The Top 160 Obituaries of 2022

 

 It's that time of year again, folks.

I've been doing these nostalgic lists of deadun's for far too long now and they're also getting ridiculously long. I used to publish my Top 20, but people kept saying "why'd you put him in?" and "why'd you leave her out?", so eventually it became my Top 100, as I threw the editor's pencil aside on the basis of who can you omit from of this eclectic, idiosyncratic bunch of clock punchers? Last year, things became fully out of control as I pushed the boat right out with 201 entries for 2021 (it was a peak plague year, after all). This year it's more modest, with 160 shuffling off this mortal coil (including three animals). It always been my tribute to those who have permanently left the departure lounge, with the only criteria being that they may or may not have been famous, may or may not have led interesting lives in interesting times, or the manner and cause of death may or may not have been somewhat unusual. So that accounts for a wide range of those who have left us for destinations unknown. Having personally come face-to-face with the Sausage Creature more than once - and still staring the bastard down - I just hope my own name is not the last entry on any list any time soon.  There's nine politicians on this year's list, a couple of despots met their match, along with some unelected royalty.

So, sit back and relax with a cheeky glass of Chablis and a slow read of...

CRAZY CRAVES OBITUARIES 2022

† January †

Richard Leakey, 77, January 2, Nairobi. Kenyan paleontologist and conservationist. While fossil fossicking, unearthed near-complete Homo erectus skeleton (1975), proving his parents theory humans originated in and spread from Africa. Television personality and controversial Kenyan Govt. official issuing 'shoot to kill' orders for ivory poachers. Both legs amputated after he crashed a small plane (1993). Chronic illnesses.

Craig Ruddy, 53, January 4, Lismore, New South Wales. Australian artist. Controversial winner of 2004 Archibald Prize with charcoal portrait of actor David Gulpilil. Supreme Court challenge by rival artist to the award on grounds it was a drawing, not a painting, dismissed. Three time Archibald finalist, also a "People's Choice" winner. Suffered a rare chronic lung disease since the age of seven. Complications of Coronavirus Covid19.

Peter Bogdanovitch, 82, January 6, Los Angeles, California. American film director, writer, producer. Directed 1970's Hollywood blockbusters including The Last Picture Show (1971), dogged by critical and commercial failures in the 1980's. Twice nominated for an Oscar for Best Director, but never won. Published ten books and two documentaries on film history. Complications of Parkinson's disease.

Sidney Poitier KBE, 94, January 6, Los Angeles, California. Bahamian born American film actor and diplomat. First came to prominence being nominated for best actor Oscar for the The Defiant Ones (1958). Acting career peaked with three 1967 box office hits To Sir, With Love, Guess Who's Coming For Dinner, and In The Heat of The Night. Bahama's ambassador to Japan and then UNESCO (1997-2007). British knighthood (1974), Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009), Honourary Academy Award (2002). Complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Bob Shearer, 73, January 9, Melbourne. Australian professional golfer. Famously beat Jack Nicklaus to win the 1982 Australian Open, but never won on the European or US PGA Tours, where he played for 14 years, before turning his hand at golf course design. Played socially three times a week until the day he died. Cardiac arrest.

Ronnie Spector, 78, January 12, Danbury, Connecticut. American musician. Lead singer in the all-girl group The Ronettes (1957-67), founded with her sister and cousin. Group headlined shows supported by the Rolling Stones on a UK tour, and were the support act for the Beatles on a US tour. Top ten hits Be My Baby and Baby I Love You became influential early rock-n-roll standards. Married and divorced (1968-72) music producer Phil Spector who died in jail last year aged 81. Short cancer related illness.

Magawa, 8, January 15, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Giant African Pouched Rat. Trained unexploded ordnance detector rodent. Detected more than 100 land mines and other UXB's over career, after being imported from a training centre in Tanzania. Capable of covering an area the size of a tennis court in half an hour, which would take a day by conventional mine clearance methods. Retired from active duty six months before death. Awarded Britain's veterinary gold medal for animal bravery. Old age.

Charles McGee, 102, January 16, Bethesda, Maryland. The last surviving member of the US Air Force all African-American fighter pilot squadron known as the Tuskagee Airmen. Flew 409 combat missions during the Second World War, Korean and Vietnam wars in a 30 year military career. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery (three times) and the rarely awarded Congressional Gold Medal. Extreme old age.

Dean Jaensch AO, 85, January 17, Adelaide. Australian academic, author, psephologist. Political science professor at Adelaide's Flinders University (1971-2001), wrote 14 books on electoral politics, parties and federalism. Specialist on South Australian and Northern Territory politics, and a frequent radio and TV commentator on elections. Advocate of non-compulsory voting. Chronic illnesses.

René Robert, 85, January 18, Paris. Swiss born French photographer, well known for his portraits of Spanish flamenco stars over many decades. Fell on a Paris footpath and unable to get up, ignored by passers-by and left unattended for nine hours until a homeless person called an ambulance. Later died in hospital. Hypothermia.

Michael Aday aka Meat Loaf, 74, January 21, Nashville, Tennessee. American singer/songwriter, actor and entertainer. First came to prominence with 1972 hard rock album Bat out of Hell, which together with two subsequent records sold more than 65 million copies worldwide, despite limited chart success in the US. Appeared in more than 50 movies and TV shows, and in Broadway versions of Hair! and Rocky Horror Show. Complications of coronavirus Covid19.

Bruce Galea, 84, January 22, Gold Coast, Queensland. Australian career criminal and "colourful Sydney identity". Operated three illegal Sydney casino's and was one of the city's biggest SP bookmakers in the 1970's and 80's. Famously bribed corrupt NSW Police Commissioner, Bill Allen, for police protection. Jailed for two years in 1995 for contempt, after refusing to give evidence at the Police Corruption Royal Commission. Chronic illness.

Thích Nhất Hạnh , 95, January 22, Huế, Vietnam. Vietnamese Buddhist monk. Rose to prominence as a peace campaigner during the Vietnam war, but was exiled for more than 40 years, living in France and the US where he established a world-wide following, before returning to Vietnam in his final years. Survived a stroke in 2016 leaving him unable to speak. Bought the popular psychological concept of "mindfulness" to the West. Old age.

Jean-Jacques Savin, 75, January 22, near the Azores, Portugal. French adventurer. Drowned while attempting to row across the Atlantic Ocean to "laugh at old age". Body found in his upturned boat, after being forced to make a long detour due to poor weather during 22 days at sea. Accident.

Thierry Mugler, 73, January 23, Paris. Flamboyant French fashion designer. Dresser of the stars over 30 years, mainly musical acts from Grace Jones to Cardi B. Marketed hugely successful perfume, Angel. Aficionado of leather and extreme cosmetic surgery. Cardiac arrest.

Sally Kellerman, 84, February 24, Los Angeles, California. American actor and singer. Oscar and Emmy nominated, best known for her role as Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in director Robert Altman’s 1970 film MASH. Hollywood bit part actor and sought after voice-over artist for almost 60 years. Complications of dementia and congestive heart disease.

Chelsea Kryst, 30, January 30, New York City. American lawyer, TV personality and beauty pageant queen. Won 2019 Miss USA competition while working as a civil litigation lawyer. Joined television entertainment news show Extra, gaining two Emmy award nominations. Leapt to her death from her high-rise Manhattan apartment. Suicide.

† February †

Glenn Wheatley, 74, February 1, Melbourne. Australian rock musician, promoter and producer. Original member and bass player with iconic rock'n'roll band Masters Apprentices (1968-72). Went on to become a music mogul, managing the Little River Band in the US, revived Johnny Farnham's career, and later promoted Delta Goodrem. Founded Australia's first FM radio station EON-FM in Melbourne (1985). Did 16 months jail time for tax evasion (2007-08). Complications of Coronavirus Covid19.

Luc Montagnier, 89, February 8, Paris. French virology scientist and Nobel laureate. Jointly awarded Nobel Prize (2008) as the co-discoverer of HIV, the retrovirus causing AIDS (1983). Instigated long running dispute over who discovered the virus and patent rights. Later veered into pseudo-science, claiming DNA emitted electromagnetic radiation and autism could be treated with antibiotics. Opposed Covid19 vaccines as useless. Short illness

Johnny Raper MBE, 82, February 9, Sydney. Australian rugby league legend. Regarded among the best lock forwards of all time, played 39 games for Australia, 24 for NSW, and 185 for St George, including eight consecutive Grand Final victories (1959-1966). Played last five years of career in Newcastle, including Wests 1970 Grand Final win. Among the first larrakin "celebrity" footballers, plugged his own endorsements and became a colourful media pundit in retirement. Among first "Immortal" inductees Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame (1985). Complications of dementia.

Olsen Filipana, 64, February 10, Sydney. New Zealand born Australian rugby league footballer. 77 games for the Balmain Tigers (1980-84), before short stints at Easts and North Sydney. Known as the "Galloping Garbo"; kept his day job as a garbage truck man throughout and after his playing days. Played 28 test matches for New Zealand with distinction. Retired after captaining Western Samoa in a single test match. Sepsis resulting from stomach infection.

P.J.O'Rourke, 74, February 15, Sharon, New Hampshire. American conservative satirist and political commentator. Prolific author in the "gonzo journalism" style, but with a right-wing bent. Published more than 20 best sellers, wrote columns for five magazines and a regular on conservative talk TV shows. Best known book “Parliament of Whores - A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government”.  Lung cancer.

Jan Pieńkowski, 85, February 19, London. Polish-born British artist. Children's book illustrator and theatre set designer. Best known for his 24 book Meg and Mog series and for perfecting early childhood pop-up books. Designed sets for the Royal Ballet and other London theatre companies. Complications of dementia.

Gary Brooker MBE, 76, Feburary 19, Farnham, Surrey. English singer/songwriter and philanthropist. Lead singer of prog rock band Procul Harem (1967-79), best known for mega hit single 'Whiter Shade of Pale' (1967). Cancer related illness.

Neil Balnaves AO, 77, February 21, near Papeete, French Polynesia. Australian television executive and philanthropist. Founded production house Southern Star Television, which produced many top rating TV shows, notably Bananas in Pyjamas and Big Brother. Gave away at least $20M to the arts and medical charities, after being critically injured in a boating accident in 2002. Drowned after being thrown off a super-yacht in rough seas. Accident.

John Landy AC CVO MBE, 91, February 24, Castlemaine, Victoria. Celebrated Australian athlete. Second man to run a sub 4 minute mile (1954), with a world record time of 3:57.9 which stood for three years. Famously beaten into second place by Britain's Roger Bannister in "The Miracle Mile" at 1954 Commonwealth Games, both men running under four minutes. Competed at the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games, winning bronze in Melbourne. Appointed Governor of Victoria (2001-06). Complications of Parkinson's Disease.

Sonny Ramadhin, 92, February 27, Manchester, England. West Indian test cricketer (1950-1960). First player of Indian decent to play for West Indies. Appeared in 43 Tests, taking 158 wickets. A stylish off-spin bowler who played a prominent role in the West Indies upset 3-1 win over England in England (1950), with long time spin partner Alf Valentine. Old age.

Andrey Sukhovetsk, 47, February 28, near Mariupol, Ukraine. Russian Army major-general. Deputy Commander of the 41st Russian Combined Army. Decorated for his role in the Russian invasion of Crimea (2014) and Russian operations in Syria. Shot by a Ukrainian sniper while near the front line during the opening stages of the battle for Mariupol in the Russo-Ukraine war, and the first Russian general to die in the conflict. Killed in battle.

† March †

Rod Marsh MBE, 74, March 4, Adelaide. Legendary Australian test cricketer. Australian wicket keeper (1970-84), playing 96 Test matches taking 343 catches, at the height of the golden age of fast bowling. The dismissal c.Marsh b.Lillee appears a record 95 times in the test cricket record books. One of the first players to sign for the rebel World Series Cricket (1977-79), before returning to the national team. Inaugural director the Australian Cricket Academy (1990-2001). Authored the Australian team song still in use today after victory. Cardiac arrest.

Shane Warne, 52, March 4, Koh Samui, Thailand. Legendary Australian test cricketer, widely regarded as the best leg spin bowler of all time. In an exceptionally long career, played 145 test matches for Australia (1992-2007) taking a then record 708 wickets. Banned from the game for 12 months after using a banned diuretic (2003). Well known larrakin and pantsman, once engaged to British actress Liz Hurley. Died suddenly while on holiday. Honoured with a State Funeral at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a grandstand there named after him. Cardiac arrest.

David Bennett, 57, March 10, Baltimore, Maryland. American human guinea pig. Facing certain death from heart disease, elected to have radical experimental surgery to implant a genetically modified pig's heart and survived a further two months. Beat previous record held by Baby Fae's baboon heart, set at 21 days in 1984. Surgeons are encouraged and will publish paper. Complications of heart disease and transplant surgery.

Kimberly Kitching, 52, March 10, Melbourne. Australian lawyer, unionist, and ALP Senator for Victoria. Appointed to fill a Senate vacancy (2016) and then elected to three year term (2019). Was unlikely to retain winnable pre-selection for 2022 Federal election due to factional politics within the ALP. Collapsed and died suddenly while walking near her home. Cardiac arrest.

Bobby Nelson, 91, March 10, Austin, Texas. American country musician. Singer and pianist, the sister of renowned county music star Willie Nelson. Played piano on three of Willie's albums and toured widely with him in his band The Family. Played her last show in October 2021. Old age.

William Hurt, 71, March 13, Portland, Oregon. American film actor. Nominated four times for Best Actor Academy Award, winning for Kiss of the Spiderwoman (1985). Appeared in five Marvel superhero movies in later career, also a prominent stage actor off-Broadway. Prostate cancer.

Stephen Wilhite, 74, March 14, Gilford, Ohio. American computing engineer, best known for inventing the now-ubiquitous Graphic Interchange Format (.gif) in 1987. Complications of coronavirus Covid19.

Don Young, 88, March 18, near Seattle, Washington. Colourful American politician. The longest serving Republican congressman in US history, first elected as the Alaskan member of the House of Representatives in 1973, and subsequently re-elected 25 times. Ran on a campaign slogan "Give the bureaucrats hell, and bring the pork home". Cultivated an image of the rugged Alaskan frontiersman. Suffered cardiac arrest on a flight from Los Angeles to Anchorage. Died in office.

Madeleine Albright, 84, March 23, Washington DC. Czech-born American diplomat and politician. PhD in political science, US Ambassador to the United Nations (1993-97) before being appointed the first female US Secretary-of-State (1997-2001) under the Clinton administration. Spent the rest of her career in academia. Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012). Cancer related illness.

Taylor Hawkins, 50, March 25, Bogotá. American musician. Best known as the drummer with wildly popular rock band Foo Fighters, recording eight studio albums (1991-2021). Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2021). Suffered a heroin overdose in 2001, spending two weeks in a coma. Died in a hotel room while on tour. Accidental drug overdose.

Ernie Carroll, 92, March 30, Geelong, Victoria. Australian puppeteer, comedian, writer. Best known for creating and voicing the puppet Ossie Ostrich for 23 years, mainly on the long running TV comedy show Hey Hey It's Saturday. Old age.

† April †

Ken West, 64, April 7, Sydney. Flamboyant Australian music promoter. After 1980's success as a concert promoter, founded Australia's first large scale music festival, Big Day Out, in 1992 featuring 21 bands famously including Nirvana at the peak of their career. Festival soon branched out to be staged in five Australian cities for the next 22 years. Cardiac arrest.

George Bailey, 65, April 9, Amsterdam. Australian singer/songwriter. Co-founder of seminal proto-punk band, The Saints. Released 14 albums with the band and seven solo albums. Major influence on the Australian and international punk scene. Moved to Sweden in 1994, then lived in Amsterdam from 2005. Cancer related illness.

Jack Newton OAM, 72, April 15, Newcastle, New South Wales. Australian professional golfer. A fixture on the Australian, US and European Tours in the 1970's, finishing as runner up in two Major Tournaments. Suffered a near fatal accident (1983) when he walked into spinning aircraft propeller at Sydney Airport losing his right arm and eye. Went on to become a TV golf commentator and golf course designer. Alzheimer's disease.

Jon A.Reynolds, 84, April 16, Bethesda, Maryland. American air force fighter pilot. Aircraft shot down near Hanoi during the Vietnam war in 1965, and held as a POW until 1973. Resumed his military career on release, retiring in 1990 as a Brigadier-General. Lung cancer.

Kane Tanaka, 119, April 19, Fukuoka, Japan. Japanese supercenterian. Oldest person in the world at death, and second certified oldest person to have ever lived, after Jeanne Calmen, who lived to 122. Spent her entire working life in the same udon noodle shop. Twice survived cancer. Husband died at 90 after 71 years of marriage. Five children. Credited longevity to fizzy drinks, good food and sleep, and solving arithmetic puzzles. Extreme old age.

Wynne Bruce, 50, April 23,  Washington DC. American Buddhist climate activist. Set himself on fire outside the US Supreme Court building to co-incide with Earth Day. Left a brief note saying "my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves". Self immolation.

Klaus Schulze, 74, April 26, Berlin. German electronic music pioneer, best known for his work with 'Krautrock' band Tangerine Dream (1967), before going solo and releasing more than 60 albums over six decades. Long illness.

Naomi Judd, 76, April 30, Leiper's Fork, Tennessee. American country music singer and actress. Joined with her daughter Wynonna to form successful country music duo, The Judds (1983-91), winning five Grammy Awards. Died the day before she was due to be inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame. Died by self-inflicted gunshot. Suicide.

† May †

Rachelle Zylberberg aka Régine, 92, May 1, Paris. French entrepreneur. Established the world's first discothèque (1957) in Paris, by replacing a jukebox with two turntables she operated herself. By the 1970's, had a chain of 22 Chez Régine nightclubs across Europe, the Middle East and America catering to the rich and famous. Clubs rapidly closed in the 1980's as the "Beautiful People" moved on to trendier establishments. Old age.

Bob Barnard AM, 88, May 7, Sydney. Australian jazz musician. Noted trumpet and cornet player, working with various jazz bands (1950-2010), becoming a household name during the 1980's through regular TV appearances and best selling albums. Prostate cancer.   

Dennis Waterman, 74, May 8, Madrid. British actor and singer in all genres of stage, film and television in a 60 year career. Appeared in 29 British feature films, but best known for tough-guy leading roles in TV series The Sweeney and Minder. Lung cancer.

Jethro Cave, 31, May 10, Melbourne. Australian fashion model, actor and rapper. Son of Australian singer/songwriter, Nick Cave, and brother of Arthur Cave who died after jumping off a cliff while on acid at age 15. Suffered schizophrenia and addiction problems. Died a day after being released from prison on bail for assaulting his mother. Suicide.

Mr Gurruwiwi, c.83-86, May 11, Birritjimi, Northern Territory. Indigenous musician and artist. Elder of the Galpu clan of north-east Arnhem Land. World renowned carver and player of the didgeridoo (yidaki). Better known outside Australia after touring the world extensively, becoming a celebrity in Japan and Germany. Complications of multiple chronic diseases.

Shereen Abu Aqleh, 51, May 11, Jenin, West Bank, Palestine. Palestinian-American Christian journalist. Award wining reporter with the Al Jazeera TV news network for 25 years. Famous across the Middle East for her reporting from Israeli occupied Palestinian territories. Conflicting reports and controversy surround her death but appears to have been caught in crossfire during a gun battle between Palestinian militants and Israeli troops. Shot dead.

Robert McFarlane, 84, May 12, Lansing, Michigan. US Marines officer and public servant. National Security Advisor to US president Ronald Reagan (1983-85). Central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal, convicted of lying to Congress, but later pardoned by US President George H.W.Bush. Lung cancer.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, 71, May 13, Abu Dhabi. President of the United Arab Emirates and Prince of Abu Dhabi. Came to power in 2004, and one of the longest serving rulers in the Middle East. Permanently disabled by a stroke in 2014. Estimated net worth at death $US15B. Died in office, succeeded by brother Mohamed. Complications of stroke.

Andrew Symonds, 46, May 14, near Townsville, Queensland. Australian test cricketer. Nicknamed "Roy", a flamboyant all-rounder well known for off-field indiscretions. Appeared in 26 Test matches, 198 one-day internationals, and 227 First Class matches. Middle order bat, medium pace bowler and outstanding fielder. Played in the 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cups, in a 15 year career. Killed in a single car roll over. Accident.

Evángelos Papathanassíou aka Vangelis, 79, May 17, Paris. Prolific Greek musician, composer and arranger in 50 year career. Best known for Academy Award winning score for the film Chariots of Fire. Scored six other Hollywood movies, and played on more than 50 albums, with several them selling multi-million copies. Complications of heart disease and coronavirus Covid19.

Roger Angell, 101, May 20, New York City. American essayist, editor and sports writer known as the "Poet Laureate of Baseball". As well as his baseball writings, the long time fiction editor at the New Yorker magazine. Heart disease and extreme old age.

Caroline Jones AO, 84, May 20, Sydney. Australian journalist and broadcaster over a 53 year career at the ABC. First female reporter on This Day Tonight, before a nine year career at Four Corners (1972-81). Later transferred to radio presenting, and took up Catholicism in later life. Complications of a fall.

Billy Young, 96, May 20, Hobart. Australian WWII veteran. Last of only six survivors of the Sandakan Death Marches (Jan-June 1945), after being captured by the Japanese and made a POW in February 1942 at Singapore at age 16. Lived a quiet post war life in Tasmania where his past was little known. Complications of coronavirus Covid19. 

Andy Fletcher, 60, May 26, Brighton, East Sussex. English musician. Keyboard player and foundation member of electro-pop band Depeche Mode. Long history of mental illness. Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2020). Sudden catastrophic aortic dissection.

Ray Liotta, 67, May 26, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  American film actor best known for playing mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990), and had been in constant work as a bit part actor ever since despite never winning any major film awards. Died while on a movie set. Cardiac arrest.

Alan White, 72, May 26, Newcastle, Washington. British musician. Best known as the drummer with prog-rock band Yes (1972-81). Also worked as a session musician on more than 50 albums. Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2017). Brief illness.

Lester Piggot, 86, May 29, Geneva, Switzerland. Champion English jockey rated as one of the best riders ever, winning a record nine Epsom Derby's. Won the Triple Crown aboard the famous Najinksy. Did a year in jail after being convicted of tax fraud (1987) and stripped of OBE awarded in 1975. Heart disease.

Jim Parks, 90, May 31, Worthing, West Sussex. English cricketer. Oldest surviving England test cricketer at time of death. First choice wicketkeeper for England in the mid-1960's, played 46 tests in 14 year career. Complications of a fall.

† June †

Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE QC, 94, June 1, Sydney. Australian lawyer and jurist. 10th Chief Justice of the High Court, after distinguished legal career. Best known for writing the lead judgement in Mabo v Queensland (1992), which gave rise to the Native Title Act. Old age.

Sophie Freud, 97, June 3, Lincoln, Massachusetts. Austrian-born American psychologist and author. Great grand daughter of Sigmund Freud. Rejected the elder Freud's theories and psychoanalytic methods. Described Sigmund as a "false prophet", and wrote two memoirs alleging his damaging influence on her family.  Pancreatic cancer.

Dom Phillips, 57, June 5, Vale do Javari, Brazil. English journalist. Resident of Brazil since 2007. Along with his guide and expert on remote Brazilian tribes, Bruno Pereira, shot dead while in one of the remotest parts of the country  researching a book on deforestation and sustainable agriculture. Murdered.

Julee Cruise, 65, June 9, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. American singer, songwriter actress. Best known for her collaboration with film maker David Lynch on soundtrack to his Twin Peaks, TV series and films. Released four albums, touring member of the B52's, and also appeared in off Broadway musicals. Suicide after suffering from systemic lupus for four years.

Bruce Kent, 92, June 8, London. Catholic priest and prominent anti-nuclear campaigner. Ordained priest (1958-87). Secretary-General Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (1980-85). Emeritus President of the Movement for the Abolition of War at time of death. Old age.

Dame Paula Rego DBE, 87, June 8, London. Portuguese-born British artist. Career began in abstract, later went to figurative, and became best known for her startling pastels of family life and Portuguese folk tales. Highest price paid for a Rego $US1.78M. Short illness.

Philip Baker Hall, 90, June 12, Glendale, California. American character actor. One of the most prolific bit-art actors in Hollywood and on television. Appeared in 79 Hollywood movies in a career spanning 38 years. Complications of emphysema.

Paula Stafford OAM, 102, June 23, Gold Coast, Queensland. Australian fashionista. Designer of the original Australian "bikini" (1952). Going from one machinist, went onto to create swimwear and beach fashion empire with bold colours and designs in the 60's & 70's. Extreme old age.

Frank Moorhouse AM, 83 June 26, Sydney. Australian author, novelist, essayist, short story writer, journalist, raconteur and bon vivant. Best know for his "Edith Trilogy" of novels, the second of which won the Miles Franklin Award (2000). Wrote in the experimental  'discontinuous narrative' style. Major protagonist in the development of Australian copyright laws. Part of the so called "Sydney Push" of bohemians in the 1960s & 70's. Short illness.

Sonny Barger, 83, June 29, Oakland, California. American criminal. Founded second Hell's Angels motorcycle club (1957) in LA ten years after the first. Went on to become national president. Extensive rap sheet from assault to racketeering. Influence waned in the late 70's after doing jail time for drug trafficking. Had vocal chords removed due to throat cancer (1982), and became speechless. Liver cancer.

Neil Kerley AM, 88, June 29, near Walkers Flat, South Australia. Legendary South Australian football player/coach/pundit. 265 games for three clubs in SANFL. Highly successful coach in 628 games; only coach to win premierships in three decades (1960's, 70's, 80's). 32 appearances for South Australia, seven as captain, in the heyday of representative football.  Inducted Australian Football Hall of Fame (1998). Killed in a single car crash into a paddock while towing a trailer. Accident.

† July †

Technoblade, 23, c.July 1, San Francisco, California. American YouTuber and master of the video game Minecraft. With 14 million subscribers, known for his relentless enthusiasm and optimism. Complications of soft-tissue sarcoma.

Peter Brook CH CBE, 97, July 2, Paris. English theatre director. Resident director Royal Shakespeare Company (1962-1971). Directed film version Lord of the Flies (1963). Production of Marat/Sade a smash hit on Broadway (1964). Moved to Paris permanently in 1972, based at the Théâtre des Bouffes until his death after 80 years in the theatre. Regarded among the best British stage directors post WWII. Old age.

Jane Garrett, 49, July 2, Melbourne. Australian politician. ALP member of the Victorian parliament (2010-22), two years as a minister in the Andrews Labor Govt., but resigned in a factional dispute and transferred to the upper house at the next election. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and successfully treated before its return four years later. Died in office. Complications of breast cancer.

Shinzo Abe, 67, July 8, Nara, Japan. Japanese politician and longest serving Prime Minister of Japan over four terms (2006-07 and 2012-2020), known as the "Shadow Shogun". Hard-right nationalist, courted controversy throughout his career. Chief proponent of conservative Abenomics, regularly visited shrine entombing Japanese war criminals, supported establishing regular standing army, opposed immigration, on good terms with DJ Trump. Twice resigned due to chronic bowel disease. Shot while speaking at a political street rally by an assassin who mistakenly believed Abe had introduced the "Moonies" religious sect to Japan. Assassinated.

Luis Echeverria, 100, July 8, Cuernavaca, Mexico. Mexican politician and President of Mexico (1970-76). Autocratic ruler; presidency tainted by role in ordering the "Tlatelolco Massacre" by riot police of dozens of peaceful student protesters days before the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Charged, but never tried. Mexican ambassador to Australia (1978-79). Extreme old age

Larry Storch, 99, July 8, New York City. American comedian, actor, entertainer. Best known for starring role in short lived TV Comedy F Troop (1965-7). Started as a stand up comic in the 1930's, appeared in 25 Hollywood films, on Broadway, master impressionist and mainstay of the 'voice over man' business. Old age

Colin Stubs, 81, 13 July,  Melbourne. Australian tennis professional, promoter and pharmacist. Best known as tournament director the Australian Open (1978-94), successfully moving the tournament from grass courts at Kooyong to hard courts at Melbourne Park (1988). Pancreatic cancer.

Ivana Trump, 73, July 14, New York City. Czech-born American businesswoman, socialite and first wife of former US President Donald Trump (1977-92); instrumental in the creation of Trump Tower in NYC. Referred to her former husband as "The Donald". Complications of a fall.

Claes Oldenburg, 93, July 18, New York City. Swedish-born American pop artist and sculptor. Famous for his public art installations featuring huge interpretations of everyday objects, often in collaboration with his wife Coosje van Bruggen. Complications of a fall.

Maria Petri, 82, July 22, London. English football super fan and teacher. Attended all Arsenal homes since 1950 until her death, developing a unique style of barracking. Also attended Arsenal women's games from their inception in 1987. 72 years rusted on to one club since the age of ten. Of Greek-Cypriot heritage and fluent in six languages, worked as a high school language teacher in London. Brief illness. 

Billy Picken, 66, July 23, Melbourne. Australian rules footballer. Played 212 games for Collingwood and last two seasons of career for Sydney. Played in four losing Grand Finals (1979, 80, 81), and the famous 1977 draw, but beaten in the replay. Named in Collingwood's Team of the Century. Two sons, Liam and Marcus, both played AFL. Chronic illness.

Laurie Sawle AM, 96, July 26, Perth. Australian cricketer, administrator, and teacher. Played 35 first class games for Western Australia as a dour opening batsman. Australian Chairman of Selectors (1984-1995), credited with launching the careers of all time great Shane Warne, the Waugh twins and captain Mark Taylor. Manager of the successful 1989 Ashes campaign in England. Remained in his day job as a high school teacher. Old age.

James Lovelock CH CBE, 103, July 26, Abbotsbury, Dorset. Maverick British ecologist and climate change prophet. Proponent of the "Gaia hypothesis" of earth as an interdependent organism being severely degraded by humans (1975), writing ten books on the subject predicting global warming. Invented the electron capture detector, used to measure the level of CFC pollutants in the atmosphere. PhD in Medicine, but never entered academia. Complications of a fall and extreme old age.

David Ireland AM, 94, July 28. Sydney. Australian novelist. Won Miles Franklin Award three times (1971,76, 79). Best known for his "mosaic" form of existential novels, focused on working class people and the down trodden. Took up full time writing at age 46, penning the last of his 11 novels at age 87. Old age.

Archie Roach AM, 66, July 30, Warrnambool, Victoria. Australian aboriginal singer/songwriter. Came to prominence with debut album Charcoal Lane (1991). Toured world wide and recorded nine albums. Inducted ARIA Hall of Fame (2020). Survived a stroke and major lung cancer surgery (2010-11). Complications of chronic illness.

Fidel Ramos, 92, July 31, Manila. Filipino soldier, politician and former Philippines President (1992-98). Five star general who convinced the military to withdraw support of dictator, Ferdinand Marcos (1986), paving the way for democratic elections.  Awarded Philippines Companion of Honor and honourary British knighthood. Complications of coronavirus Covid19, dementia and chronic heart disease.

Bill Russell, 88, July 31, Mercer Island, Washington. American basketball legend. Centrepiece of the Boston Celtics dominance of the NBA in the 1950's and 60's. Five time NBA MVP. Won 11 NBA championships in 13 year career (1956-69), including three as captain/coach. Regarded as one of the greatest defensive basketballers of all time.  Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011). Captained the American gold medal winning team at the 1956 Olympics (Melbourne). Short illness

† August †

Ayman al-Zawahri, 71, August 1, Kabul. Egyptian jihadist and terrorist. After becoming radicalised at age 14, long career in Islamic militancy since 1981. Associated with dozens of assassinations and bombings, and one of the chief planners of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US (2001). Assumed leadership of Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation after the death of Osama bin Laden (2011). Had a $US25M bounty on his head at time of death. Killed by an American CIA drone strike. Assassinated.

Johnny Famecheon AM, 77, August 2, Melbourne. French-born Australian boxer. Became Featherweight World Champion defeating Cuba's José Legrá in London (1969). Defended title three times, before defeat and retirement at age 25. Suffered a stroke and brain injury after being hit by a car in 1991, and remained in ill health for the rest of his life. Complications of chronic illnesses.

Shirley Barrett, 61, August 3, Sydney. Australian film and television director, novelist. Best known for first of three feature films Love Serenade (1996), winner of Camera D'Or at Cannes Film Festival. Prolific television drama director, and turned novelist in later life. Complications of metastatic breast cancer.

John Tingle, 90, August 5, Sydney. Australian politician, journalist, broadcaster. Began career as ABC journalist, switching to commercial radio in 1969, pioneering the talk back radio format in Sydney. Founded right wing Shooters Party (1992), elected to eleven years in the NSW Upper House (1995-2006). Father of prominent political journalist Laura Tingle. Old age.

Judith Durham AO, 79, August 5, Melbourne. Australian singer and entertainer. Lead singer (1962-68) of the phenomenally popular folk music group The Seekers, selling 50 million records world wide. Pursued a solo career with limited success. Given a State Funeral. Complications of bronchiectasis.

Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE OBE, 73, August 8, Santa Ynez Valley, California. English born Australian icon, singer, actor, and entertainer. First husband disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Diagnosed with breast cancer three times. Cancer philanthropist. Complications of metastatic breast cancer

David McCullough, 89, August 7, Hingham, Massachusetts. American historian, author, narrator. Two time Pulitzer Prize winner. Wrote biographies of three US Presidents, as well as histories of the Wright Brothers, Panama Canal, and Brooklyn Bridge. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom (2006). Chronic illness.

Issey Miyake, 84, August 5, Tokyo. Japanese fashion designer. Five year apprenticeship in Paris (1965-70), setting up own Tokyo studio in 1970, to universal acclaim. Developed revolutionary pleating techniques in the late 1980's, that became his signature haute couture. Designed a wide range of ready-to-wear and uniforms, including Steve Jobs turtlenecks. Retired from full-time designing in 1999. Eponymous perfume L'eau d'Issey became his best seller. Liver cancer.

Rudi Koertzen, 73, August 9, near Riversdale, South Africa. South African cricket umpire. Stood in 108 test matches (1992-2010), widely respected by players and an ICC elite umpire. Signal for giving batsmen out LBW known as the "slow finger of death", the title of his post retirement autobiography. Killed along with three others in a motor crash while returning home from a golf weekend. Accident.

Paul Green, 49, August 11, Wynnum, Queensland. Australian rugby league player and coach. 162 games as a diminutive halfback/hooker for five different clubs (1994-2004), appeared for QLD in seven games, coached North Queensland Cowboys in 167 games (2014-20), winning the 2015 Grand Final. Coached Queensland State-of-Origin side 2021, losing the series against NSW by a wide margin. Well regarded as the "brains of the game"; fluent in several languages, aircraft and helicopter pilot, played multiple musical instruments. Suicide.

Anne Heche, 53, August 12, Los Angeles, California. American TV and film actor. 1990's Hollywood bit part actor. Better known for romantic relationship with TV host Ellen Degeneres (1997-2000). Two children, divorced, separated. History of mental illness and erratic behavior. Working in television until her death. Fatally injured when car she was driving while intoxicated hit a house and caught fire. Died in hospital seven days later. Accident.

Margaret Urlich, 57, August 22, Bowral, New South Wales. New Zealand born singer/songwriter. After limited success in NZ, moved to Australia in 1988. First two solo albums met with chart success, toured widely, extensive TV appearances, spent later years as a music producer at her own studio. Breast cancer.

Tim Page, 78, August 24, Bellingen, New South Wales. British Australian photojournalist. Iconic Vietnam War freelance photographer; badly wounded four times and mentioned in dispatches. Went on to photograph anti-war protests and the counter-culture movement in the US, and continued with conflicts in the Middle East, Balkans, East Timor and Afghanistan. Retired to Australia in 2002. Liver cancer.

Mikhail Gorbachev, 91, August 30, Moscow. Russian politician and statesman. Last President of the USSR (1985-91). Reformer who's glasnost policy of "openness" aimed at converting the USSR to a progressive modern society. Credited with precipitating the fall of Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Became a staunch critic of Vladimir Putin in later years. Chronic illnesses and kidney failure.

† September †

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 96, September 8, Balmoral, Scotland. Queen of England, Scotland & Wales for a record 70 years and 214 days, after assuming the throne at age 25 when her father George VI died in 1937. Longest serving verified female monarch in history. Celebrated Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee's. Went through 15 UK Prime Ministers from Churchill to Truss. Relentless Royal Tourist, visited every Commonwealth country, and toured Australia 16 times as Queen of Australia. Married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg for 74 years until his death in 2021 at age 99. All of her children created and courted controversy. Given first State Funeral in UK since Winston Churchill. Succeeded by eldest son King Charles III. Value of wholly-owned assets at time of death estimated at £68.5B. Old age.

Ramsey Lewis, 87, September 12, Chicago, Illinois. American musician and leading jazz pianist. Recorded more than 80 albums, first coming to prominence with the Grammy award winning The In Crowd (1965), released three "cross-over" singles, each selling more than million copies. Radio personality in his home town Chicago and music philanthropist. Still recording at the time of death. Cardiac arrest. 

Uncle Jack Charles, 79, September 13, Melbourne. Australian Indigenous activist, actor, artist. Member of the 'stolen generation', tracing his ancestry to four Aboriginal clans. Appeared in four feature films and numerous television series and the subject of documentary filmed over six years as he ended a long time addiction to heroin at age 60. Well known for his distinctive baritone voice. Stroke.

Jean Luc-Goddard, 91, September 13, Rolle, Switzerland. Swiss-French filmmaker. Pioneer of the French New Wave cinema movement with 1960 movie Breathless, going on to direct to 46 feature films. Regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century.  Euthanasia.

Ken Starr, 72, September 13, Houston, Texas. American lawyer. Best known for four year investigation into the Whitewater Affair, which later expanded to include the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the resulting, but failed, impeachment of US president Bill Clinton. Complications of surgery.

Alan Aylett OBE, September 16, Melbourne. Legend Australian rules footballer and administrator and dentist. Played 220 games for North Melbourne (1952–1964). Long time President of North Melbourne, elected President of the VFL (1977-84). Credited with staging first football night game, engineered South Melbourne's move to Sydney, secured first major corporate sponsor, invented corporate box and Grand Final breakfast.   Continue practicing dentistry throughout football career. Chronic illness.

Maarten Schmidt, 92, September 17, Fresno, California. Dutch born American astronomer; the first to identify and then measure "quasars" in outer space. Old age.

Cherry Valentine, 28, September 18, London. Romani-born British drag queen and singer. Toured widely and featured on Ru Paul's Drag Race UK and the subject of a documentary. Suicide.

John Hamblin, 87, September 21, Melbourne. Australian actor and television personality. Lead presenter on iconic children's television program Playschool (1970-1999), appearing in more than 350 episodes before retirement. Known as "Naughty John" for his irreverent nature and sense of humor. Short illness.

Dame Hilary Mantel DBE, 70 September 22, Exeter, Devon. British novelist. Hugely successful author of historical fiction. Won the Booker Prize twice (2009, 2012). Books sold more than five million copies. Stroke.   

Hilaree Nelson, 49, September 27, Manaslu, Nepal. Renowned American mountaineer, specialising in ski descents. Became the first person to climb Mt Everest and the adjacent Mt Lhotse within 24 hours (2012). National Geographic Adventurer of the Year (2018). Mother of two. Died during a ski descent from Mt Manaslu, the 8th highest peak in the world, in poor weather. Fall of 5,000ft. Accident.

Louise Fletcher, 88, September 23, Montdurausse, France. American actress best known for winning an Academy Award for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975). Considered too tall for leading female roles, played bit-parts in more than 60 Hollywood movies. Short illness.

Artis Ivey Jr aka Coolio, 59, September 28, Los Angeles, California. American rapper and cook. Pioneer of "Gangsta Rap", traded mainly on the enormous success of Gangsta's Paradise (1995), one of the first "crossover" rap hits. Worked independently from then on, and later became a TV cook and authored a cookbook. Father of ten children. Found dead in a toilet while visiting a friend's house. Cardiac arrest.

Sylvia Wu aka Madame Wu, 106, September 29, Beverley Hills, California. After emigrating from China to the US and training as a teacher, established the first genuine Chinese restaurant in California Madame Wu's Garden (1959-98) at the age of 44, which became an immediate hit with celebrities and Hollywood movie stars. Extreme old age.

† October †

Ian Hamilton, 97, October 3, North Connel, Scotland. Scottish lawyer, thief, and staunch Scottish nationalist. Ringleader of the group of university students who removed the "Stone of Destiny" from the coronation throne at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve 1950, after it was stolen by the English from Scotland in 1296. Despite a huge police dragnet, it was never found, before being dumped in the ruins of Arbroath Abbey four months later. None of the perpetrators were ever prosecuted. Stone returned to London, before being permanently transferred to Edinburgh Castle in 1996 under agreement with the British Crown. Old Age.

Loretta Lynn, 90, October 4, Hurricane Hills, Tennessee. American singer/songwriter and country music star. Released 60 albums of her own songs, and toured for 59 years. Country Music Hall of Fame (1988). Best known for hit song Coal Miner's Daughter. Complications of a stroke suffered in 2017.

Pebbles, 22, October 4, Taylors, South Carolina. World's oldest pet dog. Toy Fox Terrier died four months short of 23rd birthday. Gave birth to 33 puppies. Owners credited longevity to her love of country music. Old age.

John Westacott, 73, October 9, Sydney. Australian journalist. Long serving director of current affairs at the Nine Network during the Kerry Packer heydays. Executive producer of 60 Minutes for 16 years in a celebrated 25 year television career. Fell from a yacht he was sailing on Sydney Harbour after suffering a cardiac arrest. Drowned.

Dame Angela Lansbury DBE, 96, October 11, Los Angeles, California. British born American actor. After a brief career in Hollywood, transitioned to Broadway becoming a fixture in musical theatre. Best known from her later career playing the lead role in the long running TV detective series, Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996). Old age.

John Spender KC, 83, October 13, Sydney. Australian politician, diplomat, lawyer. Federal MP for ten years (1980-90). Foreign Affairs Minister in last Howard cabinet. Australian Ambassador to France (1996-2000). Married to the late fashion design Carla Zampatti (1975-2010). Daughter Allegra Spender now an Independent "Teal" Federal MP. Short illness.

Robbie Coltrane OBE, 72, October 14, Larbert, Scotland. Scottish actor, comedian, singer. Began career in comedy (1987), moving to bit parts in movies, and then gaining popular acclaim in British television roles, winning three BAFTA awards. Suffered many chronic illnesses in later life; wheelchair bound since 2019. Sepsis.

Harry White, 78, October 21, Melbourne. Champion Australian jockey. Held the equal record of winning four Melbourne Cups (1974,75,78,79). Rode more than two thousand winners, including 60 Group One winners. Regarded as the best post war long distance race jockey known for his "hands & heels" style and falling asleep in the jockey's room before big races. Blinded in his left eye after a fall in a Caulfield Cup. Complications of multiple sclerosis.

Dietrich Mateschitz, 78, October 22, St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Austria. Reclusive Austrian entrepreneur and marketing guru. Bought energy drink Red Bull to world markets after going into partnership with Thai owners (1983), improving and carbonating original recipe for international tastes. Owner of Red Bull Formula One racing team. Estimated net worth at time of death $US25B. Complications of pancreatic cancer.

Ashton B. Carter, 68, October 24, Boston, Massachusetts. American public servant and politician. Defense secretary in the Obama Administration (2015-17). Credited with opening up the military to include women in combat roles and pivoting military strategy towards Asia. Only person to have held all top four positions in the Pentagon. Cardiac arrest.

Amou Haji, 92, October 25, Dejgah, Iran. Iranian man dubbed "the dirtiest man in the world". Chain smoker, lived in a cinder shack on roadkill and 5 litres of water a day collected from puddles. Had not washed in more than 60 years due to a pathological fear of getting sick. Found to be in good health by visiting doctors a year before his death. Died a week after being forcibly washed by local villagers. Exposure.

Mike Davis, 76, October 25, San Diego, California. American historian known as the "Prophet of Doom", for his uncanny ability to predict ecological disasters and social unrest. Best known for his seminal history of Los Angeles, City of Quartz (1990). Esophageal cancer.

Jerry Lee Lewis, 87, October 28, Nesbit, Mississippi. Notorious American singer/songwriter and rock'n'roll pioneer known as "The Killer". Came to prominence with smash hits Shaking All Over and Great Balls of Fire (1957). Became a fixture at the famous Sun Studios and toured constantly. Several run-ins with the law on guns, violence and tax evasion charges but never did jail time. Seven times married. Complications of a 2019 stroke.

† November †

Filep Karma, 63, November 1, Jayapura, Papua. West Papuan Independence activist. Jailed in 2004 for raising the West Papua flag during a protest in which demonstrators were fired on and killed by Indonesian police. Released in a 2015 general amnesty. Found dead washed up on a local beach, after a scuba diving accident. Drowned.

Kenny Williams, 94, November 1, Sydney. Sydney Swans super-fan, longest serving supporter and honourary locker room "boy". Born in South Melbourne, followed the Swans for 90 years. Attended first game at MCG at the age of four, when South Melbourne won the 1933 Premiership; attending last game in 2019. Moved to Sydney in 1982 to continue supporting his team. In later years, often seen leading the team song with the players in the locker room after winning games. Old age.

Nicholas Harding, 66, November 2, Sydney. Prolific British-born Australian artist. Won the Archibald Prize (2001) for his portrait of John Bell as King Lear. Hung in the Archibald a record 13 consecutive times, and a finalist a total of 19 times. Won the Wynne landscape prize (2022) and the Dobell drawing prize (2001). Staged 40 solo exhibitions. Works held in all major Australian art galleries, with four paintings hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. Metastasised tongue cancer.

Peter Reith AM, 72, November 8, Melbourne. Hardline conservative Australian politician spending 15 years in Federal Parliament. Defence Minister for one year and five years as Industrial Relations minister under Howard Govt. Chief architect of the bitter 1998 Waterfront Dispute against the Maritime Union of Australia, which he lost in court, and the false "Children Overboard Affair" (2001), which saved the Howard Govt. from defeat by Labor's Kim Beazley. Complications of Alzheimer's Disease.

Jane Gross, 75, November 9, New York City. American sports writer, journalist, editor, author. Best known for being the first female sports writer to be admitted to a post match NBA locker room (New York Knicks, 1975), breaking a taboo on women reporting from the sport's "inner sanctum". Spent 30 years at the New York Times on the metropolitan and national news desks. Wrote a best selling book on ageing after the decline and death of her mother.  Complications of a fall.

Keith Levene, 65, November 11, rural Norfolk, England. English musician. Guitarist and founding member of both the punk band The Clash and post-punk group Public Image Ltd. (1976-83). Spent two decades in Los Angeles as a music producer and engineer, making sporadic public appearances. Spent the last years of his life as a crypto-currency speculator. Liver cancer.

Mehran Nasseri, c.77, November 12, Paris. Iranian itinerant. Lived in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for 18 years, initially in limbo after claiming unproved refugee status, but later by choice. Inspiration for the Steven Speilberg 2004 film The Terminal. Lived the last few years of his life in a Paris nursing home, before returning to live at the airport in the months before he died. Cardiac arrest.         

Heather Anderson, 28, November 13, Perth. Former AFLW Australian Rules footballer and Defence Force medic. Played eight games for the Premiership winning Adelaide Crows team in 2017, but then suffered her second shoulder injury requiring reconstruction in a year. Delisted by the Crows before the 2018 season, and never played again. Suicide at an army barracks.

Jule Campbell, 96, November 19, Flemington, New Jersey. American journalist and editor. Mastermind of the iconic annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition beginning in 1965 and still published today, heralding the age of the supermodel. Sales of the annual issue generated an estimated $US1B over the years. After her 1996 retirement, became a leading authority of the world's remotest beaches. Old age and complications of pneumonia.  

Tuan Tuan, 18, November 20, Taipei. Male Giant Panda. Controversially gifted to Taiwan, along with breeding mate, Yuan Yuan, in 2008, when Taiwan had a Beijing-friendly President at the height of China's "Panda Diplomacy". Almost every other panda in foreign zoo's are on loan only. Fathered two female cubs during his lifetime, who were expatriated to China. Brain cancer.

Wilko Johnson, 75, November 21, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. British musician. Guitarist with British pub rock band Dr. Feelgood (1973-77), before joining Ian Drury's Blockheads. Regarded as a prime early influence on the British punk scene. Complications of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer after having a 3kg tumour removed in 2014.

John Y. Brown Jnr, 88, November 22, Lexington, Kentucky. American entrepreneur who turned Kentucky Fried Chicken into an international fast food chain. Purchased KFC from Col. Harland Sanders in 1964, established the red & white trademark colours, and opened 1500 outlets, in all 50 US states and some overseas locations. Sold the business in 1971. Elected as Democrat Governor of Kentucky (1979-83). Complication of coronavis Covid 19.

Jiang Jemin, 96, November 30, Shanghai, China. Chinese politician and former President of China (1993-2003). Masterminded China's rapid economic development in the 1990's under a "socialist market economy". Oversaw the return to China of former colonies Hong Kong and Macau. Regarded as one of only four "core leaders" of the Chinese Communist Party since 1949. Leukemia.

Christine McVie, 79, November 30, London. British musician. Vocalist and keyboard player with American rock band Fleetwood Mac (1970-1998), after marrying the group's bass player John McVie. The band sold 120 million records world wide. Admitted to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1990). Moved back to England after retirement and spent 15 years restoring an historic country house, before relocating to London in 2015. Chronic illnesses.

† December †

Nick Bollettieri, 91, December 4, Bradentown, Florida. American tennis coach. Widely respected and sought after coach who pioneered the concept of live-in tennis schools in Florida. Coached numerous players who became World Number One's including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, the Williams sisters, Martina Sharapova, and Martina Hingis. Old age.  

Kirstie Alley, 71, December 5, Tampa, Florida. American actor. Won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for her film and television roles; best known for her role in the TV sitcom Friends (1987-93). Became a Scientologist in 1979 to kick a cocaine habit and later became a high profile supporter of former US President Donald Trump. Colon cancer.

Patrick Tambay, 73, December 8, Cannes, France. French journeyman Formula One race car driver. Competed in 123 F1 races, winning two for Ferrari, and taking five pole positions. Raced for seven different teams over the course of his career (1977-86). Complications of Parkinson's disease.

Grant Wahl, 48, December 9, Lusail, Qatar. American sports journalist. One of the best known soccer writers in the United States, covering eight World Cups, mainly for Sports Illustrated, before later publishing independently. Collapsed in the press box during the Argentina v Netherlands World Cup quarter-final, and attempts to revive him failed. Cardiac arrest.

Abigail Kawananakoa, 96, December 11, Honolulu, Hawaii. Known as the "Last Hawaiian Princess", the final direct descendant of the last King of Hawaii, Kalakaua, before Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898. Inherited a $US250M fortune from her great grandfather, a sugar baron, and led a flamboyant, often controversial lifestyle. Never married, no children; the only line to the now non-existent throne died out with her. Old age.

Terry Hall, 63, December 18, London. British musician, singer/songwriter. Lead singer of influential new wave ska group The Specials, coming to prominence with a flurry of six hit singles from 1979-81. Left the band in 1982 to form Fun Boy Three, then collaborated widely and released two solo albums. Suffered bi-polar disorder throughout his adult life. Complications of pancreatic cancer.

Barry Round, 72, December 24, Melbourne. Australian Rules footballer. One of the great ruckmen, played VFL 328 games for Footscray and South Melbourne/Sydney (1969-85). Brownlow Medalist (1981). Captained the Swans in their first years after being relocated to Sydney (1980-84). Known as a "man mountain", regarded as one of the most difficult ruckman to play against. Sepsis.

Kathy Whitworth, 83, December 24, Flower Mound, Texas. American pro golfer. Held the world record for most number of professional tournaments won, in either women's or men's competitions. Won 88 LPGA tournaments (1958-85) and became the first female player to earn more than $US1M in career prizemoney. Won all the women's 'major tournaments', with the exception of the US Open. Cardiac arrest.

Pelé, 82, December 29, São Paulo, Brazil. Legendary Brazilian soccer star. Regarded and the most gifted and greatest player of the 20th century. Played in three winning World Cup finals for Brazil (1958, 62, 70) in his 92 international appearances, scoring 77 goals. A prolific scorer, notched up 618 goals for his club side Santos. Known in Brazil as "The King", received world wide accolades and awards throughout illustrious career. Popularised the sport's nickname "The Beautiful Game". Well regarded for his support of social justice in retirement with UN ambassadorial work, set up a foundation in 2018 for impoverished and disenfranchised children. Complications of colon cancer.

Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE OBE, 81, December 29, London. English fashion designer. Opened her first shop in London with then partner Malcolm McLaren (1965), pioneering punk fashion. Regularly changed her esthetic and borrowed from fashions past to reflect her "rebellion against anything orthodox". Became politically active in the 1980's supporting progressive causes. An icon of the London and Paris runways. Short illness.

Barbara Walters, 93, December 30, New York City. American journalist and new anchor. Broke a long time barrier in TV news, becoming the first female co host of the Today Show (1974). Later moved to the ABC network as the first female journalist on a $1USM contract. Interviewed kings, presidents and celebrities. Developed the concept of all female talk show "The View", making her last appearance at age 84, after more than 50 years in front of the camera. Old age.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 95, December 31, Vatican City. Former Pope who became the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church to resign in 600 years. Formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he became the first German Pope in more than a millennium (2005). Sensationally resigned after eight years in office (2013), and lived out the rest of his life in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Old age.