald Hambleton, 97, English-born Canadian broadcaster and music critic (Toronto Star).
• pt, 91, Brazilian theatre critic.
• Lauren Hill, 19, American college basketball player, pediatric cancer advocate, brain cancer.
• Dorothy Jelicich, 87, New Zealand politician, MP for Hamilton West (1972–75).
• Jin Youzhi, 96, Chinese royal.
• Rustin R. Kimsey, 79, American prelate, Episcopal Bishop of Eastern Oregon.
• Judith Malina, 88, German-born American actress (Dog Day Afternoon, Awakenings, The Addams Family) and director, lung disease.
• Keith McCormack, 74, American singer and songwriter ("Sugar Shack").
• Bobby Moore, 56, American baseball player (San Francisco Giants).
• Jim Mutscheller, 85, American football player (Baltimore Colts), kidney failure.
• William S. Powell, 95, American historian.
• Rocco Quattrocchi, 88, American politician, member of the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives.
• Rose Francine Rogombé, 72, Gabonese politician, Acting President (2009).
• Margaret Rule, 86, British archaeologist.
• uk, 56, Soviet handballer, world champion (1982).
• Alex Soto, 49, Puerto Rican actor and drag queen, heart attack.
• Ray Treacy, 68, Irish footballer (Charlton Athletic).
• Peter Walsh, 80, Australian politician, Minister for Finance (1984–1990), Senator for Western Australia (1974–1993).

9

• Paul Almond, 83, Canadian filmmaker (The Act of the Heart, Journey, Isabel) and television director (Seven Up!), heart disease.
• Nina Companeez, 77, French film director.
• Alexander Dalgarno, 87, British physicist.
• Ivan Doig, 75, American author, multiple myeloma.
• Moira Gemmill, 55, British design director (Victoria and Albert Museum), traffic collision.
• Jurgen Gothe, 70, German-born Canadian radio broadcaster (DiscDrive).
• Ray Harm, 87, American artist, prostate cancer.
• Ghulam Rasool Kar, 94, Indian politician.
• Bob McLean, 67, Australian winemaker, cancer.
• Hrushikesh Moolgavkar, 94, Indian air chief marshal and Chief of Air Staff (1976–1978).
• Elmo Noel Joseph Perera, 82, Sri Lankan Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop (1992–1995) and Bishop of Galle (1995–2004).
• Narra Raghava Reddy, 92, Indian politician.
• João Alves dos Santos, 58, Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Paranaguá (since 2006).
• Rafael Soriano, 94, Cuban painter.
• Rogvold Sukhoverko, 74, Soviet and Russian film and voice actor.
• Tut Taylor, 91, American bluegrass musician (The Great Dobro Sessions).
• John Toohey, 85, Australian jurist, High Court Justice (1987–1998).
• Tsien Tsuen-hsuin, 105, Chinese-born American sinologist, professor, and librarian.

8

• fr, 98, French resistant, civil servant and historian.
• Abraham Eraly, 80, Indian historian and magazine editor.
• Harry K. Fukuhara, 95, American army officer.
• Nagore E. M. Hanifa, 89, Indian politician and playback singer.
• Rayson Huang, 94, Chinese chemist, vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (1972–1986).
• Jayakanthan, 80, Indian Tamil author.
• Sergei Lashchenko, 27, Ukrainian kickboxer, shot.
• David Laventhol, 81, American newspaper editor and publisher, Parkinson's disease.
• Nan Inger Östman, 92, Swedish children's book author.
• Billy Ronson, 58, English footballer.
• de, 87, German philosopher.
• Joel Spira, 88, American inventor (solid-state lamp dimmer), co-founder of Lutron Electronics Company, heart attack.
• Hilde Stavik, 52, Norwegian long-distance runner, cancer.
• Rich Szaro, 67, Polish-born American football player (New Orleans Saints, New York Jets).
• Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thero, 85, Sri Lankan Buddhist monk.
• Ion Trewin, 71, British editor, publisher and author.
• Lars Tunbjörk, 59, Swedish photographer.
• Jean-Claude Turcotte, 78, Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Montreal (1990–2012).
• Ole Wackström, 82, Finnish racing cyclist.

7

• Patrick H. Adkins, 67, American fantasy author.
• Tim Babcock, 95, American politician, Governor of Montana (1962–1969).
• Mohammad Bahr al-Ulloum, 88, Iraqi Shi'a Islamic leader and politician.
• José Capellán, 34, American baseball player (Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers), heart attack.
• Tom Coyne, 84, British news broadcaster and television presenter (Top Gear). (death announced on this date)
• Harry Dowd, 76, English footballer (Manchester City).
• Eugene Louis Faccuito, 90, American dancer and choreographer.
• Stan Freberg, 88, American comedian and voice actor (Looney Tunes, Lady and the Tramp), pneumonia.
• Edward Gallenstein, 92, American wood carver and magazine editor (Chip Chats).
• Jean Germain, 67, French politician, Mayor of Tours (1995–2014), suicide by gunshot.
• Richard Henyekane, 31, South African footballer, traffic collision.
• David L. Kaplan, 91, Canadian professor and conductor.
• Kardam, Prince of Turnovo, 52, Bulgarian royal, lung infection.
• Stanley Kutler, 80, American historian.
• Geoffrey Lewis, 79, American actor (High Plains Drifter, Maverick, The Lawnmower Man).
• Dickie Owen, 88, British actor (Zulu, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).
• Richard F. Post, 96, American physicist.
• Kalmanje Jagannatha Shetty, 78, Indian judge.
• Torrey Ward, 36, American basketball coach, plane crash.
• Naomi Wilzig, 80, American writer and museum owner (World Erotic Art Museum Miami).

6

• Theodosios Balafas, 91, Greek Olympic pole vaulter (1948, 1952).
• Hardijs Baumanis, 47, Latvian diplomat, Ambassador to Azerbaijan (since 2010) and Lithuania.
• Giovanni Berlinguer, 90, Italian politician, MEP (2004–2009).
• James Best, 88, American actor (The Dukes of Hazzard, Ride Lonesome, Sounder), pneumonia.
• Ray Charles, 96, American musician (The Perry Como Show, The Muppet Show), cancer.
• Paul Dearing, 73, Australian field hockey player.
• Milton DeLugg, 96, American composer.
• Walter H. Haas, 97, American astronomer.
• Eugène Moke Motsüri, 99, Congolese Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Kinshasa (1970–1991).
• Rie Muñoz, 93, American artist, stroke.
• Romualdas Ozolas, 76, Lithuanian politician, signatory of the 1990 Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania.
• John Papit, 86, American football player (Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers), stroke.
• Maria Luisa Poumaillou, 61, Venezuelan-born French fashion consultant.
• Art Powell, 78, American football player (Oakland Raiders).
• Ben Powers, 64, American actor (Good Times).
• Dollard St. Laurent, 85, Canadian ice hockey player (Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks).
• Charlie Sumner, 84, American football player (Chicago Bears) and coach.
• Dave Ulliott, 61, English professional poker player, colon cancer.
• Gertrude Weaver, 116, American supercentenarian, world's oldest living person, pneumonia.
• Alan Wilson, 94, English cricketer (Lancashire).

5

• Bauyrzhan Baimukhammedov, 67, Kazakh football player and coach.
• Barbara Bergmann, 87, American feminist economist.
• Fredric Brandt, 65, American dermatologist, suicide by hanging.
• Juan Carlos Cáceres, 79, Argentine tango musician and painter, cancer.
• Richard Dysart, 86, American character actor (L.A. Law, Wall Street, The Thing).
• Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, 84, Indian politician.
• Ramnath Dhakal, 52, Nepalese politician.
• Maurice Fenner, 86, English cricketer.
• Victor Gotbaum, 93, American labor leader, heart attack.
• Sid Ali Kouiret, 82, Algerian actor.
• Naken Kyrykbaev, 39, Kazakh footballer (Taraz).
• Richard LaSalle, 97, American film score composer.
• Anne-Claude Leflaive, 59, French winemaker, cancer.
• Norman B. Leventhal, 97, American property developer.
• Don Looney, 98, American football player (Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers).
• Akira Machida, 78, Japanese Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
• Sargy Mann, 77, British painter.
• Gordon Moyes, 76, Australian radio evangelist and politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (2002–2011).
• John Patton, 84, American politician.
• Claudio Prieto, 80, Spanish composer.
• Jehan Rajab, Kuwaiti author.
• Steve Rickard, 85, New Zealand professional wrestler.
• Lon Simmons, 91, American sports broadcaster.
• fr, 87, Italian fashion designer.
• Gardner C. Taylor, 96, American preacher and civil rights activist.
• Tom Towles, 65, American actor (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Miami Vice, The Rock).
• Julie Wilson, 90, American singer and actress, stroke complications.
• Yacoub Zaiadeen, 95, Jordanian politician.

4

• Jaroslav Balcar, 62, Czechoslovak ski jumper (1976).
• Ramón Barreto, 75, Uruguayan football referee (1974 FIFA World Cup).
• Bill Ellerington, 91, English footballer (Southampton).
• John Gogo, 83, Canadian politician.
• Jamaluddin Jarjis, 63, Malaysian politician, MP for Rompin (since 1990), helicopter crash.
• Elmer Lach, 97, Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey player (Montreal Canadiens), stroke.
• Donald N. Levine, 83, American sociologist.
• Ira Lewis, 82, American actor and playwright (Chinese Coffee), complications following open heart surgery.
• Ioan Pușcaș, 82, Romanian gastroenterologist.
• Sir John Read, 97, British executive.
• Klaus Rifbjerg, 83, Danish writer (Anna, I, Anna), recipient of the Nordic Council's Literature Prize (1970).
• Lisa Simon, 64, American television director and producer (Sesame Street, Wonder Pets).
• Dick Wood, 79, American football player (New York Jets).

3

• Michael Birkett, 2nd Baron Birkett, 85, British hereditary peer and film producer.
• Nigel Boocock, 77, British speedway rider.
• Sarah Brady, 73, American gun control campaigner, pneumonia.
• Bob Burns, 64, American drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), traffic collision.
• Sam Cathcart, 90, American football player (San Francisco 49ers), cancer.
• John Darnton, 96, American football coach (Adrian Bulldogs).
• Traute Foresti, 100, Austrian poet and actress.
• Rocío García Gaytán, 55, Mexican politician, MP (1997–2000), cancer.
• Mathias Gnädinger, 74, Swiss actor (The Boat Is Full, Journey of Hope).
• ro, 70, Romanian radio personality (SRR).
• Michael Jandreau, 71, American Native leader, chairman of the Lower Brulé Sioux tribe, pneumonia and heart disease.
• Kayahan, 66, Turkish musician, cancer.
• Terdell Middleton, 59, American football player (Green Bay Packers).
• fr, 98, American actress (Klute).
• id, 84, Indonesian comedian.
• Algirdas Vaclovas Patackas, 71, Lithuanian politician and poet, signatory of the 1990 Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania.
• Luis María Pérez de Onraíta, 81, Spanish-born Angolan Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Malanje (1998–2012).
• Chris Plumridge, 70, British golf writer.
• Andrew Porter, 86, British music critic, pneumonia.
• Robert Rietti, 92, British-born Italian actor (Hannibal, The Omen).
• Shmuel Wosner, 101, Austrian-born Israeli Haredi rabbi.

2

• Paule Anglim, 92, Canadian-born American art dealer (Gallery Paule Anglim).
• es, 74, Peruvian politician, MP (1995–2001), pancreatic cancer.
• Natalia Bobrova, 36, Russian gymnast, stomach cancer.
• Mick Brown, 77, New Zealand jurist.
• Per Vilhelm Brüel, 100, Danish engineer.
• William Benedict Friend, 83, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport (1982–1986) and Shreveport (1986–2006).
• Raúl Gorriti, 58, Peruvian footballer (national team).
• Robert Blair Kaiser, 84, American journalist.
• Dennis Marks, 66, British television producer and music director.
• Ben Meisner, 76, Canadian broadcaster (CKPG), cancer.
• Hayley Okines, 17, British progeria campaigner, pneumonia.
• Manoel de Oliveira, 106, Portuguese film director and screenwriter, heart failure.
• Rudolph R. Perz, 89, American advertising executive, creator of the Pillsbury Doughboy.
• Stanisław Pestka, 85, Polish Kashubian poet.
• Joseph L. Reid, 92, American oceanographer.
• Barbara Sass, 78, Polish film director and screenwriter.
• pl, 83, Polish dancer and choreographer.
• Doug Sax, 79, American audio mastering engineer, cancer.
• Robert H. Schuller, 88, American televangelist (Hour of Power).
• Alberto Ricardo da Silva, 71, East Timorese Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Díli (2004–2015).
• Lorenzo Stanford, 77, American football player and coach.
• Steve Stevaert, 60, Belgian politician, Chairman of the SP.a (2003–2005), Governor of Limburg (2005–2009).
• Abdelhadi Tazi, 94, Moroccan scholar and diplomat.
• Jerzy Treder, 72, Polish philologist.

1

• Dave Ball, 65, British musician (Procol Harum).
• Johnny Gardiner, 92, Canadian CFL football player (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).
• John Paul Hammerschmidt, 92, American politician, member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district (1967–1993), heart and respiratory failure.
• Sir John Ingram, 90, New Zealand engineer and businessman.
• Zdravko-Ćiro Kovačić, 89, Croatian water polo player, Olympic silver medalist for Yugoslavia (1952, 1956).
• Eddie LeBaron, 85, American football player (Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys).
• Cynthia Lennon, 75, British author, first wife of John Lennon, cancer.
• Misao Okawa, 117, Japanese supercentenarian, world's oldest living person, heart failure.
• Nicolae Rainea, 81, Romanian football referee (FIFA World Cup (1974, 1978, 1982), UEFA Euro 1980 Final), pulmonary edema.
• Paul D. Reynolds, 52, Canadian investment banker, CEO of Canaccord Genuity.
• J. D. Smith, 83, American football player (San Francisco 49ers).
• Robert Walker, 54, Canadian-born American animator and director (Aladdin, Brother Bear, Mulan, The Lion King), heart attack.
• Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu, 84, Nigerian politician and police officer, Inspector General of the Police (1976–1979).

Earlier months

• Deaths in January 2015
• Deaths in February 2015
• Deaths in March 2015

See also

• Deaths in 2014
• Deaths in 2013
• Deaths in 2012
• Deaths in 2011
• Deaths in 2010
• Deaths in 2009
• Deaths in 2008
• Deaths in 2007

• Deaths in 2006
• Deaths in 2005
• Deaths in 2004
• Deaths in 2003
• Deaths in 2002
• Deaths in 2001
• Deaths in 2000

• Deaths in 1999
• Deaths in 1998
• Deaths in 1997
• Deaths in 1996
• Deaths in 1995
• Deaths in 1994
• Deaths in 1993

• Deaths in 1992
• Deaths in 1991
• Deaths in 1990
• Deaths in 1989
• Deaths in 1988
• Deaths in 1987
• Deaths in 1986

External links

• The Guardian, UK obituaries
• Obituaries, Los Angeles Times
• Obituaries, Chicago Tribune
• The New York Times, US obituaries
• The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian obituaries