i took this list from http://www3.sympatico.ca/jenoff/obit.htm some i knew some i didnt know had passed.
- Jerry Orbach, actor best known for Law & Order, died December 28 at the age of 69.
- Susan Sontag, intellectual, died December 28 at the age of 71.
- Pierre Berton, Canadian literary icon, died November 30 at the age of 84.
- Arthur Hailey, author best known for Airport, died November 25 at the age of 84.
- Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader, died November 11 at the age of 75.
- Howard Keel, actor/singer best known for his roles in musicals like Annie Get Your Gun, died November 7 at the age of 85.
- Ken Caminiti, all star baseball player, died October 10 at the age of 41.
- Christopher Reeve, actor best known for his role as Superman, died October 10 at the age of 52.
- Jacques Derrida, founder of deconstructionism, died October 9 at the age of 74.
- Rodney Dangerfield, comedian, died October 5 at the age of 82.
- Janet Leigh, actress best known for Psycho, died October 3 at the age of 77.
- Richard Avedon, photographer, died October 1 at the age of 81.
- Geoffrey Beene, fashion designer, died September 28 at the age of 77.
- Francoise Sagan, author best known for Bonjour Tristesse, died September 24 at the age of 69.
- Russ Meyer, film maker, died September 18 at the age of 82.
- Johnny Ramone, founder of the Ramones, died September 15 at the age of 55.
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist best known for her book on death and dying, died August 24 at the age of 78.
- Elmer Bernstein, composer, died August 18 at the age of 82.
- Julia Child, chef, died August 13 at the age of 91.
- Fay Wray, actress best known for King Kong, died August 8 at the age of 96.
- Paul 'Red' Adair, famed oil well fire fighter, died August 7 at the age of 89.
- Rick James, musician best known for Super Freak, died August 6 at the age of 56.
- Francis Crick, codiscover of the DNA double helix, died July 28 at the age of 88.
- Jerry Goldsmith, composer best known for scoring films such as The Omen, Alien, and Chinatown, died July 21 at the age of 75.
- Isabel Sanford, actress best known as Louise Jefferson on the tv series The Jeffersons, died July 9 at the age of 86.
- Marlon Brando, actor, died July 1 at the age of 80.
- Ray Charles, musician, died June 10 at the age of 73.
- Ronald Reagan, one time president of the United States, died June 5 at the age of 93.
- Brian Linehan, celebrity interviewer, died June 4 at the age of 58.
- Tony Randall, actor best known as Felix on the tv series The Odd Couple, died May 17 at the age of 84.
- June Taylor, dancer and choreographer best known for the Jackie Gleason show, died May 17 at the age of 86.
- Alan King, comedian, died May 9 at the age of 76.
- Estee Lauder, cosmetics queen, died April 24 at the age of 97.
- Carrie Snodgress, actress best known for Diary of a Mad Housewife, died April 1 at the age of 57.
- Alistair Cooke, broadcaster best known in North America as the host of Masterpiece Theater, died March 30 at the age of 95.
- Peter Ustinov, actor, died March 28 at the age of 82.
- Jan Berry, musician best known as half of Jan & Dean, died March 26 at the age of 62.
- Queen Juliana, former queen of the Netherlands, died March 20 at the age of 94.
- Robert Pastorelli, actor best known as house painter Eldin on Murphy Brown, died March 8 at the age of 49.
- Paul Winfield, actor best known as the father in Sounder, died March 7 at the age of 62.
- Spalding Gray, monologist, was found dead March 7 at the age of 62.
- Mercedes McCambridge, actress known for films such as Touch of Evil and The Exorcist, died March 2 at the age of 85.
- Marge Schott, one time owner of the Cincinnati Reds, died March 2 at the age of 75.
- John Randolph, actor known for his Tony award winning performance in Broadway Bound and as Rock Hudson's alter ego in Seconds, died February 24 at the age of 88.
- Claude Ryan, Quebec federalist intellectual, died February 9 at the age of 79.
- M.M. Kaye, author best known for The Far Pavilions, died January 29 at the age of 95.
- Jack Paar, talk show pioneer, died January 27 at the age of 85.
- Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo, died January 23 at the age of 76.
