The following is a list of notable deaths in July 1989.
Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence: Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent country of citizenship (if applicable), reason for notability, cause of death (if known), and reference.
July 1989
1 William Ching, 75, American actor (D.O.A., Pat and Mike), heart failure.Memorial Plaque: William Brooks Ching 1.7.89. Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, Orange County, California, USA. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024 (year of death only). Joan Cooper, 66, British actress, stomach cancer. Dora Gaitskell, 88, Russian Empire–born British Labour Party politician, member of the House of Lords.Baroness Gaitskell. London Remembers. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Veriano Ginesi, 82, Italian actor (Even Angels Eat Beans). Eric Holland, 68, New Zealand politician, member of the House of Representatives.Holland, Eric Sidney Fostyn, 1921-1989. National Library of New Zealand (year of death only). Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Sumant Moolgaokar, 82, Indian industrialist, architect of Tata Motors.Sumant Moolgaokar. Tata Central Archives. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. António Morais, 54, Portuguese footballer and manager (FC Porto), car crash. Viktor Nekipelov, 60, Soviet poet and writer, member of Moscow Helsinki Group. Louise Varèse, 98, American writer and translator of French literature.Louise Varese Is Dead; Literary Translator, 98. New York Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. James Wicks, 88, British lawyer and Chief Justice of Kenya.
2 Willie Banks, 43, American NFL player (Washington Redskins, New York Giants, New England Patriots). Brendan Crinion, 65, Irish politician. Andrei Gromyko, 79, Soviet politician and diplomat, chairman of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, minister of foreign affairs, stroke. Jean Leguay, 79, French Nazi, convicted war criminal, cancer.Jean Leguay, 79, Accused of War Crimes. New York Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Josefa Levula, 59, Fijian sprinter, rugby union and rugby league player (Fiji rugby union team, Rochdale Hornets rugby league club).Josefa Vuniyawawa Levula. ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Jean Painlevé, 86, French photographer and filmmaker.Jean Painlevé. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Franklin J. Schaffner, 69, Japanese-born American director (Patton, Planet of the Apes), lung cancer. Wilfrid Sellars, 77, American philosopher. Thomas Ward, 84, Irish cricketer. Ben Wright, 74, English actor (The Sound of Music), complications of heart surgery.Ben Wright, 74; Veteran Radio, Movie and TV Character Actor. L.A. Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024.
3 Jim Backus, 76, American actor (Gilligan's Island, Mr. Magoo), pneumonia. Frans G. Hukom, 73, Indonesian footballer. Abe Kesh, 55, American disc jockey and record producer (Blue Cheer).Abe Keshishian One-Time Radio Host. Marin Independent Journal (via jive95.com). Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Okey Patteson, 90, American politician, governor of West Virginia, pneumonia.Okey Patteson, Former Governor, Dies at 90. New York Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Mary Shanley, 93, American police officer and detective.Gravestone: Mary Agnes Shanley 3.7.89. Saint Charles Cemetery, East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA (year of death only). Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Loyce Whiteman, 76, American singer.
4 Antonio Roldán Betancur, 43, Colombian politician, governor of Antioquia, assassinated.The World : Colombia Governor Slain. L.A. Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Peter Gillett, 75, British Army general.Major General Sir Peter Gillett, K.C.V.0., C.B., C.B.E.. Report of the Society of the Friends of St George's and the Descendants of the Knights of the Garter. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Jack Haig, 76, English actor ('Allo 'Allo!), stomach cancer.'Allo 'Allo Star Dead. Trove (Canberra Times). Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Bob Hawk, 81, American radio quizmaster and comic.Bob Hawk - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times. L.A. Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Win Maung, 73, Burmese politician, President of Burma.Mahn Win Maung, Ex-Burmese President, 73. New York Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Leyla Mammadbeyova, 79, Azerbaijani aviator. Jim Missouri, 72, American Negro Leagues baseball player. Vic Perrin, 73, American actor (The Outer Limits), cancer. Nelson Sullivan, 41, American videographer, heart attack.
5 Clem Conroy, 62, Australian rules footballer. Bill Daddio, 73, American football player, coach, and scout. Sirarpie Der Nersessian, 92, Armenian art historian.Sirarpie Der Nersessian: 1896-1989. JSTOR (Dumbarton Oaks Papers). Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Arthur Bispo do Rosário, 78–80, Brazilian artist, heart attack.The work of Arthur Bispo Do Rosário. National Institutes of Health (year of death only). Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Ernesto Halffter, 84, Spanish composer and conductor, heart failure.Ernesto Halffter; Spanish Composer. L.A. Times. Retrieved 13 Oct 2024. Odus Mitchell, 90, American college football player and coach (North Texas State Eagles). George Sullivan, 92, American NFL player (Frankford Yellow Jackets). Maria Vassiliou, 38, English-born Cypriot actress (The Travelling Players), cancer. Berthold Wolpe, 83, German-born English typographer and type designer.Berthold Wolpe. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024.
6 Jean Bouise, 60, French actor (Coup de tête). János Kádár, 77, Hungarian politician, general secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, pneumonia.Janos Kadar of Hungary Is Dead at 77. New York Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Reuven Shari, 86, Russian-born Israeli politician, member of the Knesset (1949-1955).
7 Irene Bernasconi, 92, Argentinian marine biologist (echinoderms).Google Doodle remembers Argentine marine biologist Irene Bernasconi. Find out why.. The Economic Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. James Carney, 75, Irish Celtic scholar.Carney, James Patrick. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Moshe Kol, 78, Israeli politician, Knesset representative, signatory of the Israeli declaration of independence.Moshe Kol. WorldCat. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Félix Unden, 87, Luxembourgian Olympic water polo player (1928). Donald S. Voorhees, 72, American district judge (Western District of Washington).Donald S. Voorhees, U.S. Judge Who Backed Internees, Dies at 72. New York Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024.
8 Alice King Chatham, 81, American sculptor, designed personal protective equipment (United States Air Force, NASA).Obituary Alice K. Chatham, p. 3 Marion Star, Marion, Ohio, 10 Jul 1989 August Haußleiter, 84, German politician and journalist.August Haußleiter. Bayerischer Landtag. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Platon Maiboroda, 70, Ukrainian composer.Platon Maiboroda. WorldCat. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Louis Overbeeke, 62, Dutch footballer. Paul Raeth, 90, French Olympic diver (1924). Jóvito Villalba, 81, Venezuelan lawyer and politician, member of the Generation of 1928, founder of the Democratic Republican Union.Villalba, Jóvito (1908–1989). Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Kurt Wagner, 84, East German soldier and politician, Deputy Defence Minister.Wagner, Kurt. Bundesstiftung Aufarbeitung (in German). Retrieved 14 Oct 2024.
9 Andrex, 82, French film actor.Andrex. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Lillian Friedman Astor, 77, American animator (Betty Boop).Gravestone: Lillian Friedman Astor 9.7.89. Beth Tephilah Cemetery, Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, USA (year of death only). Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Salvatore Colombo, 66, Italian Catholic prelate, bishop of Mogadishu, assassinated.Bishop Slain. The Roman Catholic Bishop Of .... Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Abdellah Guennoun, 80, Moroccan writer and historian.Abdallah Guennoun. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Piet Lieftinck, 86, Dutch politician, member of the House of Representatives and Senate, Minister of Finance, heart failure.Pieter Lieftinck, Ex-Dutch Official, 86. New York Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Clem McCann, 77, Australian rules footballer. Kathy Mulholland, 48, American Olympic speed skater (1960). Ferenc Orbán, 85, Hungarian Olympic high jumper (1928). Gustav Östling, 74, Swedish Olympic long-distance runner (1948, 1952). Elliott Sanger, 92, American co-founder of WQXR-FM.Elliott Sanger, a WQXR Founder And FM Radio Pioneer, Dies at 92. New York Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. William Skeet, 82, New Zealand cricketer.
10 Mel Blanc, 81, American voice actor and radio personality (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat), emphysema and coronary artery disease. Rick Carroll, 42, American program director for radio station KROQ-FM, AIDS.Carroll Brought Luster, Listeners to KROQ-FM. L.A. Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Jean-Michel Charlier, 64, Belgian comics writer (Buck Danny), co-founder of Pilote.Charlier, Jean-Michel 1924–1989. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Frances Gardner, 76, English cardiologist, introduced angiocardiography to Britain (Royal Free Hospital).Frances Violet Gardner 1913-1989. Newspapers.com (The Guardian). Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Nilita Vientós Gastón, 86, Puerto Rican writer and journalist.Nilita Vientós Gastón. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Grace Gibson, 84, American-born Australian radio entrepreneur, executive and producer.Grace Isabel Gibson (1905–1989). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024. Duncan McGuire, 46, Australian musician, songwriter, and recording producer (Ayers Rock). Tommy Trinder, 80, English comedian, host of Sunday Night at the London Palladium.Tommy Trinder Dies; British Comic Was 80. New York Times. Retrieved 14 Oct 2024.
11 Irv Comp, 70, American NFL footballer (Green Bay Packers).Irv Comp. Green Bay Packers. Retrieved 17 Oct 2024. Laurence Curtis, 95, American attorney and politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1953-1963). Horia Macellariu, 95, Romanian navy rear admiral in Second World War.Macellariu, Horia. Traces of War. Retrieved 17 Oct 2024. Vic Maile, 55–56, British record producer, cancer. Juanelo Mirabal, 88, Cuban American Negro Leagues baseball player. Laurence Olivier, 82, English actor and director (Hamlet, Wuthering Heights, Rebecca), renal failure. Richard Travis, 76, American actor (The Man Who Came to Dinner).Richard Travis. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Robert Trias, 66, American karate pioneer.Gravestone: O'Sensei Robert Aguirre Trias 11.7.89. National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. Retrieved 17 Oct 2024. Tommy Tucker, 86, American bandleader ("I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire").Tommy Tucker Dead; Band Leader Was 86. New York Times. Retrieved 17 Oct 2024. Sylwester Zych, 39, Polish Catholic priest, likely murdered.Third priest in past year dies mysteriously. United Press International. Retrieved 17 Oct 2024.
12 Wes Carlson, 87, American NFL player (Green Bay Packers) and military officer. Sidney Hook, 86, American philosopher, heart failure. Bill O'Connor, 81, Australian rules footballer. Carlos Puebla, 71, Cuban singer, guitarist and composer.Carlos Puebla. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Tunku Abdul Rahman, 55, Malaysian royal, Crown Prince of Johor. Benjamin B. Rubinstein, 84, Finnish-born American physician and psychoanalyst, cancer.Benjamin Rubinstein, Psychiatrist, Dies at 84. New York Times. Retrieved 17 Oct 2024. Prince Wolfgang of Hesse, 92, Crown Prince of Finland.Hessen, Wolfgang Moritz Prinz von (ID = 8721) . Hessian Biography. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024.
13 A. Amirthalingam, 61, Sri Lankan politician, member of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition, assassinated.Tamil Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam's assassination by the LTTE 25 Years Ago. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka (Daily Mirror). Retrieved 17 Oct 2024. John Bryant, 72, American actor (The Virginian).John Bryant. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024. Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou, 58, Iranian Kurdish politician, assassinated.Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou. WorldCat. Retrieved 9 Nov 2024.