Some well-known people who have died recently:
Christopher Nugent Lawrence Brooke, 1927-2016
Historian who brought humane sympathy to the study of medieval life, church and marriage
- Martin Crowe, 1952-2016
New Zealand cricket great who scored 17 test centuries
- Umberto Eco, 1932-2016
Professor of semiotics and literary star who wrote clever bestsellers such as The Name of The Rose, and Foucault’s Pendulum
- Margaret Forster, 1938-2016
Prolific novelist and biographer whose books brilliantly anatomised the lives of ordinary people. Read Roberta’s post about Margaret Forster
Sophia Hawthorne, 1977-2016
One of New Zealand’s best-known actresses, star of Savage Honeymoon
- Frank Kelly, 1938-2016
Actor who delighted audiences as the outrageous Father Jack in Father Ted
- George Kennedy, 1925-2016
Tender tough guy who starred in Cool Hand Luke and The Naked Gun
- Harper Lee, 1926-2016
American novelist who produced one greatly loved masterpiece in To Kill a Mockingbird
Louise Rennison, 1951-2016
‘Queen of Teen’ whose comic novels captured the horrors and occasional triumphs of adolescence
- Ranginui Walker, 1932-2016
Influential Māori rights academic and writer. Read Moata’s post about Ranginui Walker