List of Famous people who died in 2009

Naji Jaber, was a Syrian actor who was foremost identified with the character Abu Antar (أبوعنتر).

Mantombazana 'Manto' Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang was a South African politician. She was Deputy Minister of Justice from 1996 to 1999 and served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2008 under President Thabo Mbeki. She also served as Minister in the Presidency under President Kgalema Motlanthe from September 2008 to May 2009.

Marek Edelman was a Polish political and social activist and cardiologist. Edelman was the last surviving leader of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and, long before his death, was the last one to stay in Poland despite harassment by the Communist authorities.

Thomas Newton Hill, Jr. was an Indian-born American character actor and director on stage for decades before starting in film in the mid-1960s and on television in the 1980s.

Christian Gregorio Poveda Ruiz, known as Christian Poveda, was a Hispanic-French photojournalist and film director. He covered the world's conflict zones for more than 30 years. Poveda's documentary film La Vida Loca (2008) is about two rival gangs in El Salvador.

Mansour Rahbani was a Lebanese composer, musician, poet, philosopher, thinker and producer, known as one of the Rahbani brothers, and the brother-in-law of the singer Fairuz.

Sheng Yen, born Zhang Baokang, was a Chinese Buddhist monk, a religious scholar, and one of the mainstream teachers of Chan Buddhism. He was a 57th generational dharma heir of Linji Yixuan in the Linji school and a third-generation dharma heir of Hsu Yun. In the Caodong lineage, Sheng Yen was a 52nd-generation Dharma heir of Dongshan Liangjie (807-869), and a direct Dharma heir of Dongchu (1908–1977).

Ricardo Londoño-Bridge was a racing driver from Colombia. He had an unremarkable international career apart from his one attempt at Formula One in the 1981 Brazilian Grand Prix with Ensign. Londoño was the first racing driver from Colombia to participate in a Formula One race weekend.

Perilúcio José de Almeida, better known by his stage name Perry Salles, was a Brazilian film director and actor.

Annemarie Dina Babbitt was an artist and Holocaust survivor. A naturalized U.S. citizen, she resided in Santa Cruz, California.