List of Famous people who died in 1987

Dick Kelsey, by given name of Richmond Kelsey, was an important early animation art director and pioneer theme park designer and illustrator of children's books. His career spanned several of the most beloved Disney films in the 1940s-1950s, after which he assisted in the design of Disneyland in 1955. Translating the screen arts to real buildings, Kelsey was hired by the Marco Engineering firm of Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood to be a lead art director to design Magic Mountain theme park at Golden, Colorado in 1957. Later Kelsey became mentor to another prominent Disney artisan, Ron Dias, among whose films include Sleeping Beauty. In time, Kelsey returned to Disney work, including Bedknobs and Broomsticks and illustrating children's books of Disney films.

Solomana Kanté was a Guinean writer and educator, best known as the inventor of the N'Ko alphabet for the Manding languages of Africa. The phrase "N'Ko" means "I say" in all Manding languages.

Clinton Charles Sundberg was an American character actor in film and stage.

Benson Fong was an American character actor.

Ali André Mécili, born in 1940 in Koléa, Algeria, died assassinated in Paris on April 7, 1987, was an Algerian politician and French citizen.