List of Famous people who died in 2001

Dora Emilia Mora de Retana was a noted Costa Rican botanist, known primarily for her work with orchids. She compiled an extensive catalogue of the variations of the flower found in Costa Rica which became the seminal reference work on the family Orchidaceae in the country for over a decade. There are at least five species of orchids named in her honor and in 2011, a plaque bearing her name was installed at the Lankester Botanical Garden to recognize her contributions to its development.

Danilo Donati was an Italian costume designer and production designer. He won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design twice: the first time for his work in Romeo and Juliet (1968), the second time for his work in Fellini's Casanova (1976). In addition, he received numerous David di Donatello and Nastro d'Argento awards for his costume and production designs in various films.

Simone Thion de la Chaume was a French amateur golfer.

Samuel "Sambo" Mockbee was an American architect and a co-founder of the Auburn University Rural Studio program in Hale County, Alabama.

Sophie Catherine Tatischeff was a French film editor and director.

Louis Chevalier was a French historian with interests in geography, demography and sociology. Much of his work was devoted to the history of French culture and Paris.

Burton Raphael Kennedy was an American screenwriter and director known mainly for directing Westerns. Budd Boetticher called him "the best Western writer ever."

Luís Antoni Santaló Sors was a Spanish mathematician.