Arkansans of note who died in 2025

• Nate Allen — Reported on and wrote about the most discussed subject in the state — Arkansas athletics — for decades.
• Jim Blair — Former general counsel of Tyson Foods, a philanthropist and a pillar of the Northwest Arkansas community.
• Donald "Skip" Hays — Taught creative writing at the University of Arkansas and was a 1985 PEN/Faulkner finalist for his novel "The Dixie Association."
• Oliver Miller — "Big O" played center and helped the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team advance to the Final Four under coach Nolan Richardson. He went on to the NBA.
• Mike Nail — The "Voice of the Razorbacks" called plays for more than 900 basketball games for nearly three decades.
• State Sen. Gary Stubblefield — A Republican who served in both the Arkansas House and Senate, he opposed the Franklin County prison project.
• Former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker — The 43rd Governor of Arkansas was an Oklahoma native and a Democrat who resigned after being convicted on fraud charges related to the Whitewater case.

The bottom line: Their contributions helped shape the state.