List of Famous people who died at 72

Alexander Vasilyevich Mosolov was a composer of the early Soviet era, known best for his early futurist piano sonatas, orchestral episodes, and vocal music.

Tadahiko Hayashi was a Japanese photographer noted for a wide range of work including documentary and portraiture.

Russell Joseph McVinney was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Providence from 1948 until his death in 1971.

Max Krook was an American mathematician and astrophysicist.

Giuseppe Capogrossi was an Italian painter.

Robert William Kistner was a gynecologist who specialized in the treatment of endometriosis and was involved in the early development of the birth control pill.

John Leslie Jambor was a Canadian geologist and mineralogist. Jambor was an exceptional figure in the field of mineralogy and a major contributor to the Mineralogical Association of Canada (MAC).
Jambor has a Scopus h-index of 38.

Said Sheikh Samatar was a prominent Somali scholar and writer.

Professor Chan Yuk-shee, SBS, BBS, JP was the President of Lingnan University of Hong Kong from September 2007 to August 2013. Prior to joining Lingnan University, he was the Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).