List of Famous people who died in 1997

Sir Geoffrey William Vavasour, 5th Baronet was an Irish-born English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer. He served in the Second World War with distinction, where he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war he played first-class cricket for the Combined Services cricket team. He succeeded his father as the 5th Baronet of Hazelwood in 1961.

General Sir John Winthrop Hackett, was an Australian-born British soldier, painter, university administrator, author and in later life, a commentator.

Harold Robbins was an American author of popular novels. One of the best-selling writers of all time, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages.

Jean-Claude Lauzon was a Canadian filmmaker. Born to a humble family in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Lauzon worked a variety of odd jobs after dropping out of high school. He went on to study film at the Université du Québec à Montréal at the behest of Andre Petrowski, a member of the National Film Board of Canada. His two feature-length films, Night Zoo , and Léolo, established him as one of the most important Canadian directors of his time.

Dorothy Buffum Chandler was a Los Angeles cultural leader. She is perhaps best known for her efforts on behalf of the performing arts.