List of Famous people who died at 72

Saint María de la Purísima Salvat Romero, born María Isabel Salvat Romero, was a Spanish Roman Catholic nun and a member of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross. She assumed the name of "María de la Purísima of the Cross" after she entered that order. Romero was the successor of Saint Angela of the Cross of the latter's congregation and was known for her firmness in the progress of the order and in their role as servants of God and His people. Romero was known in her order for her strong commitment to uphold the magisterium of the Church.

Maria Sergeevna Vinogradova was a Russian actress. She appeared in more than one hundred films from 1940 to 1995.

Ma Bufang (1903 – 31 July 1975) (traditional Chinese: 馬步芳; simplified Chinese: 马步芳; pinyin: Mǎ Bùfāng; Wade–Giles: Ma³ Pu⁴-fang¹, Xiao'erjing: ما بوفنگ‎) was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general.

Brigitte Skay was a German film actress.

Jacques Derogy (1925–1997) was a French investigative journalist.

Anatoly Arkadyevich Kharlampiyev, was a Russian researcher of various kinds of national wrestling and martial arts, Merited Master of Sports of the USSR, and Honored Coach of Sports of the USSR. He was one of the founders of Sambo, a martial art technique developed in the Soviet Union. Kharlampiyev worked as a physical education trainer at the Communist University of the Toilers of the East, and also was a student of boxing, fencing, acrobatics, and mountaineering. In 1938, Kharlampiyev presented Sambo to the USSR All-Union Sports Committee, which recognized the martial art as an official sport.

Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia was a member of the House of Karađorđević, the second son of King Alexander I and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia. He was a younger brother of King Peter II of Yugoslavia and a former nephew-in-law to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Joaquim Molins i Amat was a Spanish politician who was a member of the Congress of Deputies and the Parliament of Catalonia. He died on July 13, 2017, due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

Amir Machmud was an Indonesian Military General who was an eyewitness to the signing of the Supersemar document transferring power from President Sukarno to General Suharto.