The following is a list of notable deaths in December 2010.
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.
December 2010
1 Berlenti Abdul Hamid, 75, Egyptian actress, stroke. W. Geoffrey Arnott, 80, British Hellenist. Adriaan Blaauw, 96, Dutch astronomer. Helen Boatwright, 94, American soprano, complications from a fall. Hillard Elkins, 81, American talent manager and film producer (Alice's Restaurant, Richard Pryor: Live in Concert), heart attack. Frank S. Emi, 94, American member of the Fair Play Committee. Shahla Jahed, 41, Iranian convicted murderer, executed by hanging. Charles N. Millican, 94, American academic, founding president of the University of Central Florida. Richard P. Myers, 62, American politician, member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1995–2010), prostate cancer.State Rep. Rich Myers Dies At 62 Sir Peter Wakefeld, 88, British diplomat.Sir Peter Wakefield
2 *Michael Bunluen Mansap, 81, Thai Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Ubon Ratchathani (1976–2006). Michele Giordano, 80, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Naples (1987–2006). Chane't Johnson, 34, American actress, heart attack. *Lee Huan, 93, Taiwanese politician, Premier of the Republic of China (1989–1990), cardiopulmonary failure. Ernâni Lopes, 68, Portuguese politician, Minister of Finance (1983–1985). Lauri Tamminen, 91, Finnish Olympic athlete.Lauri Tamminen
3 Abdumalik Bahori, 83, Tajikistani writer. Marvin Bass, 91, American college football player and coach. Hugues Cuénod, 108, Swiss tenor. Phil Jasner, 68, American sportswriter, cancer. Elaine Kaufman, 81, American restaurateur, founder of Elaine's, emphysema and pulmonary hypertension. Ma Ning, 88, Chinese major general, Commander of the PLA Air Force (1973–1977). Donald Pass, 80, British abstract painter. *José Ramos Delgado, 75, Argentine footballer and coach, Alzheimer's disease. Ron Santo, 70, American baseball player and broadcaster (Chicago Cubs), member of MLB Hall of Fame, complications from diabetes and bladder cancer. Skip Young, 59, American professional wrestler.
4 Manish Acharya, 43, Indian film director and actor, fall from horse. Mohamed Mahbub Alam, 38, Bangladeshi Olympic sprinter, road accident.A sprint cut short Pamela Bryant, 51, American model, actress (H.O.T.S.), and Playboy Playmate of the Month (April 1978), natural causes. Pierre de Beaumont, 96, Franco-American founder of Brookstone.Pierre de Beaumont, Brookstone Founder, Dies at 95 Lia Dorana, 92, Dutch actress and comedian. Cathy Harvin, 56, American politician, member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (since 2006), breast cancer. Torodd Hauer, 88, Norwegian Olympic speed skater. King Curtis Iaukea, 73, American professional wrestler, after long illness. Jacques Lafleur, 78, French politician, leader of New Caledonia anti-independence movement. Ken Lehman, 82, American baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers). Birthe Nielsen, 84, Danish Olympic sprinter.Birthe Nielsen Adrienne Simpson, 67, New Zealand broadcaster and writer. Heather Stilwell, 66, Canadian anti-abortion activist and politician, leader of the Christian Heritage Party (1993–1994), breast cancer. Dagoberto Suárez Melo, 35, Colombian politician, Governor of Guaviare (2010), car crash.
5 Albano Albanese, 88, Italian hurdler and high jumper. Alan Armer, 88, American Emmy Award-winning television producer (The Fugitive), colon cancer. Shamil Burziyev, 25, Russian footballer, car crash. David French, 71, Canadian playwright, cancer. María Ester Gatti, 92, Uruguayan human rights activist. Heda Margolius Kovály, 91, Czech author and Holocaust survivor. John Leslie, 65, American pornographic film actor and director, heart attack. Don Meredith, 72, American football player (Dallas Cowboys) and commentator (Monday Night Football), brain hemorrhage.Legendary Cowboys, SMU quarterback Don Meredith dies John Thomas Steinbock, 73, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Santa Rosa (1987–1991) and Fresno (since 1991), lung cancer.Bishop John Thomas Steinbock Virgílio Teixeira, 93, Portuguese actor (Return of the Seven, The Fall of the Roman Empire, El Cid).
6 Mariá Álvarez Rios, 91, Cuban composer, pianist and educator. Frank Bessac, 88, American anthropologist, stroke. Tom Crowe, 88, Irish-born British presenter (BBC Radio 3). Hugues Cuénod, 108, Swiss tenor.Hugues Cuénod obituary Mark Dailey, 57, American-born Canadian television journalist and announcer, cancer. Ambrosio Echebarria Arroita, 88, Spanish Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Barbastro-Monzón (1974–1999). René Hauss, 82, French footballer. Norman Hetherington, 89, Australian cartoonist and television personality. Ferenc Keszthelyi, 82, Hungarian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Vác (1992–2003). James Thomas Lynn, 83, American politician, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1973–1975), complications from a stroke. Vic Lynn, 85, Canadian ice hockey player (Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers).Vic Lynn, who played on all original six NHL teams, dies in Saskatoon at 85 Imre Mathesz, 73, Hungarian footballer and coach, car crash.Vasas mourn the sad death of Imre Mathesz Art Quimby, 77, American college basketball player (UConn). Hank Raymonds, 86, American college basketball coach (Marquette), cancer. Roy R. Rubottom Jr., 98, American diplomat. Martin Russ, 79, American author and United States Marine. T. E. Srinivasan, 60, Indian cricketer, brain cancer. Júlio Tavares Rebimbas, 88, Portuguese Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Porto (1982–1997). Ellen Ugland, 57, Norwegian billionaire.
7 Murat Akhedzhak, 48, Russian politician, heart attack. Peter Andry, 83, Australian-born British record producer (Decca Records, EMI Classics), cancer. Muzaffer Atac, 77, Turkish-American physicist. John E. Baldwin, 79, British astronomer. Hendrik Coetzee, 35, South African kayaker and adventurer, crocodile attack. Cardell Camper, 58, American baseball player. Elizabeth Edwards, 61, American author, lawyer and political activist, breast cancer. *Fan Yew Teng, 68, Malaysian politician and human rights activist, cancer. John A. Ferraro, 64, American television actor and director, colon cancer. Samuel Pailthorpe King, 94, American district court judge (District of Hawaii, 1972–1984), injuries from a fall. Art Mahan, 97, American baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies) and college baseball coach (Villanova), heart failure.Former Phillie Art Mahan dies at 97 Gus Mercurio, 82, American-born Australian boxing promoter, international boxing judge and actor. Volha Samusik, 25, Belarusian rock singer, pneumonia. Kari Tapio, 65, Finnish schlager singer, heart attack. Federico Vairo, 80, Argentine footballer and coach, stomach cancer. Armin Weiss, 83, German chemist and politician. Arnold Weiss, 86, German-born American soldier, helped discover Adolf Hitler's will, pneumonia.
8 Poul Andersen, 82, Danish footballer. Murray Armstrong, 94, Canadian ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs) and coach (University of Denver), complications from a stroke. Walter Haeussermann, 96, German-born American rocket scientist, complications from a fall. John James, 76, Australian footballer, Brownlow Medallist, stroke. Trev Thoms, 60, British guitarist (Inner City Unit, Atomgods), pancreatic cancer.
9 Roland B. Anderson, 97, American retired major general, Mayor of Naples, Florida (1978–1982).Former Naples Mayor Major General Roland 'Andy' Anderson dies at 97 John Makepeace Bennett, 89, Australian computer scientist. John du Pont, 72, American billionaire and murderer, natural causes. Chuck Jordan, 83, American automobile designer (General Motors). Alexander Kerst, 86, Austrian actor. James Moody, 85, American jazz saxophonist and flautist ("Moody's Mood for Love"), pancreatic cancer.A jazz giant passes: James Moody, 1925–2010 Martin Rutty, 50, British entrepreneur, helicopter crash. Fausto Sarli, 83, Italian fashion designer. Dov Shilansky, 86, Israeli politician, Speaker of the Knesset (1988–1992). Thorvald Strömberg, 79, Finnish Olympic sprint canoeist.Olympiavoittaja Strömberg kuollut Boris Tishchenko, 71, Russian composer. Ángel Torres, 82, Cuban author and historian.Fallece el destacado historiador cubano Angel Torres
10 Nicolas Astrinidis, 89, Romanian-born Greek composer, pianist, conductor, and educator. Marcel Domingo, 86, French footballer. John Fenn, 93, American chemist and Nobel laureate. J. Michael Hagopian, 97, Ottoman-born American documentary filmmaker.Michael Hagopian George Pickow, 88, American photographer and film-maker. Jacques Swaters, 84, Belgian racing driver.
11 José dos Santos Garcia, 97, Portuguese-born Mozambican Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Porto Amélia (1957–1975). Dick Hoerner, 88, American football player (Los Angeles Rams), stroke. Ronnie McMahon, 68, Irish Olympic equestrian. MacKenzie Miller, 89, American racehorse trainer, owner and breeder, Hall of Famer, complications of a stroke. Urszula Modrzyńska, 82, Polish actress. Roger Nicole, 95, Swiss-born American Evangelical Christian theologian. Peter Risi, 60, Swiss footballer, after long illness. Gene Spangler, 88, American football player (Detroit Lions). Guillermo Squella, 87, Chilean Olympic equestrian.
12 Manuel Caballero, 79, Venezuelan historian, journalist and author, complications following prostate surgery.Murió el historiador venezolano Manuel Caballero Jannie Greeff, 75, South African Olympic weightlifter.Jannie Greeff Lachhiman Gurung, 92, Nepalese-born British soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross. Raymond Kalisz, 83, American-born Papuan Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Wewak (1980–2002). Timothée Malendoma, 75, Central African politician, Prime Minister (1992–1993). Ros Mey, 85, Cambodian-born American Buddhist monk and community leader, survivor of Khmer Rouge regime. Carleton Naiche-Palmer, 63, American tribal leader, President of the Mescalero Apache (2008–2010). Emmanuel Ogoli, 21, Nigerian footballer. B. S. Ranga, 93, Indian film director. Helen Roberts, 98, British singer and actress. William Thompson, 71, British politician, MP for West Tyrone (1997–2001). Tom Walkinshaw, 64, British engineer and racing team owner (Tom Walkinshaw Racing, Arrows), cancer.
13 James Dibble, 87, Australian television news presenter, cancer. Claude Foussier, 85, French Olympic sports shooter. Maynard W. Glitman, 77, American diplomat, negotiator of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, complications from dementia. Rick Griffiths, 62, Australian Aboriginal activist and ATSIC commissioner. Richard Holbrooke, 69, American diplomat, Ambassador to Germany (1993–1994) and United Nations (1999–2001), complications from aortic dissection. Enrique Morente, 67, Spanish flamenco singer. Remmy Ongala, 63, Tanzanian singer. Karen Sortito, 49, American movie marketing executive, cancer. Takeshi Watabe, 74, Japanese voice actor (Cowboy Bebop, Fist of the North Star, Naruto), pneumonia.
14 Florence Armstrong, 82, Irish teacher. Håkon Christie, 88, Norwegian architect. Timothy Davlin, 53, American politician, Mayor of Springfield, Illinois (since 2003), suicide by gunshot.Illinois Mayor Is Found Dead in His Home Robyn Dawes, 74, American psychologist and professor. Adalbert Eledui, 62, Palauan senator and conservationist, after long illness. Ruth Park, 93, New Zealand-born Australian novelist. Neva Patterson, 90, American actress (An Affair to Remember, All the President's Men), complications from a broken hip. Pascal Rakotomavo, 76, Malagasy politician, Prime Minister (1997–1998), cardiovascular attack.Madagascar: Décès de Pascal Rakotomavo sur l'île de La Réunion Dale Roberts, 24, English footballer (Rushden & Diamonds), suicide by hanging.Rushden and Diamonds goalkeeper Dale Roberts dies