Deaths in January 2009

The following is a list of notable deaths in January 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.

January 2009

1 Todd Bullard, 77, American educator, complications from diabetes. Hubert Desbiens, 77, Canadian politician, Quebec MNA (1976–1989). Dennis Ford, 77, South African Olympic swimmer. Denis Frisoli, 49, American unicyclist. Walter Haynes, 80, American steel guitarist. Ramashreya Jha, 80, Indian musicologist, complications following heart surgery. John Morrow, 77, British Presbyterian minister and peace activist. Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam, 32, Kenyan al-Qaeda leader, allegedly behind Marriott hotel bombings, airstrike. Claiborne Pell, 90, American Senator from Rhode Island (1961–1997), creator of the Pell Grant, Parkinson's disease. Gert Petersen, 81, Danish journalist and politician. Robert Prince, 89, American Major, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross. Edmund Purdom, 84, British actor. Nizar Rayan, 49, Palestinian Hamas military and political leader, airstrike. Willard Warren Scott Jr., 82, American general, head of United States Military Academy (1981–1986), Parkinson's disease. Johannes Mario Simmel, 84, Austrian writer. Henry King Stanford, 92, American academic, president of the University of Miami (1962–1981). Helen Suzman, 91, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, MP (1953–1989). Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, 48, Kenyan al-Qaeda leader, airstrike. Robert Saxton Taylor, 90, American library scholar.

2 Dnyaneshwar Agashe, 66, Indian cricketer and businessman, heart attack. Leonard Andrews, 83, American art patron, prostate cancer. Inger Christensen, 73, Danish poet, novelist and essayist. John DeFrancis, 97, American sinologist. Pavel Deyev, 67, Soviet Olympic equestrian. Ralph Gibson, 84, American flying ace of the Korean War. Hank DeZonie, 86, American basketball player. Steven Gilborn, 72, American actor (Ellen), cancer. Valentina Giovagnini, 28, Italian singer, car crash. Ian Greaves, 76, British footballer and manager (Mansfield Town, Bolton Wanderers). Tony Gregory, 61, Irish politician, member of Dáil Éireann, cancer. Joe Henry, 78, American baseball player (Memphis Red Sox, Negro leagues). Ryuzo Hiraki, 77, Japanese footballer, pneumonia. Albert Horner, 95, Canadian politician, MP for The Battlefords (1958–1968). John Olav Larssen, 81, Norwegian evangelical preacher. Elisheva Michaeli, 80, Israeli actress (Big Gus, What's the Fuss?), cancer.ערב מחווה לזכרה של אלישבע מיכאלי (in Hebrew) Rashid bin Ahmad Al Mualla II, 78, Emirati ruler of Umm al-Quwain. József Sákovics, 81, Hungarian Olympic fencer. Nick Scandone, 42, American yachtsman, paralympian gold medallist (2008), Lou Gehrig's disease. Cy Thomas, 82, British ice hockey player (Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks). Olgierd Zienkiewicz, 87, British civil engineer.

3 Kjelfrid Brusveen, 82, Norwegian cross-country skier. Charles Camilleri, 77, Maltese composer. John Grindrod, 89, Australian Anglican prelate, Archbishop of Brisbane (1980–1989). Peter English, 71, Scottish professor of agriculture and author, heart failure. Betty Freeman, 87, American philanthropist. Pat Hingle, 84, American actor (Batman, Norma Rae, Hang 'Em High), myelodysplasia. Li Zuopeng, 94, Chinese general and politician. Ulf G. Lindén, 71, Swedish entrepreneur, heart failure. Sam McQuagg, 73, American race car driver, NASCAR Rookie of the Year (1965), cancer. Hisayasu Nagata, 39, Japanese politician, suicide by jumping. Olga San Juan, 81, American actress, kidney failure. Matt Sczesny, 76, American scout for the Boston Red Sox, cancer. Rosemary Thomson, 73, American politician. Sir Alan Walters, 82, British economist.

4 Lei Clijsters, 52, Belgian footballer and coach, father of Kim Clijsters, lung cancer. Sonny Fai, 20, New Zealand rugby league player, drowned.Warriors player Sonny Fai drowned – coroner Oswaldo Domingues, 91, Brazilian Olympic sprinter. K. K. Govind, 92, Indian freedom fighter. Gedalio Grinberg, 77, Cuban-born American founder of Movado Group, natural causes. Ivan Gubijan, 85, Croatian hammer thrower, Olympic medalist (1948), after long illness. India, 18, American pet cat of George W. Bush. Gert Jonke, 62, Austrian writer and poet, cancer. Arvid Knutsen, 64, Norwegian footballer (Viking FK), brain tumor. Jon Latimer, 44, British historian, heart attack. Bob Lazarus, 52, American comedian, leukemia. Sudhir Ranjan Majumdar, 75, Indian politician, Chief Minister of Tripura (1988–1992), heart attack. John McGillicuddy, 78, American CEO of Manufacturers Hanover (1971–1991), Chemical Banking (1991–1993), prostate cancer. Vladimir Repyev, 52, Russian Olympic silver medal-winning (1980) handball player. Giselle Salandy, 21, Trinidadian boxer, car accident.

5 Griffin Bell, 90, American judge, Fifth Circuit Appeals Court (1961–1976), U.S. Attorney General (1977–1979), pancreatic cancer. Evangelos Depastas, 76, Greek Olympic runner. Harry Kinnard, 93, American Army lieutenant general. Dale Livingston, 63, American football player (Green Bay Packers), complications from heart surgery.Obituary: Former Western Michigan star Dale Livingston the unlikeliest of kickers Mario Magnotta, 66, Italian Internet celebrity, pulmonary embolism. Adolf Merckle, 74, German businessman, suicide by train. Stanton Parris, 78, Barbadian cricket umpire, after short illness. Roland Piquepaille, 62, French software engineer and technology writer, complications from digestive virus. Carl Pohlad, 93, American banker, owner of the Minnesota Twins. Jimmy Rayner, 73, English footballer (Peterborough United). Verna Mae Slone, 94, American author and quilter, complications from a fall. Mircea Stănescu, 39, Romanian politician, MP (2004–2008), apparent suicide by gunshot. Ned Tanen, 77, American executive (Universal Pictures), natural causes. Sam Taylor, 74, American blues musician, complications from heart disease.

6 Ron Asheton, 60, American rock guitarist (The Stooges), heart attack (death announced on this date). Nino Bongiovanni, 97, American baseball player. Brahmkumar Bhatt, 87, Indian politician and Indian independence activist. Geoffrey Brooke, 88, British Olympic modern pentathlete. Vivian Della Chiesa, 94, American soprano and Broadway theatre performer. Robert T. Connor, 90, American politician, Staten Island Borough President (1966–1977). Maria Dimitriadi, 58, Greek singer, lung disease. John T. Elfvin, 91, American federal judge, justice of the Western District of New York since 1974. Alan Geisler, 78, American condiment inventor and food chemist, protein disorder. Cheryl Holdridge, 64, American actress (The Mickey Mouse Club), lung cancer. John Riley Holt, 90, British physicist. Róbert Ilosfalvy, 81, Hungarian opera singer. Claude Jeter, 94, American gospel music singer. John Scott Martin, 83, British actor (Doctor Who, I, Claudius, Z-Cars), Parkinson's disease. Richard Seaver, 82, American owner of Arcade Publishing, heart attack. Ghulam Mohammad Shah, 88, Indian politician, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (1984–1986), after long illness. John Street, 77, British snooker referee, pulmonary disease. Victor Sumulong, 62, Filipino politician, Congressman (1998–2007), Mayor of Antipolo since 2007, diabetes. Charlie Thomson, 78, Scottish footballer (Clyde, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest).

7 Aimé Adam, 95, Canadian politician. Yaakov Banai, 89, Israeli Lehi commander. J. D. H. Catleugh, 88, British artist. Alfie Conn Sr., 82, Scottish footballer (Hearts, Raith Rovers, Scotland). Robert G. Eaton, 71, Canadian politician, cancer. Alex van Heerden, 34, South African musician, car accident. Jacques Littlefield, 59, American owner of the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation, colon cancer. Robert T. Monagan, 88, American politician, Speaker of the California State Assembly (1969–1970), after long illness. Puck Oversloot, 94, Dutch swimmer, Olympic silver medallist (1932). Anália de Victória Pereira, 67, Angolan politician. Ray Dennis Steckler, 70, American film director (Rat Pfink a Boo Boo), cardiac arrest. Bob Wilkins, 76, American television personality, horror film host, complications from Alzheimer's disease.

8 Magdaleno Cano, 75, Mexican Olympic cyclist. Alberto Eliani, 86, Italian football player and manager. Don Galloway, 71, American actor (Ironside, The Big Chill, Gunfight in Abilene), stroke. Björn Haugan, 66, Norwegian operatic lyric tenor. Lamya, 45, British singer, heart attack. Gaston Lenôtre, 88, French pastry chef. Irène Mélikoff, 91, Russian-born French Turkologist. Charles Morgan Jr., 78, American lawyer, complications of Alzheimer's disease. Richard John Neuhaus, 72, Canadian-born American Roman Catholic priest and theologian, founder of First Things, cancer. Zbigniew Podlecki, 68, Polish motorcycle speedway rider. Deborah Riedel, 50, Australian soprano, cancer. Leonidas Vargas, 60, Colombian drug trafficker, shot. Cornelia Wallace, 69, American First Lady of Alabama (1971–1978), second wife of George Wallace, cancer. Lasantha Wickrematunge, 50, Sri Lankan journalist, shot.

9 István Antal, 50, Romanian Olympic ice hockey player, cardiac arrest. Dave Dee, 67, British singer (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich), prostate cancer. Harry Endo, 87, American actor (Hawaii Five-O), stroke. Rob Gauntlett, 21, British mountaineer, youngest Briton to climb Mount Everest, climbing accident. Jon Hager, 67, American country musician and comedian (Hee Haw). René Herms, 26, German middle-distance runner. Joe Hirsch, 80, American horse racing journalist, Parkinson's disease. T. Llew Jones, 93, British Welsh language writer. Aleksandr Kosopkin, 51, Russian statesman, Plenipotentiary Representative in the State Duma (since 2009), helicopter crash. Peter Lane, Baron Lane of Horsell, 83, British businessman and politician. Pál Németh, 71, Hungarian hammer throw coach, heart failure. Kaarle Ojanen, 90, Finnish chess player. Dave Roberts, 64, American baseball pitcher (Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers), lung cancer. Jean Sassi, 91, French army colonel. Jack F. Shaw, 70, American cross country running coach. David Smiley, 92, British SOE officer. Ljubica Sokić, 94, Serbian painter. Tom Van Flandern, 68, American astronomer, colon cancer. Sir Neil Wheeler, 91, British Air Chief Marshal. Frank Williams, 50, American baseball player (San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers), heart attack.

10 Georges Cravenne, 94, French publicity agent, founder of the César Award. Isabelle of Salm-Salm, 105, German royal.Blattus Martini / Kevelaerer Enzyklopädie – Martin Willing: Kevelaerer Aufbaujahre (Chapter: 13) Peter Kollock, 49, American sociologist, motorcycle accident. Pio Laghi, 86, Italian Cardinal for San Pietro in Vincoli, Vatican Ambassador to the US (1980–1990), hematologic disease. Liliana Lozano, 30, Colombian actress and beauty queen, shot. Gil Mains, 79, American football player. Jean Pelletier, 73, Canadian politician, Mayor of Quebec City (1977–1989), Chief of Staff (1993–2001), complications of colon cancer. Eluned Phillips, 94, British writer, crowned bard at the National Eisteddfod of Wales (1967, 1983), pneumonia. Colin Phipps, 74, British petroleum geologist and MP (1974–1979). Ivor Spencer, 84, British toastmaster. Bill Stone, 108, British World War I veteran. Coosje van Bruggen, 66, Dutch-born American sculptor, wife of Claes Oldenburg, breast cancer. Jack Wheeler, 89, British footballer. Sidney Wood, 97, American tennis player, Hall of Fame (1964), third-youngest winner of Wimbledon (1931). Ray Yoshida, 78, American painter, cancer. Elżbieta Zawacka, 99, Polish World War II freedom fighter.

11 Maurice L. Albertson, 91, American Peace Corps architect, founder of Village Earth.Peace Corps Co-Founder Maurice L. Albertson Passes Away