List of Famous people who died at 53

Daniel Gene Walters was an American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein was a Malaysian politician who served as the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia from September 1970 to his death in January 1976. He is referred to as the Father of Development.

Robert Anthony Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the 23rd White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush, from May 2006 until his resignation in September 2007. Snow also worked for the first President Bush as chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs, from 1991 to 1993. Between his two White House stints, Snow was a broadcaster and newspaper columnist. After years of regular guest-hosting for The Rush Limbaugh Show and providing news commentary for National Public Radio, he launched his own talk radio program, The Tony Snow Show, which went on to become nationally syndicated. He was also a regular personality on Fox News Channel beginning in 1996, hosting Fox News Sunday and Weekend Live, and often substituting as host of The O'Reilly Factor. In April 2008, Snow briefly joined CNN as a commentator. He also made several notable speeches, including keynote addresses at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2007 and 2008. In his journalistic and governmental capacities, Snow generally supported conservative causes. Snow died of colon cancer on July 12, 2008.

Issiaka Ouattara was an Ivorian military serviceman. He served as lieutenant colonel and was part of the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire. Ouattara was also a major player in the First Ivorian Civil War.

Warren Mercer Oates was an American actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah, including The Wild Bunch (1969) and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). Another of his most acclaimed performances was as officer Sam Wood in In the Heat of the Night (1967). Oates starred in numerous films during the early 1970s that have since achieved cult status, such as The Hired Hand (1971), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), and Race with the Devil (1975). Oates also portrayed John Dillinger in the biopic Dillinger (1973) and as the supporting character U.S. Army Sergeant Hulka in the military comedy Stripes (1981). Another notable appearance was in the classic New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs (1977), in which he played the commander of the American forces in the country.

Paul Michael Stephani was an American serial killer. He was also known as the Weepy-Voiced Killer due to a series of telephone calls he made to police, anonymously reporting his crimes in a remorseful and high-pitched voice. Stephani killed three women in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.

Jacques Teyssier was a French and German citizen, and a German LGBT rights activist.

Esmeray Diriker was a Afro-Turkish singer.

Simegnew Bekele Aynalem was an Ethiopian civil engineer who served as chief project manager of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project as well as three other similar dam projects in Ethiopia. He was considered the "public face" of the dam project.

Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen was a United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.