Some well-known people who have died recently
- Kofi Annan, 1938-2018
Ghanaian diplomat, UN Secretary-General
- Harlan Ellison, 1934-2018
Science fiction writer
- Aretha Franklin, 1942-2018
Legendary American singer and songwriter, the Queen of Soul
- Reinhart Langer, 1921-2018
Renowned botanist
- V. S. Naipaul, 1932-2018
Caribbean writer and Nobel Laureate
- Baden Norris, 1927-2018
Author who was the driving force behind the Lyttelton Museum
- Warwick Roger, 1945-2018
Innovative NZ journalist, founder of Metro magazine
- Neil Simon, 1927-2018
American playwright, screenwriter and author