List of Famous people who died in 1978

Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver. Both his son Hans-Joachim Stuck and his grandsons Johannes and Ferdinand Stuck became race drivers.

Mary Blair was an American artist, animator, and designer. She was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Song of the South and Cinderella. Blair also created character designs for enduring attractions such as Disneyland's It's a Small World, the fiesta scene in El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, and an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort. Several of her illustrated children's books from the 1950s remain in print, such as I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss. Blair was inducted into the group of Disney Legends in 1991.

Aram Il'yich Khachaturian was a Soviet Armenian composer and conductor. He is considered one of the leading Soviet composers.

Claude Dauphin was a French actor. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1930 and 1978.

Ki Soegondo Djojopoespito was an Indonesian politician who became the Minister of Societal Development in the Halim Cabinet.

Baba Sy was an African international draughts player and the first world champion from Africa.

Fernando Baptista de Seixas Peyroteo de Vasconcelos was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker.

Herbert Kappler was a key German SS functionary and war criminal during the Nazi era. He served as head of German police and security services in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre.

Hirofumi Daimatsu was a Japanese volleyball coach and a Japanese politician. He led Oriental Witches, nickname of "Nichibo Kaizuka", a factory volleyball team of Dai Nippon Spinning Co., Ltd. in Kaizuka, Osaka given by the reports of European media when they achieved 24 consecutive victories against other national teams on the expedition to Europe, to world champion.

Marie-Louise Damien, better known by the stage name Damia, was a French singer and actress.