Deaths Month: December 2025
Lowell MacDonald
Canadian ice hockey player (Pittsburgh Penguins · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Julius Berman
American rabbi and attorney · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Therrell C. Smith
American ballet dancer · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Other · Smith
Gökmen Özdenak
Turkish footballer (İstanbulspor · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Serge Roy
French footballer (Racing Besançon · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · French
Stewart Cheifet
American television host (Computer Chronicles) · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Other
Jean Le Gac
French painter and photographer · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · French · Gac
Oscar Maroni
Brazilian night club owner · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Other
Ion H. Ciubotaru
Romanian ethnologist and literary historian · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Ciubotaru
Raúl Corriveau
Canadian Roman Catholic prelate · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Other
Mahmudul Hasan
Bangladeshi major general and politician · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Marijan Čerček
Croatian footballer (Dinamo Zagreb · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Godiya Akwashiki Only Eggon Representative In House of Rep dead at age 52
Nigerian politician and senator representing Nasarawa North since 2019, died on December 31, 2025. He was elected to the Senate in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections and re-elected in 2023. Before entering the upper chamber, Akwashiki served as Deputy Speaker of… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Billy Ray Barnes American football player dead at age 90
an American football player and coach, died on December 31, 2025, at age 90. Barnes was a halfback in the National Football League, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Jerry Bledsoe Author, journalist dead at age 84
an American author and journalist, died on December 31, 2025, at age 84. Born in Danville, Virginia, on July 14, 1941, he was known for several true crime books based on murders in North Carolina, including Bitter Blood and Blood… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Bobby Gosh American musician and singer-songwriter dead at age 89
an American musician and singer-songwriter known for writing “A Little Bit More,” died on December 31, 2025, at age 89. Born Robert Gosch on May 31, 1936, in Stouchsburg, Pennsylvania, he grew up in Reading and studied classical piano from… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Francis Hallé French botanist and biologist dead at age 87
the French botanist and biologist, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 87. He was a specialist in tropical rainforests and tree architecture, and is best known for the first "Radeau des cimes" ("Navigating the peaks"), which he… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025 · Halle
Enno Hallek Artist dead at age 94
a Swedish artist and academic, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 94. Born in Rohuküla, Estonia, on November 7, 1931, he moved with his family to Sweden in 1943 after fleeing Soviet-occupied Estonia as refugees. He studied… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Paul Idlout Canadian Inuk Anglican bishop dead at age 90
a Canadian Inuk Anglican bishop and former police constable, died on December 31, 2025. Born on April 21, 1935, in Pond Inlet, Northwest Territories, he was raised in a traditional Inuit hunting culture and was a young man when his… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025 · Other
Dean C. Jessee American historian dead at age 96
an American historian of the early Latter Day Saint movement and a leading expert on the writings of Joseph Smith Jr., died on December 31, 2025. Born on August 29, 1929, he was raised in Springville, Utah, and was a… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Pasha Kasanov Ukrainian football player and manager dead at age 72
a Ukrainian football player and manager, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 72. Known as Pasha Namazovych Kasanov, he played for Nyva Vinnytsia and Metalurh Zaporizhzhia and later worked as manager of Nyva Vinnytsia. He was born… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Elizabeth Kelly Actress dead at age 104
the English actress best known for playing Nellie Ellis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, died on December 31, 2025, aged 104. Born Elizabeth Hutton Kelly in Newcastle upon Tyne on May 29, 1921, she began her acting career in… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Mark McCullough (lighting designer) American lighting designer dead at age 62
an American lighting designer, died on December 31, 2025. A native of North Carolina, he studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama, earning a Master of Fine Arts from Yale in 1991.… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025 · Other
Harvey Pratt Forensic artist dead at age 84
an American forensic and Native American artist, died on December 31, 2025, at age 84. Pratt, also known as Harvey Phillip Pratt, worked for more than 40 years in law enforcement and pioneered the soft tissue postmortem drawing method used… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Yuri Sudakov Russian boxer dead at age 77
a Russian boxer and boxing coach, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 77. Born Yuri Evgenievich Sudakov on July 3, 1948, in Moscow, he competed at the 1976 USSR Boxing Championships, where he won the bronze medal… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Hayden Thompson American rockabilly musician dead at age 87
an American singer, songwriter and rockabilly musician, died on December 31, 2025, at age 87. Born in Booneville, Mississippi, Thompson was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He formed the Southern Melody Boys in high school and later… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Gillian Wagner Writer and philanthropist dead at age 98
British writer and philanthropist and chair of Barnardo's, died on December 31, 2025, aged 98. Born Gillian Mary Millicent Graham in London on October 25, 1927, she was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College and the University of Geneva, and later… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Dick Zimmer American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives dead at age 81
an American politician and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997, died on December 31, 2025, at age 81. A Republican from New Jersey, he also served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. Zimmer… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Jiří Zubrický Czech Olympic weightlifter dead at age 61
a Czech Olympic weightlifter who competed in the 1988 and 1992 Games for Czechoslovakia, died on December 31, 2025, at the age of 61. Born in Most on February 8, 1964, he won a bronze medal at the 1990 World… · 31 December 2025 · December 2025
Jacqueline de Ribes
French fashion designer · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · French · Other · Ribes
Sharif Nazarov
Tajik football player (Pamir) and manager (Varzob Dushanbe · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Margarete Palz
German textile artist · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Mary Bradley
Northern Irish politician · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30
Hisham N. Ashkouri
American architect · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Ashkouri · Other
NASCAR
Father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 30 · Other
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
American actor (The Wire) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Tatiana Schlossberg
American journalist (The New York Times) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Andy Billups
British bass guitarist (The Hamsters) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Alexandra Wedgwood
British architectural historian · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Janet Fish
American realist artist · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Carmen de Lavallade
American dancer and choreographer · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · Lavallade · Other
Richard Smallwood
American gospel singer ("Total Praise") · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Gordon Jones
English footballer (Middlesbrough · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Emil Kio, Jr.
Russian illusionist · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · Other
Ed Wallace
American radio personality · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · Other
Ian Neale
British Olympic gymnast (1976) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · Athletes
Thomas W. Bradshaw American politician, mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina dead at age 87
an American politician and businessman who served as mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on December 30, 2025, at age 87. A member of the Raleigh city council, he became the city’s youngest mayor and served one term from 1971… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Joe Byrne (Northern Ireland politician) Northern Irish politician, MLA dead at age 72
the Northern Irish SDLP politician who served as an MLA for West Tyrone from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015, died on December 30, 2025, aged 72. Born on 29 November 1953 in Aghyaran, Castlederg, County Tyrone,… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
David Heap (actor) English-born Ireland-based actor dead at age 76
an English-born Ireland-based actor known for his roles in Fair City and Botched, died on December 30, 2025. Born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, he initially worked for Procter & Gamble before studying acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Emilija Soklič Audio engineer for early Slovene film production, innovator dead at age 107
a Slovene electrical engineer and audio engineer, died on December 30, 2025. She was known as one of the first professional filmmakers in Slovenia and for technical support that helped early Slovene film production, including the first sound feature, On… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025 · Other
Killing of Monique and Spencer Tepe American early childhood educator, shot dead at age 39
an American early childhood educator, was shot dead on December 30, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband, Spencer Tepe, were found dead inside their home after Spencer failed to report to work and a welfare check was requested.… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Killing of Monique and Spencer Tepe American dentist, shot dead at age 37
an American dentist, was shot dead on December 30, 2025, alongside her husband, Spencer Tepe, in their Columbus, Ohio, home. The couple were found after Spencer failed to arrive for work and a welfare check was requested. Their two young… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Mate Meštrović Journalist, academic, lobbyist, politician, ambassador dead at age 95
a Croatian-American journalist, died on December 30, 2025, in Zagreb at the age of 95. Also known as Matthew Mestrovic and Matthew Meštrović, he was born in Zagreb on September 13, 1930. The son of Croatian-American sculptor Ivan Meštrović, he… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Jerry Welsh (basketball) American college basketball coach (SUNY Potsdam dead at age 89
an American college basketball coach and former head coach of the SUNY Potsdam Bears and Iona Gaels, died on December 30, 2025, at the age of 89. Welsh coached SUNY Potsdam from 1970 to 1991 and Iona from 1991 to… · 30 December 2025 · December 2025
Patrice Péron
French rugby union player (Racing 92 · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · French
Akshu Fernando
Sri Lankan cricketer (Panadura Sports Club) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Michael Lippman
American music manager (David Bowie · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29 · Other
Denny Tsao
Taiwanese singer and actor (Westgate Tango) (body discovered on this date) · 29 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 29
Günter Lyhs
German gymnast · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · Other
Syed Mukhtaruddin Shah
Pakistani Islamic scholar · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · Other · Shah
Abu Walid al-Masri
Egyptian journalist and advisor to Al-Qaeda · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · al-Masri
Gines Gonzalez
French footballer (Saint-Étienne · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · González · French
Pierre Bordage
French science fiction author (L'Évangile du serpent) · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · French
Gaspar Quintana Jorquera
Chilean Roman Catholic prelate · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · Jorquera · Other
Cecilia Giménez
Spanish church employee (Ecce Homo) · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · Other
Desiré Dubounet
American alternative medicine inventor and filmmaker · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · Desire · Other
Kristaq Eksarko
Albanian footballer (national team) · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28
Ortrun Wenkel
German operatic contralto · 28 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 28 · Other