Famous people and celebrities who died in July 1981

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in July 1981. This month marked the loss of influential and beloved figures whose contributions spanned various fields and touched many lives. Explore our detailed list to remember and celebrate their enduring legacies and the remarkable impact they had on the world

• July 1 Rushton Moreve

  Rushton Moreve was an American bass player known for his work with the rock band Steppenwolf during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

• July 1 Marcel Breuer

  Renowned Hungarian-American architect and designer, famous for his modernist architectural works and furniture design, particularly associated with the Bauhaus movement.

• July 1 Carlos de Oliveira

  Portuguese author and poet (b. 1921)

• July 2 Robert Emmett Keane

  Actor (rookie cop, red dragon)

• July 3 Ross Martin

  American actor known for his role in the TV series 'The Wild Wild West', where he played Artemus Gordon alongside Robert Conrad.

• July 5 Jorge Urrutia Blondel

  Composer dies at 75

• July 7 Keefe Brasselle

  American actor, TV producer, and novelist who transitioned from entertainment to military service during World War II. He starred in 'The Eddie Cantor Story' and later established his own TV production company.

• July 7 Peace Pilgrim

  Renowned American peace activist who walked across the United States promoting non-violence and spiritual transformation, becoming an influential figure in the peace movement.

• July 8 Bill Hallahan

  Bill Hallahan was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball during the 1920s and 1930s, primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was known for his exceptional pitching skills and was a key member of the Cardinals' successful teams.

• July 8 Joe McDonnell (hunger striker)

  Irish republican army member (b. 1951)

• July 9 Oscar van Hemel

  Composer dies at 88

• July 10 Ken Rex McElroy

  American hog rustler (born 1936)

• July 12 Ben Seijes

  Historian (wwii), died at 73

• July 15 Frédéric Dorion

  Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1898)

• July 16 Harry Chapin

  Harry Chapin was an influential American folk singer-songwriter known for his storytelling music and humanitarian activism. He was particularly famous for his hit song 'Cat's in the Cradle' and dedicated significant efforts to world hunger relief. Throughout his career, he performed 250 concerts in 1980, with more than half focused on charitable causes.

• July 18 Sonja Branting-Westerståhl

  Swedish lawyer (b. 1890)

• July 19 Louis Cheslock

  Composer dies at 81

• July 25 Rosa A. González

  Puerto rican nurse, author, feminist, and activist (b. 1889)

• July 26 Donald Lybbert

  Composer dies at 58

• July 27 William Wyler

  Legendary Hollywood film director who won three Academy Awards for Best Director and is renowned for epic films like 'Ben-Hur' and intimate classics such as 'Roman Holiday'. He is considered one of the most significant directors in American cinema history.

• July 27 Adam Walsh

  A tragic child murder victim whose case led to significant changes in child protection laws and missing children awareness in the United States.

• July 27 Elizabeth Rona

  Hungarian american nuclear chemist (b. 1890)

• July 27 Ray Harrison

  American song dancer, who dies at the age of 64.

• July 27 Billy [William] Wyler

  Us director (ben hur and funny girl).

• July 28 Fr Stanley Rother

  American roman catholic priest and missionary (born 1935).

• July 29 Robert Moses

  American urban planner, the northern state parkway and southern state parkway were designed by american urban planners (d. 1981).

• July 31 Omar Torrijos Herrera

  Omar Torrijos Herrera was a significant Panamanian military and political leader who transformed Panama's geopolitical status by negotiating the Panama Canal Treaties with the United States, effectively ending decades of American control over the canal zone.