List of Famous people who died at 72

K.K. Balakrishnan was an Indian Politician. He was a minister in the Government of Kerala, holding various portfolios including Irrigation, Transport, Devaswom and Harijan welfare.

Dennis Robert Peron was an American activist and businessman who became a leader in the movement for the legalization of cannabis throughout the 1990s. He influenced many in California and thus changed the political debate on marijuana in the United States.

Ryōtarō Shiba , born Teiichi Fukuda , was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world.

M.O. Mathai (1909–28 August 1981) was the Private Secretary to India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He is primarily famed for his controversial memoirs in Reminiscences of the Nehru Age (1978) and My Days with Nehru (1979).

María Martha Serra Lima was an Argentine canción melódica singer.

Jerome Irving Rodale was a publisher, editor, author, playwright, and founder of Rodale, Inc. He was an early advocate of sustainable agriculture and organic farming in the United States. As an author, his work included several magazines and books, including books featuring different authors, on the subject of health. He popularized the term "organic" as a term for growing food without pesticides. Rodale also published works on other topics, including The Synonym Finder.

Cornelia "Cox" Habbema was a Dutch film and television actress. From 1968 to 1984, she played in films for the East-German filmproduction DEFA. She was married to the actor Eberhard Esche.

Urs Alfred "Polo" Hofer was a Swiss rock musician. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Swiss rock music and a ″national treasure″ of Switzerland.

Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was a noted Congress politician, former Union Minister and a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Raiganj of West Bengal and was a member of the Indian National Congress party. After nine years in coma after a massive stroke, he died on 20 November 2017, aged 72.

Susan, Lady Renouf was an Australian socialite. Her title was acquired through her third marriage to New Zealand businessman Sir Frank Renouf.