Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Deaths in December 2015

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The following is a list of notable deaths in December 2015.

Contents

Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence:

  • Name, age, country of citizenship and reason for notability, established cause of death, reference.

    • 1

  • Edwar al-Kharrat, 89, Egyptian novelist, pneumonia.
  • Rob Blokzijl, 72, Dutch physicist and computer scientist.
  • Marc Breslow, 89, American game show director (The Price is Right, Match Game, Family Feud).
  • Joseph Engelberger, 90, American engineer and inventor.
  • Leoni Franco, 73, Uruguayan musician, composer and guitarist.
  • Robert E. Glennen, 82, American academic, President of Emporia State University (1985–1997).
  • Shirley Gunter, 81, American R&B singer.
  • John F. Kurtzke, 89, American neurologist.
  • Jim Loscutoff, 85, American basketball player (Boston Celtics), NBA champion (1957, 1959–1964), complications of pneumonia and Parkinson's disease.
  • Trevor Obst, 75, Australian football player (Port Adelaide).
  • Xavier Olea Muñoz, 92, Mexican lawyer and politician, Governor of Guerrero (1975).
  • Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, 87, English-born Kenyan writer.
  • Antonio Troyo Calderón, 92, Costa Rican Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of San José de Costa Rica (1979–2002).

    • 2

  • Sandy Berger, 70, American political consultant, United States National Security Advisor (1997–2001), cancer.
  • Theodor Borchgrevink, 92, Norwegian civil engineer.
  • Bryony Brind, 55, English ballerina, heart attack.
  • John Eaton, 81, American composer.
  • Gabriele Ferzetti, 90, Italian actor (L'Avventura, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Once Upon a Time in the West).
  • Ray Gandolf, 85, American sportscaster.
  • Shelby Highsmith, 86, American federal judge.
  • Sam Ibiam, 90, Nigerian footballer (national team).
  • Ferenc Juhász, 87, Hungarian poet.
  • Wim Kolijn, 71, Dutch politician.
  • Ernst Larsen, 89, Norwegian runner, Olympic bronze medalist (1956).
  • Will McMillan, 71, American actor (General Hospital, The Crazies), producer, and director.
  • Bob Martyn, 85, American baseball player (Kansas City Athletics).
  • Sir John Osborn, 92, British politician, Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam (1959–1987).
  • M. A. M. Ramaswamy, 84, Indian industrialist and politician.
  • John Rassias, 90, American language professor.
  • Wally Roker, 78, American R&B singer and music executive.
  • George T. Sakato, 94, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient.
  • A. Sheriff, 74, Indian screenwriter (Avalude Ravukal).
  • Thom Thomas, 80, American playwright, leukemia.
  • Anthony Valentine, 76, British actor (Colditz, Coronation Street, Escape to Athena).
  • Luz Marina Zuluaga, 77, Colombian beauty queen, Miss Universe (1958).
  • Perpetrators of the 2015 San Bernardino attack shot dead by police:
  • Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, American .
  • Tashfeen Malik, 29, Pakistani .

    • 3

  • Omar Ali, 76, Bangladeshi poet.
  • Gladstone Anderson, 81, Jamaican musician.
  • Willie Burden, 64, Canadian football player (Calgary Stampeders) and sports administrator.
  • Roy Evans, 84, Welsh trade union leader.
  • Sunil Hettiarachchi, 78, Sri Lankan actor.
  • Eevi Huttunen, 93, Finnish speed skater, world champion (1951, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1959), Olympic bronze medalist (1960).
  • Lawrence Pugh, 82, American businessman, chief executive of VF Corporation.
  • Shared Belief, 4, American racehorse, colic.
  • Arthur R. Taylor, 80, American businessman, president of CBS.
  • Scott Weiland, 48, American musician (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, The Wondergirls), accidental drug and alcohol overdose.
  • Howard West, 84, American TV producer (Seinfeld).
  • Melvin Williams, 73, American drug trafficker and actor (The Wire).
  • Michael Wilson, 75, New Zealand cricketer.

    • 4

  • Jaime Camino, 79, Spanish film director (The Long Winter, Lights and Shadows).
  • Erik De Vlaeminck, 70, Belgian cyclist, seven-time world-champion cyclo-cross (1966, 1968–1973).
  • Norman Engleback, 88, British architect.
  • John Glad, 73, American academic and translator.
  • Ricardo Guízar Díaz, 82, Mexican Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Tlalnepantla (1996–2009).
  • Henry Hall, 87, British physicist.
  • Robert Loggia, 85, American actor (Jagged Edge, Scarface, Big), Alzheimer's disease.
  • Rodney Milnes, 79, British opera critic.
  • Karen Montgomery, 66, American actress and film producer, breast cancer.
  • Irakli Ochiauri, 91, Georgian sculptor.
  • Takamasa Sakurai, 49, Japanese author and popular culture expert, proponent of anime for cultural exchange, hit by train.
  • Yossi Sarid, 75, Israeli politician, member of Knesset (1974–2006), Minister of Environment (1992–1996) and Education (1999–2000).
  • Dmitry Shumkov, 43, Russian lawyer and investor.
  • Dag Skogheim, 87, Norwegian writer.
  • Xu Ming, 44, Chinese entrepreneur and billionaire.

    • 5

  • Zafar Altaf, 74, Pakistani cricket player, administrator and civil servant, heart attack.
  • Willie Coburn, 74, Scottish footballer (St Johnstone).
  • Peter Cochrane, 96, Scottish World War II army officer.
  • Luigi Conti, 86, Italian-born Vatican diplomat, Apostolic nuncio (1975–2003).
  • Ray Crooke, 93, Australian artist, winner of the Archibald Prize (1969).
  • Kiki Divaris, 90, Greek fashion designer, complications from pneumonia.
  • Vic Eliason, 79, American Christian broadcaster.
  • Marty Feldman, 93, American football coach (Oakland Raiders) and Marine.
  • Markku Häkkinen, 69, Finnish botanist.
  • Yolande Henderson, 81, Pakistani teacher, intestinal cancer.
  • William McIlvanney, 79, Scottish novelist and poet.
  • Hack Meyers, 41, American professional wrestler (ECW), complications from brain surgery.
  • Marília Pêra, 72, Brazilian actress (Pixote, Better Days Ahead), lung cancer.
  • Dimitar Iliev Popov, 88, Bulgarian politician, Prime Minister (1990–1991).
  • Tibor Rubin, 86, Hungarian-born American Medal of Honor recipient and Holocaust survivor.
  • Wolfgang Sandner, 66, German physicist.
  • Siddhi Savetsila, 96, Thai politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1980–1990), Deputy Prime Minister (1986).
  • Dave Scholz, 67, American basketball player (Philadelphia 76ers).
  • Franz Speta, 74, Austrian botanist.
  • Chuck Williams, 100, American business executive and author, founder of Williams-Sonoma.
  • Bruce Yorke, 91, Canadian politician.

    • 6

  • Dale Anderson, 83, Canadian ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings).
  • Ken Beatrice, 72, American radio personality (WMAL, WTEM).
  • Ian Burns, 76, Scottish footballer (Aberdeen).
  • Mack Herron, 67, American football player.
  • Ko Chun-hsiung, 70, Taiwanese actor (Eight Hundred Heroes, Attack Force Z), director and politician, member of the Legislative Yuan (2005–2008), lung cancer.
  • Franzl Lang, 84, German yodeler.
  • Liu Juying, 98, Chinese politician and army general.
  • Mariuccia Mandelli, 90, Italian fashion designer, founder of Krizia.
  • Mike Mangold, 60, American commercial and aerobatics pilot, world champion (2005, 2007), plane crash.
  • Mick McLaughlin, 72, Welsh footballer (Hereford United, Newport County).
  • John L. Myers, 68, American politician.
  • Jaafar Mohammed Saad, Yemeni politician and general, Governor of Aden (since 2015), car bombing.
  • Georg Smefjell, 78, Norwegian ice hockey player.
  • Nicholas Smith, 81, British actor (Are You Being Served?, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Doctor Who), complications from a fall.
  • Zoltán Szabó, 86, Hungarian cardiac surgeon, performed nation's first successful heart transplant.
  • Tomi Taira, 87, Japanese actress, respiratory failure.
  • Holly Woodlawn, 69, Puerto Rican-born American actress and Warhol superstar, brain and liver cancer.

    • 7

  • Betty Bourke, 91, New Zealand health administrator.
  • Martin E. Brooks, 90, American actor (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Dallas).
  • Lolita Aniyar de Castro, 78, Venezuelan politician.
  • Horn Chen, 83, American businessman.
  • Jesse C. Deen, 93, American politician.
  • Heinz Fricke, 88, German conductor and music director.
  • Hoàng Hà Giang, 24, Vietnamese Taekwondo athlete, silver medalist at the 2005 Asian Games.
  • Gerhard Lenski, 91, American sociologist.
  • Rrok Mirdita, 76, Montenegrin-born Albanian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Tiranë-Durrës (since 1992).
  • Virginia A. Myers, 88, American artist, professor and printmaker.
  • Kenneth Partridge, 89, English interior decorator.
  • Elaine Riley, 98, American actress.
  • Hyron Spinrad, 81, American astronomer.
  • Shirley Stelfox, 74, British actress (Emmerdale, Keeping Up Appearances, Coronation Street), cancer.
  • Jennifer Taylor, 80, Australian architect and academic.
  • Peter Westbury, 77, British racing driver.

    • 8

  • Mattiwilda Dobbs, 90, American coloratura soprano, cancer.
  • Gus Gil, 76, Venezuelan baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Pilots).
  • Alan Hodgkinson, 79, English footballer (Sheffield United, national team).
  • Derek Hyatt, 84, English landscape painter.
  • Bonnie Lou, 91, American country singer, dementia.
  • Gary Marker, 72, American bassist (Rising Sons, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band) and recording engineer, stroke.
  • Johnny More, 81, English impressionist, leukaemia.
  • J. Hugh Nichols, 85, American politician.
  • Anthony Francis Sharma, 77, Nepalese Roman Catholic prelate, Vicar Apostolic of Nepal (1984–2014).
  • Jokelyn Tienstra, 45, Dutch handball player, brain tumor.
  • Douglas Tompkins, 72, American conservationist and businessman, co-founder of The North Face and Esprit, hypothermia following kayak accident.
  • Ross Turnbull, 81, Canadian-born American ice hockey player (Philadelphia Ramblers).
  • John Trudell, 69, American Indian activist and poet, cancer.
  • Elsie Tu, 102, English-born Hong Kong social activist, member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (1988–1995).
  • Ramashankar Yadav, 58, Indian poet and activist.

    • 9

  • Soshana Afroyim, 88, Austrian painter.
  • Norman Breslow, 74, American statistician and medical researcher, prostate cancer.
  • John Cockerton, 88, British Anglican priest and academic.
  • Carlo Furno, 94, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Cardinal (since 1994) and Apostolic nuncio (1973–1995).
  • Robert Grant, 67, American politician, member of the Kansas House of Representatives (1991–1994, 1997–2013).
  • Gheorghe Gruia, 75, Romanian handball player, world champion (1964, 1970), Olympic bronze medalist (1972).
  • Rusty Jones, 73, American jazz drummer.
  • Juvenal Juvêncio, 81, Brazilian lawyer and sports director.
  • Akiyuki Nosaka, 85, Japanese novelist (Grave of the Fireflies).
  • Henry Rowan, 92, American philanthropist and engineer.
  • Matthew Shija, 91, Tanzanian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Kahama (1983–2001).
  • Julio Terrazas Sandoval, 79, Bolivian Roman Catholic prelate, Cardinal (since 2001) and Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1991–2013).
  • Jenny Wormald, 73, Scottish historian.

    • 10

  • Klaus Baumgartner, 77, Swiss politician.
  • Ian Bell, 59, Scottish journalist and author.
  • Rainer Bloss, 69, German electronic musician (Drive Inn).
  • Ron Bouchard, 67, American NASCAR driver, cancer.
  • Walter Fawcett, 86, Northern Irish cricketer.
  • Maurice Graham, 83, Australian rugby union player (New South Wales, New Zealand).
  • Denis Héroux, 75, Canadian film director and producer.
  • Dermot Patrick O’Mahony, 80, Irish Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin (1975–1996).
  • Arnold Peralta, 26, Honduran footballer (national team, Rangers F.C.), shot.
  • Desmond Robinson, 87, British Olympic cyclist.
  • Dolph Schayes, 87, American Hall of Fame basketball player and coach (Philadelphia 76ers), NBA champion (1955), cancer.
  • Barry Schweid, 83, American news correspondent (Associated Press), neurological disease.
  • Donald J. Stohr, 81, American federal judge, U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri (1992–2006).

    • 11

  • Mihai Adam, 75, Romanian footballer.
  • Harry Butler, 85, Australian naturalist and conservationist, cancer.
  • Samir Chakrabarti, 72, Indian cricketer.
  • Steve Chimombo, 70, Malawian writer.
  • Lloyd Dane, 90, American racing driver.
  • Jake Howard, 70, Australian rugby union player (national team).
  • Igor Kashintsev, 83, Soviet and Russian actor.
  • Abish Kekilbayev, 76, Kazakh politician and academic.
  • Sir Roderick McSween, 80, Scottish pathologist.
  • Jiří Paďour, 72, Czech Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of České Budějovice (2002–2014).
  • Gaston Salvatore, 74, Chilean writer.
  • H. Arnold Steinberg, 82, Canadian business and educational administrator, Chancellor of McGill University (2009–2014).
  • Hema Upadhyay, 43, Indian artist, bludgeoned.
  • John "Hot Rod" Williams, 53, American basketball player (Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns), prostate cancer.
  • Ken Woolley, 82, Australian architect.
  • Zyx, 65, Canadian cartoonist and publisher (Croc).

    • 12

  • Luis Bermejo, 84, Spanish cartoonist and illustrator.
  • Ignacio Carrau, 92, Spanish politician and lawyer.
  • Jon Gadsby, 62, British-born New Zealand writer and comedian (A Week of It), cancer.
  • Gösta Gärdin, 92, Swedish modern pentathlete, Olympic bronze medalist (1948).
  • Frans Geurtsen, 73, Dutch footballer (DWS, national team).
  • Sir Peter Gregson, 79, British civil servant.
  • Ken Johnson, 87, British Olympic steeplechase athlete (1952).
  • Sharad Anantrao Joshi, 80, Indian politician and social activist.
  • Federico Kirbus, 84, Argentine author.
  • Evelyn S. Lieberman, 71, American public affairs professional, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (1996), pancreatic cancer.
  • I. Howard Marshall, 81, Scottish theologian, pancreatic cancer.
  • Yuri Marushkin, 71, Russian football player and manager. (death announced on this date)
  • Gene Ready, 74, American politician, member of the Florida House of Representatives (1977–1984), cancer.
  • John Scott-Scott, 81, British aerospace engineer.
  • Rose Siggins, 43, American actress (American Horror Story), infection.
  • Chaudhary Yashpal Singh, 94, Indian politician
  • Gregory Baker Wolfe, 93, American diplomat and academic.

    • 13

  • Benedict Anderson, 79, American academic and writer (Imagined Communities), heart failure.
  • John Bannon, 72, Australian politician, Premier of South Australia (1982–1992), cancer.
  • Albert Bontridder, 94, Belgian architect and writer.
  • Luigi Creatore, 93, American songwriter and record producer, pneumonia.
  • James Gillies, 91, Canadian politician.
  • Marleen de Pater-van der Meer, 65, Dutch politician, member of the House of Representatives (2001–2010).
  • Phil Pepe, 80, American sportswriter, heart attack.
  • Gretchen Quie, 88, American artist, First Lady of Minnesota (1979–1983), restored the Minnesota Governor's Residence, Parkinson's disease.
  • Peter Ryan, 92, Australian newspaper columnist.
  • Donald Weinstein, 89, American historian.

    • 14

  • Terry Backer, 61, American politician, member of the Connecticut House of Representatives (since 1993), brain cancer.
  • Sian Blake, 43, British actress (EastEnders), stabbed.
  • Armando Cossutta, 89, Italian politician, member of the European Parliament (1999–2004).
  • Johnny Egan, 76, Irish Gaelic football player (Offaly).
  • Kathryn H. Kidd, 65, American author.
  • Joe Lancaster, 89, English football player and trainer.
  • Edmund Lyndeck, 90, American singer and actor (Big Daddy, Enchanted, Road Trip).
  • Scat Daddy, 11, American Thoroughbred racehorse.
  • Leander J. Shaw, Jr., 85, American politician, Chief Justice of Florida Supreme Court (1990–1992).
  • Glen Sonmor, 86, Canadian ice hockey player (New York Rangers) and head coach (Minnesota North Stars), pneumonia.
  • Mick Twomey, 84, Australian football player (Collingwood).
  • Vadym Tyshchenko, 52, Ukrainian football player (Karpaty, Dnipro) and manager (Dnipro), Olympic champion (1988).
  • Lillian Vernon, 88, German-born American businesswoman, founder of Lillian Vernon.
  • Aleš Veselý, 80, Czech sculptor.

    • 15

  • Tom Arden, 54, Australian-born British author, cancer.
  • Stella Doufexis, 47, German mezzo-soprano, cancer.
  • Licio Gelli, 96, Italian financier, Venerable Master of the Propaganda Due lodge.
  • Charles C. Lanham, 87, American politician, member of West Virginia Senate.
  • Ken Pogue, 81, Canadian actor (The 6th Day, The Dead Zone, Millennium).
  • Kathy Secker, 70, British television presenter.
  • Harry Zvi Tabor, 98, British-born Israeli physicist.

    • 16

  • Noboru Ando, 89, Japanese actor and yakuza.
  • Svein Bakke, 62, Norwegian footballer (Sogndal).
  • John Bates, 77, American college basketball coach (Maryland Eastern Shore, Coppin State), heart attack.
  • Peter Dickinson, 88, British author.
  • Khodadad Mirza Farman Farmaian, 87, Iranian Qajar dynasty royal and banker.
  • Gabre Gabric, 101, Croatian-born Italian track and field athlete.
  • Snuff Garrett, 76, American record producer, cancer.
  • Aafje Heynis, 91, Dutch contralto.
  • Brian Keeble, 77, English footballer (Grimsby Town, Darlington).
  • Bob Krause, 70, American college athletic director (Kansas State University), cancer.
  • Heinz-Otto Kreiss, 85, German-born Swedish mathematician.
  • Lizmark, 64, Mexican professional wrestler, respiratory failure.
  • Jim McAnany, 79, American baseball player (Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs).
  • Anthony Muto, 81, American fashion designer, heart failure.
  • Zoulikha Nasri, 70, Moroccan politician, Secretary of State for National Cooperation (1997–1998).
  • George Earl Ortman, 89, American artist.
  • Ray Price, 78, American motorcycle builder and racer.
  • René Saorgin, 87, French organist.
  • Harry Scott, 78, British boxer.
  • Joseph Tellechéa, 89, French footballer.
  • Enoch Thorsgard, 98, American politician.

    • 17

  • Hal Brown, 91, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Colt .45s).
  • Serge Devèze, 59, French football manager.
  • Zaevion Dobson, 15, American football player, shot.
  • Osamu Hayaishi, 95, Japanese biochemist.
  • Buckshot Hoffner, 91, American politician.
  • Vladimir Kostyukov, 61, Belarusian football coach and player (Dnepr Mogilev).
  • Kamal Ahmed Rizvi, 85, Pakistani actor and writer.
  • Joseph Roduit, 76, Swiss Roman Catholic prelate, Abbot of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune (1999–2015).
  • Michael Wyschogrod, 87, German-born American Jewish theologian.

    • 18

  • Luc Brewaeys, 56, Belgian composer and musician, cancer.
  • Florentino Broce, 72, Filipino football player and coach.
  • Slobodan Čašule, 70, Macedonian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001–2002).
  • Yūzan Fujita, 66, Japanese politician, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture (1993–2009).
  • Carl Furlonge, 83, Trinidadian cricketer.
  • Joe Gilmore, 93, British barman.
  • Evelio Hernández, 84, Cuban baseball player (Washington Senators).
  • Vittore Gottardi, 74, Swiss footballer.
  • Stuart Milton Hodgson, 91, Canadian politician, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories (1967–1979).
  • Martin Jære, 95, Norwegian skier.
  • Daifallah Masadeh, 76–77, Jordanian politician, State Minister for Legal Affairs (2000–2001).
  • Léon Mébiame, 81, Gabonese politician, Prime Minister (1975–1990).
  • Howell W. Melton, 92, American lawyer and judge.
  • Placidus Nkalanga, 96, Tanzanian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Bukoba (1969–1973).
  • Andreja Preger, 104, Hungarian-born Serbian pianist and Holocaust survivor.
  • Mogens Rukov, 72, Danish screenwriter.
  • Jesús Samper, 65, Spanish businessman, owner of Real Murcia (since 2001).
  • Helge Solum Larsen, 46, Norwegian politician, deputy leader of Venstre (2010–2012), aneurysm.
  • Jean-Luc Vilmouth, 63, French artist.

    • 19

  • Bets Borm-Luijkx, 97, Dutch politician, member of the House of Representatives (1980–1981).
  • Peter Broggs, 61, Jamaican reggae musician.
  • Douglas Dick, 95, American actor (Rope, Perry Mason).
  • Louis DiGiaimo, 77, American casting director (The Godfather, Homicide: Life on the Street) and film producer (Donnie Brasco), stroke.
  • Chris Harris, 67, American politician, member of the Texas House of Representatives (1985–1991) and Senate (1991–2013).
  • Jimmy Hill, 87, English footballer (Fulham) and manager (Coventry City), trade union leader (PFA) and TV presenter (Match of the Day), Alzheimer's disease.
  • Harry Hyams, 87, British property developer (Centre Point).
  • Greville Janner, 87, British politician, MP for Leicester North West (1970–1974) and Leicester West (1974–1997), Alzheimer's disease.
  • Stephen Jelicich, 92, Croatian-born New Zealand architect.
  • Mabuni Kenei, 97, Japanese martial arts expert.
  • Samir Kuntar, 53, Lebanese convicted murderer, member of Hezbollah, longest-held Lebanese prisoner in Israel, missile strike.
  • Alan Lee, 61, British cricket and horse racing journalist.
  • Madame Claude, 92, French procurer.
  • Kurt Masur, 88, German conductor, Parkinson's disease.
  • Dickie Moore, 84, Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey player (Montreal Canadiens), Stanley Cup winner (1953, 1956–1960), prostate cancer.
  • Carlos Païta, 83, Argentine conductor.
  • Ranganath, 66, Indian Telugu actor.
  • Selma Reis, 55, Brazilian actress and singer, brain cancer.
  • Ozell Sutton, 90, American civil rights activist.
  • Karin Söder, 87, Swedish politician, leader of the Centre Party (1985–1987), Minister for Health and Social Affairs (1979–1982), Minister for Foreign Affairs (1976–1978).
  • Dick Wathika, 42, Kenyan politician, Mayor of Nairobi (2004–2008).

    • 20

  • George Burpo, 93, American baseball player (Cincinnati Reds).
  • Rudi Ceyssens, 53, Belgian Olympic cyclist.
  • Patricia Elliott, 77, American actress (A Little Night Music, One Life to Live), Tony Award winner (1973), leiomyosarcoma.
  • Gevorg Geodakyan, 87, Armenian musicologist.
  • Robert Hayling, 86, American civil rights activist.
  • Alain Jouffroy, 87, French surrealist poet and art critic.
  • Ray Mathews, 86, American football player (Pittsburgh Steelers).
  • Angela McEwan, 81, American actress (Nebraska, Getting On), lung cancer.
  • Wayne Robinson, 85, American football player (Philadelphia Eagles).
  • Kjell Bloch Sandved, 93, Norwegian-born American author and nature photographer.
  • Jim West, 61, Australian boxer, national flyweight/super featherweight and Commonwealth flyweight champion.

    • 21

  • Rimma Bilunova, 75, Russian chess player and coach.
  • Dejan Brđović, 49, Serbian volleyball player, Olympic bronze medalist (1996).
  • Abune Dioskoros, 80, Eritrean prelate, Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church) (since 2007).
  • Sam Dockery, 86, American jazz pianist.
  • David Emms, 90, British educationalist.
  • Timothy Foote, 89, American editor and writer.
  • Jan Góra, 67, Polish Roman Catholic Dominican priest.
  • Vilgot Larsson, 83, Swedish ice hockey player (Leksands IF), world champion (1957).
  • Richelieu Levoyer, 85, Ecuadorian army general and politician.
  • Lim Eng Beng, 64, Filipino basketball player, liver cancer.
  • Bob Suci, 76, American football player (Houston Oilers, Boston Patriots).
  • Andrei Troschinsky, 37, Kazakhstani ice hockey player, Asian champion (1999), heart attack.
  • Ernesto Mayz Vallenilla, 90, Venezuelan philosopher.
  • Emmanuel Yarbrough, 51, American mixed martial arts fighter.

    • 22

  • Arlin M. Adams, 94, American judge.
  • Rolf Bossi, 92, German lawyer.
  • Carol Burns, 68, Australian actress (Prisoner), cancer.
  • Daisy Elliott, 98, American politician and realtor.
  • Derek Ezra, Baron Ezra, 96, British coal industry administrator, Chairman of the National Coal Board (1971–1982).
  • Nabil Al Fadl, 66, Kuwaiti politician.
  • Billy Glaze, 72, American serial killer, lung cancer.
  • Marijane Landis, 87, American broadcaster and television host (WGAL-TV).
  • Joseph Leopold Imesch, 84, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Joliet (1979–2006).
  • Peter Lundblad, 65, Swedish singer ("Ta mig till havet"), prostate cancer.
  • V. S. Malimath, 86, Indian judge, Chief Justice of Karnataka (1984) and Kerala (1985–1991).
  • Brooke McCarter, 52, American model and actor (The Lost Boys, Thrashin', Wired), alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.
  • Freda Meissner-Blau, 88, Austrian politician, founder of The Greens – The Green Alternative.
  • Dom O'Grady, 34, American mixed martial artist.
  • Carson Van Osten, 70, American artist, Disney Legend.

    • 23

  • Hocine Aït Ahmed, 89, Algerian politician, founder and leader of Socialist Forces Front.
  • Carlos Cano, 60, Peruvian actor, cancer.
  • Chen Luyun, 38, Chinese basketball player, colon cancer.
  • Henry Crichton, 6th Earl Erne, 78, British peer.
  • Michael Earl, 56, American puppeteer (Sesame Street, Dinosaurs, Team America: World Police), colon cancer.
  • Alfred G. Gilman, 74, American pharmacologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate, pancreatic cancer.
  • Grégoire Haddad, 91, Lebanese Melkite Greek Catholic hierarch, Archbishop of Beirut and Jbeil (1968–1975).
  • Hatidža Hadžiosmanović, 78, Bosnian jurist, President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • Don Howe, 80, English footballer (West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal, national team) and coach.
  • Ablie Jagne, 62, Gambian footballer (Real de Banjul, national team).
  • Joe Jamail, 90, American attorney and billionaire.
  • Jean-Marie Pelt, 82, French biologist.
  • Igor Persiantsev, 78, Russian figure skater.
  • Sławomir Pstrong, 39, Polish film and television director, screenwriter, and author of short stories.
  • Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, 89, Tibetan lama, Supreme Head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism (since 2012).
  • Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, 85, German-born American political scientist.
  • Bill Subritzky, 90, New Zealand property developer and evangelist.
  • Sir Brian Tovey, 89, British civil servant, Director of the Government Communications Headquarters (1978–1983).
  • Bülent Ulusu, 92, Turkish politician, Prime Minister (1980–1983).

    • 24

  • Romeo Anaya, 69, Mexican boxer, WBA Bantamweight Champion (1973).
  • Turid Birkeland, 53, Norwegian politician, Minister of Culture (1996–1997), myelofibrosis.
  • Suprovat Chakravarty, 86, Indian Olympic cyclist (1952), heart attack.
  • David C. Clark, 89, American politician.
  • Michael W. Davidson, 65, American microscopist.
  • Eugène Dodeigne, 92, Belgian-born French sculptor.
  • Robert S. Folkenberg, 75, Puerto Rican Seventh-day Adventist leader, President of the General Conference (1990–1999).
  • Dennis Griffiths, 82, British newspaper executive (Evening Standard) and press historian.
  • William Guest, 74, American R&B singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips), heart failure.
  • Mel Holmes, 65, American football player (Pittsburgh Steelers).
  • Ron Jacobs, 72, American basketball coach (Loyola Marymount University, Northern Cement, Philippine national team), complications from a stroke.
  • Jin Xiang, 80, Chinese composer and music critic.
  • Takeharu Kunimoto, 55, Japanese musician, acute respiratory failure.
  • Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, 74, Filipino journalist (Philippine Daily Inquirer), cardiac arrest.
  • Adriana Olguín, 104, Chilean lawyer and politician, Minister of Justice (1952).

    • 25

  • Manuel Agujetas, 76, Spanish flamenco singer.
  • Zahran Alloush, 44, Syrian rebel commander, founder of Jaysh al-Islam, airstrike.
  • Jim Carlton, 80, Australian politician, member of the Australian Parliament (1977–1994), Minister for Health (1982–1983).
  • Ali Eid, 75, Lebanese politician, General Secretary of the Arab Democratic Party (since 1972).
  • George Evans, 74, Australian rugby league player (St. George).
  • Karen Friesicke, 53, German comedian and actress
  • Leonid Gofshtein, 62, Israeli chess grandmaster.
  • Ottavio Jemma, 90, Italian screenwriter.
  • George Clayton Johnson, 86, American writer (Logan's Run, Ocean's 11, The Twilight Zone), prostate and bladder cancer.
  • Eric Philpott, 69, Irish Gaelic footballer (Cork).
  • Ignacio Rupérez, 72, Spanish author and diplomat, Ambassador to Iraq (2005–2008) and Honduras (2009–2010).
  • Acharya S, 54, American religious author.
  • Sadhana Shivdasani, 74, Indian film actress (Love in Simla, Woh Kaun Thi, Hum Dono).
  • Robert Spitzer, 83, American psychiatrist, heart disease.
  • Jason Wingreen, 95, American actor (Archie Bunker's Place) and voice actor (The Empire Strikes Back).

    • 26

  • Nasser al-Bahri, 43, Saudi-born Yemeni Islamist militant and bodyguard.
  • Tony Buffery, 76, British actor, comedian and writer.
  • Ogwyn Davies, 90, Welsh painter.
  • Bobby Dews, 76, American baseball player and coach (Atlanta Braves).
  • Ed Dobson, 65, British-born American theologian, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • Ståle Eskeland, 72, Norwegian jurist, cancer.
  • Robert Austin Larter, 90, Canadian politician.
  • Emory Melton, 92, American politician, Missouri State Senator (1972–1996).
  • William O'Callaghan, 94, Irish Army lieutenant general, Force Commander (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).
  • Jim O'Toole, 78, American baseball player (Cincinnati Reds).
  • Mac Otten, 90, American basketball player (St. Louis Bombers).
  • Jamie Parsons, 74, American politician, Mayor of Juneau (1991–1994), cancer.
  • Frank B. Salisbury, 89, American plant physiologist.
  • Mary Scranton, 97, American community advocate and philanthropist, First Lady of Pennsylvania (1963–1967), Alzheimer's disease.
  • Tongdaeng, 17, Thai dog, pet of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
  • Sten Wickbom, 84, Swedish politician, Governor of Kronoberg County (1988–1995), Minister for Justice (1983–1987).

    • 27

  • Naji al Jurf, 37, Syrian journalist and filmmaker, shot.
  • Christopher N. L. Brooke, 88, British medieval historian.
  • Stein Eriksen, 88, Norwegian alpine skier, Olympic champion (1952) and triple world champion (1954).
  • Franco Giacobini, 89, Italian actor.
  • Dave Henderson, 57, American baseball player (Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics), World Series champion (1989), heart attack.
  • Aidan Higgins, 88, Irish writer.
  • Ellsworth Kelly, 92, American artist.
  • Meadowlark Lemon, 83, American Hall of Fame basketball player (Harlem Globetrotters).
  • Sidney Mintz, 93, American anthropologist.
  • Alfredo Pacheco, 33, Salvadoran footballer (FAS, New York Red Bulls, national team), shot.
  • Carlos Rosales Mendoza, 52, Mexican drug lord, founder of La Familia Michoacana. (body discovered on this day)
  • Andy M. Stewart, 63, Scottish folk singer (Silly Wizard).
  • Craig Strickland, 29, American country singer, hypothermia.
  • Roy Swinbourne, 86, English footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
  • Gabriel Tambon, 85, French politician, Mayor of Le Castellet, Var (since 1965).
  • Brian Turner, 77, English cricketer.
  • Wilbur Volz, 91, American football player (Buffalo Bills).
  • Berenado Vunibobo, 83, Fijian politician and diplomat.
  • Haskell Wexler, 93, American cinematographer and director (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Medium Cool), Oscar winner (1966, 1976).
  • Stevie Wright, 68, English-born Australian singer (The Easybeats).
  • Youhannes Ezzat Zakaria Badir, 66, Egyptian Coptic Catholic hierarch, Bishop of Ismayliah (1992–1994) and Luqsor (since 1994).

    • 28

  • Ann Arnold, 79, English artist.
  • Chris Barnard, 76, South African author, heart attack.
  • Robert O. Blake, 94, American diplomat, Ambassador to Mali (1970–1973), prostate cancer.
  • John Bradbury, 62, English drummer (The Specials).
  • Nancy Randall Clark, 77, American politician.
  • Rick Cluchey, 82, American playwright.
  • Bram de Does, 81, Dutch typographer.
  • Maggie Deahm, 77, Australian politician, member of the Australian House of Representatives for Macquarie (1993–1996).
  • Guru Josh, 51, Jersey musician.
  • Joe Houston, 89, American jazz and R&B saxophonist.
  • Eloy Inos, 66, Northern Mariana Islands politician, Governor (since 2013), Lieutenant Governor (2009–2013), complications after heart surgery.
  • Eiji Kimizuka, 63, Japanese general, Chief of Staff Ground Self-Defense Force (2011–2013), lung cancer.
  • Lemmy, 70, English rock musician (Motörhead, Hawkwind), complications from prostate cancer.
  • Tiffany Leong, 30, Malaysian actress, liver cancer.
  • Aura Lewis, 68, South African reggae singer.
  • Ian Murdock, 42, American software engineer, founder of the Debian Project.
  • Åge Nordkild, 63, Norwegian politician, member of the Sami Parliament (2001–2005, 2009–2013).
  • Tone Nyhagen, 52, Norwegian dancer.
  • Landon H. Rowland, 78, American businessman (Kansas City Southern Railway).
  • Pierre-Marie Rudelle, 83, French painter.
  • Allen Sapp, 87, Canadian painter.
  • Sylvester Stein, 95, South African writer and athlete.
  • Sean Whitesell, 52, American actor and television producer (Cold Case, House, Oz), cancer.

    • 29

  • Sabino Acquaviva, 88, Italian sociologist.
  • Billie Allen, 90, American actress, one of the first black performers on U.S. television.
  • Aslam Azhar, 83, Pakistani television executive.
  • Tony Carroll, 74, American psychotherapist.
  • Patrick Curtin, 26, Irish Gaelic footballer (Kerry), head injuries after falling from a vehicle.
  • Edward Hugh, 67, British economist, gallbladder and liver cancer.
  • Kim Yang-gon, 73, North Korean senior politician, traffic collision.
  • Elżbieta Krzesińska, 81, Polish track and field athlete, Olympic champion (1956).
  • Om Prakash Malhotra, 93, Indian Army general.
  • Frank Malzone, 85, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox, California Angels).
  • Master Blaster, 28–29, Ugandan dancehall musician.
  • Ed Mayer, 84, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs).
  • James L. McCorkle Jr., 80, American historian.
  • Johann Schwerdfeger, 101, German World War II soldier.
  • Pavel Srníček, 47, Czech footballer (Newcastle United, national team), European Championship runner-up (1996), complications from heart attack.

    • 30

  • George Andreadis, 79, Greek author.
  • Doug Atkins, 85, American football player (Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints), NFL champion (1954, 1963).
  • Víctor Santiago Díaz, Puerto Rican politician, cancer.
  • Howard Davis, Jr., 59, American boxer, Olympic champion (1976), lung cancer.
  • Chatral Sangye Dorje, 102, Tibetan yogi.
  • George Elsey, 97, American military adviser.
  • Mangesh Padgaonkar, 86, Indian poet.
  • Howard Pawley, 81, Canadian politician, Premier of Manitoba (1981–1988).
  • Luis Silva Parra, 84, Ecuadorian jazz saxophonist.
  • Yuhanon Mor Philoxenos, 74, Indian Syriac Orthodox bishop.
  • Zjef Vanuytsel, 70, Belgian folk and kleinkunst singer.

    • 31

  • Roman Bartoszcze, 69, Polish politician.
  • Wesley Burrowes, 85, Irish playwright (Glenroe).
  • Natalie Cole, 65, American Grammy-winning singer ("This Will Be", "Sophisticated Lady", Unforgettable... with Love) and actress, heart failure.
  • Bronislav Danda, 85, Czech ice hockey player, bronze medalist at the 1955 World Ice Hockey Championships.
  • Steve Gohouri, 34, Ivorian footballer (Wigan Athletic, national team). (body found on this date)
  • Geoffrey Hawthorn, 74, British sociologist.
  • Beth Howland, 74, American actress (Alice, The Love Boat), lung cancer.
  • Marion James, 81, American blues singer.
  • Donal Leahy, 77, Irish footballer (Cork Celtic).
  • Marvin Panch, 89, American racing driver, natural causes.
  • Felix Pirani, 87, British theoretical physicist.
  • Vern Rapp, 87, American baseball manager (St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds).
  • Dal Richards, 97, Canadian big band leader, prostate cancer.
  • Wayne Rogers, 82, American actor (M*A*S*H, Cool Hand Luke, House Calls), complications from pneumonia.
  • Daniel L. Ryan, 85, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois (1983–1999).
  • Richard Sapper, 83, German industrial designer.
  • Peter Wight, 85, Guyanese-born English cricket player (Somerset) and umpire.

    • References

    Deaths in December 2015 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA