Deaths in May 1981

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The following is a list of notable deaths in May 1981.

Entries for each day are listed alphabetically by surname. A typical entry lists information in the following sequence:

• Name, age, country of citizenship at birth, subsequent country of citizenship (if applicable), reason for notability, cause of death (if known), and reference.

May 1981

18

• Richard Hale, 88, American opera singer and character actor, he narrated the American premiere of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, at Symphony Hall, Boston, with Prokofiev himself conducting, ; Hale was also the narrator for Arthur Fiedler's 1953 RCA recording of the same music with the Boston Pops, ^{[1] [2]} cardiovascular disease ^[2]
• Arthur O'Connell, 73, American actor, he was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in the romance film Picnic (1955) ^[3] and the legal drama Anatomy of a Murder (1959), ^[4] Alzheimer's disease ^{[5] [6]}

21

• Yuki Shimoda, 59, American actor and dancer, ^[7] during World War II, following the signing of Executive Order 9066 (1942), Shimoda was incarcerated to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, ^[8] cancer ^[7]

References

1. "Actor Who Played Rabbis, Indians, Also Recorded Classics". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. May 25, 1981. p. 20. Retrieved September 23, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Richard Hale Dead at 88". The Californian. Salinas, CA. May 25, 1981. p. 12. Retrieved September 23, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. "The 28th Academy Awards (1956) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
4. "The 32nd Academy Awards (1960) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
5. "Obituary: Arthur O'Connell". Daily News. Associated Press. May 19, 1981. p. 50. Retrieved February 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
6. "ARTHUR O'CONNELL, 73, NOMINATED FOR OSCARS FOR SUPPORTING ROLES". The New York Times. United Press International. May 19, 1981. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
7. "Buddhist services held for actor Yuki Shimoda". The Fresno Bee . United Press International. May 26, 1981. p. B3. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
8. Niiya, Brian. "Yuki Shimoda". Densho Encyclopedia . Retrieved September 21, 2025.

External links

• List of May 1981 deaths at IMDb