2017 deaths

John "Jack" Harland Bryant (March 8, 1925 – July 5, 2017) was an American physician.

Françoise Héritier (15 November 1933 – 15 November 2017) was a French anthropologist, ethnologist, and feminist. She was the successor of Claude Lévi-Strauss at the Collège de France (Chair of Comparative Studies of African Societies from 1982 to 1998, now emeritus professor). Her work dealt mainly with the theory of alliances and on the prohibition of incest (both theories based on the notion of exchange of women). In addition to Lévi-Strauss, she was also influenced by Alfred Radcliffe-Brown. She was replaced by Philippe Descola, who is the current holder of the chair of anthropology at the Collège.

Peter Härtling (German: [ˈpeːtɐ ˈhɛʁtlɪŋ] ; 13 November 1933 – 10 July 2017) was a German writer, poet, publisher and journalist. He received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his major contribution to German literature.

Mitchell Joseph Torok (October 28, 1929 – November 16, 2017) was an American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist and author, best known for his 1953 hit record "Caribbean". He also wrote "Mexican Joe", which catapulted Jim Reeves to stardom. They began to write together and charted with many top 20 hits.
Torok reached the Billboard charts several times: in 1957 with "Pledge of Love" (Billboard Top 20), written by his wife, Gail Redd; in 1959 with an updated version of "Caribbean" (No. 27 on Billboard); with "Redneck Nat' Anthem" by Vernon Oxford in 1976; with Jerry Wallace and their song "This One's on the House" (Top 20); and with Bill Phillips's "I Can Stand It (As Long as She Can)". In 1960, Torok's recording of "Pink Chiffon" topped out at No. 60 on Billboard. His last hit record was "Instant Love" in 1965, produced by Jimmie Bowen.

Gunter Gabriel (born Günter Caspelherr; 11 June 1942 – 22 June 2017) was a German singer, musician and composer.
Gabriel became famous in Germany as singer of Schlager songs. Gabriel lived in Harburg, Hamburg. He was a friend of Johnny Cash and introduced American Country music to German audiences, even covering some of Cash's songs in German.Gabriel was married four times and had four children. He fell down a flight of stairs a couple of days before his death and died of complications that occurred after multiple surgeries to fix his broken neck.

Douglas Eugene Gallagher (February 21, 1940 – December 17, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and left-handed pitcher who appeared in nine games for the Detroit Tigers in 1962. Born in Fremont, Ohio, he batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and 195 pounds (88 kg).
Gallagher attended Fremont Ross High School before signing with the Tigers' organization in 1958. He made his professional debut with the Class-D Erie Sailors of the New York-Pennsylvania League. He threw a no-hitter for the Double-A Birmingham Barons in the 1961 Southern Association playoffs. Overall he was 15–9 for the Barons that season, which led to his getting called up to the Tigers the following season.Gallagher made his Major League Baseball debut as a relief pitcher on April 9, 1962, opening day, against the Washington Senators, a game attended by President John F. Kennedy. He pitched 11⁄3 innings of relief in the game, allowing two hits and striking out Bennie Daniels. He would pitch in nine total games for the Tigers that season, including making two starts, and finished with an 0–4 record and 4.68 ERA in 25 full innings pitched. He allowed 31 hits and 15 bases on balls, and was credited with 14 strikeouts.
One highlight of Gallagher's MLB career came on April 27, 1962, when he pitched the final three innings against the Los Angeles Angels to preserve a 13–4 Tigers' victory for future Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Bunning and pick up his lone big-league save.The following year, Gallagher was invited to spring training, where the Tigers wanted him to work on his curveball in an effort to get him back on the MLB roster. However, he ended up not making the varsity, and 1962 became his only year in the majors.After his playing career, he served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. In later life, he coached American Legion Baseball.

Philippe M.P.J. Maystadt (14 March 1948 – 7 December 2017) was a Belgian politician who served as Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of Finance, and Deputy Prime Minister. He was President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) from 2000 to 2011.

Jacques Foix (French pronunciation: [ʒak fwa]; 26 November 1930 – 14 June 2017) was a French footballer who played striker. His playing career spanned from 1951 to 1964. Foix made seven appearances for the France national team between 1953 and 1956, scoring three goals and was a member of two French League championship squads in 1959 and 1964.
Foix died 14 June 2017 at age 86.

Richard Boucher (1 March 1932 – 26 September 2017) was a French football player and coach with Toulouse FC.

Lukas Ammann (29 September 1912 – 3 May 2017) was a Swiss actor who appeared mainly in German and Swiss films and television shows. He continued to work steadily for over 60 years. He is best known for his title role in the German television series Graf Yoster.