Famous people and celebrities who died in April 1987

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in April 1987. 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

April 1 Henri Cochet
Henri Cochet was a prominent French tennis player who won multiple Grand Slam titles, including Wimbledon men's singles in 1927 and 1929. He was a key member of the famous French tennis team known as the 'Four Musketeers' who dominated international tennis in the late 1920s.
April 2 Buddy Rich
Legendary jazz drummer and big band leader known for his extraordinary technical skill and powerful performances. He was one of the most influential drummers in jazz history, leading his own band and inspiring generations of musicians.
April 4 Chögyam Trungpa
Influential Tibetan Buddhist scholar, philosopher, and meditation master who significantly impacted Western understanding of Buddhism.
April 4 C. L. Moore
American author and academic (b. 1911)
April 4 C[atherine] L[ucille] Moore
American author judgment night dies at the age of 76 (b. 1911).
April 7 Maxine Sullivan [Williams]
American actress goin places dies at 75
April 8 Francis C Denebrink
At 90 years old, a us naval officer (wwii, wwii, korea), dies.
April 11 Kent Taylor
Actor (boston blackie rough riders), died at 79
April 11 Primo Levi
Renowned Holocaust survivor, Italian Jewish chemist, and writer who documented his experiences in Auschwitz concentration camp. His powerful literary works, including 'Survival in Auschwitz', are seminal testimonies of the Holocaust. He is considered one of the most important witnesses of 20th-century human suffering.
April 11 Erskine Caldwell
Erskine Caldwell was a prominent American novelist known for his powerful social realist works 'Tobacco Road' and 'God's Little Acre', which depicted the harsh realities of rural Southern life during the Great Depression. He was a significant literary figure who explored themes of poverty, social injustice, and human struggle.
April 12 Ewan Calague
Economist/statistician (social security) dies at age 90.
April 14 Julius Sumner Miller
Renowned American physicist famous for his engaging educational science television programs that made complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public.
April 14 Karl Holler
Composer dies at 79
April 17 Dick Shawn
American comedian and actor known for his role in 'The Producers', who famously died on stage from a heart attack during a performance at the age of 63.
April 17 Cornelius Van Til
Christian philosopher and theologian known for his work in presuppositional apologetics.
April 17 Cecil Harmsworth King
English publisher (b. 1901)
April 17 Carlton Barrett
At 36 years old, jamaican reggae musician (no woman no cry) dies (born 1950).
April 19 Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum
American actor, mr green jeans, dies at the age of 77. he was born in 1910.
April 19 Maxwell D Taylor
Us commander of 101st airborne (wwii), is killed at 85.
April 20 Antony Tudor
Influential American ballet choreographer and dancer who significantly contributed to modern dance development in the 20th century.
April 21 Gustav Bergmann
Austrian-American philosopher who was a key member of the Vienna Circle, contributing significantly to logical positivism and philosophy of science.
April 21 Edith S Green
American politician (representative-democrat-oregon), dies at age 77.
April 26 Shankar (director)
Shankar is a renowned Tamil cinema director famous for his visually spectacular and technologically innovative films, significantly influencing Indian cinema.
April 26 Shankar
Indian composer and conductor (b. 1922)
April 26 John Silkin
English lawyer and politician, shadow leader of the house of commons (b. 1923)
April 30 Hugh Dempster
Actor (anna karenina candles at nine).