Deaths in 1985

Article
Talk

	Contents
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
← 1984	1985	1986 →

The following is a list of notable deaths in 1985. 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.

Deaths in 1985 edit

January edit

January 2 – Gabriel Elorde, Filipino professional boxer (b. 1935)
January 4 – Sir Brian Horrocks, British general (b. 1895)^[1]
January 5 – Robert L. Surtees, American cinematographer (b. 1906)
January 11 – Sir William McKell, 12th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1891)^[2]
January 14
- Jetta Goudal, Dutch actress (b. 1891)
- Anagarika Govinda, German buddhist lama (b. 1898)
January 18 – Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, Sudanese religious thinker (b. 1909)
January 19 – Eric Voegelin, German-American philosopher (b. 1901)^[3]
January 22 – Mikhail Gromov, Soviet aviator (b. 1899)
January 23 – Rubén Rabanal, Argentine politician (b. 1935)^[4]
January 26 – Kenny Clarke, American jazz drummer and bandleader (b. 1914)

February edit

Efrem Zimbalist

February 3 – Frank Oppenheimer, American particle physicist (b. 1912)
February 4 – Jesse Hibbs, American film director (b. 1906)
February 6 – Neil McCarthy, English actor (b. 1932)
February 8
- William Lyons, British automobile engineer and designer (b. 1901)
- Marvin Miller, American actor (b. 1913)
February 11 – Henry Hathaway, American film director (b. 1898)
February 12 – Nicholas Colasanto, American actor (b. 1924)
February 20 – Clarence Nash, American actor (b. 1904)
February 21
- Ina Claire, American actress (b. 1893)
- Louis Hayward, British actor (b. 1909)
- John G. Trump, American electrical engineer, inventor, and physicist (b. 1907)
February 22
- Efrem Zimbalist, Russian-American violinist (b. 1889)
- Alexander Scourby, American film, television, and voice actor (b. 1913)
February 26 – Tjalling Koopmans, Dutch economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
February 27
- Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., American politician (b. 1902)
- J. Pat O'Malley, English actor (b. 1904)^[5]

March edit

Sir Michael Redgrave

Konstantin Chernenko

March 3 – Iosif Shklovsky, Soviet astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1916)
March 7 – George Schick, Czechoslovakian conductor and music educator (b. 1908)
March 8 – Edward Andrews, American actor (b. 1914)
March 10
- Konstantin Chernenko, Soviet politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (b. 1911)
- Bob Nieman, American baseball player (b. 1927)
March 11
- Tom Adams, Barbadian politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Barbados (b. 1931)
- Nazem Akkari, Lebanese politician, 19th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1902)
March 12
- Earle Clements, American politician, governor of Kentucky (b. 1896)^[6]
- Eugene Ormandy, Hungarian-American conductor (b. 1899)^[7]
March 13 – Mabel Alvarez, American painter (b. 1891)
March 15 – Radha Krishna Choudhary, Indian historian (b. 1921)
March 16 – Roger Sessions, American composer (b. 1896)
March 21 – Sir Michael Redgrave, British actor (b. 1908)^[8]
March 23
- Doctor Richard Beeching, Chairman of British Rail (b. 1913)
- Zoot Sims, American jazz saxophonist (b. 1925)
March 28 – Marc Chagall, Russian-French painter (b. 1887)^[9]
March 29
- The Singing Nun (Jeannine Deckers), Belgian nun and singer (b. 1933)^[10]
- Gerhard Stock, German Olympic athlete (b. 1911)
March 30 – Shizuko Kasagi, Japanese singer (b. 1914)
March 31
- Michel Georges-Michel, French painter, journalist, novelist (b. 1883)
- Richard McKeon, American philosopher (b. 1900)

April edit

April 4 – Kate Roberts, Welsh-language author (b. 1891)^[11]
April 5 – Paul Hugh Emmett, American chemical engineer (b. 1900)
April 6 – Terence Sanders, British Olympic rower – coxless fours (b. 1901)^[12]
April 7 – Carl Schmitt, German jurist, political theorist and professor of law (b. 1888)
April 10 – Alfredo Duhalde, Chilean statesman (b. 1898)
April 11 – Enver Hoxha, Albanian Communist politician, leader of the Party of Labour 22nd Prime Minister of Albania (b. 1908)^[13]
April 14 – Noele Gordon, British actress (b. 1919)
April 15 – Jack Medica, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1914)^[14]
April 16 – Scott Brady, American actor (b. 1924)
April 17 – Evadne Price, Australian-British writer, actress and astrologer (b. 1888)
April 18 – Gertrude Caton–Thompson, English archaeologist (b. 1888)
April 19 – Sergei Aleksandrovich Tokarev, Russian ethnologist (b. 1899)
April 21
- John Welsh, Irish actor (b. 1914)
- Tancredo Neves, Brazilian elected president and former Prime Minister (b. 1910)^[15]
April 26 – Albert Maltz, American screenwriter, one of the Hollywood Ten (b. 1908)

May edit

Tahar Ben Ammar

Margaret Hamilton

May 1 – Denise Robins, British romance novelist (b. 1897)^[16]
May 4 – Clarence Wiseman, 10th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1907)
May 5 – Sir Donald Bailey, British civil engineer (b. 1901)
May 6
- Pete Desjardins, American Olympic diver (b. 1907)^[17]
- Julie Vega, Filipino child actress and singer (b. 1968)
May 7 – Dawn Addams, British actress (b. 1930)
May 8
- Karl Marx, German composer and music teacher (b. 1897)
- Theodore Sturgeon, American writer (b. 1918)
- Dolph Sweet, American actor (b. 1920)
May 9 – Edmond O'Brien, American actor (b. 1915)^[18]
May 10
- Tahar Ben Ammar, Tunisian politician, 8th Prime Minister of Tunisia (b. 1889)^[19]
- Florizel von Reuter, American violinist and composer (b. 1890)
May 11 - Chester Gould, American cartoonist, creator of Dick Tracy (b. 1900)^[20]
May 12 – Jean Dubuffet, French artist (b. 1901)^[21]
May 13 – Leatrice Joy, American actress (b. 1893)
May 14 – Barbara Yung, Hong Kong actress (b. 1959)
May 16 – Margaret Hamilton, American actress (b. 1902)
May 18
- Penn Nouth, Cambodian politician, 7-time Prime Minister of Cambodia (b. 1906)
- Hilding Rosenberg, Swedish composer (b. 1892)^[22]
May 19 – Maqbular Rahman Sarkar, Bangladeshi academic (b. 1928)^[23]
May 22
- Charles Murphy, American architect. (b. 1890)
- Wolfgang Reitherman, German animator, director and producer (b. 1909)

June edit

June 5 – Lord George-Brown, British politician (b. 1914)
June 6
- Norman W. Walker, British businessman (b. 1886)
- Vladimir Jankélévitch, French philosopher and musicologist (b. 1903)^[24]
June 7
- Georgia Hale, American actress (b. 1905)
- Stanley Skinner, professional ice hockey player (b. 1893)^[25]
June 9 – Clifford Evans, British actor (b. 1912)
- Matsutarō Kawaguchi, Japanese novelist (b. 1899)
June 10 – George Chandler, American actor (b. 1898)
June 11 – Karen Ann Quinlan, American right-to-die cause célèbre (b. 1954)^[26]
June 12 – Helmuth Plessner, German philosopher and sociologist (b. 1892)
June 15
- Percy Fender, English cricketer (b. 1892)^[27]
- Andy Stanfield, American Olympic athlete (b. 1927)
June 17
- George Jackson, English footballer (b. 1893)
- John Boulting, English filmmaker (b. 1913)
- Kirill Moskalenko, Soviet military commander (b. 1902)
June 19 – Bonnie Nettles, American religious leader (b. 1927)
June 21 – Tage Erlander, Swedish politician, 25th Prime Minister of Sweden (b. 1901)
June 27 – Elias Sarkis, Lebanese lawyer, 27th President of Lebanon (b. 1924)
June 28 – James Craig, American actor (b. 1912)
June 30 – Haruo Remeliik, Palauan politician, 1st President of Palau (b. 1933)

July edit

July 1 – Pauli Murray, American civil rights activist, lawyer, author and priest (b. 1910)
July 3 – Erik Ågren, Swedish boxer (b. 1916)
July 4 – Jan de Quay, Dutch politician and psychologist, 31st Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1901)
July 8
- Phil Foster, American actor (b. 1913)
- Simon Kuznets, American economist (b. 1901)
July 9
- Jimmy Kinnon, Scottish founder of Narcotics Anonymous (b. 1911)
- Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1896)^[28]
July 14 – Lluís Solé, Spanish geographer and academic (b. 1908)
July 15 – Rama Devi, Indian nationalist leader (b. 1889)
July 16 – Heinrich Böll, German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
July 17 – Margo, Mexican-American actress (b. 1917)
July 19
- Janusz Zajdel, Polish writer (b. 1938)
- Louisa Ghijs, Belgian stage actress and wife of Johannes Heesters (b. 1902)
July 21 – Alvah Cecil Bessie, American screenwriter, one of the Hollywood Ten (b. 1904)
July 22 – Matti Järvinen, Finnish Olympic athlete (b. 1909)
July 23
- Kay Kyser, American bandleader (b. 1905)
- Mickey Shaughnessy, American actor (b. 1920)
July 25 – Grant Williams, American actor (b. 1931)
July 26 – Grace Albee, American printmaker and wood engraver. (b. 1890)
July 27 – John Scarne, American magician and card expert (b. 1903)

August edit

Macfarlane Burnet

August 1 – D. H. Turner, British art historian and museum curator (b. 1931)
August 2 – Frank Faylen, American actor (b. 1905)
August 5 – Arnold Horween, Harvard Crimson and NFL football player (b. 1898)
August 6
- Forbes Burnham, Guyanese political leader, 1st Prime Minister of Guyana and 2nd President of Guyana (b. 1923)
- John Harmon, American actor (b. 1905)
August 8 – Louise Brooks, American actress (b. 1906)
August 9 – Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1927)
August 10 – Kenny Baker, American actor and singer (b. 1912)
August 11 – Hector Grey, Scottish street trader and company director (b. 1904)
August 12
- Kyu Sakamoto, Japanese singer (b. 1941)
- Manfred Winkelhock, German racing driver (b. 1951)^[29]
August 14 – Gale Sondergaard, American actress (b. 1899)
August 15 – Lester Cole, American screenwriter, one of the Hollywood Ten (b. 1904)
August 20 – Donald O. Hebb, Canadian neuropsychologist (b. 1904)
August 22 – Paul Peter Ewald, German-American crystallographer and physicist (b. 1888)
August 24 – Morrie Ryskind, American dramatist (b. 1895)
August 25
- Paul Harris, American actor (b. 1917)
- Samantha Smith, American schoolgirl activist (b. 1972)
August 28
- Ruth Gordon, American actress, screenwriter, and playwright (b. 1896)
- Miguel Otero Silva, Venezuelan writer (b. 1908)
August 29
- Evelyn Ankers, British actress (b. 1918)
- Patrick Barr, British actor (b. 1908)
- Paul Kligman, Canadian actor (b. 1923)
August 30 – Taylor Caldwell, Anglo-American writer (b. 1900)^[30]
August 31 – Macfarlane Burnet, Australian biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1899)

September edit

Charles Francis Richter

September 1
- Stefan Bellof, German racing driver and 1984 World SportsCars (Group C) Champion (b. 1957).^[31]
- Saunders Lewis, Welsh writer and founder of the Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru) (born 1893)^[32]
September 4
- Isabel Jeans, British actress (b. 1891)
- George O'Brien, American actor (b. 1899)
September 6 – Rodney Robert Porter, English biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1917)^[33]
September 7
- Bruiser Kinard, American football player (Brooklyn Dodgers) and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (b. 1914)
- José Zabala-Santos, Filipino cartoonist (b. 1911)
- George Pólya, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1887)
September 8 – John Franklin Enders, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1897)
September 9 – Paul Flory, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)^[34]
September 10
- Ernst Öpik, Estonian astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1893)
- Jock Stein, Scottish football player and manager (b. 1922)
September 11
- William Alwyn, English composer (b. 1905)
- Henrietta Barnett, British Women's Royal Air Force officer (b. 1905)
- Masako Natsume, Japanese actress (b. 1957)
September 13 – Augusto Rademaker, Brazilian admiral and former military junta member (b. 1905)
September 14
- Julian Beck, American actor (b. 1925)
- John Holt, American writer and educator (b. 1923)
September 17 – Laura Ashley, Welsh designer (b. 1925)^[35]
September 19 – Italo Calvino, Italian writer (b. 1923)^[36]
September 22 – Axel Springer, German journalist and the founder and owner of the Axel Springer AG (b. 1912)
September 27 – Lloyd Nolan, American actor (b. 1902)
September 30
- Floyd Crosby, American cinematographer (b. 1899)
- Charles Francis Richter, American seismologist and physicist, creator of the Richter magnitude scale (b. 1900)
- Simone Signoret, French actress (b. 1921)

October edit

October 1 – E. B. White, American writer (b. 1899)^[37]
October 2
- Rock Hudson, American actor (b. 1925)
- George Savalas, American actor (b. 1924)
October 5 – Abdus Sattar, Bangladeshi statesman, 8th President of Bangladesh (b. 1906)
October 6 – Nelson Riddle, American bandleader (b. 1921)
October 9 – Emílio Garrastazu Médici, Brazilian general and statesman, 28th President of Brazil (b. 1905)
October 10
- Yul Brynner, Russian actor (b. 1920)
- Orson Welles, American actor and director (b. 1915)
October 12
- Johnny Olson, American game show announcer (The Price Is Right) (b. 1910), cerebral hemorrhage.
- Ricky Wilson, American guitarist (b. 1953)
October 13 – Francesca Bertini, Italian actress (b. 1892)
October 14 – Emil Gilels, Soviet pianist (b. 1916)
October 17 – Abdelmunim Al-Rifai, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1917)
October 18 – Stefan Askenase, Polish-Belgian classical pianist and pedagogue (b. 1896)
October 21 – Dan White, American politician and murderer (Moscone–Milk assassinations) (b. 1946)
October 24 – László Bíró, Hungarian inventor of the ballpoint pen (b. 1899)
October 27 – Thomas Townsend Brown, American inventor (b. 1905)
October 29 – John Davis Lodge, American actor and politician (b. 1903)
October 31 – Hardit Malik, Indian fighter pilot and diplomat (b. 1894)^[38]

November edit

November 1 – Phil Silvers, American entertainer (b. 1911)^[39]
November 5
- Spencer W. Kimball, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1895)
- Arnold Chikobava, Georgian linguist (b. 1898)
November 6 – Sanjeev Kumar, Indian actor (b. 1937)
November 8 – Nicolas Frantz, Luxembourgian cyclist (b. 1899)
November 9 – Marie-Georges Pascal, French actress (b. 1946)
November 11
- James Hanley, British novelist, playwright and writer (b. 1897)
- Pelle Lindbergh, Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender (b. 1959)
- Arthur Rothstein, American photographer (b. 1915)
November 13
- William Pereira, American architect (b. 1909)
- George Robert Vincent, American sound recording pioneer (b. 1898)
November 14 – Wellington Koo, Chinese statesman (b. 1888)
November 16 – John Sparkman, American politician (b. 1899)
November 17
- Lon Nol, Cambodian general and statesman, 32nd Prime Minister of Cambodia and 7th President of Khmer Republic (b. 1913)
- Jimmy Ritz, American actor (b. 1904)
November 19 – Stepin Fetchit, American actor (b. 1902)
November 22 – María Sabina, Mexican curandera (b. 1894)
November 24 – Big Joe Turner, American blues singer (b. 1911)
November 25 – Geoffrey Grigson, British poet, writer, critic (b. 1905)
November 27 – Fernand Braudel, French historian (b. 1902)

December edit

Seewoosagur Ramgoolam

December 2 – Philip Larkin, English poet and novelist (b. 1922)
December 6 – Carroll Cole, American serial killer (b. 1938)^[40]
December 7
- Robert Graves, English writer (b. 1895)
- Potter Stewart, American Supreme Court Justice (b. 1915)
December 12
- Anne Baxter, American actress (b. 1923)
- Ian Stewart, Scottish rock musician (b. 1938)
- Phil Karlson, American film director (b. 1908)
December 14 – Roger Maris, American baseball player (New York Yankees) (b. 1934)
December 15
- Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, 1st Prime Minister of Mauritius (b. 1900)
- Carlos Romulo, Filipino diplomat (b. 1899)
December 16 – Paul Castellano, American Mafia boss (b. 1915)
December 20 – Coral Buttsworth, Australian tennis champion (b. 1900)
December 22 – D. Boon, American singer, songwriter and guitarist (b. 1958)
December 23
- Ferhat Abbas, Algerian nationalist, 1st president of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (b. 1899)
- Prince Bira, Prince of Siam and Formula One driver (b. 1914)
December 24 – Erich Schaedler, Scottish footballer (b. 1949)
December 26 – Dian Fossey, American biologist (b. 1932)
December 27
- Harry Hopman, Australian tennis player and coach (b. 1906)
- Harold Whitlock, British Olympic athlete (b. 1903)
December 28 – Renato Castellani, Italian director (b. 1913)
December 31
- Ricky Nelson, American actor and musician (b. 1940)
- Sam Spiegel, Polish-American film producer (b. 1903)

References edit

^ "Sir Brian Horrocks is dead at 89; British General in World War II". The New York Times. January 9, 1985. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
^ "Sir (Bill) William John McKell (1891–1985)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
^ "Eric Voegelin, Philosopher, Author and Professor, Dies". New York Times. January 23, 1985. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
^ "Rubén Rabanal". efemeridesradicales.com.ar (in Spanish). Radical Ephemeris. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
^ no byline (1 March 1985). "Veteran Film-TV Actor J. Pat O'Malley Dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
^ Earle Chester Clements
^ Allen Hughes (March 13, 1985). "Eugene Ormandy is Dead at 85 in Philadelphia". New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
^ Kika Markham (8 September 2014). Our Time of Day: My Life with Corin Redgrave. Oberon Books. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-78319-599-2.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Elaine Markoutsas (April 21, 1985). "A tapestry master's hands of gold". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
^ Van Den Berg, Leen (2005). Sœur Sourire: Journal d'une tragedie. Editions Luc Pire. p. 209. ISBN 2-87415-483-0.
^ Morgan, Derec Llwyd (1991), Kate Roberts. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1115-6
^ "Terence Sanders". IOC. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
^ Paulin Kola (2003). The Search for Greater Albania. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-85065-596-1.
^ "Jack Medica". IOC. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
^ Unisa Latin American Report. UNISA Centre for Latin American Studies. 1985. p. 30.
^ Hal May; Ann Evory (February 1986). Contemporary Authors. Gale Research International, Limited. p. 393. ISBN 978-0-8103-1916-5.
^ "Pete Desjardins". IOC. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
^ "Edmond O'Brien, Actor, Dies at 69". The New York Times. May 10, 1985. p. D22. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
^ Raph Uwechue; Africa Books Limited (1991). Makers of Modern Africa. Africa Journal Limited. p. 104. ISBN 9780903274180.
^ Chester Gould, Cartoonist, Dies at 84
^ Jean Dubuffet; Agnes Husslein-Arco (2003). Jean Dubuffet. Prestel. p. 16. ISBN 978-3-7913-6010-2.
^ Biography Hilding Rosenberg
^ "সাদুল্লাপুর উপজেলা, প্রখ্যাত ব্যক্তিত্ব". Bangladesh National Portal (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
^ Vladimir Jankelevitch; Vladimir Jankélévitch (April 2005). Forgiveness. University of Chicago Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-226-39213-4.
^ Hockey deaths - June 1985
^ Stryker, Jeff (March 31, 1996). "Right to Die; Life After Quinlan". New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
^ Jon Surtees (1 June 2017). Wisden at The Oval. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-4729-4264-7.
^ "Charlotte | grand duchess of Luxembourg | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
^ "Controversy Erupts Over Death of Race Driver". Los Angeles Times. August 14, 1985. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
^ John Arthur Garraty; Mark Christopher Carnes (1999). American National Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-19-512783-6.
^ "Driver Is Killed In Race Accident". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2 September 1985. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
^ World Book, Inc. Staff (February 1986). The World Book Year Book. World Book, Incorporated. p. 516. ISBN 978-0-7166-0486-0.
^ Perry, S. V. (1987). "Rodney Robert Porter. 8 October 1917-6 September 1985". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 33: 445–89. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1987.0017. JSTOR 769960. PMID 11621436.
^ Kenneth T. Jackson; Karen Markoe; Arnie Markoe (1998). The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives: 1981-1985. Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-684-80492-7.
^ Slesin, Suzanne (18 September 1985). "Laura Ashley, British Designer, Is Dead at 60". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
^ Beno Weiss (1993). Understanding Italo Calvino. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-87249-858-7.
^ Jill C. Wheeler (1 January 2013). E. B. White. ABDO Publishing Company. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-61480-938-8.
^ Hardit Singh Malik
^ The New York Times Biographical Service. University Microfilms. July 1985. p. 1317.
^ "CONFESSED MURDERER OF 13 IS EXECUTED IN NEVADA". The New York Times. 1985-12-07. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-22.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deaths_in_1985&oldid=1220379631"