List of Famous people who died at 72

Maeve Binchy Snell was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Her novels were characterised by a sympathetic and often humorous portrayal of small-town life in Ireland, and surprise endings. Her novels, which were translated into 37 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and her death at age 73, announced by Vincent Browne on Irish television late on 30 July 2012, was mourned as the death of one of Ireland's best-loved and most recognisable writers.

Rafael Antonio Salazar Motos, commonly known as Rafael Farina, was a singer of Copla and Flamenco. His granddaughter is the pop-singer Tamara.

Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil, known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English theatre, film, and television actor.

Jonathan Brewster Bingham was an American politician and diplomat. He was the US delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and was elected to Congress from The Bronx, serving in the House of Representatives from 1965 to 1983.

Nawshirwan Mustafa was an Iraqi Kurdish politician who served as the General Coordinator of the Movement for Change and the leader of the opposition in the Kurdistan Region from 1 April 2009 to his death on 19 May 2017.

Peter Cecil Bull,, was a British character actor who appeared in supporting roles in such film classics as The African Queen, Tom Jones and Dr. Strangelove.