Deaths in May 1987

The following is a list of notable deaths in May 1987.

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.

May 1987

=1=

Stanley Copp, 72, Canadian politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (1953-1958).
Paul Geidel, 93, American murderer, second longest serving U.S. prison inmate.
Bobo Holloman, 64, American Major League baseballer (St. Louis Browns), heart attack.[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bobo-holloman/#:~:text=He%20was%20invited%20back%20to,He%20was%2064. Bobo Holloman]. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Antonio Borja Won Pat, 78, Guam politician, Guam's Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives (1973-1985), heart attack.{{cite news |author1= |title=Antonio Won Pat, 73, Dies; Guam Delegate to Congress |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/03/obituaries/antonio-won-pat-73-dies-guam-delegate-to-congress.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=3 May 1987 |page=1 44}}
Dick Surhoff, 57, American NBA basketballer (New York Knicks).[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-dick-surhoff-obituary/29901419/?locale=en-AU Dick Surhoff obituary]. Newspapers.com (The Journal News). Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
James W. Sutherland, 69, American U.S. Army general.[https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/james-william-sutherland-16193/ James William Sutherland Jr. (1918–1987)]. University of Arkansas. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Fujio Yoshida, 99, Japanese artist.

=2=

George Allen, 43, American football player (Houston Oilers).
Reidar Carlsen, 78, Norwegian politician.
Karl Davis, 25, American fashion designer, pneumonia.{{cite news |author1= |title=Karl Davis, 25, Dies; A Designer of Fashions |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/05/obituaries/karl-davis-25-dies-a-designer-of-fashions.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=5 May 1987 |page=D 30}}
Eugene Gilhawley, 77, Irish politician, member of the Dáil Éireann (1961-1969, 1973-1981).
Michael Gover, 73, English actor (Survivors).
John E. Kerrigan, 78, American politician, acting Mayor of Boston, cardiac arrest.{{cite news |author1= |title=John E. Kerrigan Dies; Former Boston Official |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/04/obituaries/john-e-kerrigan-dies-former-boston-official.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=4 May 1987 |page=B 12}}
Harold K. Schneider, 61–62, American economic anthropologist, complications from surgery.[https://www.jstor.org/stable/677963 Harold K. Schneider (1925-1987)]. JSTOR (American Anthropologist). Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.

=3=

Joyce Coad, 70, American child actress.
Roberto Concepcion, 83, Filipino lawyer, Chief Justice of the Philippines.
Dalida, 54, Egyptian-born French singer and actress (Bambino, Gondolier), suicide.{{cite news |author1= |title=Dalida|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/05/obituaries/dalida.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=5 May 1987 |page=D 30}}
Dickie Fuller, 74, West Indian cricketer.
Viola Grosvenor, 74, British aristocrat, Duchess of Westminster, car accident.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-10-mn-6696-story.html Irish Dowager Duchess Dies in Car Crash Near Belfast]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Dick Kelsey, 82, American animation art director, theme park designer and illustrator of children's books.

=4=

Paul Butterfield, 44, American blues harmonica player, singer and bandleader, overdose.{{cite news |author1=Jon Pareles |author-link1=Jon Pareles |title=Oaul Butterfield, Whose Band Added Chicago Blue to Rock |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/06/obituaries/paul-butterfield-whose-band-added-chicago-blues-to-rock.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=6 May 1987 |page=B 11}}
Cathryn Damon, 56, American actress (Soap), ovarian cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Won Emmy for Role in 'Soap' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/07/obituaries/cathryn-damon-dead-at-56-won-emmy-for-role-in-soap.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=7 May 1987 |page=B 20}}
Paul Groesse, 81, Hungarian-born American Academy Award–winning art director, pneumonia.{{cite news |author1= |title=Paul Groesse|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/07/obituaries/paul-groesse.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=7 May 1987 |page=B 20}}
Khalilullah Khalili, 79, Afghan poet, historian and diplomat.{{cite news |author1= |title=Khalilullah Khalili Dies at 79; Afghan Poet and Ex-Official |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/14/obituaries/khalilullah-khalili-dies-at-79-afghan-poet-and-ex-official.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 April 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=14 May 1987 |page=D 26}}
Konstanty Jeleński, 65, Polish essayist.[https://archives.yale.edu/agents/people/80143 Jeleński, Konstanty A. (Konstanty Aleksander), 1922-1987]. Archives at Yale. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Tomohiro Kojiri, 29, Japanese journalist for newspaper Asahi Shimbun, murdered.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/05/world/killing-of-a-journalist-at-his-office-shocks-japan.html Killing of a Journalist at his Office Shocks Japan]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Wilbur Little, 59, American jazz bassist.
Michael Minor, 46, American illustrator, art director on Star Trek movies.

=5=

Sir Hugh Fraser, 50, British chairman of the House of Fraser, Harrods, and Whyte & Mackay, cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Headed Store Group that has Harrods|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/06/obituaries/sir-hugh-fraser-50-headed-store-group-that-has-harrods.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=6 May 1987 |page=B 11}}
Herbert Hasler, 73, British officer in the Royal Marines and yachtsman.[https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2016/october/20/161020-cockleshell-hero Cockleshell Hero ‘Blondie’ Hasler honoured in his hometown]. Royal Navy. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Allen Jones, 46, American record producer and songwriter ("Hard to Handle"), heart attack.[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oPA-PI1b4qqGhjTQiSAxX_qhR57znzzI/view?usp=sharing Gravestone: Allen Jones 5.5.87]. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Frank McAllister, 69, American baseball player.
Vera Schäferkordt, 62, German Olympic swimmer (1952).
Joe Shack, 71, Canadian NHL player (New York Rangers).
Jim Taylor, 80, Australian rules footballer.
Robert Stanford Tuck, 70, British fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-09-mn-4614-story.html Britisher Called Greatest Spitfire Pilot : WWII Ace Robert Stanford-Tuck]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Phil Woolpert, 71, American college basketball coach, lung cancer.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-07-sp-4242-story.html Phil Woolpert Is Cancer Victim at 71; Coached USF to Pair of NCAA Titles]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Roy Young, 69, American NFL player (Washington Redskins).

=6=

William J. Casey, 74, American CIA director, brain tumour.{{cite news |author1=Eric Pace |author-link1=Eric Pace |title=William Casey, Ex-C.I.A. Head, is Dead at 74|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/07/obituaries/william-casey-ex-cia-head-is-dead-at-74.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=7 May 1987 |page=A 1}}
Lucien Choury, 89, French Olympic cyclist (1924).
Zalman Friedmann, 74-75, Israeli footballer.
Muhammadullah Hafezzi, 91–92, Bangladeshi politician and Islamic leader.
Denis Jones, 80, Irish politician, member of the Dáil Éireann (1957-1977).
Stanislav Lusk, 55, Czechoslovakian Olympic rower (1952, 1956, 1960).
Karel Plicka, 92, Czechoslovakian photographer, film director and cinematographer.
David Weitzman, 88, British politician.{{Cite news|title=Mr David Weitzman|date=8 May 1987|work=The Times|issue=62763|page=16}}

=7=

Roy S. Armstrong, 86, American politician, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives (1953-1964).
Boom-Boom Beck, 82, American Major League baseballer (Philadelphia Phillies).[https://www.mlb.com/player/boom-boom-beck-110764 Boom-Boom Beck #15]. MLB.com. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Colin Blakely, 56, Northern Irish actor (Murder on the Orient Express, A Man for All Seasons), leukaemia.{{cite news |author1=Wilborn Hampton |title=A Favorite Figure in Britain|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/09/obituaries/colin-blakely-actor-is-dead-a-favorite-figure-in-britain.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=9 May 1987 |page=1 12}}
Félix Erauzquin, 79, Spanish Olympic athlete (1948).
Gil Lefebvre, 77, American NFL player.
Stewart McKinney, 56, American politician, member of U.S. House of Representatives (1971-1987), pneumonia (AIDS).[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/08/obituaries/mckinney-dies-of-illness-ties-to-aids.html McKinney Dies of Illness Tied to AIDS]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Paul Popham, 45, American gay rights activist, AIDS.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/08/obituaries/paul-popham-45-a-founder-of-aids-organization-dies.html Paul Popham, 45, A Founder of AIDS Organization, Dies]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Dudley Ryder, 94, British hereditary peer, member of the House of Lords.[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/viscount-sandon-1/index.html Viscount Sandon]. UK Parliament. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Karl Schuke, 80, German organ builder.

=8=

Marjorie Barnard, 89, Australian novelist and historian.[https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/barnard-marjorie-faith-marjory-12176 Marjorie Faith (Marjory) Barnard (1897–1987)]. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Sidney Cohen, 76, American psychiatrist, professor of medicine and author, heart failure.{{cite news |author1= |title=Dr. Sidney Cohen, 76, Dead: Studied Mood-Altering Drugs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/17/obituaries/dr-sidney-cohen-76-dead-studied-mood-altering-drugs.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=17 May 1987 |page=1 40}}
Alberta Gay, 74, American mother of Marvin and Frankie Gaye, bone cancer.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-09-mn-4644-story.html Alberta Gay, 74, Dies; Mother of Soul Singer]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Sir James Plimsoll, 70, Australian diplomat, Governor of Tasmania, ambassador to the U.S.A., heart attack.[https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-328053033/findingaid Guide to the Papers of Sir James Plimsoll]. Trove (National Library of Australia). Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Hugh Saunders, 92, South African RAF officer.
Doris Stokes, 67, British "spiritualist", "medium" and author, brain cancer.[https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/stokes-doris-1920-1987 Stokes, Doris (1920-1987)]. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Carl Tchilinghiryan, 77, German businessman, co-founder of coffee house Tchibo.
Members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed during the Loughgall ambush:{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Henry |title=True tale of IRA 'martyrs' revealed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/sep/29/northernireland1 |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=29 September 2002}}
Declan Arthurs, 21, Northern Irish IRA member, shot.
Patrick Joseph Kelly, 30, Northern Irish IRA commander, shot.
Jim Lynagh, 31, Northern Irish IRA member, shot.
Pádraig McKearney, 32, Northern Irish IRA member, shot.

=9=

Obafemi Awolowo, 78, Nigerian nationalist and statesman, Premier of Western Nigeria.{{cite news |author1= |title=Chief Obafemi Awolowo Dies; A Nigeria Nationalist Leader |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/11/obituaries/chief-obafemi-awolowo-dies-a-nigeria-nationalist-leader.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=11 May 1987 |page=D 11}}
Franz Bednar, 77, Austrian Olympic bobsledder (1936).
Paulus Kessels, 86, Dutch Olympic sports shooter (1936).
Jimmy Kruger, 69, South African lawyer and politician, President of the Senate.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/10/obituaries/jt-kruger-quelled-soweto-riot.html J.T. Kruger, Quelled Soweto Riot]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Noel Murless, 77, English racehorse trainer.[https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-40146 Murless, Sir (Charles Francis) Noel]. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
John M. Schiff, 82, American investment banker, partner in Kuhn, Loeb & Co., national president of the Boy Scouts of America.{{cite news |author1=William G. Blair |title=John Schiff, A Philanthropist and Investment Banker, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/10/obituaries/john-schiff-a-philanthropist-and-investment-banker-dies.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=10 May 1987 |page=1 30}}
Brian Shenton, 60, British Olympic sprinter (1952, 1956).

=10=

Sadamichi Hirasawa, 95, Japanese tempera painter, convicted of mass poisoning, pneumonia.{{cite news |author1= |title=Sadamichi Hirasawa Is Dead; Was on Death Row 32 Years |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/11/obituaries/sadamichi-hirasawa-is-dead-was-on-death-row-32-years.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=11 May 1987 |page=D 11}}
Nicolette Macnamara, 76, British artist and author.[https://www.dib.ie/biography/devas-nicolette-a2547 Devas, Nicolette]. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Wilhelm Strienz, 86, German bass operatic singer.

=11=

James Jesus Angleton, 69, American intelligence operative and C.I.A chief, cancer.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/12/obituaries/james-angleton-counterintelligence-figure-dies.html James Angleton, Counterintelligence Figure, Dies]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Alex Jeffery, 78, Canadian politician, member of the House of Commons of Canada (1949-1953).
Walter McMillen, 73, Northern Irish footballer.

=12=

Bob Farrar, 68, Australian rugby league footballer.
Victor Feldman, 53, English jazz musician, heart attack.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-14-mn-8746-story.html British-Born Jazz Prodigy Victor Feldman Dies]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Chinn Ho, 83, Hawaiian entrepreneur and businessman, owner of Honolulu Star-Bulletin, heart failure.{{cite news |author1=Wallace Turner |author-link1=Wallace Turner |title=Chinn Ho, 83, A Major Figure in Success of Hawaii's Asians|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/14/obituaries/chinn-ho-83-a-major-figure-in-success-of-hawaii-s-asians.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=14 May 1987 |page=D 26}}
Pierre Litoux, 84, French politician, member of the National Assembly (France) (1962-1968).
Giancarlo Marinelli, 71, Italian Olympic basketball player (1936, 1948).
Ion Pistol, 40, Romanian convicted murderer, executed.
Nora Rubashova, 78, Belarusian Catholic nun.[https://biographies.library.nd.edu/biographies/854 Biography of Nora Rubashova (Sister Catherine of Siena, OP)]. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Delos Thurber, 70, American Olympic high jumper (1936).
Robert Trimbole, 56, Australian businessman, drug baron and organized crime figure, heart attack.[https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/trimbole-robert-15555 Robert Trimbole (1931–1987)]. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Michel Van Wijnendaele, 27–28, Belgian mass murderer, suicide.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/13/world/gunman-kills-7-in-belgium.html Gunman Kills 7 in Belgium]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.

=13=

Signe Amundsen, 87, Norwegian soprano.
Norberto Bautista, 46, Argentine footballer.
F. R. Crawley, 75, Canadian film producer, cinematographer and director.
Richard Ellmann, 69, American literary critic and biographer of Irish writers, motor neurone disease.{{cite news |author1=Walter Goodman |title=Eminent James Joyce Scholar |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/14/obituaries/richard-ellmann-dies-at-69-eminent-james-joyce-scholar.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=14 May 1987 |page=D 26}}
Manín, 71, Spanish footballer.
Phil Moore, 69, American jazz pianist and bandleader, heart attack.{{cite news |author1= |title=Phil Moore |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/19/obituaries/phil-moore.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=19 May 1987 |page=D 30}}
Leo Norris, 78, American MLB player (Philadelphia Phillies).
Ismael Rivera, 55, Puerto Rican composer and salsa singer, heart attack.
Forbes Robinson, 60, British bass.
Elly Winter, 88, German communist and political activist.

=14=

Tsai Chen-chou, 40, Taiwanese politician and businessman, liver disease.
Patrick Delap, 55, Irish politician, member of the Dáil Éireann (1970-1973).
Kris Derrig, 33, American luthier and musician, cancer.
Rita Hayworth, 68, American actress and dancer (Gilda), complications from Alzheimer's disease.{{cite news |author1=Albin Krebs |title=Rita Hayworth, Movie Legend, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/16/obituaries/rita-hayworth-movie-legend-dies.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=16 May 1987 |page=1 10}}
Jānis Lipke, 87, Latvian rescuer of Jews in World War II.[https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/lipke.html Jan and Johana Lipke]. Yad Vashem (year of death only). Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Luke Sewell, 86, American Major league baseballer (Cleveland Indians).[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-15-sp-5165-story.html Names in the News - May 15, 1987]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Elizabeth Zarubina, 87, Soviet spy, traffic accident.
Vitomil Zupan, 73, Austro-Hungarian–born Slovene writer.

=15=

Elisabeth Bonetsmüller, 80, German Olympic high jumper (1928).
Wynne Gibson, 88, American actress, cerebral thrombosis.{{cite news |author1= |title=Wynne Gibson Is Dead; Stage and Film Actress |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/21/obituaries/wynne-gibson-is-dead-stage-and-film-actress.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=21 May 1987 |page=B 14}}
Raynor Johnson, 86, English-born Australian parapsychologist, physicist and author.[https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/johnson-raynor-carey-12700 Raynor Carey Johnson (1901–1987)]. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Kalyanakit Kitiyakara, 57, Thai cardiothoracic surgeon.[https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:379577/one?qu=%22rcs%3A+E007394%22&rt=false%7C%7C%7CIDENTIFIER%7C%7C%7CResource+Identifier Kitiyakara, Kalyanakit (1929 - 1987)]. Royal College of Surgeons of England. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Máire MacNeill, 82, Irish journalist, folklorist and translator.[https://www.dib.ie/biography/macneill-maire-a5281 MacNeill, Máire]. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Barry Mannakee, 39, British police officer with Royal Protection Squad, bodyguard to Diana, Princess of Wales, traffic accident.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/princess-diana-barry-mannakee-bodyguard-death-conspiracy-theory-theories-debunked-truth-mystery-estate-car-driver-found-staged-road-accident-crash-bumped-off-killed-murdered-channel-4-documentary-diana-in-her-a7893176.html Revealed: The truth behind the 'mystery car' conspiracy theory in Diana bodyguard death]. Independent. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
L. G. Pine, 79, British writer, lecturer and researcher.
Lionel Van Praag, 78, Australian motorcycle speedway champion.[https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/van-praag-lionel-maurice-van-15894 Lionel Maurice (Van) Van Praag (1908–1987)]. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.

=16=

Lionel Cooper, 65, Australian international rugby league footballer (Huddersfield, Australia).[https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/lionel-cooper/summary.html Lionel Cooper]. Rugby League Project. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Sir John Esmonde, 16th Baronet, 58, Irish politician, member of the Dáil Éireann (1973-1977).
Frank Mayborn, 83, American newspapers editor, publisher and broadcaster.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-galveston-daily-news-veteran-newsman/22173742/ Veteran newsman dies Frank Mayborn]. Newspapers.com (The Galveston Daily News). Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Willie Powell, 83, American baseball player.
Ronnie Shakes, 40, American stand up comedian, heart attack.
Michael Wood, 69, British medical doctor, cancer.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/20/obituaries/dr-michael-wood-a-founder-of-east-africa-flying-doctors.html Dr. Michael Wood, A Founder of East Africa Flying Doctors]. New York Times. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.

=17=

Wilbur J. Cohen, 73, American social scientist and civil servant, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.{{cite news |author1=Wolfgang Saxon |title=Wilbur Cohen, Leading Architect of Social Legislation, Dies AT 73 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/19/obituaries/wilbur-cohen-leading-architect-of-social-legislation-dies-at-73.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=19 May 1987 |page=D 30}}
Gunnar Myrdal, 88, Swedish economist, Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences.{{cite news |author1= |title=Gunnar Myrdal, Analyst of Race Crisis, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/18/obituaries/gunnar-myrdal-analyst-of-race-crisis-dies.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=18 May 1987 |page=A 1}}
Dudley C. Sharp, 82, American Secretary of the Air Force, cancer.{{cite news |author1=Joan Cook |title=Dudley C. Sharp, Executive and Ex-Air Force Secretary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/19/obituaries/dudley-c-sharp-executive-and-ex-air-force-secretary.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=19 May 1987 |page=D 30}}
Okkie van Greunen, 53, South African Olympic modern pentathlete (1956, 1960).

=18=

Mahdi Amel, 51, Lebanese Marxist philosopher and militant, assassinated.
Heðin Brú, 86, Faroese novelist and translator.[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hedin-Bru Hedin Brú]. Britannica. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Hossein Fardoust, 70, Iranian military officer, deputy head of SAVAK, heart attack.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/05/22/deaths-elsewhere/cc0ef3f3-d31e-4136-b743-d77ce02b8196/ Deaths Elsewhere]. Washington Post. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Santo Mazzarino, 71, Italian historian.

=19=

David Abbott, 85, American Olympic long distance runner (1928).
James Everett Chase, 73, American politician, Mayor of Spokane, cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=James E. Chase|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/23/obituaries/james-e-chase.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=23 May 1987 |page=1 32}}
Hamid Reza Chitgar, 38, Iranian communist politician, exiled to France, assassinated.
Francis Cottam, 86, English cricketer.
Deepak Dhawan, 32, Indian political activist, member of the Communist Party of India, murdered.
Almerigo Grilz, 34, Italian politician and independent war correspondent, killed in war zone.[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/06/04/Foreign-News-Briefs/9495549777600/ Foreign News Briefs]. United Press International. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Raúl Kamffer, 58, Mexican film director and writer.
Huntington D. Sheldon, 84, American C.I.A. director of Current Intelligence, murdered.[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1987/05/20/writer-kills-mate-herself-in-death-pact-alice-sheldon-wrote-as-james-tiptree-jr/ Writer Kills Mate, Herself in Death Pact Alice Sheldon Wrote as James Tiptree Jr.]. source. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Stanisław Szukalski, 93, Polish-American sculptor and painter.[https://www.polishmuseumofamerica.org/remembering-stanislaw-szukalski-a-colorful-figure-in-polish-art-history/ Remembering Stanisław Szukalski: A Colorful Figure in Polish Art History]. Polish Museum of America. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
James Tiptree, Jr., (Alice Bradley Sheldon), 71, American science fiction and fantasy author, suicide.[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1987/05/20/writer-kills-mate-herself-in-death-pact-alice-sheldon-wrote-as-james-tiptree-jr/ Writer Kills Mate, Herself in Death Pact Alice Sheldon Wrote as James Tiptree Jr.]. source. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.

=20=

Otto Carlmar, 84, Norwegian film producer and writer.
William Creighton, 77, American Anglican bishop, heart attack.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/05/22/bishop-william-f-creighton-dies/415451ce-3939-477e-8b78-5f34d1bc0fde/ Bishop William F. Creighton Dies]. Washington Post. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Fränz Ehringer, 58, Luxembourgian Olympic boxer (1948).
Emőke Énekes-Szegedi, 39, Hungarian Olympic volleyball player (1972, 1980).
Harvey Goldberg, 65, American historian and political activist, liver cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Harvey Goldberg|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/24/obituaries/harvey-goldberg.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=24 May 1987 |page=1 28}}
Herbert Jacobs, 84, American journalist for the Milwaukee Journal, professor of journalism, cancer.{{cite news |author1=Albert Scardino |author-link1=Albert Scardino |title=Herbert Jacobs, 30's Reporter Who Reshaped Architecture|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/27/obituaries/herbert-jacobs-30-s-reporter-who-reshaped-architecture.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=27 May 1987 |page=B 8}}
Ganpatrao Jadhav, 79, Indian freedom activist, journalist and writer.
Edward Earl Johnson, 26, American convicted murderer, executed.[https://abcnews.go.com/2020/executioners-story/story?id=124043 Executioners Tell Their Story]. ABC News. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Elmer Ray, 76, American heavyweight boxer.
George Shibata, 60, American military officer, attorney and actor.[https://defender.west-point.org/service/display.mhtml?u=18313&i=3808 George Shibata]. West-Point. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Ma Sicong, 75, Chinese violinist and composer, died during heart operation.[http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/224727.htm Bittersweet Homecoming for Ma Sicong]. china.org.cn. Retrieved 29 Jul 2024.
Colston Warne, 86, American professor of economics.{{cite news |author1=Edward Hudson |title=Consumer Leader |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/21/obituaries/ce-warne-dies-consumer-leader.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=21 May 1987 |page=B 14}}

=21=

Archie Carr, 77, American herpetologist and ecologist, professor of zoology, cancer.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/23/obituaries/archie-carr-zoologist-dies-devoted-career-to-sea-turtle.html Archie Carr, Zoologist, Dies; Devoted Career to Sea Turtle]. New York Times. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Finis Alonzo Crutchfield Jr., 70, American clergyman and bishop (United Methodist Church), AIDS.[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1987/05/24/the-rev-finis-alonzo-crutchfield-jr-70/ The Rev. Finis Alonzo Crutchfield Jr., 70]. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Ron Frederickson, 68, Australian rugby league footballer.
Alejandro Rey, 57, Argentinian-American actor and television director, lung cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Alejandro Rey Is Dead; A Film and a TV Actor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/24/obituaries/alejandro-rey-is-dead-a-film-and-a-tv-actor.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=24 May 1987 |page=1 28}}

=22=

Paddy Belton, 60, Irish politician, Lord Mayor of Dublin.[https://www.dib.ie/biography/belton-paddy-a9972 Belton, Paddy]. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Thornton Freeland, 89, American film director.
Frank Jenkins, 68, Australian rules footballer.
Stewart Menaul, 71, British RAF officer.
Heinrich Mückter, 72, German medical doctor and pharmacologist, developed thalidomide.[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/14/-sp-thalidomide-pill-how-evaded-justice Thalidomide: how men who blighted lives of thousands evaded justice]. The Guardian (year of death only). Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Ernst Nagelschmitz, 85, German Olympic footballer (1928).
Keidrych Rhys, 71, Welsh literary journalist, editor and poet, editor of periodical Wales.[https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-62357 Jones, William Ronald Rees [pseud. Keidrych Rhys]]. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.

=24=

Alan Samuel Butler, 88, British aviator, chairman of De Havilland Aircraft Company.
James J. Delaney, 86, American politician, chair of the House Rules Committee.{{cite news |author1=Winston Williams |title=James J. Delaney, 86, A Democrat and Former Queens Congressman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/25/obituaries/james-j-delaney-86-a-democrat-and-former-queens-congressman.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=25 May 1987 |page=1 37}}
Hermione Gingold, 89, English actress, heart problems complicated by pneumonia.{{cite news |author1=Wolfgang Saxon |title=Hermione Gingold, English Actress, Dies at 89 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/25/obituaries/hermione-gingold-english-actress-dies-at-89.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=25 May 1987 |page=1 37}}
Siegmund Klein, 85, German-born American bodybuilder and magazine publisher, cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Siegmund Klein |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/28/obituaries/siegmund-klein.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=28 May 1987 |page=D 23}}
Lajos Ligeti, 64, Hungarian orientalist and philologist.[https://www.jstor.org/stable/43282453 In Memoriam Lajos Ligeti (1902-1987)]. JSTOR (Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae). Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Thomas Burdett Money-Coutts, 85, English peer.
Eugen Relgis, 92, Romanian writer and pacifist philosopher.

=25=

Charley Brock, 71, American NFL footballer (Green Bay Packers).[https://www.packers.com/history/hof/charley-brock Charley Brock]. Green Bay Packers. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Winthrop G. Brown, 79, American lawyer and diplomat, U.S. Ambassador to Korea and Laos.{{cite news |author1= |title=Winthrop G. Brown, Ex-State Dept. Official |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/27/obituaries/winthrop-g-brown-ex-state-dept-official.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=27 May 1987 |page=B 8}}
Hugh Lester Campbell, 78, Canadian air marshal in the Royal Canadian Air Force and politician.[https://www.rcafassociation.ca/about-us/governance/national-advisory-council-nac/honorary-national-presidents/hugh-lester-campbell/ Campbell, Hugh Lester]. Royal Canadian Air Force Association. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Peter Coe, 58, English director and actor, car accident.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/03/obituaries/peter-coe-theater-director-staged-oliver-on-broadway.html Peter Coe, Theater Director; Staged 'Oliver' on Broadway]. New York Times. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Peter Gerald Charles Dickens, 70, English Royal Navy officer during World War II.[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oZTG1-eeJKqMtBFheK-cc-sXIPPwfupk/view?usp=sharing Gravestone: Peter Gerald Charles Dickens 25.5.87]. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Hermann Glöckner, 98, German painter and sculptor.
William Kelly Harrison Jr., 91, American U.S. Army general.[https://alumni.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=e0c928e5-9653-4ffd-965b-1374c636ace1 William K. Harrison Jr. Apr 1917]. West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Sylvi Palo, 76, Finnish stage and film actress.
Don Sidle, 40, American ABA basketballer (Miami Floridians).[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sidledo01.html Don Sidle]. Basketball Reference. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Paweł Tuchlin, 41, Polish serial killer, hanged.

=26=

Antoni Brzeżańczyk, 68, Polish footballer and manager.
Rose Chan, 62, Chinese-born Malaysian cabaret dancer.
Alvin Duke Chandler, 84, American Navy officer, president of the College of William & Mary.[https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/modern-biographical-files-ndl/modern-bios-c/chandler-alvin-duke.html Alvin Duke Chandler]. United States Navy. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Rolando da Cruz, 56, Brazilian Olympic water polo player (1960).
Paul Rimstead, 51–52, Canadian journalist (Toronto Sun), hemorrhage.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-whig-standard-rimstead-obit/94899923/?locale=en-AU Rimstead obit incl fam details]. Newspapers.com (The Kingston Whig-Standard). Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Arthur M. Sackler, 73, American psychiatrist and marketer of pharmaceuticals, heart attack.{{cite news |author1=Grace Glueck |author-link1=Grace Glueck |title=Philanthropist and Art Patron |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/27/obituaries/dr-arthur-sackler-dies-at-73-philanthropist-and-art-patron.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=27 May 1987 |page=B 8}}
Robert Wilkins, 91, American country blues guitarist and vocalist.
Ajita Wilson, 37, American transgender actress, brain hemorrhage.

=27=

Alvin C. Eurich, 84, American educator, president of the State University of New York.{{cite news |author1= |title=Alvin C. Eurich Dead; Former State U. Chief |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/29/obituaries/alvin-c-eurich-dead-former-state-u-chief.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=29 May 1987 |page=B 6}}
Harry Fritz, 66, American collegiate athletics administrator and coach.
Jack Heid, 62, American Olympic cyclist (1948).
Colin McCahon, 67, New Zealand artist.[https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5m4/mccahon-colin-john Story: McCahon, Colin John]. Te Ara - Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
John Howard Northrop, 95, American biochemist, Nobel laureate in Chemistry, suicide.{{cite news |author1= |title=Dr. John H. Northrop, Nobel Laureate, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/16/obituaries/dr-john-h-northrop-nobel-laureate-dies.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=16 July 1987 |page=D 22}}
Richard Bruce Nugent, 80, American writer and painter.[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Nugent Richard Nugent]. Britannica. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Fatemeh Pahlavi, 58, Iranian royal, cancer.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/03/obituaries/fatemeh-pahlevi-dies-at-58-a-half-sister-to-shah-of-iran.html Fatemeh Pahlevi Dies at 58, A Half Sister to Shah of Iran]. New York Times. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.

=28=

Billie Fulford, 72, New Zealand cricketer.
Mikuláš Kucsera, 84, Czechoslovak Olympic athlete (1924).
Léon Lambert, 58, Belgian banker and art collector, AIDS.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/01/obituaries/baron-leon-lambert-banker-collected-art.html Baron Leon Lambert; Banker Collected Art]. New York Times. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Charles Ludlam, 44, American actor, director and playwright, pneumonia (AIDS).{{cite news |author1=Jeremy Gerard |title=Charles Ludlam, 44, Avant-Garde Artist of Theater, is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/29/obituaries/charles-ludlam-44-avant-garde-artist-of-theater-is-dead.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=29 May 1987 |page=A 1}}
Arthur Matsu, 83, American NFL footballer (Dayton Triangles) and coach.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-obituary-for-arthur-a/46628663/ Obituary for Arthur A. Matsu (Aged 83)]. Newspapers.com (Arizona Republic). Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Frits Ruimschotel, 65, Dutch Olympic water polo player (1948).
James Saunders, 55, Canadian Olympic boxer (1952).
Ronald Thomas, 71, Australian cricketer.

=29=

Juan José Martínez Casado, 83, Cuban actor.
Jean Delay, 79, French psychiatrist, neurologist and writer.[https://www.encyclopedia.com/psychology/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/delay-jean-1907-1987 Delay, Jean (1907-1987)]. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Jozef Langenus, 88, Belgian Olympic middle-distance runner (1928).
Vettam Mani, 65, Indian scholar and writer.
Jack Sheehan, 94, American MLB player, (Brooklyn Robins).
Charan Singh, 84, Prime Minister of India, cardiovascular collapse.{{cite news |author1=Steven R. Weisman, Special To the New York Times |title=India's Fifth Prime Minister |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/30/obituaries/charan-singh-dies-at-age-85-india-s-fifth-prime-minister.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=30 May 1987 |page=1 36}}
Godfrey Surman, 72, English cricketer.
Phyllis Tate, 76, English composer.

=30=

Frank Carlson, 94, American politician, member of U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.{{cite news |author1=Marvine Howe |author-link1=Marvine Howe |title=Served 3 Terms as Senator from Kansas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/31/obituaries/frand-carlson-dies-at-94-served-3-terms-as-senator-from-kansas.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=31 May 1987 |page=1 32}}
George Davis-Goff, 81, New Zealand navy officer.
Dewanohana Kuniichi, 78, Japanese sumo wrestler.
Bill Gutteron, 87, American NFL player.
Eliot Hodgkin, 81, English painter.
Miyuki Ishikawa, 90, Japanese midwife, real estate agent and serial killer.
Honorino Landa, 44, Chilean international footballer (Unión Española, Chile), cancer.[https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/47795/Honorino_Landa.html Honorino Landa Honorino Landa Vera (Player)]. National Football Teams. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Frank Licht, 71, American politician, Governor of Rhode Island, cancer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Led Rhode Island in Late 60's |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/31/obituaries/frank-licht-an-ex-governor-led-rhode-island-in-late-60-s.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=31 May 1987 |page=1 32}}
Hallam L. Movius, 79, American archaeologist.[https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/12042/chapter/13 Hallam Leonard Movius Jr.]. National Academies Press. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Turk Murphy, 71, American trombonist and bandleader, bone cancer.{{cite news |author1=John T. McQuiston |title=Turk Murphy, A Trombonist and a Figure in Jazz Revival |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/01/obituaries/turk-murphy-a-trombonist-and-a-figure-in-jazz-revival.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=1 June 1987 |page=B 10}}
Norman Nicholson, 73, English poet.[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oiCcwUQgwmo9tT3eMBbR0sP_FDRfcNsK/view?usp=sharing Gravestone: Norman Cornthwaite Nicholson 30.5.87]. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Cliff Simpson, 64, Canadian NHL player (Detroit Red Wings).
Hilde Weissner, 77, German actress.

=31=

John Abraham, 49, Indian filmmaker, short story writer and screenwriter, complications from a fall.
Jerry Adair, 50, American Major League baseballer (Baltimore Orioles), liver cancer.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-02-sp-4207-story.html Names in the News - June 2, 1987]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Hubert Raymond Allen, 68, British Royal Air Force officer.[https://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/AllenHR.htm The Airmen's Stories - P/O H R Allen]. Battle of Britain Monument. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Hilton Curran, 72, Australian rugby league footballer.
Charles Drew, 70, British cardiothoracic surgeon, throat cancer.[https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:379381/one?qu=%22rcs%3A+E007198%22&rt=false%7C%7C%7CIDENTIFIER%7C%7C%7CResource+Identifier Drew, Charles Edwin (1916 - 1987)]. Royal College of Surgeons of England. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Wilbur Evans, 81, American actor and singer.{{cite news |author1= |title=Wilbur Evans Is Dead; A Singer on Broadway |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/03/obituaries/wilbur-evans-is-dead-a-singer-on-broadway.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=3 June 1987 |page=B 10}}
Elisabeth Friske, 47, West German airline pilot, first female commercial pilot in West Germany, plane crash.[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/ungluecke/flugzeugunglueck-vor-50-jahren-das-wunder-von-hasloh-17514862.html Absturz auf der Autobahn]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. {{In lang|de}} Retrieved 10 April 2025
Len Hamilton, 87, Australian politician, member of the Australian House of Representatives (1946-1961).
Gertrude Jones Hawk, 83–84, American candy maker and entrepreneur (Gertrude Hawk Chocolates).
Kolbein Lauring, 72, Norwegian resistance member during World War II.[https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/71934/Lauring-Kolbein-Widrik.htm Lauring, Kolbein Widrik]. Traces of War. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Dorothy Patrick, 65, Canadian-born American film actress (Till the Clouds Roll By), heart attack.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-06-mn-5221-story.html Actress Dorothy Patrick; Featured in ‘40s, ‘50s Films]. L.A. Times. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.
Domenico Piemontesi, 84, Italian road bicycle racer.
Roy Winsor, 75, American soap opera writer, producer and mystery novelist (Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life), heart attack.{{cite news |author1=C. Gerald Fraser |title=Roy Winsor, Writer and a TV Producer of Daytime Serials |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/03/obituaries/roy-winsor-writer-and-a-tv-producer-of-daytime-serials.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=3 June 1987 |page=B 10}}

=Unknown date=

Sunny Harnett, 63, American model and actress, injuries sustained in a fire.
Dev Raj Singh Thakur, Indian Air Force warrant officer, killed the killer of Mahatma Gandhi.[https://www.deccanherald.com/archives/no-breadwinner-national-heros-family-2310092 No breadwinner for national hero's family]. Deccan Herald. Retrieved 30 Jul 2024.

References

*1987-05