List of Famous people who died in 2015

Joshua Lloyd Wheeler, November 22, 1975 – October 22, 2015) was a United States Army soldier who was killed in Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve. He was a master sergeant assigned to the elite Delta Force, and was the first American service member killed in action as a result of enemy fire while fighting ISIS militants. He was also the first American to be killed in action in Iraq since November 2011.

Lithang Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche or Tenzing Deleg was a Tibetan Buddhist leader from Garze, Sichuan. He is also known for working to develop social, medical, educational and religious institutions for Tibetan nomads in eastern Tibet, as an advocate for environmental conservation in the face of indiscriminate logging and mining projects, and as a mediator between Tibetans and Chinese.

Nilo Zandanel was an Italian ski jumper.

Masabumi Kikuchi was a Japanese jazz pianist and composer known for his eclectic music that ranges from vanguard classical to fusion and digital music. He worked with many diverse musicians, including Lionel Hampton, Sonny Rollins, Woody Herman, Mal Waldron, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Gary Peacock, Paul Motian, Billy Harper and Hannibal Peterson.

Pierre Bernard was a French graphic artist and designer. He was a member and then the manager for the L’Atelier Création Graphique in Paris, an organization he founded along with Dirk Behage and Fokke Draaijer. He was the recipient of the 2006 Erasmus Prize.

Serge Collot was a French violist and music educator.

Heinz Fricke was a German conductor. From 1961 to 1992 he held the position of Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. He also worked at the Den Norske Opera. In 2010 Fricke announced his retirement after 18 years with the Washington National Opera and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. He was the honorary Music Director Emeritus of the WNO and the KCOHO.

Ellen Marie Elze Anthing Vogel was a Dutch film, stage and television actress.

Nikolaus Lehnhoff was a German opera director.

Alain Jouffroy was a French writer, poet and artist.