Deaths in May 1984

The following is a list of notable deaths in May 1984.

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 1984

1

• Jüri Lossmann, 93, Estonian long-distance runner and Olympian^[1]

2

• Jack Barry, 66, American game show host (The Joker's Wild), heart attack^[2]
• Bob Clampett, 70, American animator, film director, film producer and puppeteer, heart attack^[3][4]

3

• Aghashirin Jafarov, 77, Azerbaijani Red Army Starshina and a Hero of the Soviet Union.^[5]

4

Diana Dors

• Diana Dors, 52, English actress, ovarian cancer^[6]

5

• J. C. Agajanian, 70, American motorsports promoter, race car owner, and Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee^[7]

6

• Mary Cain, 79, American newspaper editor and politician^[8]

7

• Helen Kalvak, 82 or 83, Copper Inuk graphic artist^[9]

8

• William Ling, 75, English football referee^[10]

9

• Maureen O'Carroll, 71, Irish Labour Party politician^[11]
• Sergei Salnikov, 58, Russian footballer and Olympic gold medalist^[12]

10

• Joaquim Agostinho, 41, Portuguese professional bicycle racer^[13]

11

• Rajkavi Inderjeet Singh Tulsi, 58, Indian poet, lyricist, and author
• Toni Turek, 65, German footballer who played as a goalkeeper

12

• M. A. Muthiah Chettiar, 78, Indian Industrialist, banker, politician, philanthropist, and cultural activist^[14]

13

• Pat Abbott, 72, American golfer^[15]

14

• Walter Rauff, 77, SS commander in Nazi Germany^[16][17]

15

• Mary Adams, 86, English television producer, program director and administrator^[18]
• Lionel Robbins, Baron Robbins, 85, British economist^[19]

16

Andy Kaufman

• Ruth Ainsworth, 75, British writer^[20]
• Andy Kaufman, 35, American comedian^[21]
• Irwin Shaw, 71, American author, prostate cancer^[22]

17

• Frederick Alexander, 59, English cricketer^[23]

18

• Nasuh Akar, 59, Turkish sports wrestler and Olympic gold medalist

19

• Sir John Betjeman, 77, English diplomat and poet, Parkinson's disease^[24]

20

• Ólafur Jóhannesson, 71, 15th Prime Minister of Iceland^[25]

21

• Andrea Leeds, 70, American actress^[26]
• Ann Little, 93, American actress^[27]

22

Karl-August Fagerholm

• Rambai Barni, 79, Queen consort of King Prajadhipok of Thailand^[28]
• Karl-August Fagerholm, 82, 20th Prime Minister of Finland^[29]
• John Marley, 76, American actor, death following open-heart surgery^[30]

23

• Luisa Rossi, 59, Italian actress^[31]

24

• Vincent J. McMahon, 69, American professional wrestling promoter^[32]

25

• Margaretha Reichardt, 77, German textile artist, weaver, and graphic designer^[33]

26

• Hilda Abbott, 93, Australian humanitarian^[34]
• Vera Stanley Alder, 85, English portrait painter and mystic^[35]

27

• Reginald Bosanquet, 51, British journalist and broadcaster^[36]

28

• Eric Morecambe, 58, British comedian^[37]
• D'Urville Martin, 45, American actor and director^[38]

29

• Cyril Lord, 72, British businessman and maufacturer^[39]

30

• Walter Smetak, 71, Swiss-born musician, composer, writer, sculptor and producer of musical instruments^[40]

31

• Juhani Järvinen, 49, Finnish speed skater

References

1. "Jüri Lossmann". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
2. Prial, Frank J. (May 4, 1984). "Jack Barry, 66, Dies; A Producer and Star of Tv Game Shows". The New York Times.
3. "Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil". Toon Tracker. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
4. "Bob Clampett". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
5. Shkadov, Ivan, ed. (1987). Герои Советского Союза: Краткий биографический словарь [Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian). Vol. 1 Abaev-Lubitsch. Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 425.
6. "Diana Dors, 52, British Actress". The Boston Globe. Associated Press. May 5, 1984. p. 1.
7. "Agajanian Dead at 70". Newsday. May 6, 1984. p. 13, Section Sports.
8. "Mary Cain, Mississippi Editor Who Fought U.S. Taxes, Dies". The New York Times. UPI. May 8, 1984. Page B6, column 4. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
9. Driscoll, Bernadette (March 4, 2015). "Helen Kalvak". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
10. "Obituary: W Ling". The Times-Transcript. May 11, 1984. p. 23.
11. "Deaths: O'Carroll". Evening Herald. May 10, 1984. p. 26.
12. "Sergei Salnikov". Olympedia. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
13. Associated Press (May 11, 1984). "Joaquim Agostinho". The New York Times. p. D19.
14. Dr. Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar – Biography on release of postal stamp on his honour. Indianpost.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018.
15. "'Pat' Abbott, Retired Golfer, Is Dead at 72". The Commercial Appeal. May 14, 1984. p. 17.
16. "Youths shouted 'Heil Hitler' and raised their arms in..." UPI. May 15, 1984. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
17. Petty, Terrence (2024). Nazis at the Watercooler: War Criminals in Postwar German Government Agencies. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-64012-569-8. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
18. Sally Adams, "Adams , Mary Grace Agnes (1898–1984)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 6 Nov 2012 doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30750
19. Kerr, Peter (May 18, 1984). "Lord Robbins, economist, dies; active in the arts and education". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
20. "Ruth Ainsworth biography". ruthainsworth.co.uk. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
21. Prial, Frank J. (May 18, 1984). "Andy Kaufman, A Comedian Known For Unorthodox Skits". The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
22. "The Papers of Irwin Shaw". BROOKLYN COLLEGE ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
23. "Frederick Alexander". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
24. Amis, Kingsley. "Betjeman, Sir John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30815. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
25. "Dánarminning: Ólafur Jóhannesson". Dagur. May 30, 1984. pp. 6–7. ISSN 1670-2107.
26. "ANDREA LEEDS, 70, EX-ACTRESS". The New York Times. May 23, 1984. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
27. Katchmer, George A. (2015). "Little, Ann (Anna, Anne)". A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland & Company. p. 212. ISBN 9781476609058.
28. John Baker, Christopher; Phongpaichit, Pasuk (2014). "Queen Rambai Barni (1904-1984)". A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107420212.
29. Wiskari, Werner (May 23, 1984). "Karl-August Fagerholm, Ex-Finnish Leader, Dies". The New York Times. p. B10.
30. "Obituary: John Marley". Variety. May 30, 1984.
31. Lancia, Enrico; Poppi, Roberto, eds. (2003). Le attrici: dal 1930 ai giorni nostri. Dizionario del cinema italiano (in Italian). Vol. 2. Rome: Gremese. ISBN 888440214X.
32. "Vincent J. McMahon, Wrestling Promoter". The Reporter Dispatch. May 29, 1984. p. 3.
33. Staff of Kreis Weimarer Land/Angermuseum Erfurt (2009). Margaretha Reichardt 1907-1984 Textilkunst. Erfurt: Kreis Weimarer Land/Angermuseum Erfurt.
34. Carment, David Edward (2008). "Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography". Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
35. "She Wrote in Her Eighties". Bournemouth Daily Echo. June 5, 1984. p. 19.
36. "A popular figure 'made for television'". Birmingham Post. May 29, 1984. p. 5. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "British Comedian Morecambe Dies". The Indianapolis News. May 28, 1984. p. 29.
38. "Actor D'Urville Martin Dies Of Heart Attack". Jet. 66 (14): 14. June 11, 1984.
39. "Lord, Cyril". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/38991. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
40. "Walter Smetak". Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural. October 7, 2022. ISBN 978-85-7979-060-7.

External links

• List of May 1984 deaths at IMDb