Deaths in 2003
See also:
Other events of 2003
...
Deaths in 2002
Deaths in 2003
Deaths in 2004
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The following is a list of figures who died in 2003.
| Contents |
December 2003
- 31
- Arthur R. von Hippel, 105, German-born scientist and MIT professor who made critical contributions to the development of radar
- Bríd Durrane, 109, the oldest person to receive a university degree and write an autobiography (both at 103), last surviving person who knew the leaders of Ireland's 1916 Uprising personally [1]
- Rein Helme, 49, Estonian war historian
- Terje Soots, 38, Estonian radio host
- 30
- David Bale, 62, activist
- John Gregory Dunne, 71, American novelist and screenwriter
- Anita Mui, 40, Hong Kong pop queen
- 29
- Archbishop Michael Courtney, 58, Irish-born Papal Nuncio to Burundi who was central to peace negotiations, assassinated
- Earl Hindman, 61, U.S. actor, played "Wilson" on Home Improvement TV series
- Bob Monkhouse, 75, British comedian and game show host
- 28
- Benjamin Hacker, 68, First U.S. Naval Flight Officer (NFO) to achieve Flag rank.
- Isabelle Stevenson, chairman of the board of the American Theatre Wing, presenters of the Tony Awards [2]
- Dinsdale Landen, 71, British actor
- 27
- Vestal Goodman, 74, Queen of Southern Gospel music
- Ivan Calderon, 41, Puerto Rican former major league baseball star
- Sir Alan Bates, British actor
- 26
- 24 Linda Viiding, 97, Estonian translator
- 22 Dave Dudley, 75, Country music singer
- 20 John Halfpenny, 68, Australian unionist
- 19
- Hope Lange, actress in Peyton Place
- Peter Carter-Ruck, 89, UK libel lawyer
- 17
- Ed Devereaux, Australian actor
- Otto Graham, 82, Cleveland Browns football quarterback during the 1950s
- 16
- Gary Stewart, 58, Country music singer (suicide)
- Robert Stanfield, Canadian politician
- 15
- Keith Magnuson, 56, former National Hockey League player (car accident)
- George Fisher, U.S. political cartoonist
- 14
- Jeanne Crain, 78, Oscar-nominated actress
- Blas Ople, 75, foreign minister of the Philippines
- 13
- Elizabeth Bates, 56, Professor of Psychology at University of California, San Diego
- William V. Roth, Jr., former U.S. Senator, known for Kemp-Roth Tax Cut and Roth IRA
- 12
- Keiko, 27, orca of Reino Aventura and Free Willy fame
- Heydar Aliyev, 80, former President of Azerbaijan
- Fadwa Toukan, 86, Palestinian poet
- Earl Gillespie, 81, sportscaster, voice of the Milwaukee Braves
- 11
- Ahmadou Kourouma, author from Côte d'Ivoire
- John W. Sidgmore, former head of Worldcom and UUNet
- Paulos Tzadua, Roman Catholic cardinal from Ethiopia
- 9 Paul Simon, 75, former U.S. Senator from Illinois
- 8
- Rubén González, 84, Cuban pianist, member of the Buena Vista Social Club
- Johnny Bulla, 89, golfer
- 7
- Raúl Vale, 59, Venezuelan-Mexican entertainer
- Carl F. H. Henry, 90, American Evangelical theologian, founder of Christianity Today magazine
- Azie Taylor Morton, 67, former Treasurer of the United States
- 6
- Jose-Maria Jimenez, 32, professional cyclist
- Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio, 85, President of Guatemala 1970-74
- Jerry Tuite, 36, professional wrestler
- 5 Bert Templeton, 63, ice hockey coach
- 3 David Hemmings, actor
- 2 Ignaz Kiechle, German politician, minister for agriculture 1983-93
- 1 Clark Kerr, 92, first Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, 1952-58, and President of the University of California, 1958-67
November 2003
- 30
- Barber B. Conable, New York Congressman, president of the World Bank from 1986-1991 (81 years)
- Gertrude Ederle, first woman to swim the English Channel (97 years)
- 28 Harold von Braunhut, American, creator of Amazing Sea-Monkeys and other comic book kitsch, member of the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations
- 27
- Talal al-Rasheed, Saudi poet (41 years?)
- Will Quadflieg, German actor
- Tiny Sam, Wrestler, alumni of Dungeon of Doom
- 26
- Stefan Wul, French science fiction writer (81 years)
- Soulja Slim, rapper
- Anton Burg, USC chemistry professor (99 years)
- William H. Waldren, archaeologist (79 years)
- 24
- Hugh Kenner, literary critic (80 years)
- Warren Spahn, baseball pitcher (82 years)
- Floquet de Neu or Copito de Nieve ("Snowflake"), rare albino gorilla, star of the Barcelona zoo [3]
- Uma Devi, popularly known as Tuntun, Indian actress (80 years)
- 21 Bohumil Simon, one of the leaders of the Prague Spring (83 years)
- 20
- David Dacko, first president of the Central African Republic (73 years)
- Robert Addie, British actor (43 years)
- Eugene Kleiner, entrepreneur and co-founder of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers venture capital firm (80 years)
- Roger Short, British diplomat, consul-general in Istanbul (58 years)
- Kerem Yilmazer, Turkish actor (58 years)
- 19 Ken Brett, former Major League Baseball player, brother of George Brett (55 years)
- 18 Michael Kamen, composer
- 17
- Arthur Conley, soul singer
- Don Gibson, singer-songwriter
- 16
- Bettina Goislard, UNHCR relief worker (29 years)
- Fukuda, Arihiro, Japanese associate professor and author of Sovereignty and the Sword (39 years)
- 15
- Ray Lewis, first Canadian-born black Olympic medalist
- Mohamed Choukri, writer
- Laurence Tisch, billionaire, head of Loews Corporation and CBS television network
- Dorothy Loudon, actress
- 14 Gene Anthony Ray, actor and dancer
- 13
- Kellie Waymire, actress (Star Trek: Enterprise) (35 years)
- Mitoyo Kawate, oldest recognized person in the world (114 years)
- 12
- Tony Thompson, drummer for The Power Station
- Penny Singleton, actress (95 years)
- David Silvetti, Mexican bullfighter, committed suicide
- Jonathan Brandis, actor, reportedly suicide (27 years)
- 10
- Canaan Banana, first president of independent Zimbabwe (67 years)
- Irv "Kup" Kupcinet, columnist, television personality (91 years)
- 9
- Gordon Onslow Ford, surrealist painter (90 years)
- Mario Merz, Italian artist
- Art Carney, The Honeymooners actor (85 years)
- Buddy Arnold, jazz saxophonist
- 8
- Hava Rexha, oldest woman in Albania, maybe in the world (123 years?)
- C. Z. Guest, socialite (83 years)
- 6
- Eduardo Palomo, Mexican actor (41 years)
- Crash Holly, professional wrestler (32 years)
- Rie Mastenbroek, Dutch swimmer, triple Olympic champion (84 years)
- 5
- Bobby Hatfield, half of the singing duet, the Righteous Brothers (63 years)
- Dernell Stenson, Cincinnati Reds baseball player
- 4
- Angel Chingre, Ecuadorian campesino leader, human rights activist
- Mitch Rosario, Puerto Rican hair stylist who worked with Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio among others
- Ken Gampu, South African actor
- Richard Wollheim, British philosopher (80 years)
- 3 Rasul Gamzatov, Avarian/Soviet/Russian poet, called the "People's poet of Dagestan" (80 years)
- 2 Frederic Vester, German cybernetician (77 years)
October 2003
- 31
- Mohamed Yazid, Algerian politician, 80 years old
- Richard Neustadt, political scholar and historian
- Kamato Hongo, oldest recognized person in world at 116
- 30
- Daphne Hardy Henrion, British sculptor, 86 years old
- Franco Corelli, operatic tenor, 82 years old
- 29 Hal Clement, author, 81 years
- 28 Behram Kursunoglu, Turkish physicist, 81 years old
- 27 Rod Roddy, booth announcer on The Price is Right
- 26 Elem Klimov, Russian director
- 24 Rosie Nix Adams, daughter of June Carter Cash
- 23
- Tony Capstick, British actor, comedian, musician and broadcaster
- Soong May-ling, widow of the Nationalist Chinese president Chiang Kai-shek, 106 years
- 21
- Louise Day Hicks, US politician
- Fred Berry, American actor, "Rerun" on the show What's Happening!!
- Elliott Smith, US musician, 34 years
- Luis A. Ferré, former governor of Puerto Rico, 99 years
- 20 Jack Elam, American actor, 84 years
- 19
- Margaret Murie, "Mother of the Modern Conservationist Movement" 101 years
- Faith Fancher, television journalist and breast cancer awareness activist, 53 years
- Michael Hegstrand, "Road Warrior Hawk", 46 years
- Alija Izetbegovic, former President of Bosnia Herzegovina
- 18
- Preston Smith, former governor of Texas
- Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Spanish writer
- 16
- Stu Hart, patriarch of wrestling family, 88 years
- László Papp, Hungarian boxer
- Avni Arbas, Turkish artist
- 14 Ben Metcalfe, Greenpeace activist and co-founder
- 13
- Bertram Brockhouse, Nobel Prize-winning Canadian physicist [4]
- Joan B. Kroc, philanthropist, widow of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc
- 12
- Willie Shoemaker, Hall of Fame jockey
- Jim Cairns, Australian politician
- 11 Fredy Knie, Sr., Swiss circus director
- 10 Eugene Istomin, American pianist
- 9 Carolyn Gold Heilbrun, American academic and author
- 7
- Frank Roe, former President of the Irish Circuit Court
- Eleanor Lambert, U.S. fashion pioneer
- Izzy Asper, Canadian press baron [5]
- Felicitas Corrigan, Benedictine nun
- 6 Mildred O'Neill, widow of former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill
- 5
- Matthew Brown, 29, Latin Teacher
- Neil Postman, media critic
- Elena Slough, oldest recognized American, aged 114
- Denis Quilley, British actor
- Dan Snyder, Atlanta Thrashers hockey player
- 4
- Sid McMath, former governor of Arkansas
- James Forlong, former British reporter for Sky News, who was accused of faking a news report during the invasion of Iraq, in an apparent suicide
- Bill Cayton, American boxing manager, owner of (reportedly) largest fight video collection in the world, former manager of Edwin Rosario and Mike Tyson
- 3 William Steig, American cartoonist and children's author; creator of Shrek
- 2
- John T. Dunlop, briefly Secretary of Labor under Gerald Ford
- Gunther Philipp, Austrian actor
September 2003
- 30
- Gilbert Ortega, jewelry tycoon, country singer
- Robert Kardashian, criminal defense lawyer
- 28
- Yukichi Chuganji, 114 years
- Elia Kazan, director
- Althea Gibson, tennis player
- 27 Donald O'Connor, entertainer, actor
- 26 Robert Palmer, singer
- 25
- George Plimpton, author, editor
- Franco Modigliani, Nobel Prize-winning economist
- Aquila al-Hashimi, Iraqi politician, member of the Governing Council
- 24
- Derek Prince, author, biblical scholar and spiritual patriarch, 88 years
- Tomás MacGabhann, Irish Trade Unionist and Irish language activist
- Edward Said, Palestinian scholar
- 22
- Hugo Young, British political commentator
- Gordon Jump, American actor
- Johan Stekelenburg, Dutch union leader and politician
- 21 Robert H. Lochner, John F. Kennedy's interpreter
- 20
- Lord Williams of Mostyn, British Cabinet minister, Leader of the House of Lords
- Liam Tobin, longtime Árd Rúnaí Roinn na Gaeltachta (Secretary to the Irish Department of the Gaeltacht) and Irish language campaigner
- Simon Vengai Muzenda, Zimbabwe politician, vice president of the Republic since 1987
- 19 Slim Dusty, Australian country music singer
- 18 Valve Janov, Estonian painter
- 16
- Erich Hallhuber, Bavarian actor
- Sheb Wooley, actor, singer of 1958 pop hit Purple People Eater
- Tommy Rawson, boxer, referee
- 15
- Jack Brymer, British clarinettist
- Yetunde Price, sister of American tennis-players Venus and Serena Williams
- 13 Frank O'Bannon, Governor of Indiana
- 12
- Johnny Cash, American country singer
- Rev Prof Norman Walker Porteous, theologian and writer on Old Testament issues
- 11
- Ben Bril, Dutch boxer
- John Ritter, American actor, played Jack Tripper on Three's Company
- Anna Lindh, Swedish foreign minister
- 10 Harry Goz, cartoon voice actor
- 9
- Larry Hovis, actor, played Carter on Hogan's Heroes
- Edward Teller, American physicist, "Father of the H-Bomb"
- 8
- Leni Riefenstahl, German filmmaker
- Jaclyn Linetsky, Canadian voice actor, provided voice of cartoon character Caillou
- 7
- Warren Zevon, singer and songwriter
- The Great Antonio, strongman and eccentric
- 6 Wilbur Snapp, stadium organist kicked out of game by umpire for playing Three Blind Mice
- 5 Gisele MacKenzie, singer
- 4 Tibor Varga, violinist, conductor and pedagogue
- 3 Paul Hill, executed for two anti-abortion murders
- 1 Sir Terry Frost, British artist
August 2003
- 30
- Steve Eisner, boxing promoter
- Charles Bronson, actor
- Donald Davidson (philosopher)
- 29 Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim
- 28
- Patrick William Feeney, United States college basketball player
- Barry Voorhies, Arena football player
- 27 Pierre Poujade, French politician
- 26 Jim Wacker, American football college coach
- 24
- Sir Wilfred Thesiger, British explorer
- Mal Colston, Australian politician
- 23
- John Geoghan, defrocked pedophile priest
- Bobby Bonds, former baseball player and father of San Francisco Giants ballplayer Barry Bonds
- Michael Kijana Wamalwa, Kenyan Vice-President
- Imperio Argentina, Spanish singer and actress
- Jack Dyer, Australian Rules Football legend
- 22 Arnold Gerschwiler, figure skating trainer in Britain
- 21
- Wesley Willis, American schizophrenic musician and artist
- Kathy Wilkes, Oxford philosopher and education worker in Eastern Europe
- 20 António Pedro Ferreira, Portugal President of Portuguese Custom Broker Association
- 19
- Hermann Withalm, Austrian politician
- Carlos Roberto Reina, former president of Honduras
- Sérgio Vieira de Mello, United Nations Special Representative to Iraq
- 16
- Idi Amin, former dictator of Uganda
- Connie Douglas Reeves, centenarian member of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
- 15 Bishop Donal Lamont, Irish born Rhodesian Catholic bishop and Nobel Peace Prize nominee expelled by Ian Smith's apartheid regime in the 1970s
- 13
- Helmut Rahn, German soccer player, World Champion 1954
- Ed Townsend, songwriter and producer
- 11
- Kieran Kelly, Irish jump jockey after a racing accident
- Diana Mitford, widow of British Fascist leader Oswald Mosley
- Herb Brooks, coach of 1980 Miracle on Ice US Hockey team
- Armand Borel, notable Swiss mathematician
- 10 Carmita Jimenez, Puerto Rican singer
- 9
- Gregory Hines, actor, dancer
- Ray Harford, football manager
- 5
- Tite Curet Alonso, well known Puerto Rican music composer, critic, newspaper writer
- Lee Muñoz, former first son of Puerto Rico (son of Luis Muñoz Marín), foundation leader
- 4
- Metropolitan Antony, Metropolitan of SUROZH
- Chung Mong-hun, Korean businessman
- 2
- Don Estelle, actor who played 'Lofty' in the BBC's It Ain't Half Hot Mum
- Mike Levey, famous infomercial host
- 1
- Guy Thys, former Belgian national football coach.
- Marie Trintignant, French actress and daughter of actor Jean-Louis Trintignant
July 2003
- 30 Sam Phillips, record producer
- 29 Foday Sankoh, Sierra Leonean rebel leader
- 28
- Erik Braunn, Iron Butterfly guitarist
- Lady Valerie Goulding, former Irish Senator and campaigner for the disabled
- 27
- Bob Hope, comedian and actor
- Vance Hartke, former U.S. Senator from Indiana
- 25
- Ludwig Bölkow, airplane engineer
- John Schlesinger, director
- 24 Colin R. McMillan, nominee for United States Secretary of the Navy
- 23
- Othniel Askew, killer of James E. Davis
- James E. Davis, New York City councilman
- 22
- Uday Hussein son of Saddam Hussein
- Qusay Hussein son of Saddam Hussein
- 21
- Walter M. "Matt" Jefferies, art director for the original Star Trek series and designer of the Starship Enterprise
- John Davies, president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee
- 20
- Nicolas Freeling, crime writer
- Lauri Aus, Estonian pro cyclist
- 19
- Pierre Graber, former member of the Swiss Federal Council (1970-1978)
- Bill Bright, evangelist, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ
- 18
- Brad Rone, boxer, became famous after death
- Jane Barbe, phone company voiceover
- 17
- Rosalyn Tureck, American pianist and harpsichordist and champion of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach
- Dr. David Kelly, former UN weapons inspector who was accused of leaking information to the BBC about the UK's dossier on Iraq's purported weapons of mass destruction
- Eamonn Leahy, 46 year old top Irish barrister and husband of government Chief Whip Mary Hanafin
- 16
- Captain James Kelly, former Irish Army officer cleared of attempting to import arms for the IRA in the Arms Trial in 1970
- Carol Shields, Canadian author
- Celia Cruz, Cuban legendary salsa singer
- 14
- Tex Schramm, former Dallas Cowboys president and general manager
- André Claveau, French singer
- 13 Compay Segundo, Cuban musician and star of the Buena Vista Social Club
- 12 Benny Carter, American jazz pioneer
- 11
- Zahra Kazemi, Iranian-born Canadian journalist
- Ken Whyld, British chess author
- 10 Lord Shawcross, Britain's chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials
- 9 Winston Graham, author of Poldark and Marnie
- 8
- Dr. William Boyd, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
- Ladan and Laleh Bijani, Iranian conjoined twins
- 7 Izhak Graziani, conductor
- 6 Buddy Ebsen, American actor
- 5
- Roman Lyashenko, New York Rangers hockey player
- Bebu Silvetti, popular hispanic musician, songwriter
- Isabelle, Countess of Paris, widow of Henri, Count of Paris, pretender to the French throne
- 4
- Larry Burkett, founder of Christian Financial Concepts
- Barry White, smooth soul singer
- 3
- Gaetano Alibrandi, papal diplomat and Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Ireland
- Naheeb Halabi, chairman of Pan Am from 1969 to 1972, father of Queen Noor
- 1
- Wesley Mouzon, former professional boxer, 76 years old, beat Bob Montgomery
- Herbie Mann, crossover jazz and bossa nova flutist
- N!xau, Namibian actor
June 2003
- 30
- Robert McCloskey, children's book writer and illustrator
- Buddy Hackett, comic
- 29 Katharine Hepburn, actress
- 28 Wim Slijkhuis, Dutch athlete
- 27 Dáithí P. Hanly, former Dublin city architect and conservationist
- 26
- Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroonian football player
- Sir Denis Thatcher Bt., husband to Baroness Thatcher, former UK Prime Minister
- Strom Thurmond, United States Senator
- 25 Lester Maddox, segregationist Governor of the State of Georgia
- 24
- Maynard Jackson, former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia first black mayor of a major southern U.S. city
- Leon Uris, author
- Renato Cayetano, Philippine senator
- 23 Vasil Bykau, Belarusian writer
- 22 Alexander Vetoux, Ukrainian boxing prospect. Was 22-1 with 18 knockouts as a professional; body found in river on June 27th
- 21 Roger Neilson, legendary Canadian hockey coach
- 20 Bob Stump, Arizona Congressman
- 19
- Glen Grant, Hawaiian historian, folklorist and author
- Laura Sadler, British television actress, after falling 40 feet from a building
- 18 Larry Doby, baseball Hall of Famer, second Black man to play in the MLB
- 15
- Hume Cronyn, actor
- William Wentworth, Australian politician, first federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
- 12 Gregory Peck, actor
- 11 David Brinkley, broadcast journalist
- 10
- Donald Regan, Chief of Staff and Treasury Secretary during the Reagan administration
- Bernard Williams, British philosopher
- Phil Williams, highly-respected Welsh politician, in a Cardiff massage parlour
- 7
- Tony McAuley BBC Northern Ireland broadcaster & film-maker associated with traditional Irish music and arts
- Trevor Goddard, actor
- 5
- Meir Vilner, last surviving signatory to Israel's declaration of independence and former chairman of the Communist Party of Israel
- Jürgen Möllemann, former German minister
- 3 Fabrice Salanson, a French pro-cyclist
- 2
- Fred Blassie, 85, former professional wrestler
- Richard Cusack, 77, ad executive turned actor/screenwriter, father of actors John Cusack and Joan Cusack, dies of pancreatic cancer in Evanston, Illinois
- Jack Frazier, former Saddam Hussein hostage
May 2003
- 30 Mickie Most, music producer, produced acts such as Lulu, Donovan, The Animals, Hot Chocolate, Suzi Quatro and Kim Wilde
- 28
- Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry
- Martha Scott, actress
- Oleg Makarov, cosmonaut
- 27 Luciano Berio, composer
- 26 Kathleen Winsor, author of Forever Amber
- 21
- Elfren Bernier, Puerto Rican Olympic athlete and lawyer
- Frank D. White, Former governor of Arkansas
- 18
- Anna Santisteban, legendary figure in the Miss Universe contests
- Barb Tarbox, Canadian anti-smoking activist
- 16
- Mal Florence, longtime sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times
- William E. Day, broadcaster and preservationist, early proponent of the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act
- Mark McCormack, sports business pioneer, founder of IMG
- 15
- Rik Van Steenbergen, Belgian cyclist
- George Francis, British suspected mobster
- June Carter Cash, musician, singer, wife of Johnny Cash
- David O. Ives, public broadcasting pioneer, longtime executive at WGBH, Boston, which introduced such television programs as "Nova," "Frontline," "Masterpiece Theatre," and "This Old House"
- 14
- Robert Stack, Hollywood actor, host of Unsolved Mysteries, 84 years old
- Dame Wendy Hiller, British actress (August 15, 1912 - May 14, 2003)
- Dave DeBusschere, NBA basketball player
- 13 John Savage, former Premier of Nova Scotia, Canada
- 12 Sadruddin Aga Khan, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 1965 - 1977
- 11 Noel Redding, former bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- 10 Milan Vukcevich, chemist and chess problem composer
- 9 Russell B. Long, former U.S. Senator
- 6
- Evelio Lopez Falcon, alleged Mexican drug trafficker
- David Woodley, former quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, who started in Super Bowl XVII
- 5 Walter Sisulu, ANC activist
- 3 Suzy Parker, actress; top model of the 1950s
- 1 Miss Elizabeth, WWE wrestling figure
April 2003
- 30
- Peter 'Possum' Bourne, 3 Times Asia-Pacific Rally Champion
- Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist
- 29 Etti Plesch, who married three counts, an American heir, and a Hungarian Lawyer
- 27 Elaine Steinbeck, former actress; widow of author John Steinbeck
- 26
- The Honourable Rosemary Brown, Canadian politician (NDP), first black woman elected to a provincial legislature and first black woman to run for the leadership of a major federal political party
- Caroline Newhouse, arts patron; widow of Theodore Newhouse
- Max Nicholson, environmentalist
- Peter Stone, Oscar-and-(3-time)Tony-winning writer
- 25 Hidefumi Minorikawa, a Diet of Japan member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party
- 23
- Bernard Katz biophysicist, Nobel Prize winner
- James H. Critchfield, CIA Cold Warrior
- 22 Martha Griffiths, Congresswoman, women's rights proponent
- 21
- Rocco Theunissen, Rally Driver
- Nina Simone, jazz singer, "High Priestess of Soul"
- 19
- Conrad Leonard (aged 104), British musican and composer
- Norberto Longo, Telemundo sportscaster
- 18
- Daijiro Kato, Japanese 500cc MotoGP Star, former 250cc Champion
- Edgar F. Codd, computer pioneer
- 17
- Earl King, R&B musician/songwriter
- Paul Getty, philanthropist
- Robert Atkins, diet doctor
- 16 Graham Stuart Thomas, horticultural artist, author and garden designer
- 12
- Sydney Lassick, actor, best known playing asylum resident Cheswick in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Cecil H. Green (aged 102), Texas Instruments founder
- 10
- Little Eva (Eva Narcissus Boyd), who sang the 1962 hit The Loco-Motion
- Noel Fox, former singer of gospel band The Oak Ridge Boys
- 8 Anita Borg, computer scientist
- 7 Cecile de Brunhoff (aged 99), who inspired the Babar the Elephant children's books when she told it to her children as a bedtime story in 1931 (it was then illustrated by her husband)
- 6
- Babatunde Olatunji, African drummer, recorded Drums of Passion
- Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone Dublin-born soldier in the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army, who featured in a Radio Telifís Éireann documentary on Irish-born British soldiers, killed in Iraq
- David Bloom, an NBC reporter, died from a pulmonary embolism while embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division covering the war in Iraq
- 5 Seymour Lubetzky (aged 104), cataloging theorist and librarian
- 4 Resortes, legendary Mexican comedian, real name Adalberto Martinez Chavez
- 2
- Michael Wayne, film producer; eldest son of John Wayne
- Edwin Starr, soul singer
- Pat Leavy, Irish actress who played Hannah Finnegan in the Radio Telifís Éireann soap opera Fair City, died after being taken ill on set
- Edward Keating, founder of Ramparts magazine
- 1 Leslie Cheung, actor and singer, one of the superstars in Hong Kong during late 1980s, committed suicide
March 2003
- 31
- H.S.M. Coxeter, noted geometer and author of many books, passed away at age 96
- Michael Jeter, actor, friend, as "The Other Mr. Noodle" to Sesame Street's Elmo
- 30 Valentin Pavlov, former prime minister of the Soviet Union
- 30 Gaby Rado, UK journalist
- 29 Dr. Carlo Urbani, WHO doctor, discoverer of SARS, of which he died
- 26 Daniel Patrick Moynihan, former Senator from New York
- 24
- Hans Hermann Groër, former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vienna (1986 - 1995) who resigned in 1995 after allegations of sexually abusing boys
- Philip Yordan, screenwriter; won Oscar for "Broken Lance"
- 22 Terry Lloyd, reporter
- 20 Sailor Art Thomas, professional wrestler
- 19 Michael Mathias Prechtl, German illustrator
- 18 Adam Osborne, computer pioneer
- 16
- Major Ronald Ferguson, father of UK royal divorcée Sarah, Duchess of York, aged 71 [6]
- Rachel Corrie, International Solidarity Movement activist, crushed to death by an Israeli armoured bulldozer
- 15 Dame Thora Hird, veteran British actress
- 14 Jack Goldstein, artist
- 12
- Howard Fast, novelist
- Lynne Thigpen, actor, co-star of CBS television show "The District", and star of PBS show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
- Harry The Kid Matthews, boxer, world title challenger in three divisions
- Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of Serbia (assassinated)
- Andrei Kivilev, professional cyclist (fall during Paris-Nice race)
- 10
- Bernard Dowiyogo, President of Nauru
- Barry Sheene, 2 Times 500cc MotoGP Champion
- 9
- Stan Brakhage, filmmaker
- F. William Sunderman (aged 104), physician and scientist
- 8
- Adam Faith, British singer and actor
- Karen Morley, blonde star of 1930s movies; ex-wife of Charles Vidor
- 6 John Sanford, author
- 3 Horst Buchholz, German actor
- 2
- Malcolm Williamson, Australian composer, Master of the Queen's Music
- Hank Ballard, singer, composer, famous for his hit "The Twist"
February 2003
- 28
- Roger Needham, computer pioneer
- Fidel Sánchez Hernández, former President of El Salvador
- Chris Brasher, athlete
- 27 Fred Rogers, host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
- 25
- Alberto Sordi, Italian comedy film legend
- Tom O'Higgins, former Irish Chief Justice & twice defeated Irish presidential candidate
- 23 Howie Epstein, former Bass player for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- 22
- Jesica Santillan, heart and lung patient whose wrong transplant made headlines
- Daniel Taradash, former president of AMPAS; Oscar-winning screenwriter of "From Here to Eternity"
- 20
- Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and literary theorist
- Ty Longley, Guitarist for the heavy metal band Great White
- Harry Jacunski, former NFL player, Green Bay Packers
- Orville Lothrop Freeman, former Governor of Minnesota and Secretary of Agriculture for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson
- 19 Johnny PayCheck, country music singer
- 18 Jack Brodsky, movie producer and publicist
- 17 Steve Bechler, baseball pitcher, Baltimore Orioles
- 14
- Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned mammal
- Johnny Longden, jockey
- 13
- Kid Gavilan, world boxing champion and hall of famer
- Stacy Keach Sr, character actor; father of actors Stacy and James Keach
- Walt Rostow, political advisor
- 10
- Curt Hennig, professional wrestler
- Clark MacGregor, former U.S. Congressman
- Al Ruffo, former mayor of San Jose, California who helped form the San Francisco 49ers football team in 1946
- Ron Ziegler former press secetary for Richard Nixon during the Watergate Scandal
- 9
- Vera Hruba Ralston, star of Ice Capades and Republic Pictures B-movies of the 1940s
- Kerri Yascheshyn Canadian cancer patient whose friendship with Madonna made headlines
- 7 John Reading, Mayor of Oakland, California from 1966 to 1977 who supported the building of the Oakland Coliseum
- 6 Robert St. John (aged 100), globetrotting reporter and author
- 5 Helge Boes, CIA operations officer
- 3 Aino Järvesoo, Estonian philanthropist
- 2
- Dr. Harold S. Ginsberg, microbiologist
- Lou Harrison, American composer, noted for his microtonal works
- 1
- Astronauts Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia
- Mongo Santamaria, percussionist, band leader, Latin jazz musician
January 2003
- 29 Frank Moss Former Utah Senator
- 29 Peter Shaw, producer; husband of actress Angela Lansbury
- 26
- Lord Younger, (George Younger) British politician, Secretary of State for Scotland between 1979 and 1986
- Lord Dacre (Hugh Trevor-Roper), British historian, authenticator of the hoaxed Hitler Diaries
- Valeriy Brumel, track and field athlete
- 25 Robert Rockwell, actor; Philip Boynton on TV's Our Miss Brooks
- 24 Gianni Agnelli, Italian entrepreneur and president of Fiat
- 23
- Nell Carter, singer, actress
- Aodhagán Brioscú, last surviving founder of Irish cultural organisation Gael Linn
- 22 Bill Mauldin, World War II cartoonist
- 21
- Tony O'Malley, Irish artist and painter
- Seán Malone, retired university professor and pioneer of biological psychiatry in the Republic of Ireland
- 20
- Bill Werbeniuk, Canadian snooker player
- Al Hirschfeld, caricaturist
- 19
- The Iron Sheik, professional wrestler
- Françoise Giroud, French writer and politician
- 18 Richard Crenna, actor
- 15
- Gladys Kamakakuokalani Ainoa Brandt, a pioneering Hawaiian educator, fought for native Hawaiian rights
- Doris Fisher, singer & songwriter
- 13 Norman Panama, screenwriter and director
- 12
- Maurice Gibb, of the Bee Gees
- Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri, former dictator of Argentina
- Estelle Blanc, widow of cartoon voice actor Mel Blanc
- Koloman Sokol (aged 100), Slovak artist
- Brandon "ripper" Vedas (overdosed on drugs while chatting on IRC)
- 11
- Richard Simmons, actor; TV's Sgt Preston of the Yukon
- Anthony Havelock-Allan, British screenwriter
- Mickey Finn, of T. Rex
- Maurice Pialat, French movie director
- 8 Ron Goodwin, British film music composer and conductor
- 6 Lila Mayoral, former first lady of Puerto Rico, wife of Rafael Hernández Colón
- 5 Roy Jenkins, British Labour MP and co-founder, first leader of, then Peer for, the Social Democratic Party
- 4 Conrad Hall, Hollywood cinematographer, a two-time Academy Award-winner
- Yfrah Neaman, violinist and teacher
- 3 Sid Gillman, American football coach
- 2
- Sydney Omarr, astrologer, newspaper columnist
- Bob Chalker, former United States diplomat
- 1 Joe Foss, politician, fighter pilot, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor