List of Famous people who died at 85

Chen-Yuan Lee, was a Taiwanese pharmacologist and political activist. He is famous for his research on snake venom. He was a recipient of the prestigious Redi Award from the International Society on Toxinology (IST), and was also a former president of the society. He was a former dean of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine. After his retirement from researching, he focused on participating in the Taiwan independence movement and many democratic movement. Lee had founded many political organizations such as the "100 Action Union" (100行動聯盟), Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan. He was also the first chairperson of the Taiwan Independence Party.

Ernst Wolfgang Hamburger was a German-born Brazilian physicist and popularizer of science. Hamburger was internationally known for his activities regarding public understanding of science. He was the director of Estação Ciência, an interactive science museum in São Paulo. He won the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science, the José Reis Award for the Divulgation of Science, the medal of the Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit, and was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Maurice Capovila was a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. He directed eight films between 1968 and 2003. His 1970 film The Prophet of Hunger was entered into the 20th Berlin International Film Festival.