Canadian writer (b. 1923) February February 4 J. J. Johnson, American jazz trombonist (b. 1924) Iannis Xenakis, Greek composer (b. 1922) February 6 – Trần Văn Lắm, South Vietnamese diplomat and politician (b. 1913) February 7 – Dale Evans, American actress, singer, and songwriter (b. 1912) February 9 – Herbert A. Simon, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916) February 10 – Lewis Arquette, American film actor, writer and producer (b. 1935) February 13 – Ugo Fano, Italian-born American physicist (b. 1912) February 18 Balthus, French painter (b. 1908) Dale Earnhardt, American auto racing driver (b. 1951) (see Death of Dale Earnhardt) February 19 Stanley Kramer, American film director (b. 1913) Charles Trenet French singer and songwriter (b. 1913) February 20 – Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910) February 24 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician (b. 1916) February 25 – Sir Don Bradman, Australian cricketer (b. 1908) March March 10 – Michael Woodruff, British surgeon and organ transplantation pioneer (b. 1911) March 12 – Robert Ludlum, American author (b. 1927) March 15 – Ann Sothern, American actress and singer (b. 1909) March 18 – John Phillips, American singer-songwriter (b. 1935) March 20 – Ilie Verdeț, 51st prime minister of Romania (b. 1925) March 22 – William Hanna, American animator and businessman (b. 1910) March 29 – John Lewis, American jazz pianist and composer (b. 1920) March 31 – Clifford Shull, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915) April April 2 – Jennifer Syme, American actress (b. 1972) April 7 David Graf, American actor (b. 1950) Beatrice Straight, American actress (b. 1914) April 11 – Sir Harry Secombe, Welsh entertainer (b. 1921) April 14 – Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director (b. 1927) April 15 – Joey Ramone, American musician and singer (b. 1951) April 20 Va'ai Kolone, Prime Minister of Samoa (b. 1911) Giuseppe Sinopoli, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1946) April 25 – Michele Alboreto, Italian racing driver (b. 1956) April 29 – Barend Biesheuvel, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1971–1973) (b. 1920) May May 11 – Douglas Adams, English author (b. 1952) May 12 Perry Como, American singer (b. 1912) Didi, Brazilian footballer (b. 1928) May 13 Jason Miller, American actor and playwright (b. 1939) R. K. Narayan, Indian novelist (b. 1906) May 17 – Jacques-Louis Lions, French mathematician (b. 1928) May 22 – Jenő Fock, 49th prime minister of Hungary (b. 1916) May 24 – Javier Urruticoechea, Spanish footballer