Famous Deaths on October 2

• 939 Gilbert (Giselbert), Duke of Lorraine drowns trying to cross the Rhine at about 49
• 1113 Mawdoed, Selchuk emir/governor of Mosul, dies
• 1264 Urbanus IV [Jacques Pantaleon], French Pope (1261-64), dies

• 1517 John Murmelius, humanist/theory/school book writer, dies at about 37
• 1559 Jacquet of Mantua [Colebault], French composer of sacred vocal music dies at about 76 [b. 1483, exact birthday unknown]

• 1588 Bernardino Telesio, Italian philosopher (Rerum in Child), dies
• 1617 Isaac Oliver, miniature painter, dies
• 1626 Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, 1st Count of Gondomar, Spanish diplomat, dies at 58
• 1629 Antonio Cifra, Italian composer dies at about 45
• 1629 Jeronimus Cornelisz, Dutch official who led coup among shipwrecked survivors of the Batavia, hung for leading the murder of 124 of them [1]
• 1629 Pierre de Bérulle, French cardinal and mystic (founded Congregation of the French Oratory), dies at 54
• 1656 Stephan Otto, German composer, dies at 53
• 1678 Wu San-kuei, gen, invited Manchus to China, dies trying to expel them
• 1708 Anne Jules de Noailles, French general under Louis XIV (marshal of France), dies at 58
• 1709 Ivan Mazepa, Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host and the Left-bank Ukraine (1687-1708), dies at 70
• 1721 Benott Audran, artist/engraver, dies
• 1724 François-Timoléon de Choisy, French writer (Quatre dialogues sur l’immortalité de l’âme), dies at on his 80th birthday
• 1729 Arnold Boonen, Dutch portrait painter, dies at 60
• 1746 Josiah Burchett, English Secretary of the Admiralty
• 1764 William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, 5th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1756-57), dies at 44
• 1775 Chiyo-ni, Japanese poet (b. 1703)
• 1780 John Andre, British Army officer of the American Revolutionary War, hanged by Americans (spied with B Arnold) at 30
• 1782 Charles Lee, British and U.S. general (b. 1732)
• 1786 Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel, British admiral, dies at 61

• 1804 Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, French inventor who designed & built 1st automobile, dies at 79
• 1809 Wybo Fijnje, Dutch politician, and journalist, dies at 59
• 1817 Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov, Russian naval commander and admiral (b. 1744)
• 1842 José Mariano Elízaga, Mexican composer, dies at 56
• 1842 William Ellery Channing, American Unitarian preacher and clergyman, dies at 62
• 1846 Benjamin Waterhouse, American physician, co-founder of Harvard Medical School, and smallpox vaccine pioneer, dies at 92
• 1850 Sarah Biffin [Beffin], English limbless miniature painter, dies at 65 or 66
• 1853 François Arago, French astronomer, physicist (chromosome) and politician, dies at 67
• 1860 Louis Hersent, painter, dies
• 1863 Justinus van de Brugghen, lawyer/minister of Justice, dies
• 1872 Eberhard Friedrich Walcker, German organ builder (Paulskirche Frankfurt A/M), dies at 78
• 1873 Cornelius Varley, water-color painter, dies
• 1883 Joshua Ratoon Sands, American Rear Admiral (Union Navy), dies at 88
• 1892 Ernest Renan, French philosopher, historian and scholar of religion, dies at 69
• 1896 Emma Darwin, English wife and first cousin of Charles Darwin, dies at 88
• 1901 Rudolph Koenig, German physicist, dies at 68
• 1902 John Whiteaker, American farmer, soldier (Mexican-American War), goldminer, politician (1st Governor of Oregon, 1859-62; US Representative, 1879-81), and judge, dies at 82
• 1905 José Maria de Heredia, Cuban-French sonnet poet (Les Trophées), dies at 62
• 1915 Russell Alexander, American vaudenille performer, euphonium virtuoso, and march composer, dies at 38
• 1916 Benjamin Kidd, English sociologist (Social Evolution), dies of heart disease at 58
• 1919 Ernest Halliwell, South African cricket wicketkeeper (8 Tests), dies at 55
• 1920 Max Bruch, German composer (Kol Nidre), dies at 82
• 1920 Winthrop M. Crane, American politician, 40th Governor of Massachusetts, dies at 67
• 1927 Svante Arrhenius, Swedish chemist (1903 Nobel Prize for Chemistry), dies at 68
• 1931 George Bradley, American baseball pitcher (first no-hitter in MLB history 1876; NL ERA leader 1876), dies at 79
• 1931 Thomas Lipton, Scottish yachtsman (5-time America’s Cup challenger) and tea merchant (Lipton Tea), dies at 81
• 1936 George Simpson-Hayward, English cricket spin bowler (5 Tests, 23 wickets @ 18.26; last great underarm bowler; Cambridge University CC, Worcestershire CCC), dies at 61
• 1938 Alexandru Averescu, Romanian soldier and politician (b. 1859)
• 1943 R. Nathaniel Dett, Canadian-American pianist, organist, choral director, and composer (In The Bottoms), dies of a heart attack while on tour with the USO at 60
• 1944 Benjamin Fondane, Romanian-French writer, filmmaker and critic, murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau at 45
• 1944 Rudolf Schmundt, German general and Hitler’s army adjunct, dies from injuries received during assassination attempt on Hitler at 48
• 1947 Peter D. Ouspensky, Russian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1878)
• 1949 Frank Schulte, American baseball outfielder (NL MVP 1911; Chicago Cubs), dies at 67
• 1955 Nat Schachner, American biographer and author, dies at 65
• 1955 O. B. Clarence, English actor (Saint Joan), dies at 85
• 1956 George Bancroft, American actor (Texas, Stagecoach, Little Men), dies at 74
• 1958 Marie Stopes, British birth control pioneer, dies at 77
• 1960 Claro Mayo Recto, Filipino politician, nationalist (opponent of US colonialism) and poet, dies at 70
• 1960 Jaroslav Doubrava, Czech composer, dies at 51
• 1961 Essington Lewis, Australian industrialist, Director-General of the Department of Munitions in WWII, dies at 80
• 1961 Reggie Spooner, English cricket batsman (10 Tests; dual cricket/rugby union international), dies at 80
• 1962 Boris Y. Bukreev, Russian mathematician (b. 1859)
• 1962 Frank Lovejoy, American actor (Man Against Crime, Meet McGraw), dies from a heart attack at 50
• 1963 Herb Joesting, College Football Hall of Fame halfback/fullback (Uni of Minnesota; Chicago Bears), dies from heart failure at 58
• 1967 Albertina Rasch, Austrian-born American ballerina and choreographer, dies at 76

• 1969 Katharine Susannah Prichard, Australian novelist (Black Opal), dies at 85
• 1970 Alfred Swan, Russian composer, dies at 79
• 1970 Bo Linde, Swedish neo-classical composer, dies at 37
• 1971 Bola de Nieve [Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández], Cuban singer, pianist and songwriter, dies at 60

• 1973 Paul Hartman, American actor (Petticoat Junction, Inherit the Wind), dies at 69
• 1974 Ina Seidel, German poet and novelist, dies at 89
• 1975 Kumaraswami Kamaraj, Indian political leader, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (b. 1903)
• 1975 Wade Crosby, American actor (Sign of Wolf, Tales of Robin Hood), dies at 70
• 1980 Valentin Varlamov, Russian cosmonaut, dies at 46
• 1981 Fidel LaBarba, American boxer (Olympic gold flyweight 1924; world flyweight title 1927), dies of heart failure at 76
• 1981 Harry Golden, Jewish-American journalist and writer (Only in America), dies at 79
• 1981 Hazel Scott, Trinidadian singer and pianist, dies at 63
• 1982 William Bernbach, American advertising creative director, dies at 71
• 1983 Gerald Strang, American classical and electronic music composer, dies at 75
• 1985 (Georgios) “George” Savalas, Greek-American actor (Kojak; Kelly’s Heroes), dies of leukemia at 58

• 1985 Sidney Clute, American actor (Lou Grant; Cagney & Lacey), dies at 69
• 1987 Madeleine Carroll, English actress (39 Steps, Secret Agent), dies at 81
• 1987 Peter Medawar, British biologist (1960 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for discovery of acquired immunological tolerance”), dies at 72

• 1989 Liesbeth Ribbius Peletier, Dutch politician, feminist and the 1st female member of the Council of State (1958-66), dies at 98
• 1991 Dimitrios I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (1973-91), dies at 77
• 1991 Jan H Christianse, political chairman (CDA), dies
• 1993 Ahmed Abdul-Malik [Jonathan Tim, Jr.], American jazz double bassist and oud player (Odetta; Thelonius Monk), dies at 66
• 1993 Henry Ringling North, circus owner (Ringling Bros Circus), dies at 83
• 1993 William Berger, Austrian American actor (Face to Face, Adventure of Hercules), dies of prostate cancer at 65
• 1994 Faith Davis, American triplets, world’s oldest surviving triplets (Charity & Hope survive), dies at 95
• 1994 Harriet Nelson [Peggy Lou Snyder], American singer (as Harriet Hilliard), and actress (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Follow the Fleet), dies of heart failure at 85 [1]
• 1994 Ron Herron, English architect (Archigram), dies at 64
• 1995 Elizabeth Jane Lloyd, artist/teacher, dies at 67
• 1996 Andrey Lukanov, Bulgarian politician (40th Prime Minister of Bulgaria), assassinated at 58
• 1996 Banjo Matthews, American auto racing constructor (72% of winning cars in top NASCAR division 1974-85; 262 wins in 362 Cup races), dies of heart and respiratory disease at 64
• 1996 Frida Knight, English Communist activist and author, dies at 85
• 1996 Ivan Mark Waller, English mountaineer, dies at 89
• 1996 Joonas Kokkonen, Finnish composer (The Last Temptations), dies at 74
• 1996 Robert Bourassa, Prime Minister of Quebec province (1970-76, 85-93), dies at 63
• 1996 Ronald John Bilsland Colville, businessman, dies at 79
• 1996 Sybil Marion Rosenfeld, theatre historian, dies at 93
• 1997 Reginald Murley, British surgeon and President of the Royal College of Surgeons (1977-80), dies at 81 [1]
• 1998 D. French Slaughter Jr, American politician (Rep-R-VA, 1985-91), dies at 73
• 1998 Gene Autry, American cowboy singer, songwriter, actor, musician, (“Back In The Saddle Again”;”Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”) and business tycoon (owner MLB Angels team, 1961-97), dies of lymphoma at 91
• 1998 Korla Pandit [John Roland Redd], American pianist and Hammond B-3 organist, exotica and television pioneer (Adventures in Music), dies at 77 [1] [2]
• 1998 Olivier Gendebien, Belgian auto racer (24 hours of Le Mans 1958, 60-62), dies at 74
• 1999 Heinz G. Konsalik, German novelist, dies at 78
• 1999 Herman Lauxtermann, Dutch politician (2nd chamber member, 1977-81 (VVD)), dies at 69
• 2001 Franz Biebl, German composer, mostly of choral music, dies at 95
• 2002 Heinz von Foerster, Austrian-born physicist and philosopher, dies at 90
• 2003 John T. Dunlop, U.S. Secretary of Labor (b. 1914)

• 2005 Bert Eriksson, Flemish neo-Nazi, dies at 74
• 2005 Hamilton Camp, English-American actor (Andrew-He & She, Meatballs 2), dies at 70
• 2005 Nipsey Russell, American comedian (Car 54, Where Are You?), dies at 87
• 2006 Helen Chenoweth-Hage, American politician (b. 1938)
• 2006 Milly Vitale, Italian actress (7 Little Foys, War & Peace, Juggler), dies at 73
• 2006 Paul Halmos, Hungarian-born American mathematician (b. 1916)
• 2006 Tamara Dobson, American actress (Amazons; Cleopatra Jones), dies of complications from pneumonia and multiple sclerosis, at 59
• 2007 (Elfriede) “Elfi” von Dassanowsky, Austrian-American opera singer, pianist, vocal coach, and film producer, dies of heart failure at 83
• 2007 Christopher Derrick, British writer, dies at 86
• 2007 Dan Keating, Irish former president of the Republican Sinn Féin, Ireland’s oldest man and last surviving veteran of the Irish War of Independence at the time of his death, dies at 105
• 2007 George Grizzard, American Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor (Wrong is Right, Bachelor Party, Attica), dies at 79
• 2007 Lady Katherine Brandram, Princess of Greece, the last surviving great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, dies at 94
• 2007 Tex Coulter, American NFL defensive lineman (All Pro 1948, 51-52; Pro Bowl 1951-52; NY Giants), dies at 82
• 2008 Choi Jin-sil, South Korean actress (b. 1968)
• 2008 Rob Guest, New Zealand entertainer (b. 1950)
• 2010 Kwa Geok Choo, wife of Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew (b. 1920)
• 2012 Big Jim Sullivan [Tomkins], British session and touring rock guitarist, sitar, and banjo player, dies of heart disease and diabetes at 71
• 2013 Bob Rozario, American pianist (Louis Prima), and orchestra leader (Bobby Darin; Tony Orlando; Donny & Marie), dies of cancer at 80
• 2014 Priscilla Coolidge, American singer (Booker T. & Priscilla; Walela), murdered by husband at 73
• 2015 Brian Friel, Irish dramatist sometimes called the “Irish Chekhov” (Dancing at Lughnasa), dies at 86
• 2015 Coleridge Goode, Jamaican-British jazz double bassist (Joe Harriot Quintet), dies at 100 [1]
• 2015 Lindsay Kline, Australian cricketer (Australian chinaman bowler Hat-trick 1957), dies at 81
• 2015 Steve Camacho, West Indian cricket batsman (11 Tests, 4 x 50; British Guiana) and executive (CEO WI Cricket Board), dies at 69
• 2016 Neville Marriner, English violinist (London Symphony, 1954-69), and conductor (Academy of St Martin in the Fields, 1958-2011; Minnesota Orchestra, 1979-86), dies at 92
• 2016 Thomas Round, British tenor (Gilbert and Sullivan For All), dies at 100
• 2017 Klaus Huber, Swiss composer (Tenebrae) and academic, dies at 92
• 2017 Robert Yates, American auto racing team owner and engine builder (Yates Racing, NASCAR), dies from cancer at 74

• 2018 Geoff Emerick, British sound engineer and record producer (Beatles; Elvis Costello), dies of a heart attack at 72

• 2019 Barrie Masters, British pub-rock singer (Eddie & the Hot Rods – “Teenage Depression”), dies of drug intoxication at 63
• 2019 Bill Bidwill, American NFL team owner (St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals 1962-2019), dies at 88
• 2019 Giya Kancheli, Georgian composer (NightPrayers; Exil), dies at 84
• 2020 Bob Gibson, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1968, 70; NL MVP 1968; 9 x MLB All Star; St. Louis Cardinals), dies from pancreatic cancer at 84
• 2020 Bob Miller, American ice hockey center (47 games USA; Boston Bruins, Colorado Rockies, LA Kings), dies at 64
• 2020 Ron Perranoski, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1963, 65; AL saves leader 1969, 70; LA Dodgers) and coach (World Series 1981, 88; LAD), dies at 84
• 2022 Éder Jofre, Brazilian boxer (WBA, WBC & The Ring Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight titles; International Boxing HOF), dies from chronic traumatic encephalopathy at 86
• 2022 Mary McCaslin, American contemporary folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and banjo player (“Prairie In The Sky”), dies from complications of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) at 75
• 2022 Sacheen Littlefeather [Marie Louise Cruz]. American indigenous rights activist, who declined Academy Award for Best Actor on behalf of Marlon Brando, dies of breast cancer at 75 [1]
• 2022 Shirley Englehorn, American golfer (Women’s PGA C’ship 1970), dies at 81
• 2023 Francis Lee, English soccer striker (27 caps; Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City 249 games, Derby County), dies of cancer at 79
• 2024 Guido Carlesi, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France 1961 runner-up), dies at 87
• 2024 Solly Moholo, South African gospel singer known for “Ka letsatsi labofelo”, dies at 65 [1]
• 2024 Susie Maxwell Berning, American golfer (US Women’s Open 1968, 72-73, Western Open 1965), dies at 83

October 2 Highlights