Deaths in May 2025

The following is a list of notable deaths that happened in May 2025. Names under each date are noted in the order of the alphabet by their last name, or pseudonym. Deaths of non-humans are also noted here, if worth noting.

## Criteria
Every entry is backed by a source. Proper citations are used and no bare URLs so as to prevent link rot. The following are the requirements for adding a name to the list in its order: Name, age, origin, what the person is known for and his or her cause of death – if known – and a source for verification.

## May 2025
### 31
*Robert Anderson, 76, New Zealand cricketer (Otago, Central Districts, national team).

### 30
*Étienne-Émile Baulieu, 98, French scientist.
*Prentis Hancock, 83, British actor (*Space: 1999*, *Doctor Who*).
*Loretta Swit, 87, American actress.

### 29
*David Trist, 77, New Zealand cricketer (Canterbury) and cricket coach (Eastern Province, national team).

### 28
### 27
*Choi Jung-woo, 68, South Korean actor (*Like a Virgin*, *City Hunter*, *Doctor Stranger*). (death announced on this date)
*Vasily Funtikov, 62, Russian actor (*Tuning Fork*, *Presumption of Innocence*, *The Sisters Liberty*).

### 26
*Monna Tandberg, 85, Norwegian actress (*Victoria L*, *Drømmeslottet*, *Bryllupsfesten*).
*Marie Tomášová, 96, Czech actress (*Anna Proletářka*, *Jan Hus*, *September Nights*).

### 25
### 24
*Malini Fonseka, 78, Sri Lankan actress (*Pilot Premnath*, *Bambaru Avith*, *Beddegama*) and politician, MP (2010–2015).
*Piro Milkani, 85, Albanian film director (*The Lady from the City*, *The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider*), People's Artist of Albania.
*Marcel Ophuls, 97, French filmmaker (*The Sorrow and the Pity*, *Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie*).
*Teresita Reyes, 75, Chilean actress (*Sussi*, *The Toast*, *Santos*), cancer.

### 23
*Mukul Dev, 54, Indian actor (*Dastak*, *Yamla Pagla Deewana*, *Son of Sardaar*).
*Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, 91, Algerian film director (*Chronicle of the Years of Fire*, *Sandstorm*, *The Last Image*) and screenwriter.

### 22
*Alfredo Palacio, 86, Ecuadorian cardiologist and politician, president (2005–2007) and vice president (2003–2005).

### 21
### 20
*Michael Roemer, 97, American film director and screenwriter (*Nothing but a Man*, *The Plot Against Harry*, *Dying*).
*George Wendt, 76, American actor (*Cheers*, *Forever Young*, "Bill Swerski's Superfans").

### 19
*Aurora Clavel, 88, Mexican actress (*Tarahumara*, *Once Upon a Scoundrel*, *Mariana de la Noche*).
*Kathleen Hughes, 96, American actress (*It Came from Outer Space*, *The Glass Web*, *The Golden Blade*).

### 18
### 17
*Gawn Grainger, 87, Scottish actor (*Doctor Who*) and writer.
*Franco Merli, 68, Italian actor (*Arabian Nights*, *Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom*, *Down and Dirty*).
*Roger Nichols, 84, American songwriter ("We've Only Just Begun", "Times of Your Life") and composer.
*Zhu Yuanyuan, 51, Chinese actress (*Ocean Heaven*, *Lost in Hong Kong*, *Sister*), cancer.

### 16
*Meta Velander, 100, Swedish actress (*Honeymoon*, *Dear Alice*, *Marmalade Revolution*).

### 15
*Kostas Lychnaras, 86, Greek film director (*Christ Recrucified*, *Konstantinou kai Elenis*, *To kafe tis Charas*).

### 14
*Cornal Hendricks, 37, South African rugby player (Bulls, Boland Cavaliers, national team), heart attack.

### 13
*José Mujica, 89, Uruguayan politician (president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015), oesophagus cancer.
*Leila Negra, 95, German singer and actress (*Münchhausen*, *The Star of Rio*, *Salto Mortale*).

### 12
### 11
*Robert Benton, 92, American film director (*Kramer vs. Kramer*, *Places in the Heart*) and screenwriter (*Bonnie and Clyde*), Oscar winner (1980, 1985).
*John Edwards, 80, American Hall of Fame singer (The Spinners).
*Arjun Menon, 48, Singaporean cricket player (national team) and coach (Chile, Malawi).

### 10
*Bob Cowper, 84, Australian test cricketer.
*Larry Lee, 78, American musician (The Ozark Mountain Daredevils) and songwriter ("Jackie Blue").

### 9
*Fred Graham, 96, New Zealand rugby union player (New Zealand Māori) and artist, AFNZ Icon (since 2018).

### 8
*Jiří Bartoška, 78, Czech actor (*Sekal Has to Die*, *All My Loved Ones*, *Angel of the Lord*), president of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
*James Foley, 71, American film director (*Glengarry Glen Ross*, ''Who's That Girl*, *Fifty Shades Darker*), brain cancer. (death announced on this date)
*Josaia Raisuqe, 30, Fijian rugby union footballer (Stade Français, Nevers, Fiji 7s), traffic collision.

### 7
*Cleopa Msuya, 94, Tanzanian politician, prime minister (1980–1983, 1994–1995) and first vice president (1990–1995), heart failure.

### 6
*Bill McCaw, 97, New Zealand rugby player (Southland, national team).

### 5
### 4
*Aleftina Evdokimova, 85, Russian actress (*Tender Age*, *Let the Charms Last Long*, *Courier*).

### 3
### 2
*Ricky Davao, 63, Filipino actor (*Ang Padrino*, *Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin*) and television director (*!Oka Tokat*). (death announced on this date)
*Jean-François Davy, 79, French film director (*Bananes mécaniques*, *Surprise Sock*) and producer.
*Sir Bob Jones, 85, New Zealand property investor and politician. (death announced on this date)
*Alessandro Quasimodo, 82, Italian actor (*The Seventh Floor*, *A Milanese Story''), theater director and poet.

### 1
*Jill Sobule, 66, American singer-songwriter ("I Kissed a Girl", "Supermodel"), house fire.
## References