Deaths in 2026

Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order. A typical entry reports information in the following sequence:

• Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent nationality (if applicable), what subject was noted for, cause of death (if known), and a reference.

Entries without a source should be removed.

May

2

• Soheir Zaki, 81, Egyptian belly dancer and actress (Cairo 30).

1

• Georg Wadenius, 80, Swedish guitarist (Blood, Sweat & Tears).

April

30

• Georg Baselitz, 88, German painter and sculptor.
• Gwen Farrell, 94, American actress (M*A*S*H) and boxing referee.

29

• David Allan Coe, 86, American country singer ("Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile", "The Ride") and songwriter ("Take This Job and Shove It").
• J. Craig Venter, 79, American genomics researcher, founder of Celera Corporation and JCVI, complications from cancer.

28

• Bill Grayden, 105, Australian politician, MP (1949–1954) and Western Australian MLA (1947–1949, 1956–1993).

• Ange Édouard Poungui, 84, Congolese politician, prime minister (1984–1989).

26

• Nedra Talley, 80, American Hall of Fame singer (The Ronettes).

25

• Andrzej Olechowski, 78, Polish politician, minister of finance (1992) and foreign affairs (1993–1995). (death announced on this date)

24

• Dirk Kempthorne, 74, American politician, member of the U.S. Senate (1993–1999), governor of Idaho (1999–2006) and secretary of the interior (2006–2009), colon cancer.

23

• Rexhep Qosja, 89, Albanian writer and politician.

22

• Eugene Braunwald, 96, Austrian-born American cardiologist.
• Tony Parkes, 76, English football player (Buxton, Blackburn Rovers) and manager (Blackburn Rovers), complications from Alzheimer's disease.
• David Scott, 80, American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (since 2003), Georgia Senate (1983–2003), and House of Representatives (1975–1983).
• Ruth Slenczynska, 101, American classical pianist.
• Michael Tilson Thomas, 81, American conductor, pianist and composer, glioblastoma.

21

• Elsie Kelly, 89, English actress (Benidorm, The Famous Five, Crossroads).

20

• Luis Brandoni, 86, Argentine actor (The Truce, State of Reality, Waiting for the Hearse) and politician, deputy (1997–2001), complications from a fall.
• Alan Osmond, 76, American musician (The Osmonds) and songwriter ("Down by the Lazy River", "Crazy Horses").

19

• George Ariyoshi, 100, American politician, lieutenant governor (1970–1974) and governor of Hawaii (1974–1986).

• Dave Mason, 79, English Hall of Fame musician (Traffic) and songwriter ("Hole in My Shoe", "Feelin' Alright?").
• Desmond Morris, 98, English zoologist (The Naked Ape), ethnologist and surrealist painter.
• María Nieves, 91, Argentine tango dancer (Tango Argentino). (death announced on this date)
• Ester Pajusoo, 91, Estonian actress (A Young Retiree, Vana daami visiit, Kättemaksukontor).

18

• Lai Cheng-ying, 94, Taiwanese cinematographer (Beautiful Duckling, Execution in Autumn).
• Stefanos Linaios, 97, Greek actor (Dead Man’s Treasure) and politician, MP (1989–1990).

17

• Nathalie Baye, 77, French actress (Every Man for Himself, Strange Affair, Le Petit Lieutenant), Lewy body dementia.

16

• Mark Carrington, 64, New Zealand cricketer (Northern Districts).
• Justin Fairfax, 47, American politician, lieutenant governor of Virginia (2018–2022), suicide by gunshot.
• Kazuo Imanishi, 85, Japanese football player (Toyo Industries, national team) and manager (Mazda), pneumonia.
• Jan Potměšil, 60, Czech actor (Why?, Princess Jasnenka and the Flying Shoemaker, Bony a klid).

15

• Alexander Morton, 81, Scottish actor (Monarch of the Glen, Take the High Road, Taggart).

• José Santamaría, 96, Uruguayan-Spanish football player (Real Madrid, Uruguay national team) and manager (Spain national team).

14

• Sue Prado, 44, Filipina actress (Oro, Barber's Tales, Manila Skies).

13

• Moya Brennan, 73, Irish folk singer (Clannad).

12

• Asha Bhosle, 92, Indian playback singer ("Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko", "Dum Maro Dum", "Piya Tu Ab To Aja"), multiple organ failure.

11

• Hüsamettin Cindoruk, 92, Turkish politician, acting president (1993), twice member and speaker (1991–1995) of the Grand National Assembly.
• John Nolan, 87, British actor (Person of Interest, Following, Batman Begins).

10

• Eliot Engel, 79, American politican, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1989–2021).

• Angela Pleasence, 84, English actress (Hitler: The Last Ten Days, Coronation Street, Doctor Who).

9

• Afrika Bambaataa, 68, American DJ and rapper ("Planet Rock", "Looking for the Perfect Beat", "Renegades of Funk"), complications from cancer.
• C. D. Gopinath, 96, Indian test cricketer (Madras, national team).

8

• Mario Adorf, 95, German actor (Major Dundee, The Tin Drum, Fedora) and writer.

7

• Jim Whittaker, 97, American mountaineer (1963 American Mount Everest expedition).

6

• Christian Schwarz-Schilling, 95, Austrian-born German politician, minister of post and telecommunications (1982–1992) and High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006–2007).

5

• Adán Godoy, 89, Chilean footballer (Santiago Morning, national team).

4

• Ling Liong Sik, 82, Malaysian politician, acting Prime Minister (1988), MP (1974–2004), and minister of transport (1986–2003).

3

• Carol Greitzer, 101, American politician and abortion activist, New York City councilwoman (1969–1991).

• Michele Massimo Tarantini, 83, Italian movie director (Confessions of a Lady Cop, A Man Called Magnum, Taxi Girl).

2

• Ian Rutherford, 68, New Zealand cricketer (Otago, Central Districts, Central Otago).

March

30

• Chan Santokhi, 67, Surinamese former president (2020–2025) and minister of justice (2005–2010).
• Carlos Westendorp, 89, Spanish diplomat and politician, minister of foreign affairs (1995–1996) and High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (1997–1999).

29

• Rahul Banerjee, 42, Indian actor (Chirodini Tumi Je Amar, Pati Parameshwar, Zulfiqar), drowned.

28

• Mary Beth Hurt, 79, American actress (The World According to Garp, The Age of Innocence, Interiors), complications from Alzheimer's disease.
• Liamine Zéroual, 84, Algerian former president (1994–1999) and minister of defense (1993–1999).

27

• Mary Rand, 86, British track and field athlete, Olympic champion (1964).

26

• Jean-Pierre Faye, 100, French philosopher (horseshoe theory) and writer.

• Epeli Nailatikau, 84, Fijian former president (2009–2015) and military officer.
• Giuseppe Savoldi, 79, Italian footballer (Bologna, Napoli, national team).
• James Tolkan, 94, American actor (Back to the Future, Top Gun, Serpico).

25

• Wilson Bombarda, 95, Brazilian Olympic basketball player (1956).
• Dash Crofts, 85, American musician (Seals & Crofts), complications from heart surgery.
• Alexander Kluge, 94, German author and movie director (Yesterday Girl, Germany in Autumn).

24

• Biruté Galdikas, 79, Lithuanian-Canadian anthropologist.

• Gino Paoli, 91, Italian singer-songwriter and deputy (1987–1992).

23

• Valerie Perrine, 82, American actress (Lenny, Superman, Slaughterhouse-Five), complications from Parkinson's disease.
• David Sklansky, 78, American poker player and author, heart failure.

22

• Lionel Jospin, 88, former French Prime Minister (1997–2002).

21

• Juca de Oliveira, 91, Brazilian actor (Case of the Naves Brothers, The Sign of the City, De Onde Eu Te Vejo), pneumonia complicated by heart disease.
• Rhoda Roberts, 66, Indigenous Australian arts director, broadcaster and cultural leader, ovarian cancer.

20

• Linas Banys, 27, Lithuanian Olympic biathlete.
• Nicholas Brendon, 54, American actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Criminal Minds, Psycho Beach Party).

19

• Chuck Norris, 86, American martial artist and actor (The Way of the Dragon, The Delta Force, Walker, Texas Ranger).

18

• Tom Georgeson, 88, British actor (A Fish Called Wanda, Boys from the Blackstuff, G.B.H.).

17

• Len Deighton, 97, British spy novelist (The IPCRESS File, An Expensive Place to Die, XPD).

15

• Matt Clark, 89, American actor (In the Heat of the Night, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Jeff Foxworthy Show), complications from spinal surgery.
• Judy Pace, 83, American actress (Peyton Place, The Young Lawyers, Cotton Comes to Harlem).

14

• Jürgen Habermas, 96, philosopher and political scientist.

13

• Shujaat Hashmi, Pakistani actor (Waris, Khaak Aur Khoon, Wadda Khan).

12

• Enrica Bonaccorti, 76, Italian television presenter (Non è la Rai) and actress (Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, The Sensual Man), pancreatic cancer.
• Trevor McMahon, 96, New Zealand test cricketer (Wellington, national team).
• Wendy Playfair, 99, Australian actress (Prisoner).

11

• Nev MacEwan, 91, New Zealand rugby union player (Wellington, national team).

10

• Giorgos Panousopoulos, 84, Greek film director (Mania, Love Me Not?, Testosterone), cinematographer and screenwriter.

9

• Tommy DeCarlo, 60, American singer (Boston), brain cancer.

8

• Dilworth Karaka, 75, New Zealand musician (Herbs).

7

• Ian Huntley, 52, British murderer (Soham Murders), head trauma from an attack.

6

• Antonio Marsina, 80, Italian actor (Keoma, Vatican Conspiracy, Tornado: The Last Blood).
• Christos Valavanidis, 81, Greek actor (The Wretches Are Still Singing, Loafing and Camouflage, Crying... Silicon Tears) and poet.

5

• Corey Parker, 60, American actor (Biloxi Blues, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Will & Grace), cancer.
• Jānis Streičs, 89, Latvian film director (A Limousine the Colour of Midsummer's Eve, Cilvēka bērns).

4

• Ana Luisa Peluffo, 96, Mexican actress (Las señoritas Vivanco, The Phantom of the Operetta, Paper Flowers).

2

• Try Sutrisno, 90, Indonesian politician, vice president (1993–1998)

Other websites

• The Guardian (UK) obituaries
• The Telegraph (UK) obituaries
• Obituaries, Chicago Tribune
• Obituaries, Los Angeles Times
• The New York Times, obituaries
• The Washington Post obituaries
• The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) obituaries