List of Famous people who died in 1989

Margaret Mary Fairchild also known as Mary Teresa Sheppard, Miss Shepherd and M T Sheppard was a former concert pianist, nun and homeless woman who is the title character in the 2015 film The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett in which she was played by Maggie Smith. Smith had previously played her in a 1999 play of the same name and a radio adaptation for BBC Radio 4 in 2009.

Ertem Eğilmez was a Turkish film director, producer and screenwriter. He is known as the name behind some of the most popular films in Turkish film history. Many of these were produced by his production company Arzu Film.

Hilde Benjamin was an East German judge and Minister of Justice. She is best known for presiding over a series of political trials in the 1950s. She is particularly known as responsible for the politically motivated prosecution of Erna Dorn and Ernst Jennrich. In his 1994 inauguration speech German President Roman Herzog mentioned Benjamin's status as a symbol of injustice, noting that her name was incompatible with the German constitution and the rule of law.

Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. A resident of Paris for most of his adult life, he wrote in both French and English.

Vittorio Caprioli was an Italian film actor, director and screenwriter. He appeared in 109 films between 1946 and 1990, mostly in French productions. He was born and died in Naples, Italy.

Gerhard Schröder was a West German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. He served as Federal Minister of the Interior from 1953 to 1961, as Foreign Minister from 1961 to 1966, and as Minister of Defence from 1966 until 1969. In the 1969 election he ran for President of the Federal Republic of Germany but was outpolled by Gustav Heinemann.

Arnaldo T. Ochoa Sánchez was a prominent Cuban general who was executed by the government of Fidel Castro after being found guilty of a variety of crimes including drug smuggling and treason. Allegations from a former Castro bodyguard claimed that Ochoa was executed, and Interior Minister Jose Abrantes sentenced to a 20-year prison term, to cover up high level Castro brothers involvement in the drug smuggling trade.

Alfredo Zitarrosa was a Uruguayan singer-songwriter, poet and journalist. He specialized in Uruguayan and Argentinean folk genres such as zamba and milonga, and he became a chief figure in the nueva canción movement in his country. A staunch supporter of Communist ideals, he lived in exile between 1976 and 1984. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of Latin America.

Vasiliy Sergeevich Kulik was a Soviet serial killer, convicted for the killing of 13 people and nearly 30 rapes and assaults in Irkutsk between 1984 and 1986.

Fredrik Meyer was a Norwegian sailor who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and an officer in the Royal Norwegian Air Force.