List of Famous people who died at 56

Rosa Luna was a Uruguayan dancer. She was considered to be a living legend of Uruguayan dance.

Grover Washington Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Dave Grusin, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wrote some of his material and later became an arranger and producer.

Ji Chunhua, sometimes romanized as Gai Chun Wa, was a Chinese actor and action choreographer. Just like Jet Li and Yu Chenghui, he was a Mainland China-trained wushu athlete who started his acting career in the 1982 Hong Kong martial arts blockbuster Shaolin Temple.

Annik Honoré was a Belgian journalist and music promoter best known for her association with Ian Curtis, the former lead singer and lyricist of Joy Division. She co-founded record labels Les Disques du Crépuscule and Factory Benelux.

François Tombalbaye, also known as N'Garta Tombalbaye, was a Chadian teacher and a trade union activist who served as the first President of Chad. The head of Chad's colonial government and its ruling party, the Chadian Progressive Party, after 1959, Tombalbaye was appointed the nation's head of government after its independence on 11 August 1960. He ruled as a dictator until his deposition and assassination by members of the Chadian military in 1975.

Lucian Bălan was a Romanian football player and coach, winner of the European Cup in 1986 and the European Supercup in 1987, both with Steaua Bucureşti and former coach at a football school in Baia Mare.

Tuomo Sakari Ylipulli was a Finnish ski jumper.

Francis Joseph "Frank" Masley was an American luger. He competed in the 1980, 1984, and 1988 Winter Olympics. He was the first Olympic flag-bearer in USA Luge history in the 1984 Olympic opening ceremonies.

Monica Bandini was an Italian racing cyclist. Her biggest achievement in the sport was winning the world title in the women's team time trial (1988), alongside Maria Canins, Roberta Bonanomi, and Francesca Galli.

Ocimar Versolato was a Paris-based Brazilian fashion designer, who at one time worked for the house of Lanvin.