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Obituaries

Obituaries
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Obituaries. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
M Ravi (right) was widely known for taking on human rights cases in Singapore. Photo: Facebook/MRaviLawMyanmar
Singapore

Former Singapore lawyer and human rights activist M Ravi dies

The 56-year-old was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty in the city state.

Fame and celebrity

Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella dies in US car crash

Britain

Chris Rea, UK singer of ‘Driving Home for Christmas’, dead at 74

Fame and celebrity

In memoriam: 29 beloved celebrities we lost in 2025

We remember stars from the worlds of Hollywood, TV, music, fashion and more, from Jane Goodall to Giorgio Armani and Hulk Hogan.

Ozzy Osbourne, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford are just three of the celebrities we lost this year. Photos: EPA, TNS, AFP
Racism and other prejudice

Christine Choy, who made documentary on racist killing of Vincent Chin, dies at 73

The indie filmmaker brought attention to the 1982 slaying, a galvanising moment in the fight against anti-Asian hate in the US.

Britain

Sophie Kinsella, Shopaholic author, dies at 55 from brain cancer

The celebrated British author wrote over 30 books, and leaves behind a legacy of humour and relatability.

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Hong Kong society

Robert Ho, Hong Kong journalist, philanthropist and devout Buddhist, dies at 93

Grandson of Robert Ho Tung died peacefully on November 30, notice on Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation’s website says.

Robert Ho has died at the age of 93. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Hong Kong

Renowned British photographer Martin Parr dies at 73

The celebrated photographer documented everything from beach life to global consumerism across a decades-spanning career.

Architecture and design

Frank Gehry, the most celebrated architect of his time, dies at 96

His masterpieces include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Berlin’s DZ Bank Building.

Cinema

Oscar-winning UK playwright Tom Stoppard dies aged 88

His work ranges from plays like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to the film Shakespeare in Love, which scooped seven Academy Awards.

British playwright Tom Stoppard arrives for the world premiere of “Anna Karenina” in London in September 2012. Photo: AP
Richard Branson

Joan Branson, wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, dies at 80

The Virgin Atlantic founder called his spouse his best friend, rock, and his guiding light in a social media post about her death.

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Richard Branson and his wife, Joan, attend an event in Beverly Hills in February 2016. Photo: TNS
Americas and the Caribbean

Jimmy Cliff, reggae icon and ‘cultural giant’, dies at 81

The Jamaican singer, along with Bob Marley, popularised reggae, ska and rocksteady. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Fashion

Paul Costelloe, personal designer to Princess Diana, dies at 80

The Irish designer worked with the British royal from 1983 until her death in Paris in 1997.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong toy tycoon Lam Leung-tim, creator of iconic rubber duck, dead at 105

Lam’s family reveals he died on November 10, announces that memorial ceremony will be held on Monday in his ancestral hometown of Foshan.

Hong Kong toy tycoon Lam Leung-tim with his iconic rubber ducks in 2017. Photo: Nora Tam
United States

US disability rights activist and author Alice Wong dies at 51

The daughter of Hong Kong immigrants, Wong fought for a world where people with disabilities could have full autonomy over their lives.

Alice Wong (right) speaks with Yomi Young during the activist’s 50th birthday party in San Francisco in March. Photo: Sandy Ho via AP
Science

James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix shape, dead at 97

His efforts won him a Nobel Prize, but Watson drew condemnation near the end of his life for saying black people were less intelligent.

Science

Lead scientist of China’s thorium reactor project died working on the computer

Death of nuclear physicist Xu Hongjie came just weeks before the project he led achieved a breakthrough in fourth-generation nuclear power.

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Fame and celebrity

US actress Diane Ladd, nominated for 3 Oscars, dies at 89

Ladd’s credits include Chinatown, Primary Colors and Wild at Heart, in which she co-starred with her daughter Laura Dern.

Diane Ladd at the Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California in 2020. The American actress has died at the age of 89. Photo: EPA
Fame and celebrity

‘Fawlty Towers’ actress Prunella Scales dies peacefully at home at 93

The British actress was watching ‘Fawlty Towers’ the day before she died, just months after her husband of 61 years, actor Timothy West.

Thailand

Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit has died at age 93

A beloved royal figure, she backed projects to help the rural poor, protect the forests and support refugees.

Japan

Obituary | Japan ex-PM Murayama, who apologised for WWII aggression, dies at 101

In a 1995 statement, Murayama expressed ‘deep remorse’ over Tokyo’s deeds that left a lasting legacy of bitterness with its neighbours.

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Former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama attends a ceremony to review Japan’s Self-Defence Forces in Tokyo in October 1994. Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Music

Ace Frehley, original Kiss lead guitarist and co-founder, dead at 74

Known by his Kiss alter ego ‘Spaceman’, Frehley helped define the band’s theatrical hard rock sound and iconic look.

Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley (right) perform before the start of Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999. File photo: AFP
First Mention

When rumours swirled around the cause of Cantopop star Danny Chan’s death

Chow Yun-fat, Sally Yeh, Anita Mui and Pansy Ho attended his funeral. It was speculated that attempted suicide, Aids or a drug overdose caused his death.

Music

Grammy-winning R&B singer D’Angelo dies at 51

Known for hits like ‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Lady’, he became a mainstream icon with his shirtless music video for ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’.

Fame and celebrity

Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Diane Keaton dies at 79

A frequent collaborator with Woody Allen, she played the titular character in his film ‘Annie Hall’, in which he also starred.

Diane Keaton appears at the Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Fashion Experience in Pasadena, California, in October 2022. Photo: AP
United States

Joan Bennett Kennedy, wife of late US Senator Ted Kennedy, dies at 89

Her marriage tied her to an American political dynasty that includes slain US president John F. Kennedy and Trump health chief RFK Jnr.

Joan Kennedy, first wife of late former US senator Ted Kennedy, gets a standing ovation as she is recognised at the dedication ceremony for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston in March 2015. Photo: Reuters
Books and literature

British author Jilly Cooper, famous for novels of sex and snobbery, dies at 88

Cooper’s raunchy bestsellers include Riders and Rivals, which was adapted into a Disney+ series last year.

India

Asiaweek founder TJS George’s death leaves behind unmatched legacy

George, who died on Friday aged 97, forged a stellar reputation as an advocate of press freedom over a seven-decade career in journalism.

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