Deaths in December 1979

The following is a list of notable deaths in December 1979. 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 1979

1 Eduardo Blanco Amor, 82, Spanish writer and journalist. Bob Bowes, 57, British teacher and actor. Kishansinh Chavda, 75, Indian writer and journalist. Noel Estrada, 61, Puerto Rican composer ("En mi Viejo San Juan"). Geoffrey Faithfull, 86, British cinematographer (Village of the Damned). Max Jacobson, 79, German-American physician. Lajos Maszlay, 76, Hungarian Olympic fencer (1948, 1952). Pierre Meuldermans, 65, Belgian footballer. Muhammad Abdel Moneim, 80, Egyptian royal. Alexander Petrie, 98, South African classicist. Sandra Storme, 64, English actress.CHURSTON Clyde Swendsen, 84, American Olympic diver (1920) and water polo coach. Jack Young, 71, Australian footballer.

2 Frank Cresswell, 71, English footballer. Sam Dailey, 75, American baseball player. Helen Fraser, 98, Scottish-Australian politician and suffragist. Victor Lucas, 72, Australian footballer. Selma Mushkin, 65, American health economist, cancer.Lead Poisoning Expert Selma Mushkin Dušan Petković, 76, Yugoslav footballer. Jan Pijnenburg, 73, Dutch Olympic racing cyclist (1928). John Rae, 75, New Zealand politician, MP (1949–1957, 1960–1972).RAE Joe Schertzl, 56, Canadian ice hockey player. Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy, 72, Soviet composer. John Walton, 91, English cricketer.

3 Nathaniel Oglesby Calloway, 72, American chemist and physician, cancer. Dhyan Chand, 74, Indian Olympic field hockey player (1928, 1932, 1936), three-time gold medalist, liver cancer.Lean spell Ella Kam Oon Chun, 64, American journalist. Sir John Forsdyke, 96, British museum curator, bronchitis. John A. Graham, 68, American politician, member of the Illinois Senate (since 1958). Fred Harrison, 86, Australian footballer. Joseph Kahn, 63, Soviet-American shipping executive.JOSEPH KAHN DEAD; SEATRAIN CHAIRMAN František Kriegel, 71, Czechoslovak politician.Frantisek Kriegel Carl B. Koford, 64, American biologist. Josie Mpama, 76, South African civil rights activist, traffic collision. Alighiero Noschese, 47, Italian actor and entertainer, suicide by gunshot.Italian mimic dies Shanta S. Rao, 56, Indian medical researcher. Cecil E. Rhode, 77, American journalist and wildlife photographer. John S. Richards, 87, American librarian. Hans Rohde, 64, German footballer. Jack Shelley, 74, Australian footballer. Sir Henry Slesser, 96, English politician and barrister, MP (1924–1929). Zhang Guotao, 82, Chinese-Canadian politician, co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party.Chang Kuo‐tao Dies in Toronto

4 Bert Delmas, 68, American baseball player. Pedro Dibut, 87, Cuban baseball player. Petya Dubarova, 17, Bulgarian poet, suicide by drug overdose. Friedrich Ebert Jr., 85, German politician.Friedrich Ebert, Served As Mayor of East Berlin Robert Karnes, 62, American actor, heart failure.Robert Karnes, 62, Once Groomed for Stardom in Films Zoltan Kondorossy, 73, Romanian Olympic wrestler (1936). E. L. Mayo, 75, American poet, heart failure.E.L. Mayo dies at 75 Walther Müller, 74, German-American physicist. Ray Smith, 61, American country musician.

5 Józef Chałasiński, 75, Polish sociologist. John M. Conroy, 58, American aviator and businessman, colon cancer.Aviator Conroy Dies of Cancer Teresa De Simone, 22, English bartender, strangled.Barmaid is found strangled in back seat of car Sonia Delaunay, 94, Russian-born French artist.Sonia Delaunay, Artist, 94, Dies; Influenced 1920's Fabric Designs Maurice Dorléac, 78, French actor. Joseph-Anaclet Habel, 84, Canadian politician, MP (1953–1968). James Hughes, 84–85, British Anglican prelate. Minnie Lichtenstein Marcus, 97, American businesswoman (Neiman Marcus).Minnie Marcus Rosaleen Norton, 62, Australian artist and occultist, colon cancer. Buford Nunley, 67, American baseball player. Jesse Pearson, 49, American actor and screenwriter, cancer. Lesley Selander, 79, American film director. Richard Shrimpton, 69, British Olympic boxer (1936). Henrietta Buckler Seiberling, 91, American anti-alcohol activist (Alcoholics Anonymous).Henrietta Seiberling, 91, One of Founders of A.A. Henry Wagener, 88, American politician, member of the Minnesota Senate (1943–1954).Wagener, Henry

6 Carlos Camacho, 55, Guamanian politician, governor (1969–1975), cancer.Carlos Garcia Camacho, 54, Dies; Guam's Last Appointed Governor Tom Crawford, 69, English cricketer. Thomas Engel, 52, New Zealand rower. Fritz T. Epstein, 80–81, German-American writer. Albert Lewis Fletcher, 83, American Roman Catholic prelate. Casey Robinson, 76, American filmmaker.Casey Robinson, film writer, dies in Sydney Lancelot Spicer, 86, British politician. Mal Stevens, 79, American football player and coach.Dr. Mal Stevens, Football Coach At Yale and N.Y.U., Dead at 79 Douglas Strawbridge, 71, New Zealand politician.

7 Mari Andriessen, 82, Dutch sculptor.Mari Andriessen, Dutch Sculptor Who Designed War Monuments Nicolas Born, 41, German writer, cancer. Eddie Gottlieb, 81, American basketball coach and executive.EDDIE GOTTLIEB DIES; A PIONEER OF N.B.A Walter A. Haas, 90, American businessman.Walter Haas Sr., 90; Ex‐Chairman Joined Levi Strauss in 1919 Yoko Matsuoka, 63, Japanese writer and activist, lung cancer. Johnny McCreedy, 62, Canadian ice hockey player, cancer. Irving D. Neustein, 78, American politician and lawyer.Irving Neustein, 78, Dies Lawyer And Ex‐Tammany District Leader Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, 79, British-born American astronomer.Dr. Cecelia Payne‐Gaposhkin, 79 Brajeshwar Prasad, 68, Indian politician, MP (1952–1967). Shahriar Shafiq, 34, Egyptian-Iranian naval officer, shot.Nephew of the Shah Is Slain in Paris Leopold Siemens, 90, German naval admiral. Leonard Stick, 87, Canadian politician, MP (1949–1958). Cavit Orhan Tütengil, 57–58, Turkish sociologist and writer, shot. Augusto César Vatteone, 75, Argentine filmmaker. Earl Warweg, 87, American football player and architect.Earl O. Warweg Paul B. Wishart, 81, American businessman.Paul B. Wishart Is Dead at 81 Former Honeywell inc. Chairman

8 Federico Bucher, 68, Chilean politician. Tom Ferguson, 87, American football player. Ruth Chrisman Gannett, 82, American illustrator (My Father's Dragon). Robert Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury, 82, British politician, MP (1931–1964). Nikolai Gritsenko, 67, Soviet actor. Peirson Mitchell Hall, 85, American judge. Charles Kohler, 79, Swiss-born Romanian footballer. Jaan Pakk, 78, Estonian conductor. Hetty Perkins, c. 84, Australian Arrernte leader. Jennifer Rankin, 38, Australian poet and playwright, cancer.Jennifer Rankin, poet Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts, 62, English naval officer. Frances Taylor, 70, American lyricist and media critic. Hartley Teakle, 78, Australian conservationist, brain cancer.Obituary: Laurence John Hartley Teakle 1901-1979 Hilda Wallis, 79, Irish Olympic tennis player (1924). Del Young, 67, American baseball player.

9 Alexander Louis Arch, 85, Hungarian-born American soldier. Rue "Willie" Corré, 84, British vaudeville comedian (Willie, West and McGinty). Gerti Deutsch, 70, Austrian-born British photographer. Tommy Jackson, 53, American fiddler. Hjalmar Peter Johansen, 87, Danish Olympic gymnast (1912). Larry McCoy, 37, American racing driver, suicide. Sir Ernest Dunstan Morgan, 83, Sierra Leonean philanthropist. Otto Müller, 81, German painter. James Neilson, 70, American television director. Franco Orgera, 71, Italian Olympic pentathlete (1936). Freeman Harrison Owens, 89, American filmmaker and photographer. Fulton J. Sheen, 84, American Roman Catholic prelate, heart disease.Archbishop Sheen Dead At 84 Christer Sjösten, 31, Swedish racing cyclist, injuries sustained in a racing crash.Speedway rider dies Jack Solomons, 78, British boxing promoter.Jack will be missed-he had CLASS Jean Hamilton Walls, 94, American educator.

10 Niels Blach, 86, Danish Olympic field hockey player (1920). Sir Duncan Cumming, 76, British colonial administrator.Sir Duncan Cumming, KBE, CB 1903-1979 Ann Dvorak, 68, American actress, cancer.ANN DVORAK DIES; SCREEN ACTRESS, 67 Robert Elderfield, 75, American chemist.ELDERFIELD Sir Jack Keith Murray, 90, Australian colonial administrator.Sir Keith Murray dies, aged 90 Margarete Nischwitz, 88, German politician. Gene Smith, 74, American football player. Margaret McClure Stitt, 93, American composer and playwright. Mogens Truelsen, 78, Danish Olympic sprinter (1924). Louis Round Wilson, 102, American librarian.Louis Wilson Dead At 102

11 José Caracci Vignatti, 92, Italian-born Chilean painter. Claire Carleton, 66, American actress, cancer.CLAIRE CARLETON William Delday, 66, Canadian politician. Fayette S. Dunn, 76, American businessman.Fayette Dunn, 76, Dies; Otis Elevator's Ex‐Head James J. Gibson, 75, American psychologist.James Gibson, a Cornell Professor Lucjan Kintopf, 81, Polish painter. Bill Lyte, 81, Australian footballer. E. A. Mitchell, 69, American businessman and politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1947–1949). Jack Palmer, 76, Australian cricketer. Carlo Schmid, 83, German politician.CARLO SCHMID Otto Schury, 76, German general. Nicolae Simatoc, 59, Romanian football player and manager, heart attack. Arnold E. True, 78, American naval admiral.Retired Rear Adm. Arnold True Dies, Highly Decorated

12 Nick Dumovich, 77, American baseball player. Hilo Hattie, 78, American singer, dancer and actress, cancer.Hula dancer 'Hilo Hattie' dies in Hawaii at age of 78 James Lewicki, 61, American artist and illustrator. Charlotte Radcliffe, 76, English Olympic swimmer (1920). Goronwy Rees, 70, Welsh journalist, cancer.Author who exposed Blunt as spy says new edition introduces 'M' Bhoj Raj Seth, 72, Indian engineer and academic administrator. Alan Shipman, 78, English cricketer. Maximilian Ujtelky, 64, Slovak chess player. Babubhai P. Vaidya, 70, Indian politician and journalist. Leonard Johnston Wills, 95, British geologist.

13 Florence Hochschild Austrian, 90, American artist. Alfred Bengsch, 58, German Roman Catholic cardinal, lung cancer.Alfred Cardinal Bengsch, at 58 Archbishop of Berlin Since 1962 Walter Bosse, 75, Austrian artist and ceramicist. Anne Conlon, 40, Australian feminist and labor activist.Mrs Anne Conlon, an expert on employment Edgar Garbisch, 80, American football player and art collector, stroke.Daughter of Chrysler's Founder And Her Spouse Die in Maryland Jon Hall, 64, American actor (The Hurricane, The Invisible Man's Revenge, Ramar of the Jungle), suicide by gunshot.Jon Hall, Movie Actor, 66, Dead Star in ‘Hurricane’and ‘Sudan’ Bill Johnstone, 79, Australian footballer. Behçet Necatigil, 63, Turkish poet. Jacques Palzer, 79, Luxembourgish Olympic gymnast (1924). Džems Raudziņš, 69, Latvian basketball player. Edward Stewart, 78, New Zealand rugby player. Manoel de Castro Villas Bôas, 72, Brazilian journalist.

14 Luis Aguilera Báez, 60, Chilean politician. Emil Belluš, 80, Slovak architect. Milton H. Bren, 75, American film producer, brain cancer. Nirode Chowdhury, 56, Indian cricketer. Peter Donlon, 72, American Olympic rower (1928).County Pioneer P.D. Donlon Dies Sturt de Burgh Griffith, 74, Australian engineer and journalist. Václav Havel, 59, Czechoslovak Olympic canoeist (1948). Ken Leishman, 48, Canadian robber, plane crash.Some refuse to believe legendary bush pilot is really dead Charles McBurney, 65, British-American archaeologist. Otto Monsen, 92, Norwegian Olympic track and field athlete (1908, 1912). Willie Nixon, 63, American baseball player. Eberhard Rodt, 84, German general. Ben Rothwell, 77, American Olympic boxer (1924). Vinnie Smith, 64, American baseball player and umpire.VINNIE SMITH Andrew Thorndike, 70, German filmmaker. Gerard van Leur, 62, Dutch footballer.

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