The following is a list of notable deaths in December 2009. Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence: * Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent country of citizenship (if applicable), reason for notability, cause of death (if known), and reference.

December 2009

1

* Christoph Budde, 46, German football player ( Borussia Mönchengladbach), swine flu. * Maurice Clemmons, 37, American felon, perpetrator of the

2009 shooting of Lakewood, Washington, police officers On November 29, 2009, four police officers of Lakewood, Washington were fatally shot at the Forza (now Blue Steele) Coffee shop, located at 11401 Steele Street #108 South in the Parkland, Washington, Parkland unincorporated area of Pierce County, ...

, shot. * Neil Dougall, 88, British footballer ( Plymouth Argyle). *

Tommy Henrich Thomas David Henrich (February 20, 1913 – December 1, 2009), nicknamed "The Clutch" and "Old Reliable", was an American professional baseball player of German descent. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a right fielder an ...

, 96, American baseball player (

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

). *

Bilal Omer Khan Major General Bilal Omer Khan (Pashto, ur}; 3 February 1954 – 4 December 2009) was a two-star rank general in the Pakistan Army who was killed in the December 2009 Rawalpindi attack while serving as the director general of the Pakistan Arm ...

, 55, Pakistani general, victim of December 2009 Rawalpindi terrorist attack *

Bill Lister "Big Bill" Lister (January 5, 1923 – December 1, 2009) was an American honky tonk country music singer. Born Weldon E. Lister, he was nicknamed "Radio's Tallest Singing Cowboy," standing over 6-foot-7 without his cowboy boots and hat.

, 86, American honky tonk singer. * Alberto Martínez, 59, Uruguayan football player (

FK Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (; known in English as Austria Vienna, and usually shortened to Austria (German: Österreich) in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the mos ...

), heart failure. *

Cordelia Oliver Cordelia Patrick Oliver (24 April 1923 – 1 December 2009) was a Scottish journalist, painter and art critic, noted as an indefatigable promoter of Scottish arts in general and the avant-garde in particular. Early life Cordelia McIntyre Patr ...

, 86, Scottish painter, journalist and art critic. *

Ramses Shaffy Ramses Shaffy (29 August 1933 – 1 December 2009) was a Dutch-French singer and actor who became popular during the 1960s. His most famous songs include "Zing, vecht, huil, bid, lach, werk en bewonder", "We zullen doorgaan", "Pastorale", "Samm ...

, 76, Dutch singer and actor, esophageal cancer. * Shilendra Kumar Singh, 77, Indian politician,

Governor of Rajasthan A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

(2007–2009). * Éva Szörényi, 92, Hungarian actress,

Kossuth Prize The Kossuth Prize ( hu, Kossuth-díj) is a state-sponsored award in Hungary, named after the Hungarian politician and revolutionist Lajos Kossuth. The Prize was established in 1948 (on occasion of the centenary of the March 15th revolution, the ...

winner. * Donald Washington, Sr., 79, American jazz tenor saxophonist, lung cancer.

2

* Harold A. Ackerman, 81, American federal judge, natural causes. * Luis María Bandrés, 65, Spanish leader of Basque Nationalist Party. * Elizabeth Berridge, 89, British novelist. *

Foge Fazio Serafino Dante "Foge" Fazio (February 28, 1938 – December 2, 2009) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1982 to 1985. Fazio was an assistant coach with five teams ...

, 71, American football coach, leukemia. *

Shoji Hashimoto was a professional Go player. Biography Hashimoto turned pro in 1947 when he was just 12. It took him only 11 years to reach 9p. He learned Go from his father Hashimoto Kunisaburō and his disciples include Takahara Shūji, Moriyama Naoki, O ...

, 75, Japanese go master, myocardial infarction. *

Ikuo Hirayama Ikuo Hirayama (''Hirayama Ikuo'' 平山郁夫; 15 June 1930 – 2 December 2009), was a Japanese Nihonga painter and educator. Born in Setoda, Hiroshima, Setoda-chō, Hiroshima Prefecture, he was famous in Japan for Silk Road paintings of drea ...

, 79, Japanese painter, stroke. * Maggie Jones, 75, British actress ('' Coronation Street''). * Jozo Križanović, 65, Bosnian politician,

Croat The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Ge ...

member of the Presidency (2001–2002), complications from surgery. * Brian Morrison, 76, Australian priest and humanitarian. * Luiz Lombardi Neto, 69, Brazilian announcer (''

Silvio Santos Senor Abravanel, known professionally as Silvio Santos (Portuguese: /ˈsiwvju ˈsɐ̃tus/) (born December 12, 1930), is a Brazilian entrepreneur, media tycoon and television host. He is the owner of holdings that include SBT, the second largest ...

'' television program), stroke. * Aaron Schroeder, 83, American songwriter, Alzheimer's disease. * Ian Thompson, 74, Australian politician, member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (1971–1993). * Vjekoslav Šutej, 58, Croatian conductor, leukemia. *

Eric Woolfson Eric Norman Woolfson (18 March 1945 – 2 December 2009) was a Scottish songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, executive producer, pianist, and co-creator of The Alan Parsons Project. Together with Parsons they sold over 50 million albums worldwide. ...

, 64, Scottish singer and keyboardist (

The Alan Parsons Project The Alan Parsons Project was a British rock band active between 1975 and 1990, whose core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. They were accompan ...

), cancer.

3

* Ibrahim Hassan Addou, Somali Higher Education Minister, bombing. *

Qamar Aden Ali Qamar Aden Ali ( so, Qamar Aadan Cali, ar, قمر آدم علي) (b. 19 September 1957 – d. 3 December 2009) was a Somali lawyer and politician. She was assassinated whilst serving as the Minister of Health in the Transitional Federal Govern ...

, 52, Somali Health Minister, bombing. * Swadesh Bose, 81, Bangladeshi economist. * Nat Boxer, 84, American Academy Award-winning sound engineer (''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...

''), natural causes. *

Estêvão Cardoso de Avellar Estêvão Cardoso de Avellar (November 4, 1917 – December 3, 2009) was a Brazilian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 b ...

, 92, Brazilian Roman Catholic Bishop of

Uberlândia Uberlândia () is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. It is the second largest municipality in the state of Minas Gerais after the state capital Belo Horizonte. Its population in 2020 was 699,097, making it the fo ...

(1978–1992). * Paula Hawkins, 82, American politician, Senator from Florida (1981–1987), complications from a fall. * István Iglódi, 65, Hungarian actor. * Leila Lopes, 50, Brazilian actress, suicide. * Bert Main, 90, Australian zoologist. * Brian Harold Mason, 92, New Zealand scientist, renal failure. *

Curtis Nkondo Curtis Nkondo (1 February 1928 – 3 December 2009) was a South African diplomat, school teacher and politician with the African National Congress. Born in Louis Trichardt, Nkondo was a lifelong activist with the ANC. He was a high school teacher ...

, 81, South African politician, activist and diplomat. *

Pat Power Patrick Percival "Pat" Power (born 11 February 1942 in Cooma, New South Wales) is a retired Australian bishop of the Catholic Church. Early life Power grew up in Queanbeyan and was educated at St Christopher's School and St Edmund's College ...

, 67, Australian politician, member of the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative C ...

for Jika Jika (1992–1999). * Sam Salt, 69, British rear admiral, captain of during the Falklands War. * Peter Scanlon, 78, American accountant and chairman (

Coopers & Lybrand PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...

), cancer. * Åsmund L. Strømnes, 82, Norwegian educationalist. * Valbjörn Þorláksson, 75, Icelandic decathlete. *

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

, 90, Irish-born British Academy Award-nominated actor (''

The Hasty Heart ''The Hasty Heart'' is a 1949 war drama film, an Anglo-American co-production starring Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, and Richard Todd and directed by Vincent Sherman. The film is based on the 1945 play of the same name by John Patrick. ''Th ...

'', '' The Dam Busters''), ('' The Longest Day''), cancer. * Ahmed Abdulahi Waayeel, Somali Education Minister, bombing. *

Bobby Wayne Woods Bobby Wayne Woods (October 11, 1965 – December 3, 2009) was an American convicted murderer, kidnapper and rapist executed by the state of Texas for the murder and rape of 11-year-old Sarah Patterson in 1997. Woods also received a 40-year sent ...

, 44, American convicted rapist, kidnapper and murderer,

execution by lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, Neuromuscular-blocking drug, paralytic, and potassium chloride, potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main ...

. * Torrie Zito, 76, American pianist and arranger, emphysema.

4

* Richard T. Antoun, 77, American anthropologist and professor, stabbed. * Harold Bell, 90, American marketer, licensing agent and technical advisor, creator of Woodsy Owl. *

Liam Clancy Liam Clancy ( ga, Liam Mac Fhlannchadha; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's ...

, 74, Irish folk singer (

The Clancy Brothers The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music group that developed initially as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular during the 1960s, they were famed for their Aran jumper sweaters and are widely credited with popu ...

), pulmonary fibrosis. *

Tim Costello Timothy Ewen Costello AO (born 4 March 1955) is an Australian Baptist minister who was the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Advocate of World Vision Australia. Costello worked as a lawyer and served as mayor of St Kilda. He has authored a ...

, 64, American labor and anti-globalization advocate, pancreatic cancer. * Matthew Luo Duxi, 90, Chinese Roman Catholic Bishop of

Jiading Jiading is a suburban district of Shanghai. It had a population of 1,471,100 in 2010. History Historically, Jiading was a separate municipality/town, until, in 1958, becoming under the administration of Shanghai. In 1993, Jiading's designate ...

. * Jérôme-Michel-Francis Martin, 68, French Roman Catholic Bishop of

Berbérati Berbérati is the second-largest city in the Central African Republic, with a population of 105,155(2013 census). Located in the south-west of the country near the border with Cameroon, it serves as capital of the Mambéré-Kadéï Prefecture and g ...

(1987–1991). * Bryan O'Byrne, 78, American character actor. * Spyridon, 83, Greek Metropolitan Bishop of

Lagkadas Lagkadas ( el, Λαγκαδάς, ) is a town and municipality in the northeast part of Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. There are 41103 residents in the municipality and 7764 of them live in the town of Lagkadas. Lagkadas is located northeast o ...

, after long illness. *

Vyacheslav Tikhonov Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Tikhonov (russian: Вячесла́в Васи́льевич Ти́хонов; 8 February 1928, in Pavlovsky Posad – 4 December 2009, in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian actor whose best known role was as Soviet spy, ...

, 81, Russian actor (''

Seventeen Moments of Spring ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (russian: Семнадцать мгновений весны, Semnadtsat' mgnoveniy vesny) is a 1973 Soviet twelve-part television series, directed by Tatyana Lioznova and based on the novel of the same title by Yu ...

''). * Stephen Toulmin, 87, British philosopher and author, heart failure. *

Jordi Solé Tura Jordi Solé Tura (23 May 1930 in Mollet del Vallés – 4 December 2009 in Barcelona) was a Spanish politician, jurist and one of the co-authors and "Fathers" of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 following Spain's move to democracy.

, 79, Spanish politician and lawyer, co-author of

Spanish Constitution The Spanish Constitution (Spanish, Asturleonese, and gl, Constitución Española; eu, Espainiako Konstituzioa; ca, Constitució Espanyola; oc, Constitucion espanhòla) is the democratic law that is supreme in the Kingdom of Spain. It was e ...

and Minister of Culture (1991–1993). * Umaga, 36, American professional wrestler, prescription drug overdose. * Mall Vaasma, 64, Estonian mycologist. *

Mary Curtis Verna Mary Virginia Curtis Verna (May 9, 1921 – December 4, 2009) was an American operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, she studied at Abbot Academy and Hollins College, and later in Italy ...

, 88, American operatic soprano (

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

), complications from a broken hip. * Francis Wilford-Smith, 82, British cartoonist.

5

Jerry Birn Jerry Birn (1923 – December 5, 2009) was an American television soap opera writer. He was married to actress Patty Weaver from 1994 until his death aged 86; his daughter is Laura Bryan Birn. Both his wife and his daughter appeared on ''The You ...

, 86, American television writer. *

Nina Fishman Nina Fishman (26 May 1946 – 5 December 2009) was an American-born English labour movement historian and political activist. Fishman was born in San Francisco. Her father, Leslie Fishman, was an economist at the University of California, B ...

, 63, British historian and political activist, cancer. * Alfred Hrdlicka, 81, Austrian architect and draughtsman. *

Otto Graf Lambsdorff Otto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff (20 December 1926 – 5 December 2009), was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP). Early life and education Lambsdorff was bo ...

, 82, German politician, Minister of Economics (1977–1982; 1982–1984). * William Lederer, 97, American author ('' The Ugly American''), respiratory failure. *

Kálmán Markovits Kálmán Markovits (August 26, 1931 – December 5, 2009) was a Hungary, Hungarian water polo player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1956 Summer Olympics, and 1960 Summer Olympics. He was born in Budapest. Markovits was part o ...

, 78, Hungarian Olympic gold (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...

) and bronze (

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

) medalist in water polo. * Tim "Barrel Man" McKernan, 69, American fan of the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

, lung failure. *

Garfield Morgan Thomas Timothy Garfield Morgan (19 April 1931 – 5 December 2009) was an English actor who appeared mostly on television and occasionally in films. Biography Born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Morgan began acting with a youth club drama group ...

, 78, British actor ('' The Sweeney''), cancer. * Malcolm Perry, 80, American attending physician to President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

after his assassination, lung cancer. * Manuel Prado y Colón de Carvajal, 78, Spanish diplomat. * Dumitru Puntea, 66, Moldovan politician. *

Jim Rohn Emanuel James Rohn (September 17, 1930 – December 5, 2009), professionally known as Jim Rohn, was an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. Early life Emanuel James "Jim" Rohn was born in Yakima, Washington, to Emmanuel ...

, 79, American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, pulmonary fibrosis. * Jack Rose, 38, American guitarist, heart attack. * Princess Vimolchatra of Thailand, 88, Thai royal, cousin of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

, renal failure. * William A. Wilson (diplomat), 95, American Ambassador to the Holy See (1984–1986).

6

* Dennis P. Collins, 85, American politician, mayor of Bayonne, New Jersey (1974–1990). * Rupprecht Geiger, 101, German painter. * Dermott Monteith, 66, Irish cricketer. *

John Pittenger John C. Pittenger (May 23, 1930 – December 6, 2009) was an American lawyer, academic and former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving two non-consecutive terms in the State House. He was appointed the Secr ...

, 79, American politician, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education (1972–1976), Parkinson's disease. * Bina Rai, 78, Indian actress ('' Anarkali''), heart attack. * Daouda Sow, 76, Senegalese politician, President of National Assembly (1984–1998).

7

* Bruce C. Allen, 54, American guitarist and vocalist ( The Suburbs), organ failure. * Frank M. Coffin, 90, American politician, Representative from Maine (1957–1961), complications of aortic aneurysm surgery. * Royden G. Derrick, 94, American general authority of the

LDS Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...

, natural causes. *

Al Dorow Albert Richard Dorow (November 15, 1929 – December 7, 2009) was an American gridiron football quarterback. He played college football at Michigan State University and professionally in the National Football League (NFL), the American Footb ...

, 80, American football player (

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

, New York Titans), bone cancer. * Shunkichi Hamada, 99, Japanese Olympic silver medal-winning (

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...

) field hockey player. * Rose Kaufman, 70, American screenwriter, cancer. * Lorenzo Ochoa Salas, Mexican archeologist. *

Grady Patterson Grady Leslie Patterson, Jr. (January 13, 1924 – December 7, 2009) was a Democratic Party politician who served as the South Carolina Treasurer and a United States Air Force Lieutenant General. Born in Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, Patte ...

, 85, American politician, South Carolina state Treasurer (1966–1995; 1999–2007), natural causes. * Carlene Hatcher Polite, 77, American novelist, cancer. *

Mark Ritts Mark Ritts (June 16, 1946 – December 7, 2009) was an American actor, puppeteer, television producer and director, and author. Ritts also produced and directed many independent videos and television spots as president of Mark Ritts Production ...

, 63, American actor and puppeteer (''

Beakman's World ''Beakman's World'' is an American educational children's television program. The program is based on the Universal Press Syndicate syndicated comic strip ''You Can with Beakman and Jax'' created by Jok Church. The series premiered on Wednesday, ...

''), kidney cancer. *

Ray Solomonoff Ray Solomonoff (July 25, 1926 – December 7, 2009) was the inventor of algorithmic probability, his General Theory of Inductive Inference (also known as Universal Inductive Inference),Samuel Rathmanner and Marcus Hutter. A philosophical treatise ...

, 83, American physicist and artificial intelligence pioneer. * Pyotr Vail, 60, Russian essayist and journalist.

8

James Bingham James Bingham may refer to: * James Bingham (artist), Belfast-based painter * James Bingham (Indiana politician) James Bingham (March 16, 1861 – August 19, 1940) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the nineteenth Indiana Atto ...

, 84, British artist. *

Kenneth Biros Kenneth Biros (June 24, 1958 – December 8, 2009) was an American convicted murderer who was sentenced to death and executed for the aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and felonious sexual penetration of a young woman. Biros w ...

, 51, American convicted murderer,

. *

Joan Bridge Joan Bridge (13 March 1912 – 8 December 2009) was a British costume designer and Technicolor consultant for 76 British films from Ripley in Derbyshire. Career She won at the 39th Academy Awards in the category of Best Costume design-Colo ...

, 97, British costume designer. * Su Cruickshank, 63, Australian jazz singer and actress (''

Young Einstein ''Young Einstein'' is a 1988 Australian comedy film written, produced, directed by and starring Yahoo Serious. It is a fantasized account of the life of Albert Einstein which alters all people, places and circumstances of his life, including r ...

''), heart and kidney failure. * Luis Días, 57, Dominican musician and songwriter, heart attack. *

Dean Fasano Dean Fasano (January 16, 1955 – December 8, 2009) was the lead singer of the bands Message and Prophet. Early years Fasano grew up in New Jersey, United States, and in his youth he got interested in music and singing. His special and emo ...

, 54, American vocalist (

Prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

Message A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means, including courier, telegraphy, carrier pigeon and electronic bus. A ...

), coronary artery disease. * John Givens, 83, American basketball coach ( Kentucky Colonels, 1967). * Arthur Glasser, 95, American missionary and theologian. *

Karel Klančnik Karel Klančnik (30 May 1917 in Mojstrana – 8 December 2009) was a Yugoslavian ski jumper who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He finished 23rd in the individual large hill at the 1948 Winter Olympics and tied for 29th in the same ...

, 92, Yugoslavian Olympic ski jumper. *

Elza Medeiros Elza Cansanção Medeiros, popularly known as Major Elza (October 21, 1921 – December 8, 2009), was a Brazilian Army officer and World War II veteran. She was the highest-ranking female officer in the Brazilian Army with the rank of Major, ...

, 88, Brazilian nurse, World War II veteran. * William C. McInnes, 86, American Jesuit, president of Fairfield University (1964–1973); USF (1973–1976). * Anthony Sanusi, 98, Nigerian Roman Catholic Bishop of

Ijebu-Ode Ijebu-Ode is a town in Ogun State, South Western geopolitical zone in Nigeria, close to the A121 highway. The city is located 110 km by road north-east of Lagos; it is within of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern part of Ogun State and p ...

(1969–1990). * Fred Sheffield, 86, American basketball player. * Sir Philip Watson, 90, British admiral.

9

* Luiz Carlos Alborghetti, 64, Brazilian television presenter and politician, lung cancer. *

Gene Barry Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass, June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films '' The Atomic City'' (1952) and ''The War of The Worl ...

, 90, American actor (''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'', '' Burke's Law'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

''), heart failure. * Roger Jacobi, 62, British archaeologist. * Sa'ad Khair, 56, Jordanian secret service chief, heart attack. * Piotr Krzywicki, 45, Polish politician, pancreatic cancer. *

Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García Brigadier General Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García (24 January 1930

, 79, Guatemalan President (1974–1978), complications from cancer. * Rodrigo Carazo Odio, 82, Costa Rican politician, President (1978–1982), heart failure. *

Faramarz Payvar Master Farâmarz Pâyvar ( fa, فرامرز پایور, ; 10 February 1933 – 9 December 2009) was an Iranian composer and santur player. Payvar died on 9 December 2009 after a long struggle with brain damage. Although once perceived as mar ...

, 77, Iranian composer and santur player, brain damage. *

Onofre Cândido Rosa Onofre Cândido Rosa S.D.B. (August 5, 1924 – December 9, 2009) was a Brazilian Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwid ...

, 85, Brazilian Roman Catholic Bishop of Jardim (1981–1999). * Goldie Semple, 56, Canadian stage actor, breast cancer. * Norman Sykes, 83, English footballer (

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...

10

* Apolonia Muñoz Abarca, 89, American activist. * Gene Carpenter, 70, American football coach. *

Dilip Chitre Dilip Purushottam Chitre (17 September 1938 – 10 December 2009) was one of the foremost Indian poets and critics to emerge in the post Independence India. Apart from being a notable bilingual writer, writing in Marathi language, Marathi and En ...

, 70, Indian poet, cancer. * Kenny Dino, 70, American pop singer. *

Jean-Robert Gauthier Jean-Robert Gauthier, (October 22, 1929 – December 10, 2009) was a Canadian politician. A chiropractor by training, he entered politics as trustee on a local school board. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada to represent t ...

, 80, Canadian MP for Ottawa East (1972–1974), Ottawa—Vanier (1974–1994); Senator (1994–2004), stroke. * Sir John Gingell, 84, British Air Chief Marshal and Black Rod (1985–1992). *

Thomas Hoving Thomas Pearsall Field Hoving (January 15, 1931 – December 10, 2009) was an American museum executive and consultant and the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Early life He was born in New York City to Walter Hoving, the head of Ti ...

, 78, American director of the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

(1967–1977), lung cancer. * Sir Alan Huggins, 88, British jurist, vice-president of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong (1980–1987). *

Colin James Colin James (born Colin James Munn, August 17, 1964) is a Canadian rock and blues singer and songwriter. Biography Early years James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His grandpa was Serbian. He got his break opening for Stevie Ray V ...

, 83, British Anglican prelate, Bishop of Winchester (1985–1995), chest infection. * József Kóczián, 83, Hungarian table tennis player. * William L. Reilly, 94, American Jesuit and philosophy professor, President of

Le Moyne College Le Moyne College is a private Jesuit college in DeWitt, New York.http://www.ongov.net/planning/haz/documents/Section9.7-TownofDeWitt.pdf It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946 and named after Jesuit missionary Simon Le Moyne. At its fo ...

(1964–1976).

11

Brindley Benn Brindley Horatio Benn, CCH (24 January 1923 – 11 December 2009) was a teacher, choirmaster, politician, and one of the key leaders of the Guyanese independence movement. He was put under restriction when the constitution was suspended in 1953. ...

, 86, Guyanese politician, Deputy Prime Minister, natural causes. * Francisco Piquer, 87, Spanish actor. *

Ciarán Mac Mathúna Ciarán Mac Mathúna (26 November 1925 – 11 December 2009) was an Irish broadcaster and music collector. He was a recognised authority on Irish traditional music and lectured extensively on the subject. He travelled around Ireland, England, Sc ...

, 84, Irish radio presenter and music collector. *

Eric Wrinkles Matthew Eric Wrinkles (January 3, 1960 – December 11, 2009) was a convicted multiple murderer. He served 14 years at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana, and was executed there on December 11, 2009. Crime On July 21, 1994, Wrinkle ...

, 49, American convicted murderer,

12

Val Avery Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a So ...

, 85, American actor (''

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie ''The Killing of a Chinese Bookie'' is a 1976 American neo-noir crime film written and directed by John Cassavetes and starring Ben Gazzara. A rough and gritty film, this is the second of their three collaborations, following ''Husbands'' and pre ...

)''. *

Klavdiya Boyarskikh Klavdiya Sergeyevna Boyarskikh (russian: Клавдия Сергеевна Боярских; 11 November 1939 – 12 December 2009) was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed in the 1960s. In 1964, Boyarskikh won her first Soviet titles, in ...

, 70, Russian cross-country skier, Olympic gold medalist (1964). *

Charles MacAlester Copland Charles MacAlester Copland was an Anglican priest. Born into an ecclesiastical family on 5 April 1910 and educated at Denstone College, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Ripon College Cuddesdon, he was ordained in 1934 and began his caree ...

, 99, British Anglican priest, Dean of Argyll and The Isles (1977–1979). * Charles Davis, 84, American actor, heart attack. * Ali Gharbi, 54, Tunisian swimmer. * Robert G. Heft, 67, American designer of the 50-star American flag. *

Howard Wesley Johnson Howard Wesley Johnson (July 2, 1922 – December 12, 2009) was an American educator. He served as dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management between 1959 and 1966, president of MIT between 1966 and 1971, and chairman of the MIT Corporation (t ...

, 87, American educator, president of

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

(1966–1971). * Napoleon A. Jones Jr., 69, American federal judge. *

Manuel Ruiz Sosa Manuel Ruiz Sosa (10 April 1937 – 12 December 2009) was a Spanish football midfielder and manager. Honours Player Atlético Madrid *La Liga: 1965–66 *Copa del Generalísimo The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, com ...

, 72, Spanish footballer and coach. *

Eugene van Tamelen Eugene Earle van Tamelen (July 20, 1925 – December 12, 2009) was an organic chemist who is especially recognized for his contributions to bioorganic chemistry. van Tamelen published five papers while an undergraduate at Hope College. He con ...

, 84, American chemist, cancer.

13

* Dan Barton, 88, American actor and voice-over actor, heart failure and kidney disease. * Julian Fane, 82, British author. *

Moyra Fraser Moyra Fraser (3 December 1923 – 13 December 2009) was an Australian-born English actress and ballet dancer, who is best known for playing Penny in the long-running sitcom '' As Time Goes By''. Her sister was the actress Shelagh Fraser. She ma ...

, 86, Australian-born British actress ('' As Time Goes By''). * Yvonne King, 89, American singer (

The King Sisters The King Sisters were an American big band-era vocal group consisting of six sisters: Alyce, Donna, Luise, Marilyn, Maxine, and Yvonne King. History Born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the King sisters were part of the Driggs family of e ...

). * Börje Langefors, 94, Swedish engineer and computer scientist. *

Arne Næss Arne Dekke Eide Næss (; 27 January 1912 – 12 January 2009) was a Norwegian philosopher who coined the term "deep ecology", an important intellectual and inspirational figure within the environmental movement of the late twentieth century ...

, 84, Norwegian politician, Mayor of Bergen. * Piergiorgio Nesti, 78, Italian Roman Catholic archbishop of Camerino-San Severino Marche. *

Paul Samuelson Paul Anthony Samuelson (May 15, 1915 – December 13, 2009) was an American economist who was the first American to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. When awarding the prize in 1970, the Swedish Royal Academies stated that he " ...

, 94, American economist, Nobel Prize winner (1970). * Sha'ari Tadin, 77, Singaporean educator and public servant, Parkinson's disease. * Thomas F. Stroock, 84, American politician, Ambassador to Guatemala (1989–1992). *

Larry Sultan Larry Sultan (July 13, 1946 – December 13, 2009) was an American photographer from the San Fernando Valley in California. He taught at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1978 to 1988 and at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco ...

, 63, American photographer, cancer. * Wilton Cezar Xavier, 62, Brazilian footballer.

14

Alan A'Court Alan A'Court (30 September 1934 – 14 December 2009) was an English footballer who mostly played for Liverpool. He gained five caps for England and represented the nation at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. Playing career Born in Rainhill, Lancash ...

, 75, English footballer (

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

), cancer. *

Jack Denham Jack Denham (24 August 1924 – 14 December 2009) was a leading Australian horse trainer and businessman. A member of a Sydney training dynasty, Denham first rode as a jockey for his brother, and then took out his own training licence in 1 ...

, 85, Australian horse trainer, winner of 1997 Caulfield and

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...

(

Might and Power Might and Power (6 October 1993 – 11 April 2020) was a New Zealand bred, Australian owned and trained Thoroughbred racehorse who was named Australian Horse of the Year in 1998 and 1999. As a four-year-old, Might And Power won the Caulfield a ...

). * Chris Feinstein, 42, American bassist ( The Cardinals). * Stocker Fontelieu, 86, American actor and executive director (New Orleans theatre), complications from a fall. *

Conard Fowkes Conard Fowkes (January 4, 1933 in Washington, D.C. – December 14, 2009 in New York City) was an American actor. He was best known for acting in soap operas, including '' Kitty Foyle'', ''Dark Shadows'', ''The Edge of Night'', '' The Secret Storm ...

, 76, American actor (''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...

''). * Miodrag Jovanović, 87, Serbian Olympic silver medal-winning ( 1948) footballer. * George McKinnon, 91, American basketball and baseball coach. *

David Pecaut David Kent Pecaut, (September 14, 1955 – December 14, 2009) was a US-born Canadian civic leader. He co-founded and sat on the board of the Toronto City Summit Alliance. Personal life Pecaut was born to Richard and Dorothy (Kent) Pecaut an ...

, 54, Canadian municipal entrepreneur, colorectal cancer. * Daniel Piscopo, 89, Maltese politician. *

Sol Price Sol Price (January 23, 1916December 14, 2009) was the founder of FedMart, Price Club (which ultimately merged into Costco) and PriceSmart. He is considered a pioneer of the " warehouse store" retail model. Early life and education Price was bor ...

, 93, American businessman, founder of Price Club, natural causes.

15

Curtis Allina Curtis Allina (August 15, 1922 – December 15, 2009) is credited with the addition of heads on the dispensers for Pez candy, a design feature implemented while he was an executive at Pez-Haas, then the name of the company that now makes Pez ...

, 87, American businessman, executive of Pez Candy (1955–1979), heart failure. * C. D. B. Bryan, 73, American author (''Friendly Fire''), cancer. * Sir Chris Clarke, 68, British politician, leader of Somerset County Council. * Milena Müllerová, 86, Czech gymnast, Olympic champion ( 1948). *

Arnaldo Ribeiro Arnaldo Ribeiro (January 7, 1930–December 15, 2009) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Ordained to the priesthood on March 13, 1954, in the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte, Ribeiro ...

, 79, Brazilian Roman Catholic archbishop of

Ribeirão Preto Ribeirão Preto (Portuguese pronunciation: �ibejˈɾɐ̃w ˈpɾetu is a municipality and a metropolitan area located in the northeastern region of São Paulo state, Brazil. Ribeirão Preto is the eighth-largest municipality in the State wit ...

(1988–2006). *

Oral Roberts Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christian televangelist, ordained in both the Pentecostal Holiness and United Methodist churches. He is considered one of the forerunners of t ...

, 91, American evangelist, founder of Oral Roberts University, complications from pneumonia. *

James Rossant James Stephan Rossant (August 17, 1928 – December 15, 2009) was an American architect, artist, and professor of architecture. A long-time Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he is best known for his master plan of ...

, 81, American architect, designer of Reston, Virginia, leukemia. * Herbert Spiegel, 95, American psychiatrist.

16

* Arturo Beltrán Leyva, 48, Mexican drug lord, shot. *

Arthur Cores Arthur Richard Cores (August 11, 1957 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman and entrepreneur who was a co-founder of Boston Market. In 1985, while a student at Northeastern University in Boston, the 27-year-old Cores partnered wi ...

, 52, American businessman, founder of

Boston Market Boston Market Corporation, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, is an American fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Golden, Colorado. It is owned by the Rohan Group. Boston Market has its greatest presence in the Northeastern and Midwes ...

, esophageal cancer. * Drexell R. Davis, 88, American politician, Kentucky Secretary of State and state treasurer. *

Roy E. Disney Roy Edward Disney KCSG (January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman. He was the longtime senior executive for the Walt Disney Company, which was founded by his father, Roy O. Disney, and his uncle, Walt Disney. At the ti ...

, 79, American entertainment executive (

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...

), nephew of

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

, stomach cancer. *

Karel Dufek Karel Dufek (24 January 1916 – 16 December 2009) was a Czechoslovak diplomat and a Spanish Civil War veteran who served in the International Brigades. Youth Dufek was born in Dolní Heřmanice, in the Austro-Hungarian Margraviate of Moravi ...

, 93, Czechoslovak diplomat,

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

veteran. *

Yegor Gaidar Yegor Timurovich Gaidar (russian: link=no, Его́р Тиму́рович Гайда́р; ; 19 March 1956 – 16 December 2009) was a Soviet and Russian economist, politician, and author, and was the Acting Prime Minister of Russia from 15 Ju ...

, 53, Russian politician, acting Prime Minister (1992), thrombus. *

Dennis Herod Dennis John Herod (27 October 1923 – 16 December 2009) was an English footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for Stockport County and Stoke City, both members of the Football League. Playing career Herod was born in Basford and joined ...

, 86, English footballer ( Stoke City). * Fred Honsberger, 58, American radio personality. *

T. G. H. James Thomas Garnet Henry James, (8 May 1923 – 16 December 2009), known as Harry James, was a British Egyptologist, epigrapher, and museum curator. He is best known for his career long association with the British Museum, serving with the Department ...

, 86, British egyptologist. * Kelly Kwalik, 53-54, Indonesian West Papua separatist leader and commander (

Free Papua Movement "Free Papua Movement" ( id, Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM, tpi, Fri Wes Papua Grup) is an umbrella term for the independence movement established during 1965 in the West Papuan or West New Guinea territory which is currently being administrat ...

), shot. * Dame Victoire Ridsdale, Lady Ridsdale, 88, British politician, World War II intelligence agent, inspiration for

Miss Moneypenny Miss Moneypenny, later assigned the first names of Eve or Jane, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M, who is Bond's superior officer and head of the British Secret Intelligence Service ( MI6). Al ...

. *

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang Mantombazana "Manto" Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang (née Mali; 9 October 1940 – 16 December 2009) was a South African politician. She was Deputy Minister of Justice from 1996 to 1999 and served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2008 under Preside ...

, 69, South African politician, Minister of Health (1999–2008), complications from a liver transplant. * Vladimir Turchinsky, 46, Russian actor, bodybuilder and showman, heart attack. * Josef Voß, 72, German Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Munster, Titular Bishop of Thisiduo (since 1988). *

Bob Waldmire Robert Waldmire (April 19, 1945 – December 16, 2009) was an American artist and cartographer who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66, including whimsical maps of the ''Mother Road'' and its human and natural ecology. Being the son ...

, 64, American Route 66 artist, cancer.

17

Amin al-Hafiz Amin al-Hafiz ( ar, أمين الحافظ, Amīn al-Ḥāfiẓ12 November 1921 – 17 December 2009), also known as Amin Hafez was a Syrian politician, general, and member of the Ba'ath Party who served as the President of Syria from 27 July ...

, 88, Syrian politician, President (1963–1966). *

P.R. Anthonis Deshamanya Polwattearachchige Romiel Anthonis FRCS (21 January 1911 – 17 December 2009), known as "P. R. Anthonis", was a leading Sri Lankan surgeon. He was Chancellor (education), Chancellor of the University of Colombo from 1981 to 2002. Earl ...

, 98, Sri Lankan surgeon. *

Alaina Reed Hall Alaina Reed Hall (November 10, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American actress and singer who portrayed Olivia Robinson, Gordon's younger sister, on the PBS children's television series ''Sesame Street'', and Rose Lee Holloway on the NBC si ...

, 63, American actress (''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...

227 Year 227 ( CCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Fulvius (or, less frequently, year 980 '' Ab urbe cond ...

''), breast cancer. * Chris Henry, 26, American football player ( Cincinnati Bengals), blunt force trauma after fall from vehicle. * Warren Hogan, 80, Australian economics professor and government adviser, cancer. *

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated ...

, 90, American Academy Award-winning actress ('' The Song of Bernadette''), natural causes. *

Michel Leblond Michel Leblond (10 May 1932 – 17 December 2009) was a French football midfielder who was a member of the French squad at FIFA World Cup 1954 and a main player of great Stade de Reims in the 1950s. He also holds the honour of being the first ...

, 77, French Olympic footballer. * Miljenko Mihić, 75, Serbian football coach. *

Dan O'Bannon Daniel Thomas O'Bannon (September 30, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American film screenwriter, director and visual effects supervisor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres. O'Bannon wrote the screenplay for '' Alien'', adap ...

, 63, American screenwriter (''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

'', '' Total Recall'', ''

Blue Thunder ''Blue Thunder'' is a 1983 American action thriller film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Gordon Carroll, Phil Feldman, and Andrew Fogelson and directed by John Badham. The Blue Thunder helicopter itself did exist as two copies of modifie ...

''), Crohn's disease. * Samuel Victor Perry, 91, British biochemist. *

Hans Pfenninger Hans Pfenninger (16 September 1929 – 17 December 2009) was a Swiss cyclist. He competed at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known a ...

, 80, Swiss Olympic cyclist. *

Albert Ràfols-Casamada Albert Ràfols-Casamada (2 February 1923 – 17 December 2009) was a Spanish painter, poet and art teacher involved in the vanguard movements of his time. He is considered one of the most important, multifaceted Catalan artists of his time. ...

, 86, Spanish artist.

18

* Fred Bachrach, 95, Dutch art historian. * Charlie Balun, 61, American artist and journalist, cancer. *

José Bardina José Bardina (March 27, 1939 – December 18, 2009) was a Spanish-Venezuelan actor who was a television leading figure. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Bardina was raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Television career He was best known for playing ...

, 70, Spanish-Venezuelan actor, bladder cancer. *

Oskar Danon Oskar Danon (7 February 1913 – 18 December 2009)
''

, 96, Bosnian conductor and composer. *

John Henry Fischer John Henry Fischer (July 16, 1910 – December 18, 2009) was an academic administrator who, as school superintendent, made Baltimore the first large American city to desegregate its public schools. He later served as dean and president of Te ...

, 99, American educator, President of

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...

(1962–1974), heart failure. *

Connie Hines Connie Hines (March 24, 1931 – December 18, 2009) was an American actress best known for playing Alan Young's wife, Carol Post, on the 1960s sitcom ''Mister Ed''. Biography Hines was one of four children born in Dedham in Norfolk Coun ...

, 78, American actress (''

Mister Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...

''), heart failure. * Harold Lundrigan, 81, Canadian businessman. * Archimandrite Joasaph, 47, American Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the

ROCOR The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (russian: Ру́сская Правосла́вная Це́рковь Заграни́цей, lit=Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, translit=Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov' Zagranitsey), also called Ru ...

, cancer. * László Nagy, 88, Hungarian-born Swiss Secretary General of the

World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...

(1968–1988). *

Job (Osacky) Archbishop Job (Osacky) of Chicago (March 18, 1946 – December 18, 2009) was the archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of the Midwest until his unexpected death. His territory included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michig ...

, 63, American archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America. * Georgina Parkinson, 71, English ballet dancer and ballet mistress, cancer. *

Mike Simpson Michael Keith Simpson (born September 8, 1950) is an American politician and former dentist serving as the U.S. representative for since 1999. The district covers most of the eastern portion of the state, including Idaho Falls, Pocatello, S ...

, 47, American politician, Michigan state Representative (since 2006), heart attack. * Del St. John, 78, Canadian-born Austrian ice hockey player. *

Bob Willoughby Robert Hanley "Bob" Willoughby (June 30, 1927 – 18 December 2009) was an American photographer. ''Popular Photography ''Popular Photography'', formerly known as ''Popular Photography & Imaging'', also called ''Pop Photo'', is a monthly Amer ...

, 82, American photographer, cancer. * Robin Wood, 78, British film critic, leukemia. * Rex Yetman, 76, Canadian bluegrass mandolin player *

Jack Zilly John Lynus Zilly (November 11, 1921 – December 18, 2009) was a professional American football player who played end for six seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles. Zilly played right end for Notre Dame on their natio ...

, 88, American football player ( Los Angeles Rams).

19

Charles Birch Louis Charles Birch (1918–2009) was an Australian geneticist specialising in population ecology and was also well known as a theologian, writing widely on the topic of science and religion, winning the Templeton Prize in 1990. The prize recogn ...

, 91, Australian geneticist. * Tony Bukovich, 94, American ice hockey player ( Detroit Red Wings). *

Margaret Christensen Margaret Christensen (8 January 1921 – 30 November 2009) also credited as Margaret Caristensen and Peg Christensen, was an Australian radio hostess and character actress, who appeared in numerous TV series, primarily in guesting roles. Biog ...

, 88, Australian actress. *

Edith Diaz Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and var ...

, 70, Puerto Rican-born American actress, heart failure. *

Lincoln Gordon Abraham Lincoln Gordon (1913 – 2009) was the 9th President of the Johns Hopkins University (1967–1971) and a United States Ambassador to Brazil (1961–1966). Gordon had a career both in government and in academia, becoming a Professor of Int ...

, 96, American diplomat and academic, Ambassador to Brazil (1961–1966), President of

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

(1967–1971). * Grand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri, 87, Iranian cleric and dissident, natural causes. *

Zeki Ökten Zeki Ökten (4 August 1941 – 19 December 2009) was a Turkish film director. Biography He was born on 4 August 1941 in Istanbul. Zeki Ökten was interested in theatre during his education at the Haydarpaşa High School. He entered his filmm ...

, 68, Turkish film director, heart disease. * Kim Peek, 58, American savant, inspiration for ''

Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged ...

'', heart attack. * Donald Pickering, 76, British actor. * Roger Rawson, 70, American politician, former majority leader of the Utah House of Representatives, liver disease. *

Loren Singer Loren Adelson Singer (March 5, 1923, – December 19, 2009) was an American novelist, known best for his 1970 political thriller ''The Parallax View'', which was made as a successful 1974 movie, of the same name.Grimes, William"Loren Singer ...

, 86, American novelist (''

The Parallax View ''The Parallax View'' is a 1974 American political thriller film produced and directed by Alan J. Pakula, and starring Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels and Paula Prentiss. The screenplay by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple Jr. was base ...

'').

20

* Joan Brosnan Walsh, 71, Irish actress (''

Fair City ''Fair City'' is an Irish television soap opera which has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 1989. Produced by the public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), it first aired on Monday, 18 September 1989. It has won several awa ...

''), motor neurone disease. *

Jack Brownsword Nathan John Brownsword (15 May 1923 – 19 December 2009) was a professional footballer who spent 18 seasons with Scunthorpe United, and holds the club's all-time appearance record, having played 597 league games, and 791 first-team games overal ...

, 86, British footballer ( Scunthorpe United). * Neil Farrington, 38, British drummer (

Cerebral Fix Cerebral Fix are an English thrash metal band formed in Birmingham in 1986. They became members of the UK thrash metal and death metal scenes through four albums, three of which were on major labels before finally disbanding in 1993. In 2006, ...

). * Erik Gates, 47, American electrician and model rocket expert ('' MythBusters''), injuries sustained in a fall from roof. *

James Gurley James Martin Gurley (December 22, 1939 – December 20, 2009) was an American musician. He is best known as the principal lead guitarist of Big Brother and the Holding Company, a psychedelic/acid rock band from San Francisco which was fronted ...

, 69, American guitarist (

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After som ...

), heart attack. *

Jack Hixon John Hixon (7 February 1921 – 20 December 2009) was an English football talent scout. A familiar face at football games across the North East for decades, Hixon played a major part in furthering the careers of many footballers from the region. ...

, 88, British football scout. *

Arun Krushnaji Kamble Arun Krushnaji Kamble (14 March 1953 – December 2009) was an Indian Marathi language writer, professor, Politician, and Dalit activist. Arun Kamble, President and one of the founding members of Dalit Panthers of India, worked as a Head of Mara ...

, 56, Indian

Dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...

activist, drowned. (body discovered on this date) *

Yiannis Moralis Yiannis Moralis ( el, Γιάννης Μόραλης; also transliterated Yannis Moralis or Giannis Moralis; 23 April 1916 – 20 December 2009) was an important Greek visual artist and part of the so-called "Generation of the '30s". Life B ...

, 93, Greek visual artist. *

Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...

, 32, American actress (''

Clueless ''Clueless'' is a 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling. It stars Alicia Silverstone with supporting roles by Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd. It was produced by Scott Rudin and Robert ...

'', ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...

'', '' 8 Mile''), pneumonia. * Shari Rhodes, 71, American casting director (''

Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...

'', ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'', '' Breaking Bad''). *

Vera Rich Vera Rich (born Faith Elizabeth Rich, 24 April 1936 – 20 December 2009) was a British poet, journalist, historian, and translator from Belarusian and Ukrainian. Biography Born in London in April 1936, she studied at St Hilda's College of th ...

, 73, British poet, journalist, historian, and translator. * Lester Rodney, 98, American sports journalist. *

Arnold Stang Arnold Sidney Stang (September 28, 1918 – December 20, 2009)
''

, 91, American actor (''

Top Cat ''Top Cat'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast in prime time on the ABC network. It aired in a weekly evening time slot from September 27, 1961, to April 18, 1962, for a single season of ...

'', ''

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...

''), pneumonia. * Ira Trombley, 57, American politician, member of the Vermont House of Representatives (since 2002), natural causes.

21

Suryakant Acharya Suryakant Acharya (9 December 1929 – 21 December 2009) was an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a member of the Parliament of India representing Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament The P ...

, 80, Indian politician, natural causes. * Jaime Agudelo, 84, Colombian comedian, respiratory failure. * Craigie Aitchison, 83, British painter. * Dick Archer, 82, Australian politician, member of the

Tasmanian Legislative Council The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two chambers of the Parliament, the other being the House of Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in the state capital, ...

(1980–1992). * Ann Nixon Cooper, 107, American civil rights activist, mentioned in President Obama's election victory speech. * James Cowley, 90, British recipient of the

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...

. * Rick Hube, 62, American politician, member of the Vermont House of Representatives (since 1998). *

David Isaacs David Isaacs may refer to: * David Isaacs (singer) (1946–2009), Jamaican reggae singer * David Isaacs (writer), American TV screenwriter and producer * David Isaacs (UFC Cofounder) David Isaacs is a media and technology entrepreneur and TV/liv ...

, 63, Jamaican singer ( The Itals). * Pete King, 80, British saxophonist, co-founder of

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sc ...

. * Edwin G. Krebs, 91, American Nobel Prize-winning biochemist. * Christos Lambrakis, 75, Greek businessman, publisher and journalist, multiple organ failure. *

Marianne Stone Marianne Stone (23 August 1922 – 21 December 2009) was an English character actress. She performed in films from the early 1940s to the late 1980s, typically playing working class parts such as barmaids, secretaries and landladies. Stone appe ...

, 87, British character actress ( ''Carry On'' series).

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Al Bernardin Al Bernardin (February 17, 1928 – December 22, 2009) was an American restaurateur and businessman who invented the McDonald's Quarter Pounder in 1971 as a franchise owner in Fremont, California. The creation of the Quarter Pounder earned hi ...

, 81, American restaurateur, inventor of the

Quarter Pounder The Quarter Pounder is a hamburger sold by international fast food chain McDonald's, so named for containing a patty with a precooked weight of 4 oz, a quarter of a pound (113.4 g). It was first introduced in 1971. In 2013, the Qua ...

, stroke. *

Mick Cocks Michael Thomas Cocks (11 January 1955 – 22 December 2009) was an Australian musician, most noted for his guitar and songwriting work with Rose Tattoo. His original sound and style heavily influenced Guns N' Roses, who recorded a cover of th ...

, 54, Australian guitarist (

Rose Tattoo Rose Tattoo are an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, which formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Bo ...

), liver cancer. * Luis Francisco Cuéllar, 69, Colombian politician, Governor of Caqueta, assassination by cut throat. * Michael Currie, 81, American actor (''

'', '' Sudden Impact''). *

Bernhard Droog Bernhard Droog (5 January 1921 in Cologne, Germany – 22 December 2009 in Ede, Netherlands) was a Dutch actor who appeared in 17 films, including the 1997 Academy Award-winning '' Character'', and numerous television and theatre roles. Droog ...

, 88, Dutch actor, pneumonia. *

Milena Dvorská Milena Dvorská (7 September 1938 – 22 December 2009) was a Czech film actress. She appeared in 70 films and television shows between 1955 and 2009. Selected filmography * '' Anděl na horách'' (1956) * ''Nejlepší ženská mého živo ...

, 71, Czech film actress. * Edward Maitland-Makgill-Crichton, 93, British army general. * Andy Manson, 73, Australian politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (1995–2000). * Duncan Paterson, 66, Scottish rugby union player and administrator. * Sir Bob Phillis, 64, British media executive, cancer. *

Albert Scanlon Albert Joseph Scanlon (10 October 1935 – 22 December 2009) was an English footballer. He began his career with Manchester United and was one of the " Busby Babes" who survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. Although he sustained severe inju ...

, 74, English footballer ( Manchester United), survivor of Munich air disaster. * Piers Wardle, 49, British artist, brain haemorrhage.

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* Lucas Abadamloora, 71, Ghanaian Roman Catholic Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatanga (1994–2009). * Lilo Allgayer, 94, German Olympic fencer. * Ike Aronowicz, 86, Israeli captain of the . *

Grigory Baklanov Grigory Yakovlevich Baklanov (russian: Григо́рий Я́ковлевич Бакла́нов) (11 September 1923 – 23 December 2009) was a Soviet and Russian writer, well known for his novels about World War II, and as the editor of the ...

, 86, Russian novelist. * Charles Bullen, 90, American politician, Utah House of Representatives (1971–1977) and Senate (1977–1985). *

Robert L. Howard Robert Lewis Howard (July 11, 1939 – December 23, 2009) was the most highly decorated officer of Vietnam United States Army Special Forces and Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War. He was wounded 14 times over 54 months of combat ...

, 70, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (1971), pancreatic cancer. *

Micah Naftalin Micah H. Naftalin (1933 - December 23, 2009) was an American advocate for the rights of Soviet Jews. He was national director of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews from February 1987 until his death. Naftalin held a BA from Brandeis University ...

, 76, American advocate for Soviet Jews. *

Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme (; ; February 1, 1910 – December 23, 2009 ) was a Tibetan senior official who assumed various military and political responsibilities both before and after 1951 in Tibet. He is often known simply as Ngapo in English sourc ...

, 99, Chinese politician, Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (1964–1968; 1981–1983). * Peter O'Hagan, Irish politician. *

Edward Schillebeeckx Edward Cornelis Florentius Alfonsus Schillebeeckx (November 12, 1914–December 23, 2009) was a Belgian Catholic theologian born in Antwerp. He taught at the Catholic University in Nijmegen. He was a member of the Dominican Order. His books on ...

, 95, Belgian theologian. *Rainer Zepperitz, 79, Indonesian-born German double bassist.

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*Marcus Bakker, 86, Dutch politician, party leader of the Communist Party of the Netherlands (1963–1982). *Stan Benjamin, 95, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies) and scout (Houston Astros). *Giulio Bosetti, 79, Italian actor and film director, cancer. *Rafael Caldera, 93, Venezuelan politician, President (1969–1974; 1994–1999). *George Cowling, 89, British weatherman. *Victor Khain, 95, Russian geologist. *Terry Lawless, 76, British boxing manager and trainer. *Henry van Lieshout, 77, Dutch-born Papua New Guinean Roman Catholic Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Lae, Lae (1966–2007). *George Michael (sportscaster), George Michael, 70, American sportscaster and disc jockey, chronic lymphocytic leukemia. *Masahiko Shimura, 29, Japanese singer and musician, co-founder of the rock band Fujifabric. *Eysteinn Þórðarson, 75, Icelandic Olympic skie
Eysteinn Þórðarson
*Gero von Wilpert, 76, German literary scientist. *Brian Young (Royal Navy officer), Brian Young, 79, British naval officer.

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*Christopher Bell (scholar), Christopher Bell, 35, American disability studies scholar. *Tony Bellamy, 63, American musician (Redbone (band), Redbone), liver failure. *Bill Burich, 92, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies). *Charles Capps (Mississippi politician), Charles Capps, 84, American politician, member of Mississippi House of Representatives (1972–2005). *Asheem Chakravarty, 50, Indian jazz fusion musician (Indian Ocean (band), Indian Ocean), heart attack. *Vic Chesnutt, 45, American folk rock musician, muscle relaxant overdose. *Rusty Dedrick, 91, American swing and bebop jazz trumpeter. *Knut Haugland, 92, Norwegian explorer and World War II veteran, last surviving member of the Kon-Tiki expedition. *Rick Kane, 55, American football player (Detroit Lions), pneumonia. *Morris E. Lasker, 92, American federal judge, cancer. *Rachel Wetzsteon, 42, American poet, suicide.

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*Charles F. Baird, 87, American politician. *Dennis Brutus, 85, South African poet and anti-Apartheid activist, prostate cancer. *Giuseppe Chiappella, 85, Italian football player and manager. *Peder Lunde, Sr., Peder Lunde, 91, Norwegian Olympic silver medal-winning (

) sailor. *Arthur McIntyre (cricketer, born 1918), Arthur McIntyre, 91, British cricketer. *Yves Rocher, 79, French entrepreneur and mayor of La Gacilly, founder of Yves Rocher (company), Yves Rocher Cosmetics. *Ihor Ševčenko, 87, Polish philologist. *Percy Sutton, 89, American civil rights activist, politician and attorney, Borough President#Manhattan Borough Presidents, Manhattan Borough President (1966–1977). *Jacques Sylla, 63, Malagasy politician, Prime Minister of Madagascar (2002–2007). *David Taylor (Labour politician), David Taylor, 63, British politician, MP for North West Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency), North West Leicestershire (since 1997), heart attack. *Norval White, 83, American author ''(AIA Guide to New York City)'', heart attack. *Felix Wurman, 51, American cellist, cancer.

27

*Maryam Babangida, 61, Nigerian First Lady, wife of former President Ibrahim Babangida, ovarian cancer. *Gunnar Kemnitz, 82, Brazilian Olympic diver. *Terry L. Punt, 60, American politician, Pennsylvania State Senator (1989–2009) and State Representative (1979–1988). *Narra Venkateswara Rao, 62, Indian actor, cancer. *Isaac Schwartz, 86, Russian composer (''White Sun of the Desert''). *Takashi Takabayashi, 78, Japanese footballer.

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*Allen Batsford, 77, British football manager (Wimbledon F.C., Wimbledon), heart attack. *Habib Bourguiba, Jr., 82, Tunisian diplomat and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1964–1970). *D. F. Cartwright, 93, British businessman. *Jack Harman (British Army officer), Sir Jack Harman, 89, British general. *Zoltán Horváth (basketball), Zoltán Horváth, 30, Romanian-born Hungarian basketball player, car accident. *Terry Matte, 66, Canadian television news producer, cancer. *Manfred R. Schroeder, 83, German physicist. *J. David Singer, 84, American political scientist. *Witold Skulicz, 83, Polish artist. *The Rev, 28, American hard rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal drummer (Avenged Sevenfold), drug overdose.

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*Roberto Amadei, 76, Italian Roman Catholic monsignor, bishop of Diocese of Bergamo, Bergamo (1991–2009). *C. Aswath, 71, Indian Kannada language, Kannada singer, liver and renal failure. *Carlo Cerioni, 84, Italian Olympic basketball player
Carlo Cerioni
*David Levine, 83, American caricaturist (''The New York Review of Books''), prostate cancer. *Paul Sapsford, 60, New Zealand rugby union player (Otago Rugby Football Union, Otago, New Zealand national rugby union team, national team), injuries sustained in a jetboat accident. *Akmal Shaikh, 53, Pakistani-born British drug trafficker, executed by lethal injection. *M. S. Sivasankariah, 82, Indian cricket umpire. *Robert Smith (philanthropist), Robert H. Smith, 81, American real estate developer and philanthropist, creator of Crystal City, Virginia, stroke. *Steve Williams (wrestler), Steve Williams, 49, American professional wrestler, throat cancer.

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*Anthony Alaimo, 89, American federal judge (United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia). *Bessie Blount Griffin, 95, American inventor and forensic scientist. *Peter and Murray Corren, Peter Corren, 62, Canadian gay rights activist, cancer. *Adrian Kivumbi Ddungu, 86, Ugandan Roman Catholic Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka, Masaka. *Maldwyn Evans, 72, Welsh bowler, world champion (1972 World Outdoor Bowls Championship, 1972). *Rowland S. Howard, 50, Australian musician and songwriter (The Birthday Party (band), The Birthday Party), liver cancer. *Michelle Lang, 34, Canadian reporter (''Calgary Herald''), IED explosion. *Ruth Lilly, 94, American philanthropist (Eli Lilly and Company), heart failure. *Alberto Lysy, 74, Argentine violinist and composer. *Gloria Nord, 87, American skater. *Walter Pérez (athlete), Walter Pérez, 85, Uruguayan Olympic sprinter. *Vasiliy Shandybin, 68, Russian politician. *Peter Shirayanagi, 81, Japanese Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. *Jacqueline Sturm, 82, New Zealand writer and poet. *Vishnuvardhan (actor), Vishnuvardhan, 59, Indian Kannada language, Kannada actor, cardiac arrest. *Abdurrahman Wahid, 69, Indonesian politician, President (1999–2001), heart failure. *Norman Walker (footballer), Norman Walker, 74, Australian rules footballer. *Perry Wilson, 93, American actress ''(Fear Strikes Out''). *Leon Yao Liang, 86, Chinese bishop. *Ivan Zulueta, 66, Spanish designer and film director.

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*Arthur E. Bartlett, 76, American realtor, co-founder of Century 21 Real Estate, Century 21, Alzheimer's disease. *Umalat Magomedov, 30, leader of the Vilayat Dagestan, terrorist, killed by Russian troops. *Tod Campeau, 86, Canadian ice hockey player. *Giulio Corsini, 76, Italian football player and manager. *John Cushnie, 66, Irish gardening expert and radio presenter, heart attack. *Cahal Daly, 92, Irish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic church, Primate of All Ireland (1990–1996). *Maurice Dupras, 86, Canadian politician. *Ann Linnea Sandberg, 71, American immunologist. *George M. Holmes, 80, American politician, member of the North Carolina General Assembly (1975–1977, 1979–2009). *Ross Johnstone, 83, Canadian ice hockey player. *Rashidi Kawawa, 83, Tanzanian politician, Prime Minister of Tanganyika (1961–1964), Tanganyika (1962) and Tanzania (1972–1977). *Justin Keating, 79, Irish humanist and Labour Party politician (Minister for Industry and Commerce, 1973–1977). *Helen Lewis (choreographer), Helen Lewis, 93, Czechoslovakia, Czech-born British dancer and concentration camp survivor. *Guido Lorraine, 97, Polish-born British actor. *William May (artistic director), William May, 56, American-born Australian artistic director (''Walking with Dinosaurs#Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular, Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Experience''), pneumonia. *Glauco Onorato, 73, Italian actor and voice actor. *Bill Powell (golf course owner), Bill Powell, 93, American golf course designer, stroke. *Qian Xinzhong, 98, Chinese politician, Minister of Health (1965–1973, 1979–1983). *Youssef Ibrahim Sarraf, 69, Egyptian Chaldean Bishop of Cairo (since 1984). *Frans Seda, 83, Indonesian economist, Minister of Finance (1966–1968). *William Tuohy, 83, American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent, complications from heart surgery. *Mikhail Vartanov, 72, Russian actor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deaths In December 2009 2009 deaths, *2009-12 Lists of deaths in 2009, 12