For one reason or another, we as human beings seem to be fascinated by celebrity deaths. Every year we mourn the loss of famous people who pass away, and 1983 was no exception. Sports fans right remember the death of heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey, who died of heart failure at the ripe age of 87. Here's our list of the most notable people to die in 1983, ordered by how well-known they were.
All walks of famous people are on this list, including actors, athletes, musicians, politicians and more.Although the rich and famous are just like the rest of us, it's alarming how many of them have their lives cut short because of drug overdoses or other accidents. Still others live out many long years only to succumb to diseases like cancer late in life.
Examples of celebrity deaths on this list include Tennessee Williams and Dennis Wilson. Which celebrities died in 1983? Scroll down and see for yourself.- Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name... more on Wikipedia
Tennessee Williams
Choking Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller was an American neo-futuristic architect, systems theorist,... more on Wikipedia- Edith Norma Shearer (August 10, 1902 – June 12, 1983) was a Canadian American actress and... more on Wikipedia
Norma Shearer
Bronchopneumonia William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed "Kid Blackie" and... more on Wikipedia- Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer,... more on Wikipedia
Dennis Wilson
Drowning - James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, memoirist and... more on Wikipedia
David Niven
Motor neuron disease - Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer who... more on Wikipedia
Karen Carpenter
Anorexia nervosa - Dolores del Río (Spanish pronunciation: [doˈloɾez ðel ˈri.o]; born María de los Dolores... more on Wikipedia
Dolores del Río
Liver failure - Peter Scott Ivers (September 20, 1946 – March 3, 1983) was an American musician, songwriter... more on Wikipedia
Peter Ivers
Murder - Michael Conrad (October 16, 1925 – November 22, 1983) was an American actor perhaps best known... more on Wikipedia
Michael Conrad
Urethral cancer - George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director. He... more on Wikipedia
George Cukor
Myocardial infarction - Joan Miró i Ferrà ( mi-ROH, also US: mee-ROH, Catalan: [ʒuˈam miˈɾo j fəˈra]; 20 April 1893 –... more on Wikipedia
Joan Miró
Cardiovascular disease Anthony Frederick Blunt (26 September 1907 – 26 March 1983), styled as Sir Anthony Blunt,... more on Wikipedia- Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television... more on Wikipedia
Arthur Godfrey
Emphysema - Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899 – April 4, 1983) was an American actress and... more on Wikipedia
Gloria Swanson
Heart Ailment - Maurice Rupert Bishop (29 May 1944 – 19 October 1983) was a Grenadian revolutionary and the... more on Wikipedia
Maurice Bishop
Capital punishment John Bodkin Adams (21 January 1899 – 4 July 1983) was a British general practitioner,... more on Wikipedia- Christopher John George (February 25, 1931 – November 28, 1983) was an American television and... more on Wikipedia
Christopher George
Myocardial infarction - Carolyn Sue Jones (April 28, 1930 – August 3, 1983) was an American actress of television and... more on Wikipedia
Carolyn Jones
Colorectal cancer - Rocco Chinnici (Italian pronunciation: [ˈrɔkko kinˈniːtʃi], Sicilian: [kɪnˈniːʃɪ]; 19 January... more on Wikipedia
Rocco Chinnici
Assassination, Murder - Luis Buñuel Portolés (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwis βuˈɲwel poɾtoˈles]; 22 February 1900 – 29... more on Wikipedia
Luis Buñuel
Liver cancer, Pancreatic cancer - Jessica Beth Savitch (February 1, 1947 – October 23, 1983) was an American television news... more on Wikipedia
Jessica Savitch
Traffic collision, Drowning John Beverley Nichols (9 September 1898 – 15 September 1983) was an English author,... more on Wikipedia- Emil Grünzweig (Hebrew: אמיל גרינצווייג) (December 1, 1947 – February 10, 1983) was an... more on Wikipedia
Emil Grunzweig
Assassination - Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as... more on Wikipedia
Buster Crabbe
Myocardial infarction