Gustavo Amador Santiago Fernández
Mexican composer and music arranger · 17 February 2026 · February 2026 · February 17 · Fernández
Deaths on 17 February 2026
João Adolfo Hansen
83 · 17 February 2026 · February 2026 · February 17 · Hansen · Other
Jesse Jackson American civil rights activist and politician dead at age 84
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 James Bevel… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
José van Dam Operatic bass-baritone dead at age 85
the Belgian bass-baritone known internationally for his work in opera, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 85. Born Joseph Van Damme in Ixelles, part of Brussels, on August 25, 1940, he studied at the Royal Conservatory of… · France · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Mohsen Dalloul Journalist dead at age 92
a Lebanese journalist and politician, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 92. A member of the Progressive Socialist Party, he served as minister of agriculture and minister of defense in the 1990s. He was also a long-term… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Ngari Rinpoche Tulku dead at age 79
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 as the… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Joachim Kempin German businessman dead at age 83
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 Broker" Breaks… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Anna dePeyster British-Australian journalist and author dead at age 81
the British-Australian journalist and author known as Anna Maria dePeyster, died on February 17, 2026, at age 81. Born Anna Maria Torv in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 30, 1944, she later became the second wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Pravina Deshpande Actress dead at age 60
an Indian actress, died on February 17, 2026, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, at the age of 60 from blood cancer. She worked mainly in Marathi and Hindi films and television shows from 2008 to 2026. Deshpande was known for her… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Ray Reach Musician dead at age 77
an American musician, died on February 17, 2026, at age 77. Born Raymond Everett Reach Jr. in Birmingham, Alabama, he worked as a pianist, vocalist, guitarist, composer, arranger, music producer and educator. He performed and recorded in jazz, classical, pop,… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Jim Lane (Irish republican) Irish Republican and socialist dead at age 88
an Irish republican and socialist from Cork, died on February 17, 2026. Born James Anthony Lane in 1938, he was a central figure in left-wing politics in Cork city from the 1960s to the late 1980s and was involved in… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
Wolfgang F. Danspeckgruber Austrian-born American academic dead at age 70
an Austrian-born American academic and founding director of the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University, died on February 17, 2026. He taught at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Department of Politics from 1988,… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Dmitry Bavilsky Russian writer dead at age 57
a Russian writer, literary critic and journalist, died on February 17, 2026. Born in Chelyabinsk on January 19, 1969, he graduated from Chelyabinsk State University in 1993 and completed post-graduate studies in foreign literature there in 1996. Bavilsky worked as… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Miquel Clar Lladó Spanish businessman and politician dead at age 87
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 in Llucmajor and… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Doug Moe American basketball coach dead at age 87
an American basketball coach who led the Denver Nuggets, died on February 17, 2026, at age 87. Born Douglas Edwin Moe on September 21, 1938, in New York City, he was a star small forward at North Carolina, where he… · Italy · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Shinya (musician) Japanese musician dead at age 56
the Japanese musician best known as the drummer of Luna Sea, died on February 17, 2026, at age 56 of cancer. Born in Hadano, Kanagawa, on January 13, 1970, he was also a media personality and businessman. He played with… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Thomas De Koninck Canadian philosopher dead at age 91
a Canadian philosopher from Québec, died on February 17, 2026. Born in Leuven in 1934, he studied at Oxford, Université Laval and Freie Universität Berlin. He taught at the University of Notre Dame from 1960 to 1964 in the United… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Susan Sheehan American author dead at age 88
an American writer and author of Is There No Place on Earth for Me?, died on February 17, 2026. Born Susanna Maria Sachsel in Vienna, Austria, on August 24, 1937, she won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Scott Tinsley (American football coach) American football coach (West Virginia State Yellow Jackets…
an American football coach, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 62. He served as head football coach at West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia, from 1992 through 1994 and at West Virginia University Institute of… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Edward Hoagland Essayist, novelist dead at age 93
the American author best known for his nature and travel writing, died on February 17, 2026, at age 93. Born Edward Morley Hoagland in Manhattan, New York City, on December 21, 1932, he attended Deerfield Academy and Harvard University. He… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Richard Stika American Roman Catholic prelate dead at age 68
an American Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Knoxville from 2009 to 2023, died on February 17, 2026. Born Richard Frank Stika on July 4, 1957, in St. Louis, Missouri, he resigned as bishop at the request of… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
Veikko Virtanen Organ builder dead at age 97
a Finnish organ builder, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 97. Born Veikko Armas Virtanen in Helsinki on June 14, 1928, he built organs through his company, Urkurakentamo Veikko Virtanen OY, which was based in Espoo. The… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
Blue Prize Argentinian Thoroughbred horse dead at age 13
an Argentinian Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2019 Breeders' Cup Distaff, died on February 17, 2026. Born in 2013, she made her first and only start as a two-year-old on May 30, 2016, at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, where… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
Jim Čert Czech singer and accordionist dead at age 69
the Czech singer and accordionist born František Horáček, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 69. Born in Prague on February 25, 1956, he was known for writing ballads based on East Slavic folklore, as well as for… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
William Milam American diplomat dead at age 89
an American diplomat 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 A.B. from… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Kazue Sawai Japanese musician dead at age 85
a Japanese koto player and musician, died on February 17, 2026. Born in Kyoto on January 1, 1941, she began studying the koto at age eight with Michio Miyagi and later graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026
Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise American actress dead at age 34
an American actress, died on February 17, 2026. Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise was an American reality television series that premiered on April 9, 2024, on Freeform. The series had been ordered by Hulu on December 7, 2023, before moving… · 17 February 2026 · February 2026