The following is a list of deaths in April 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.
April 2009
1 Arne Andersson, 91, Swedish middle distance runner and former world record holder (1500m). Umberto Betti, 87, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Cardinal of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzio since 2007. John Blankenchip, 89, American educator, theater director and designer, after short illness. Kevin Briscoe, 72, New Zealand rugby union player (Taranaki, national team). Paul Dean, Baron Dean of Harptree, 84, British politician, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons (1982–1992). Margreta Elkins, 78, Australian mezzo-soprano, cancer. Duane Jarvis, 51, American guitarist and singer-songwriter, colon cancer. Manfred Jessen-Klingenberg, 75, German historian. Jan Kleyn, 83, Dutch sprinter.Jan Kleyn . sports-reference.com Marsel Markulin, 72, Croatian Olympic gymnast.Marsel Markulin Marcos Moshinsky, 88, Ukrainian-born Mexican physicist. Daniel Joseph O'Hern, 78, American jurist, member of the New Jersey Supreme Court (1981–2000), melanoma. Elaine Cancilla Orbach, 69, American actress, wife of Jerry Orbach, pneumonia. Lou Perryman, 67, American actor (Poltergeist, The Blues Brothers, Boys Don't Cry), stabbed. Miguel Ángel Suárez, 69, Puerto Rican actor, esophageal cancer. Ian Tomlinson, 47, British pedestrian allegedly assaulted by police at 2009 G-20 London summit protests, abdominal haemorrhage.
2 Ghulam Mohammed Baloch, 50, Pakistani politician. Exotic Dancer, 9, French-bred British racehorse, heart attack after race. Ev Faunce, 82, American football player and coach. David Gray, 56, Scottish rugby union player (national team). Guttorm Hansen, 88, Norwegian politician, President of Parliament (1973–1981). Taj Muhammad Jamali, 70, Pakistani politician, Chief Minister of Balochistan (1990–1993). Albert Sanschagrin, 97, Canadian Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe (1967–1979). Bud Shank, 82, American alto saxophonist, pulmonary failure. Frank Springer, 79, American comic book artist (Dazzler, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., She-Hulk), prostate cancer. Andrew Steiner, 100, Czechoslovak-American architect and Jewish resistance member during the Holocaust.
3 Ken Anderson, 33, American football player (Chicago Bears), heart attack. James G. Boswell II, 86, American businessman, natural causes. Tom Braden, 92, American journalist and author (Eight Is Enough), cardiac arrest. Eva Evdokimova, 60, Swiss-born American ballerina, complications of cancer. Charlie Kennedy, 81, American alto saxophonist, pulmonary disease. John King, 55, American ukulele player, heart attack. Victor Millan, 89, American actor (Touch of Evil, Scarface, Giant) and theatre professor. Alexei Parshchikov, 54, Russian poet. Crodowaldo Pavan, 89, Brazilian biologist and geneticist, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and cancer. Tom Smith, 88, British make-up artist (Gandhi, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi), heart attack. Jerome Waldie, 84, American politician, Representative from California (1966–1975).
4 Trevor Bull, 64, British Olympic cyclist. Jobie Dajka, 27, Australian track cyclist, 2002 Keirin world champion. Adriano Directo Emperado, 82, American martial artist (kajukenbo). Maxine Cooper, 84, American actress (Kiss Me Deadly), natural causes Netherwood Hughes, 108, British fourth-to-last veteran of World War I. Jody McCrea, 74, American actor, cardiac arrest. Gonzalo Olave, 25, Chilean actor, motorcycle accident. Herbert Scheinberg, 89, American physician, pneumonia. Nelly Sindayen, 59, Filipino journalist, Manila correspondent for Time magazine, complications from diabetic stroke. Cecil Skotnes, 82, South African artist, pneumonia. Armand Tanny, 90, American bodybuilder, natural causes. Marvin Webster, 56, American basketball player (Seattle SuperSonics), natural causes.
5 Wouter Barendrecht, 43, Dutch film producer, heart failure. Guy Brown, 72, Canadian politician, mayor of Springhill, Nova Scotia (2004–2008), after long illness. Thomas R. Byrne, 86, American politician, Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota (1966–1970), cancer. Tony D, 42, American hip hop DJ and musician, car accident. David Eady, 84, British film director and producer. Sir Michael Giddings, 88, British air marshal. I. J. Good, 92, British mathematician, statistician and cryptographer, natural causes. Sir Neil MacCormick, 67, British jurist and Scottish nationalist politician, cancer. Alfredo Marcano, 62, Venezuelan former WBA world super featherweight (junior lightweight) champion boxer. Rocco Morabito, 88, American Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer. Nancy Overton, 83, American pop singer (The Chordettes), esophageal cancer. Constantine Papadakis, 63, Greek-born American president of Drexel University, complications from lung cancer. William Tobin, 83, American journalist, esophageal cancer. George Tribe, 88, Australian cricketer. Ole Gabriel Ueland, 78, Norwegian politician. David Wheatley, 59, British film and television director, after long illness.
6 A-Sun, 34, Taiwanese singer, breast cancer. Steve Cannon, 81, American radio personality (WCCO), cancer. J. M. S. Careless, 90, Canadian historian. Luigi Casola, 87, Italian cyclist. Dwight Crandell, 86, American volcanologist, heart attack. Dorothy Cullman, 91, American philanthropist, complications of brain injury. Russell E. Dunham, 89, American war veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, heart failure. Jacques Hustin, 69, Belgian singer-songwriter. Shawn Mackay, 26, Australian rugby union player (Brumbies), cardiac arrest following car accident. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, 71, South African Minister of Communications (since 1999) and acting President (2008), natural causes. Andrzej Stelmachowski, 84, Polish academic and politician. Mari Trini, 61, Spanish pop singer and actress. Svetlana Ulmasova, 56, Uzbekistani athlete. Damouré Zika, 85, Nigerien film actor and traditional healer, after long illness.
7 Dave Arneson, 61, American game designer, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, cancer. Samuel Beer, 97, American academic, expert on British government. Raja Chelliah, 86, Indian economist, founder of Madras School of Economics, after short illness. Stanley Jaki, 84, Hungarian-born American theologian, heart attack. Philip Moore, Baron Moore of Wolvercote, 88, British private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II (1977–1986). Paddy O'Hanlon, 65, Irish politician and barrister, after short illness. Leo Prieto, 88, Filipino sports executive, PBA Commissioner (1975–1982), stroke. Gordon Slynn, Baron Slynn of Hadley, 79, British jurist, cancer. Michael Stern, 98, American journalist and philanthropist, co-founder of Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, pancreatic cancer. Hyacinth Tungutalum, 62, Australian politician, heart attack. Jack Wrangler, 62, American pornographic film actor, writer, and producer, emphysema.
8 Lennie Bennett, 70, British comedian and game show host (Lucky Ladders), after short illness. Jane Bryan, 90, American actress, after long illness. Willard Fuller, 93, American faith healer. Henri Meschonnic, 76, French poet, linguist, translator and theoretician. Dan Miller, 67, American television journalist (WSMV, KCBS), heart attack. Piotr Morawski, 32, Polish mountain climber, mountaineering accident. Marat Nyýazow, 75, Turkmen-born Soviet sport shooter, Olympic silver medalist (1960). Jean Overton Fuller, 94, British writer and painter. Tam Paton, 70, Scottish music manager and spokesperson for the Bay City Rollers, suspected heart attack. Tori Stafford, 8, Canadian murder victim, blunt trauma. David Winans, 74, American gospel singer, heart attack.
9 Nick Adenhart, 22, American baseball pitcher (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), car accident. Edgar Buchwalder, 92, Swiss Olympic cyclist and silver medalist. Randy Cain, 63, American singer (The Delfonics). Mike Casey, 60, American college basketball player (Kentucky Wildcats) (1967–1971), heart disease. Colin Jordan, 85, British politician and Neo-Nazi activist. Ernest Manirumva, Burundian anti-corruption activist (OLUCOME), stabbed. Shakti Samanta, 83, Indian film director and producer, cardiac arrest. Dale Swann, 61, American character actor, complications of stroke.
10 Richard Arnell, 91, English composer.Richard Arnell, 1917-2009 John Spoor Broome, 91, American rancher and philanthropist. Richard Cartwright, 95, British Anglican prelate, Bishop of Plymouth (1972–1982). Blake Chanslor, 88, American businessman, founder of Blake's Lotaburger. Deborah Digges, 59, American poet, apparent suicide by jumping. Rocky Hill, 62, American blues guitarist, singer, and bassist.Andrew Dansby. "Houston guitarist Rocky Hill dies at 62 ". Houston Chronicle. April 13, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2010. Frank Morris, 85, Canadian football player and executive, after long illness. Naum Olev, 70, Russian lyricist. Yevgeny Vesnik, 86, Russian actor, stroke.
11 Aida Abdullayeva, 86, Azerbaijani harpist. Jim Brodie, 88, New Zealand geologist, oceanographer and geophysicist. Mickey Cafagna, 65, American politician, mayor of Poway, California, complications from kidney cancer. Simon Channing Williams, 63, British film producer, cancer. Albert Chernenko, 74, Russian philosopher, son of Konstantin Chernenko. Rob Dickson, 45, Australian football player, winner of Australian Survivor, car accident. Gerda Gilboe, 94, Danish actress.Gerda Gilboe B. M. Idinabba, 88, Indian poet and activist, physical disorders. Judith Krug, 69, American librarian, founder of Banned Books Week, stomach cancer. René Monory, 85, French politician, President of the Senate (1992–1998). Tita Muñoz, 82, Filipino actress, after long illness. Jimmy Neighbour, 58, British footballer (Norwich City, Tottenham Hotspur), heart attack. Vishnu Prabhakar, 97, Indian writer, after long illness. Johnny Roadhouse, 88, British saxophonist. Al Rosenbaum, 82, American sculptor, co-founder of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Corín Tellado, 81, Spanish novelist, heart failure. Zeke Zarchy, 93, American swing music jazz trumpeter.
12 Sitara Achakzai, 52, Afghan women's rights activist and politician, shot. Javier de Bengoechea, 89, Spanish poet. Danny Cameron, 85, Canadian politician, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick (1991–1995). Marilyn Chambers, 56, American pornographic film actress (Behind the Green Door), erotic dancer, and politician, heart disease. Kent Douglas, 73, Canadian ice hockey player (Toronto Maple Leafs), cancer Robin Guthrie, 71, British teacher. Gene Handley, 94, American baseball player. Mike Keen, 69, British footballer, after short illness. Hans Kleppen, 102, Norwegian ski jumper. Sir Kirby Laing, 92, British civil engineer. Louis Leysen, 77, Belgian footballer. Sir John Maddox, 83, British science writer, editor (Nature, 1966–1973, 1980–1995). Stephen Minarik, 49, American politician, chairman of the New York Republican State Committee (2004–2006), heart attack. Ephraim Obot, 72, Nigerian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Idah since 1977. Franklin Rosemont, 65, American surrealist poet, labor historian and co-founder of the Chicago Surrealist Group. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, 58, American writer and critical theorist, pioneer of queer studies, breast cancer. Ishaq Shahryar, 73, Afghan-born American scientist and ambassador. Derek Weiler, 40, Canadian editor and writer.
13 John Armitage, 88, Australian politician, MP (1961–1963, 1969–1983). Björn Borg, 89, Swedish Olympic swimmer. Stefan Brecht, 84, German poet, son of Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel, after long illness. Frank Costigan, 78, Australian lawyer and royal commissioner, head of the Costigan Commission. Tony Eckstein, 85, American politician and veterinarian. Mark Fidrych, 54, American baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers), suffocation.