According to Sankei News, anime director Dezaki Osamu passed away on April 17th due to lung cancer. He was 67 years old.

Dezaki entered Mushi Productions in 1963 and was selected as a chief animator after only three months. He first directed Ashita no Joe when he was 26 and established a unique art style later called "Dezaki Enshutsu (Dezaki Direction)", which has been carried on in contemporary anime. He founded Madhouse Studios in 1972 with his colleagues from Mushi Productions.

Imaishi Hiroyuki (his tweet)
"Dezaki-san, I pray your soul may rest in peace. I've been under your influence and will have been."

Kawasaki Itsuro (his tweet)
"I was surprised to realize that I've been affected by Dezaki Enshutsu more than I think. Every director in my generation has tried to mimic Dezaki Enshutsu only to find ours were uncool."

Kobayashi Osamu (his tweet)
"I love Gamba no Bouken, Takarajima, Ace wo Nerae, Ashita no Joe, Space Adventure Cobra. May he rest in peace. When I met him, I couldn't speak to him at all. I wish I had had a chance to talk with him about many things."

Kamiyama Kenji (his tweet)
"He was a great director who had created lots of masterpieces. I had few opportunities to work with him, but his works had influenced me very much. With deep gratitude, I pray his soul may rest in peace."

Source: Sanki