Walter Pawelkiewicz, a German-born Americanpolitician who served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 49th district from 1999 to 2009, died on February 21, 2026, at the age of 77. Born Vladyslaw Marion on February 8, 1949, in… · 21 February 2026 · February 2026 · Cancer
Dean D. Schrempp, an Americanpolitician and Democratic member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, died on February 21, 2026, at the age of 90. He represented District 28A in the House since January 2009. Schrempp also served non-consecutively… · 21 February 2026 · February 2026
Lucinda Vásquez, a Peruvian teacher and politician, died on February 21, 2026. She was 67. Vásquez served as a member of Congress from 2021 until her death. Born in 1958, she remained in office until February 21, 2026. · 21 February 2026 · February 2026
Wiesław Zajączkowski, a Polishpolitician and lawyer, died on February 21, 2026, at the age of 82. Born on February 11, 1944, in Łomazy, General Government, he was a member of the Obywatelski Klub Parlamentarny and served in the Sejm… · 21 February 2026 · February 2026
Melody McCray-Miller, an Americanpolitician from Kansas, died on February 21, 2026, at the age of 69. A Democrat, she represented the 89th district in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2005 through 2013. Before her election to the House,… · 21 February 2026 · February 2026
Herman Suykerbuyk, a Belgianpolitician and civil servant, died on February 21, 2026, at the age of 92. Born in Kapellen on January 5, 1934, he studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven from 1952 to 1957. A member… · 21 February 2026 · February 2026
William Q. MacLean Jr., an Americanpolitician, died on February 20, 2026, at age 91. He served in the Massachusetts General Court from 1961 to 1993, including 20 years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and 12 years in the… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
František Mezihorák, a Czech university pedagogue and politician, died on February 20, 2026, at the age of 88. Born on October 6, 1937, in Vracov, Czechoslovakia, he was a professor and a member of the Czech Social Democratic Party. Mezihorák… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Mutumba Mainga, a Zambian historian and politician, died on February 20, 2026. Born in 1938, she was the first Zambian woman to gain a PhD, the first Zambian woman to lecture at the University of Zambia, and the first Zambian… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Vungzagin Valte, an Indianpolitician, died on February 20, 2026, at the age of 61. He was a three-time member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from the Thanlon constituency in Pherzawl district, first with the Indian National Congress and later,… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Tom Vickers, an Americanpolitician and member of the Nebraska Legislature from 1979 to 1987, died on February 20, 2026, at age 89. A Democrat from Nebraska, he represented the 38th district in the legislature from 1979 to 1987. Vickers… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Lee Yi-ting, a Taiwanesepolitician, died on February 20, 2026, at the age of 71. Born in 1954 or 1955, he was raised in Houlong and attended National Taichung University of Science and Technology. Lee led several local agricultural organizations… · China · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Eustace Sylvester "Teco" Lake, an Antigua and Barbuda politician, died on February 20, 2026, after a short illness. He was a member of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and was elected as Member of Parliament for St. John's Rural… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Rod Monroe, an Americanpolitician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives and Senate, died on February 20, 2026, at age 83. Monroe served in the Oregon House from 1977 to 1981 and in the Senate from 1981 to… · 20 February 2026 · February 2026
Jaranthada Karnasuta, a Thai civil servant, died on February 19, 2026, at the age of 76. Born on August 22, 1949, he graduated from the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University and served in the Department of Fisheries throughout his… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Kamal Rana, a Nepalese politician and member of the Maha Sabha from 1959 to 1960, died on February 19, 2026. She was appointed to the Maha Sabha in 1959, becoming its first female member. Rana and Dwarika Devi Thakurani, who… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026 · Raña
Barry Dean Knight, an Americanpolitician and farmer who served in the Virginia House of Delegates, died on February 19, 2026, at age 71. A Republican, he represented the 98th district, covering parts of southeastern Virginia Beach, after winning a… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
David Heywood Swartz, an Americandiplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Belarus, died on February 19, 2026. Born in Chicago on March 3, 1942, he served as chargé d'affaires before his appointment as ambassador in 1992, a new position.… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Bobbie Sparrow, a Canadianpolitician, died on February 19, 2026. Born Barbara Jane O'Connor in Toronto on July 11, 1935, she was a Registered Nurse and businessperson who was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Barry Mpigi, a Nigerianpolitician, died on February 19, 2026. Born in 1961, he was from Rivers State and served in the Nigerian House of Representatives, representing the Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo constituency. He was first elected to the lower house in 2011… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Abderrazak Kéfi, a Tunisianpolitician and businessman, died on February 19, 2026, at the age of 87. Born in Kairouan, French Tunisia, on April 22, 1938, he was a member of the Socialist Destourian Party and later the Democratic Constitutional… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Ricky A. J. Syngkon, an Indianpolitician and member of the 18th Lok Sabha, died on February 19, 2026. He represented the Shillong constituency in Meghalaya as a member of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) and served as… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Arturo León Lerma, a Mexican Hall of Fame baseball executive with Naranjeros de Hermosillo and politician, died on February 19, 2026, at age 88. Born in Álamos, Sonora, in 1937, he was a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and… · 19 February 2026 · February 2026
Philippe Mvouo, a Congolese politician and schoolteacher, died on February 18, 2026, in Orléans, France, at the age of 74. A member of the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT), he served as Minister of Energy from 2002 to 2004, Minister… · 18 February 2026 · February 2026
Carl Marcellino, an Americanpolitician who served in the New York State Senate from 1995 to 2018, died on February 18, 2026, at age 83. A Republican, he represented the 5th district, covering parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties on… · 18 February 2026 · February 2026
Norman Francis, an Americanacademic who served as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, died on February 18, 2026, at age 94. He led the university from 1968 to 2015, becoming its first Black and first lay president and the… · 18 February 2026 · February 2026
Borislav Paravac, a Bosnian Serb politician who served as the 4th Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2003 to 2006, died on February 18, 2026, in Doboj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was born in Kostajnica, near… · Serbia · 18 February 2026 · February 2026
Margot Queitsch, a Germanpolitician, died on February 18, 2026, at the age of 79. A member of the Social Democratic Party, she served in the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg from 2001 to 2011. Queitsch was born in Lindau, Bavaria, on… · 18 February 2026 · February 2026
Antonis Manitakis, a Greek university professor and politician, died on February 18, 2026, at the age of 81. Born in Thessaloniki on May 23, 1944, he studied law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and received a doctorate in law… · 18 February 2026 · February 2026
William Milam, an Americandiplomat and senior policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., died on February 17, 2026, at age 89. Born in Bisbee, Arizona, and raised in Sacramento, California, he received an… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights activist and politician, died on February 17, 2026, at age 84. Born Jesse Louis Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, he was an ordained Baptist minister and a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. and… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Joachim Kempin, a German-born American businessman and former senior vice president of Microsoft, died on February 17, 2026. He ran Microsoft’s division selling operating software to PC manufacturers for 15 years and later wrote Resolve and Fortitude: Microsoft’s "Secret Power… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Ngari Rinpoche, the Tibetan tulku and politician known as Tenzin Choegyal, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 79. Born in Lhasa in March 1946, he was the younger brother of the 14th Dalai Lama. He was recognized… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Miquel Clar Lladó, a Spanish businessman and politician, died on February 17, 2026. Born in Llucmajor, Mallorca, in 1938, he spent his early career as an entrepreneur and businessman on the island. In 1962, he opened the first gas station… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Raseswari Panigrahi, an Indianpolitician, died on February 16, 2026, at the age of 79. She was active in Odisha politics with the Biju Janata Dal and was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the Sambalpur constituency in the… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026
Lélio Souza, a Brazilianpolitician, died on February 16, 2026, at the age of 88. Born Lélio Miguel Antunes de Souza on September 29, 1937, in Rosário do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, he was a member of the Brazilian… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026
Guido A. Zäch, a Swisspolitician and doctor, died on February 16, 2026, at the age of 90. Born in Häggenschwil on October 1, 1935, he studied medicine at the University of Fribourg and the University of Basel. Zäch founded… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026 · Zach
Harry Barnes, the English Labour politician who served as the party’s Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire, died on February 16, 2026, aged 89. Born in Easington, County Durham, on 22 July 1936, he was educated at Ruskin College… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026
Richard Ottinger, an Americanpolitician and attorney who served in the United States House of Representatives, died on February 16, 2026. He was 97. A member of the Democratic Party, Ottinger represented New York in the House from 1965 to… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026
Hélène Ahrweiler, the Greek-French Byzantologist and academic known formally as Hélène Glykatzi-Ahrweiler, died on February 16, 2026, in Athens, Greece, at the age of 99. Born in Athens on August 29, 1926, to a family of Greek refugees from Bursa,… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026
Avel Gordly, an Americanpolitician and activist in Oregon, died on February 16, 2026. She was 79. Gordly was born in Portland on February 13, 1947, and became the first African-American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1996,… · 16 February 2026 · February 2026
Anna Benaki-Psarouda, a Greeklawyer, politician and academician, died on February 15, 2026, at the age of 91. Born in Exarcheia, Athens, on December 12, 1934, she obtained a PhD from the University of Bonn, joined the Athens Bar Association… · 15 February 2026 · February 2026
Bitokotipou Yagninim, a Togolesepolitician, died on February 15, 2026, at the age of 84. Born on December 31, 1941, in Bassar, French Togoland, French West Africa, he was a member of the Rally of the Togolese People and served… · 15 February 2026 · February 2026
Marcelo Dotti, an Ecuadorian politician, died on February 15, 2026. Born in Quito on December 2, 1942, he began his career in radio in 1984 on the program "Nuestra realidad." In 1988, he became campaign manager for Rodrigo Paz Delgado,… · 15 February 2026 · February 2026
John Viola, an Americanpolitician who served as a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives for District 26, died on February 15, 2026. Elected in 1998 after defeating incumbent Republican Richard F. Davis, he later served as majority… · 15 February 2026 · February 2026
Mayor of Timaru, the directly elected head of the Timaru District Council in New Zealand, died on February 15, 2026. The office is the local government authority for the Timaru District and controls it as a territorial authority. There have… · 15 February 2026 · February 2026 · (mayor)
Bishwa Bandhu Thapa, a Nepalese politician, died on February 14, 2026. He was regarded as a key figure in the early days of Nepal’s Panchayat system and was seen as one of its architects. Thapa served as the first chairman… · 14 February 2026 · February 2026
Harry Bean, an Americanpolitician in New Hampshire and Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, died on February 14, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 71. Born in Laconia on December 5, 1954, he had… · 14 February 2026 · February 2026
Bogusław Wąs, a Polishpolitician, died on February 14, 2026, at the age of 73. Born on February 18, 1952, in Czajęcice, Poland, he served in the Sejm from 1989 to 1991 as a member of the Parlamentarny Klub Lewicy… · 14 February 2026 · February 2026
Xhelil Gjoni, an Albanian politician and journalist, died on February 14, 2026, at the age of 87. Born on November 3, 1938, in Maqellarë, Dibër, Albania, he was a member of the Albanian Workers' Party (PPSh). He studied philosophy in… · 14 February 2026 · February 2026
Sheikh Kabir Hossain, a Bangladeshi insurance executive and businessman, died on February 14, 2026. He was president of the Bangladesh Insurance Association and also served as president of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh. Born in Gopalganj on 3… · 14 February 2026 · February 2026
Terry Stratton, a Canadianpolitician who served in the Senate of Canada representing Manitoba, died on February 13, 2026. Born Terrance Richard Stratton in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 16, 1938, he served in the Senate from March 25, 1993, until… · 13 February 2026 · February 2026
Ignacy Guenther, a Polishpolitician, died on February 13, 2026, at the age of 89. Born Ignacy Marian Guenther on February 1, 1937, in Nowy Dwór, Poland, he was a member of the Obywatelski Klub Parlamentarny and served in the… · 13 February 2026 · February 2026
Qamar Ali Akhoon, an Indianpolitician and senior member of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, died on February 13, 2026, at the age of 68. He was from Jammu and Kashmir and served as the elected representative of Kargil… · 13 February 2026 · February 2026
Kahnu Charan Lenka, an Indianpolitician and senior Odia political figure, died on February 13, 2026, at the age of 86. He was a prominent figure in the Odisha Congress and was twice elected to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha.… · 13 February 2026 · February 2026
Toshio Motoya, a Japanese hospitality executive, died on February 13, 2026. He was the president of APA Group, which included APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan’s largest hotel chains. Motoya founded the APA Group real estate business in Ishikawa… · 13 February 2026 · February 2026
Mirakbar Rahmonqulov, an Uzbek politician and lawyer, died on February 12, 2026, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at the age of 73. An Independent, he served in the Senate from 2020 to 2026. Rahmonqulov was born on October 5, 1952, in Tashkent,… · 12 February 2026 · February 2026
Alfred Chen, a Taiwanese business executive and politician, died on February 12, 2026, at the age of 88. Also known as Chen Fei-lung, he was born on October 2, 1937, in Hong Kong and was raised in Shanghai until he… · China · 12 February 2026 · February 2026
Palmerston, the resident Chief Mouser of the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office, died on February 12, 2026, aged 11–12. A black-and-white tuxedo cat, he was born in 2014 and came from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Palmerston held the post… · 12 February 2026 · February 2026
George Howard Bunting Jr., an Americanpolitician and member of the Delaware Democratic Party, died on February 12, 2026, at the age of 81. He represented District 20 in the Delaware State Senate from 1996 to 2013. Bunting previously served… · 12 February 2026 · February 2026
Anastasios Papaligouras, a Greekpolitician and lawyer, died on February 12, 2026. Born in Athens on April 14, 1948, he studied law at the University of Athens and earned a master’s in comparative European law at Brunel University of London.… · 12 February 2026 · February 2026
Sarla Maheshwari, an Indianjournalist and news reader on DD National from 1976 to 2005, died on February 12, 2026. The available information identifies her as an Indian journalist and television news reader associated with DD National over nearly three… · 12 February 2026 · February 2026
Dean G. Auten, an Americanpolitician, died on February 11, 2026, at age 88. Born in Gaston County, North Carolina, on September 6, 1937, he attended Appalachian State Teachers College. A Republican, Auten served in the Georgia House of Representatives… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Jeffrey Evangelos, an Americanpolitician from Maine, died on February 11, 2026. He was an unenrolled member of the Maine House of Representatives, serving four two-year terms between 2012 and 2022. Born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1952, Evangelos earned degrees… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Émilie Manima, a Congolese politician and former midwife, died on February 11, 2026, in Brazzaville at the age of 89. Born in Brazzaville on March 25, 1936, she studied at the École des sages-femmes in Dakar before working as a… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Qallibek Kamolov, an Uzbek politician, died on February 11, 2026, at the age of 99. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Karakalpak ASSR… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Nikolay Tikhomirov, a Russianpolitician, died on February 11, 2026, at the age of 74. Born on January 12, 1952, in Sheksninsky District, Vologda Oblast, in the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, he served as a senator from 2012 to 2019. · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
George Quincey Lumsden Jr., an Americandiplomat, died on February 11, 2026, at age 95. A Career Foreign Service Officer, he served as American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates from July 2, 1982, until January 28,… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Pip Cheshire, a New Zealand architect, died on February 11, 2026, aged 75. Philip Maxwell Cheshire was one of the founding directors of Jasmax and later founded Cheshire Architects. He was awarded the New Zealand Institute of Architects Gold Medal… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Edward Harrison Crane, an American libertarian activist and co-founder of the Cato Institute, died on February 10, 2026, at age 81. Crane served as the institute’s president until October 2012. In the 1970s, he was among the most active leaders… · 10 February 2026 · February 2026
Pekka Vennamo, a Finnishpolitician and corporate executive, died on February 10, 2026. He led the Finnish Rural Party from 1979 to 1989 and served in the Parliament of Finland from 1972 to 1975 for the constituency of Helsinki and… · 10 February 2026 · February 2026
Yesen Taskynbayev, a Kazakh oil refiner and politician, died on February 10, 2026, at the age of 93. A member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, he served in the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic… · 10 February 2026 · February 2026