List of Famous people who died in 2016

Nera D. White was an American basketball player. White played in the AAU national tournaments for the Nashville Business College team while completing her education at George Peabody College for Teachers, which did not field a team. Later, she led the United States national women's basketball team to their victory in the 1957 FIBA World Championship. Throughout her career, she was awarded numerous accolades, including her induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Playing at a time when there were no major professional women's basketball leagues in the U.S., White distinguished herself, receiving many accolades as one of the greatest female players in history. Talented in multiple sports, she also was distinguished as an All-World player by the Amateur Softball Association.

Kathryn Pennington Teasdale was a Canadian auto racing driver and businesswoman. She began racing Formula Fords in Canada in 1988, and later switched to stock car racing. She was the CASCAR rookie of the year in 1993, and a three-time Canadian national champion in the Chevrolet Camaro racing series from 1996 to 1998. She achieved several firsts for female drivers which included being the first Canadian woman to have an international racing license, the first woman to compete in the Indy Lights road racing series, and the first female driver in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. She succeeded in earning her own sponsorships in motorsport, and was later her own racing team owner. She was described by Andy Pilgrim as both a fearless driver and a talented athlete. She won over 180 races during her career, and retired from professional racing in 1998.

Abdülkadir "Demirkan" Pirhasan, known by his pen name as Vedat Türkali, was a Turkish screenwriter, novelist, playwright, intellectual, teacher and the member of the Democratic People's Party. He is also credited to "film director" for making three films in Turkish cinema as a director. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including International Antalya Film Festival — Best Screenplay for Karanlıkta Uyananlar film.

Fritz Richard Stern was a German-born American historian of German history, Jewish history and historiography. He was a University Professor Emeritus and a provost at New York's Columbia University. His work focused on the complex relationships between Germans and Jews in the 19th and 20th centuries and on the rise of National Socialism in Germany during the first half of the 20th century.

Leonorilda Ochoa Pagaza was a Mexican actress and comedian who appeared in film, television, and theatre productions. She became popular as La Pecas in the sitcom Los Beverly de Peralvillo (1968-1973).

Tomohiro Matsu was a Japanese light novelist and anime scriptwriter. His real name was Takahiro Narimatsu . He was married.

Lionel Blue was a British Reform rabbi, journalist and broadcaster, described by The Guardian as "one of the most respected religious figures in the UK". He was best known for his longstanding work with the media, most notably his wry and gentle sense of humour on Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He was the first British rabbi publicly to declare his homosexuality.

Lucille Dumont was a Canadian singer and radio and television host. She is credited by the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame with having "served and personified Quebec popular music" and popularized the music of Quebec songwriters by singing their songs. She is also credited with being "at the birth of Quebec television," participating in Radio Canada's first television shows.

Yves Vincent was a French film and television actor.

Sarah Moore, formerly known as Sarah Hamilton-Byrne, was an Australian medical doctor and writer who spent her childhood in The Family, a new religious movement run by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, her adoptive mother. She was instrumental in having the group investigated by the police in Victoria, Australia. She later wrote a book about her experiences in The Family.