In Memoriam: Those we lost in 2023

A 'Friend.' A first lady. A crooner. Astronauts, government officials, whistleblowers. Familiar faces who left their indelible mark on every facet of life as we know it. These are the people who departed in 2023.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A 'Friend.' A first lady. A crooner. A parrothead. Hall of Famers. Entertainment icons. Astronauts, government officials, whistleblowers. Familiar faces who left their indelible mark on every facet of life as we know it. These are the people who departed in 2023.

They are, in the words of one who passed, simply the best.

Information from The Associated Press. Photos from AP, Getty Images

JANUARY

Fred White, January 1, 2023: Drummer Fred White, who joined Earth, Wind & Fire in 1974 alongside his brothers Maurice and Verdine White, died at the age of 67. While his death was announced January 1, it appears Fred White died before the new year began, with his tribute saying “In memoriam: Fred White, 1955-2022.” The exact date and cause of death was not immediately revealed.

In Memoriam Photo Gallery -- January through March 2023

Gangsta Boo, January 1: Gangsta Boo, rapper and former member of hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, died at 43 at her home in Memphis. Those close to her say it appears there was no foul play in her death. Gangsta Boo collaborated with many hip-hop and R&B artists including Eminem, E-40, OutKast, Lil Jon, Krayzie Bone, Gucci Mane, Run the Jewels, GloRilla and Latto.

Ken Block, January 2: Professional rally driver Ken Block died in a snowmobiling accident in Utah at the age of 55. Block was driving a snowmobile on a steep slope when “the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him,” the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office wrote. Outside of racing, Block co-founded DC Shoes and Hoonigan Industries. He reportedly lived in Park City, Utah, with his family.

Nate Thayer, January 3: Nate Thayer, a fearless reporter who survived several brushes with death over decades covering conflict in Southeast Asia and was the last western journalist to interview Pol Pot, the leader of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, died at his Falmouth, Massachusetts home. He was 62. His editor at the Far Eastern Economic Review, Andrew Sherry, wrote in 2005: “By no means a Khmer Rouge apologist, he presented a straight, unvarnished picture of the past and present, and confronted Pol Pot with the evidence that he was a mass murderer.”

Adam Rich, January 7: Adam Rich, the child actor with a pageboy mop-top who charmed TV audiences as “America’s little brother” on “Eight is Enough,” died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 54. The death was not considered suspicious. “Human beings weren’t built to endure mental illness,” Rich tweeted in September. “The mere fact that some people consider those to be weak, or have a lack of will is totally laughable … because it’s the total opposite! It’s takes a very, very strong person … a warrior if you will … to battle such illnesses.”

Bernard Kalb, January 8: Bernard Kalb, a former television reporter for CBS and NBC who quit his job as a State Department spokesman to protest a U.S. government disinformation campaign against Libya, died following complications from a fall. He was 100. Bernard Kalb worked as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, CBS and NBC, wrote two books with his more famous younger brother, and served as founding anchor and panelist for the CNN media analysis show “Reliable Sources.”

Melinda Dillon, January 9: Melinda Dillon, known for roles in films like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “A Christmas Story,” died at the age of 83. Her role in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” earned her her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. She’d be nominated a second time in 1981 for the Sydney Pollack drama “Absence of Malice.” Dillon’s face has become quite familiar to households given her role as Ralphie Parker’s mom in “A Christmas Story.”

Cardinal George Pell, January 10: Cardinal George Pell, a onetime financial adviser to Pope Francis who spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia on child sex abuse charges before his convictions were unanimously overturned, died in Rome. He was 81. Pell, the former archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney, became the third-highest ranked official in the Vatican after Pope Francis tapped him in 2014 to reform the Vatican’s notoriously opaque finances as the Holy See’s first-ever finance czar.

Jeff Beck, January 10: Jeff Beck, a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player, died after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis." He was 78. Beck was among the rock-guitarist pantheon from the late ’60s that included Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Beck won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — once with the Yardbirds in 1992 and again as a solo artist in 2009. He was ranked fifth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

Tatjana Patitz, January 11: Tatjana Patitz, one of an elite group of famed supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video, died at age 56. Patitz, who was born in Germany, raised in Sweden and later made her life in California, was known as part of an elite handful of “original” supermodels, appearing in the Michael video along with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.

Carole Cook, January 11: Carole Cook, well known for her work on screen and stage, died at age 98. Cook was known for her film roles, which included appearances in “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” and “Sixteen Candles,” as well as voicing the character Pearl in Disney’s “Home on the Range.” More recently, in 2006, Cook appeared in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Her most recent credit was in the 2018 musical “Still Waiting In The Wings.”

Charles Kimbrough, January 11: Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown,” died at the age of 86. Kimbrough played newsman Jim Dial across the 10 seasons of CBS hit sitcom “Murphy Brown” between 1988 and 1998, earning an Emmy nomination in 1990 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.

Lisa Marie Presley, January 12: Lisa Marie Presley — the only child of Elvis Presley — died after being hospitalized earlier in the day. She was 54. Presley attended the Golden Globes just 2 days before her death to celebrate Austin Butler’s award for playing her father in “Elvis.” She called his performance “mind-blowing” during a red carpet interview with “Entertainment Tonight.” Just days before that, she was in Memphis, Tennessee, at Graceland — the mansion where Elvis lived — to celebrate her father’s birth anniversary on Jan. 8.

Robbie Bachman, January 12: Robbie Bachman, the drummer for the Canadian hard rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive that was known for such 1970s hits as “Takin’ Care of Business” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” has died at age 69. Robbie, Randy and Tim Bachman along with Fred Turner on bass formed Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1973 and sold millions of records over the next three years with their blend of grinding guitar riffs and catchy melodies.

Robbie Knievel, January 13: Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father — including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1989 and a Grand Canyon chasm a decade later — died in Nevada after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 60. “Daredevils don’t live easy lives,” Kelly Knievel told The Associated Press. “He was a great daredevil. People don’t really understand how scary it is what my brother did.”

Gina Lollobrigida, January 16: Italian film legend Gina Lollobrigida, who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies, died in Rome. She was 95. Besides “The World’s Most Beautiful Woman” in 1955, career highlights included Golden Globe-winner “Come September,” with Rock Hudson; “Trapeze;” “Beat the Devil,” a 1953 John Huston film starring Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones; and “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell,” which won Lollobrigida Italy’s top movie award, a David di Donatello, as best actress in 1969. More than a half-century later, Lollobrigida still turned heads with her brown, curly hair and statuesque figure, and preferred to be called an actress instead of the gender-neutral term actor.

David Crosby, January 18: David Crosby, the brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young, died at 81. While he only wrote a handful of widely known songs, the witty and ever opinionated Crosby was on the front lines of the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s — whether triumphing with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young on stage at Woodstock, testifying on behalf of a hirsute generation in his anthem “Almost Cut My Hair” or mourning the assassination of Robert Kennedy in “Long Time Gone.”

Sal Bando, January 20: Sal Bando, a three-time World Series champion with the Oakland Athletics and former Milwaukee Brewers executive, died after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was 78. Bando hit .254 with 242 homers and 1,039 RBIs in 16 seasons with the Athletics and Brewers. The four-time All-Star, who also starred for Arizona State in college, won three straight titles with the A’s from 1972-74.

Bill Schonely, January 21: Bill Schonely, who spent the better part of 52 years with the Portland Trail Blazers as play-by-play announcer and ambassador, died at the age of 93. Biographer Kerry Eggers said, "He’s very gracious with people, he likes people, he likes attention, there’s a certain ego there that he had that served him well in his job because you have to be kind of a showman. And he was a great showman and person that identified with so many people in the Northwest and especially in the Portland area.”

Billy Packer, January 26: Billy Packer, an Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS, died of kidney failure. He was 82. Packer’s broadcasting career coincided with the growth of college basketball. He worked as analyst or color commentator on every Final Four from 1975 to 2008. He received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio and Sports Analyst in 1993.

Tom Verlaine, January 28: Tom Verlaine, guitarist and co-founder of the seminal proto-punk band Television who influenced many bands while playing at ultra-cool downtown New York music venue CBGB alongside the Ramones, Patti Smith and Talking Heads, died at 73. Though Television never found much commercial success, Verlaine’s jaggedly inventive playing as part of the band’s two-guitar assault influenced many musicians.

Annie Wersching, January 29: Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series “24″ and providing the voice for Tess in the video game “The Last of Us,” died after a battle with cancer. She was 45. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Wersching appeared on dozens of television shows over the course of her two-decade career.

Barrett Strong, January 29: Barrett Strong, one of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and later collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” died at the age of 81. “Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement.

Lisa Loring, January 29: Lisa Loring, the actress best known for portraying Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family,” died following a stroke. She was 64. Loring starred in the original version of the series starting in 1964, when she was only 6 years old. She stayed on for both seasons before the show went off the air.

Bob Born, January 29: Ira “Bob” Born, a candy company executive known as the “Father of Peeps” for mechanizing the process to make marshmallow chicks, died at 98. Peeps remain Just Born’s most recognizable candy brand, the company says. Just Born makes around 2 billion Peeps each year, or enough to circle the globe two-and-a-half times. It sells the most at Easter, but also has versions sold for Halloween, Valentine’s Day and other holidays.

Bobby Hull, January 30: Chicago Blackhawks great Bobby Hull, known as "The Golden Jet" died at the age of 84. The Blackhawks all-time leading scorer helped them win a Stanley Cup in 1961. He was also one of the first players to curve the blade of his stick and his slapshot was once clocked at 118 mph.

Cindy Williams, January 30: Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 80s for her role as Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the beloved sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” died after a brief illness. She was 75. Williams worked with some of Hollywood’s most elite directors in a film career that preceded her full-time move to television. Williams played the straitlaced Shirley Feeney to Marshall’s more libertine Laverne DeFazio on the show about a pair of blue-collar roommates who toiled on the assembly line of a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s and 60s.

February

Paco Rabanne, February 3: Paco Rabanne, the Spanish-born designer known for perfumes sold worldwide but who made his name with metallic space-age fashions that put a bold, new edge on catwalks, died. He was 88. “Paco Rabanne made transgression magnetic. Who else could induce fashionable Parisian women (to) clamor for dresses made of plastic and metal? Who but Paco Rabanne could imagine a fragrance called Calandre — the word means ‘automobile grill,’ you know — and turn it into an icon of modern femininity?” the group Puig said in a statement.

Burt Bacharach, February 8: Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer and Oscar winner who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and dozens of other hits, died at 94. Over the past 70 years, only Lennon-McCartney, Carole King and a handful of others rivaled his genius for instantly catchy songs that remained performed, played and hummed long after they were written. Dionne Warwick was his favorite interpreter, but Bacharach, usually in tandem with lyricist Hal David, also created prime material for Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and many others.

Cody Longo, February 8: Cody Longo, an actor who appeared on “Days of Our Lives" and "Hollywood Heights," died at age 34. A family member told TMZ that Longo’s body was found at a residence in Austin, Texas, after his wife asked police to go to the home for a wellness check. His cause of death was not immediately released.

Austin Majors, February 11: Actor Austin Majors, a child star from the hit network cop drama “NYPD Blue” died at the age of 27. Majors died while staying at a homeless housing facility in Los Angeles. A source “with direct knowledge of the circumstances” told TMZ they believe Majors may have ingested a fatal amount of fentanyl. His career also included appearances on “How I Met Your Mother,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “NCIS,” according to his IMDB page.

Trugoy the Dove, February 12: David Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip hop trio De La Soul, died at 54. De La Soul’s debut studio album “3 Feet High and Rising,” produced by Prince Paul, was released in 1989 by Tommy Boy Records. In 2010, “3 Feet High and Rising” was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its historic significance.

Raquel Welch, February 15: Raquel Welch, who became an international sex symbol in “One Million Years B.C” after she donned the famous doe-skin bikini and was chosen as one of the “100 Sexiest Stars in Film History," died after a brief illness. She was 82. Welch also won a Golden Globe for in 1974 for her role in “The Three Musketeers.” In the ’80s, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1987 film “Right to Die.”

Tim McCarver, February 16: Hall of Fame broadcaster and longtime catcher Tim McCarver died at 81. Among the few players to appear in major league games during four different decades, McCarver was a two-time All Star who worked closely with two future Hall of Fame pitchers: The tempestuous Bob Gibson and the introverted Steve Carlton. He switched to television soon after retiring in 1980 and became best known to national audiences for his 18-year partnership on Fox with play-by-play man Joe Buck. Knowledge was his trademark. In his spare time, he visited art museums, read books and could recite poetry from memory. At work, he was like a one-man scouting team, versed in the most granular details, and spent hours preparing before each game.

Stella Stevens, February 17: Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis’s affection in “The Nutty Professor,” died. She was 84. She made her film debut in a minor role in the Bing Crosby musical “Say One for Me” in 1959, but she considered “Li’l Abner” her big break. Stevens worked steadily in television in the 1970s and 80s, appearing in the pilots for “Wonder Woman,” “Hart to Hart” and “The Love Boat” and in series like “Night Court,” “Murder She Wrote” and “Magnum, P.I.”

Kyle Jacobs, February 17: Country music songwriter Kyle Jacobs, who was married to country star Kellie Pickler, died at age 49 of an apparent suicide at his home in Nashville. Jacobs, who starred alongside his wife in CMT’s reality series “I Love Kellie Pickler,” penned songs recorded by country greats like Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw.

Richard Belzer, February 19: Richard Belzer, the longtime stand-up comedian who became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law & Order: SVU,” died at his home in southern France. He was 78. For more than two decades and across 10 series — even including appearances on “30 Rock” and “Arrested Development” — Belzer played the wise-cracking, acerbic homicide detective prone to conspiracy theories. Belzer first played Munch on a 1993 episode of “Homicide” and last played him in 2016 on “Law & Order: SVU.”

Walter Mirisch, February 24: Walter Mirisch, the astute and Oscar winning film producer who oversaw such classics as “Some Like It Hot,” “West Side Story” and “In the Heat of the Night,” died of natural causes, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said. He was 101. “Walter was a true visionary, both as a producer and as an industry leader,” said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Jack Holder, February 24: Jack Holder, a Pearl Harbor survivor who went on become a decorated World War II flyer who flew over 100 missions in the Pacific and European theaters, died in Arizona. He was 101. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial said Holder was awarded two distinguished flying cross medals, six air medals, a presidential citation and six commendation medals in his Navy career before being honorably discharged in 1948. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t have statistics for how many Pearl Harbor survivors are still living.

Gordon Pinsent, February 25: Gordon Pinsent, an award-winning Canadian actor acclaimed for his performance as a heartbroken husband in the film “Away From Her,” has died at 92. “Gordon Pinsent was one of Canada’s most iconic actors,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter. “He was passionate, captivating and endlessly talented.”

Ricou Browning, February 27: Ricou Browning, a skilled swimmer best known for his underwater role as the Gill Man in the quintessential 3D black-and-white 1950s monster movie “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” died at 93 at his Florida home. In addition to acting roles, Browning also collaborated as a writer on the 1963 movie “Flipper,” and the popular TV series of the same name that followed.

March

Wayne Shorter, March 2: Wayne Shorter, an influential jazz innovator whose lyrical, complex jazz compositions and pioneering saxophone playing sounded through more than half a century of American music, died at 89. Shorter, a tenor saxophonist, made his debut in 1959 and would go on to be a foundational member of two of the most seminal jazz groups: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet. Over the next eight decades, Shorter's wide-spanning collaborations would include co-founding the '70s fusion band Weather Report, some 10 album appearances with Joni Mitchell and further explorations with Carlos Santana and Steely Dan.

Tom Sizemore, March 3: Tom Sizemore, the “Saving Private Ryan” actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own domestic violence and drug convictions, died at age 61. The actor had suffered a brain aneurysm on Feb. 18 at his home in Los Angeles. Sizemore became a star with acclaimed appearances in “Natural Born Killers” and the cult-classic crime thriller “Heat.” But serious substance dependency, abuse allegations and multiple run-ins with the law devastated his career, left him homeless and sent him to jail.

Garry Rossington, March 5: Gary Rossington, who co-founded Lynyrd Skynyrd, died at the age of 71. Rossington helped form the band in the 1960s with Ronnie Van Zant and Bob Burns, who met while playing on opposing baseball teams in Jacksonville, Florida as teenagers. “Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does," the band posted on social media.

Robert Blake, March 9: Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died at age 89. Blake, star of the 1970s TV show, “Baretta,” had once hoped for a comeback, but he never recovered from the long ordeal which began with the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside a Studio City restaurant on May 4, 2001. The story of their strange marriage, the child it produced and its violent end was a Hollywood tragedy played out in court.

Bud Grant, March 11: Bud Grant, the stoic and demanding Hall of Fame coach who took the Minnesota Vikings and their mighty Purple People Eaters defense to four Super Bowls in eight years and lost all of them, died at 95. Wearing his trademark purple Vikings cap and a stone-faced demeanor, Grant’s steely sideline gaze became synonymous with his teams. He was a mainstay among coaches of his era, a decorated group that included Don Shula, Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, John Madden and Hank Stram. Grant, however, had little interest in accolades.

Dick Fosbury, March 12: Dick Fosbury, the lanky leaper who completely revamped the technical discipline of high jump and won an Olympic gold medal with his “Fosbury Flop,” has died after a recurrence with lymphoma. He was 76. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, he took off at an angle, leaped backward and bent himself into a “J” shape to catapult his 6-foot-4 frame over the bar. The Fosbury Flop is now the standard in the high jump.

Joe Pepitone, March 13: Joe Pepitone, an All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman on the 1960s New York Yankees who gained renown for his flamboyant personality, hairpieces and penchant for nightlife, died. He was 82.  In a time when most players were staid and conformist, Pepitone was thought to be the first to bring a hair dryer into the clubhouse. He posed nude for a January 1975 edition of Foxylady magazine. Pepitone’s 1975 autobiography, “Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud,” detailed nightlife with Frank Sinatra, smoking marijuana with Mantle and Whitey Ford

Pat Schroeder, March 13: Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, died at 82. Her parting shot in 1998 was a book titled “24 Years of Housework … and the Place is Still a Mess. My Life in Politics,″ which chronicled her frustration with male domination and the slow pace of change in federal institutions.

Bobby Caldwell, March 15: Singer Bobby Caldwell, famous for his R&B hits “What You Won’t Do For Love” and “Open Your Eyes,” died after suffering from health issues for the past 6 years. He was 71. Caldwell’s voice has transcended generations due to his 1978 hit “What You Won’t Do For Love.” The song has been remade by Boyz II Men, Snoh Aalegra, Michael Bolton, Roy Ayers, Phyllis Hyman and Go West. In 1998, the song was sampled in Tupac Shakur’s hit “Do for Love.”

Lance Reddick, March 17: Lance Reddick, perhaps best known for his role on “The Wire,” died suddenly at the age of 60. Reddick had a long career in TV and film, but he will most likely be remembered as Lt. Cedric Daniels on “The Wire,” one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time. He also appeared in the “John Wick” franchise and was set to appear as Zeus in next year’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” on Disney+.

Paul Grant, March 20: Paul Grant, who had parts in both "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter," died after collapsing outside a London train station. He was 56. He played an Ewok in “Return of the Jedi” and a goblin in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Grant also acted in the 1986 movie “Labyrinth,” and did stunts in “Legend” and “Willow.”

Willis Reed, March 21: Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring examples of playing through pain, died at the age of 80. Reed’s accomplishments — seven All-Star selections, two NBA Finals MVP awards among them — would have warranted Hall of Fame induction by themselves. During the 1969-70 season, he became the first player to sweep the MVP awards for the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals. But his spot in history was secured simply by walking onto the floor on the final night of that season.

Darcelle XV, March 23: Walter Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV and a fearless advocate for Portland’s LGBTQ+ community, died at the age of 92. Darcelle was crowned the world’s oldest working drag performer in 2016 by the Guinness Book of World Records and was regaling audiences until the very end. As a performer, Darcelle was known for hosting the longest-running drag show on the U.S. West Coast. Off stage, Cole, an Army veteran, championed LGBTQ+ rights and charitable work in Portland.

Xavier López, March 25: Xavier López, a Mexican children’s comic better known by his stage name “Chabelo,” died at 88, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced. López’s best-known work, the Sunday variety show “En Familia con Chabelo”, ran for an astonishing 48 years from 1967 to 2015, Mexico’s longest-running TV show. A U.S. citizen — he was born in Chicago to Mexican parents — López returned to Mexico with his family at a young age and trained as a doctor. But he found his calling in acting.

Ryuichi Sakamato, March 28: Ryuichi Sakamoto, a world-renowned Japanese musician and actor who composed for Hollywood hits such as “The Last Emperor” and “The Revenant,” died while undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 71. Sakamoto was a pioneer of the electronic music of the late 1970s and founded the Yellow Magic Orchestra, also known as YMO, with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.

April

Seymour Stein, April 2: Seymour Stein, the brash, prescient and highly successful founder of Sire Records who helped launched the careers of Madonna, Talking Heads and many others, died of cancer in Los Angeles. He was 80. Stein, who helped found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, was himself inducted into the Rock Hall in 2005.

In Memoriam Photo Gallery -- April through June 2023

Ben Ferencz, April 7: Ben Ferencz, the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, who tried Nazis for genocidal war crimes and was among the first outside witnesses to document the atrocities of Nazi labor and concentration camps, died. He was 103. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Ferencz joined the U.S. Army in time to take part in the Normandy invasion during World War II. Using his legal background, he became an investigator of Nazi war crimes against U.S. soldiers as part of a new War Crimes Section of the Judge Advocate’s Office.

Michael Lerner, April 8: Michael Lerner, the Brooklyn-born character actor who played a myriad of imposing figures in his 60 years in the business, including monologuing movie mogul Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink,” the crooked club owner Bugsy Calhoun in “Harlem Nights” and an angry publishing executive in “Elf” died at the age of 81. “Most of the time I don’t rehearse, but I do a lot of preparation. Especially for a biographical character or one of the studio heads,” he said in 2016. “I did a lot of research for Barton Fink and looked into Louis B. Mayer and all the moguls in Hollywood.”

Al Jaffee, April 10: Al Jaffee, Mad magazine’s award-winning cartoonist and ageless wise guy who delighted millions of kids with the sneaky fun of the Fold-In and the snark of “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” died at the age of 102. Jaffee didn’t just satirize the culture; he helped change it. His parodies of advertisements included such future real-life products as automatic redialing for a telephone, a computer spell checker and graffiti-proof surfaces. He also anticipated peelable stamps, multiblade razors and self-extinguishing cigarettes.

Mary Quant, April 13: Mary Quant, the visionary fashion designer whose colorful, sexy miniskirts epitomized London in the 1960s and influenced youth culture around the world, died at her home in Surrey, England. She was 93. Quant helped popularize the miniskirt — some credit her with inventing it — and the innovative tights and accessories that were an integral part of the look. She also created dresses and other simple mix-and-match garments that had an element of whimsy. Some compared her impact on the fashion world with The Beatles’ impact on pop music.

Ken Potts, April 21: Ken Potts, one of the last two remaining survivors of the USS Arizona battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died at the age of102. He was working as a crane operator shuttling supplies to the Arizona the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when the Pearl Harbor attack happened, according to a 2021 article by the Utah National Guard.

Barry Humphries, April 22: Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, died. He was 89. The character of Dame Edna began as a dowdy Mrs. Norm Everage, who first took to the stage in Humphries’ hometown of Melbourne in the mid-1950s. She reflected a postwar suburban inertia and cultural blandness that Humphries found stifling.

Harry Belafonte, April 25: Harry Belafonte, the civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world, died of congestive heart failure at 96. With his glowing, handsome face and silky-husky voice, Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to gain a wide following on film and to sell a million records as a singer; many still know him for his signature hit “Banana Boat Song (Day-O),” and its call of “Day-O! Daaaaay-O.”

Jerry Springer, April 27: Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional guests willing to bare all — sometimes literally — as they brawled and hurled obscenities before a raucous audience, died at 79. Known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure over its 27-year run. Springer called it “escapist entertainment,” while others saw the show as contributing to a dumbing-down decline in American social values.

Dick Groat, April 27: Dick Groat, a two-sport star who went from All-American guard in basketball to a brief stint in the NBA to ultimately an All-Star shortstop and the 1960 National League MVP while playing baseball for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates, died at age 92. Long before Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders made two-way playing en vogue in the 1980s and ’90s, Groat was regularly shuttling from Durham, North Carolina, to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the winter of 1952-53 so he could split time between his classes at Duke — where he was finishing his degree after his eligibility expired — and the Pistons. The 1960 season ended with Groat earning NL MVP honors for a Pirates team that upset the New York Yankees in seven games to win the World Series.

Mike Shannon, April 29: Mike Shannon, a two-time World Series winner and longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster, died at 83. Shannon spent 50 years in the broadcast booth, starting in 1972. That followed a short stint in the front office and a nine-year playing career with his hometown team, the first two seasons with future Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

May

Gordon, Lightfoot, May 1: Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s legendary folk singer-songwriter whose hits including “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” told a tale of Canadian identity that was exported worldwide, died at 84. Considered one of the most renowned voices to emerge from Toronto’s Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s, Lightfoot went on to record 20 studio albums and pen hundreds of songs, including “Carefree Highway” and “Sundown.”

Tori Bowie, May 3: Tori Bowie, the sprinter who won three Olympic medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, died. She was 32. Bowie turned in an electric performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she won silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200. She then ran the anchor leg on a 4×100 team with Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix and English Gardner to take gold. A year later, she won the 100 meters at the 2017 world championships in London. She also helped the 4×100 team to gold.

Newton Minow, May 6: Newton N. Minow, who as Federal Communications Commission chief in the early 1960s famously proclaimed that network television was a “vast wasteland,” died at the age of 97. Minow received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Minow laid down his famous challenge to TV executives on May 9, 1961, in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters, urging them to sit down and watch their station for a full day. “I can assure you that you will observe a vast wasteland. You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, Western bad men, Western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence and cartoons. And, endlessly, commercials — many screaming, cajoling and offending.”

Vida Blue, May 6: Vida Blue, a hard-throwing left-hander who became one of baseball’s biggest draws in the early 1970s and helped lead the brash A’s to three straight World Series titles before his career was derailed by drug problems, died at 73. Blue was voted the 1971 American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player after going 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts with 24 complete games, eight of them shutouts. He was 22 at when he won MVP, the youngest to win the award. He remains among just 11 pitchers to win MVP and Cy Young in the same year.

Hodding Carter, May 11: Hodding Carter III, a Mississippi journalist and civil rights activist who as U.S. State Department spokesman informed Americans about the Iran hostage crisis and later won awards for his televised documentaries, died. He was 88. Carter’s campaign work in 1976 for Jimmy Carter, no relation, helped secure him a job as assistant secretary of state for public affairs. It was in this role that he was seen on television news during the 444 days that Iran held 52 Americans hostage.

Don Denkinger, May 12: Don Denkinger, a major league umpire for three decades whose blown call in the 1985 World Series overshadowed a career of excellence, died at 86. “Nobody wants to have the call that I did in the World Series,” Denkinger told The Associated Press in 2014. “But I did. And now it’s part of history. ... I’m not tired of talking about it. I mean, it happened. I just know that if the same thing happened now, they’d get it right on replay and it’d be over with.”

Doyle Brunson, May 14: Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, died at the age of 89. Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as “Texas Dolly,” won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments — second only to Phil Hellmuth’s 16. He also captured world championships in 1976 and 1977 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988.

Marlene Hagge-Vossler, May 16: Marlene Hagge-Vossler, a Hall of Fame player and the last surviving founder of the LPGA Tour, died at 89. Hagge-Vossler won 26 times on the LPGA Tour, including the 1952 LPGA Championship, and she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002. She was 15-year-old Marlene Bauer when she joined 12 other women — including her older sister, Alice Bauer — in signing incorporation papers in 1950 for the fledgling LPGA Tour.

'Superstar' Billy Graham, May 18: WWE Hall of Famer Superstar Billy Graham has died at the age of 79. Graham had a flamboyant interview style and colorful ring attire. His career in the 1970s helped influence future superstars like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.

Jim Brown, May 18: One of the greatest players in NFL history, Jim Brown, who retired at the peak of his playing career to pursue acting and remained in the public spotlight as an activist — and due to off-field transgressions that included allegations of violence against women — died. He was 87. A powerful runner with speed and endurance, Brown’s arrival sparked the game’s burgeoning popularity on television and he remained an indomitable figure well after his playing days ended. Brown was also a champion for Black Americans and used his platform and voice to fight for equality.

Martin Amis, May 19: British novelist Martin Amis, who brought a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility to his stories and lifestyle, died from cancer of the esophagus at age 73. Among his best-known works were “Money,” a satire about consumerism in London, “The Information” and “London Fields,” along with his 2000 memoir, “Experience.”

Andy Rourke, May 19: Andy Rourke, bass guitarist of The Smiths, one of the most influential British bands of the 1980s, died after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer. He was 59. Though much of the attention focused on the song-writing partnership of Marr and frontman Steven Patrick Morrissey, better known as Morrissey, the sound of The Smiths owed much to Rourke’s bass and his rhythm section partner, drummer Mike Joyce.

Rick Hummel, May 20: Rick Hummel, who covered the Cardinals for five decades for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and who is enshrined in the writer’s wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, died after a short illness. He was 77. Hummel received the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Career Excellence Award in 2006. He retired last season.

Ray Stevenson, May 21: Ray Stevenson, who played the villainous British governor in “RRR,” an Asgardian warrior in the “Thor” films, and a member of the 13th Legion in HBO’s “Rome,” died. He was 58. A looming presence at 6-foot-4, Stevenson, who played his share of soldiers past and present, once said in an interview, “I guess I’m an old warrior at heart.”

Ed Ames, May 21: Ed Ames, the youngest member of the popular 1950s singing group the Ames Brothers, who later became a successful actor in television and musical theater, died from Alzheimer's disease. He was 95. For a 1965 episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, he was persuaded to demonstrate the hatchet-throwing skills he learned as Mingo on "Daniel Boone." The silhouette of a cowboy was painted on a piece of wood, and Ames threw a hatchet at the target. It landed squarely on the cowboy’s crotch. It was called the longest sustained burst of laughter in the history of “The Tonight Show.”

Tina Turner, May 24: Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ‘70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” died after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich. She was 83. Her trademarks included a growling contralto that might smolder or explode, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off. She sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was voted along with Ike into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 (and on her own in 2021 ) and was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2005, with Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey among those praising her. Her life became the basis for a film, a Broadway musical and an HBO documentary in 2021 that she called her public farewell.

Kenneth Anger, May 24: Kenneth Anger, the shocking and influential avant-garde artist who defied sexual and religious taboos in such short films as “Scorpio Rising” and “Fireworks” and dished the most lurid movie star gossip in his underground classic “Hollywood Babylon,” died at the age of 96. Anger had his greatest commercial success, and notoriety, as the author of “Hollywood Babylon.”

George Maharis, May 24: George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series “Route 66,” died at 94. Maharis left the show after the third season — it would continue for one more without him — and never again achieved the same fame.

James Watt, May 27: James Watt, the Reagan administration’s sharp-tongued, pro-development interior secretary who was beloved by conservatives but ran afoul of environmentalists, Beach Boys fans and eventually the president, died at 85. His death was reported June 8. Cutting regulations was his primary mission. Between the time he was confirmed as Interior secretary in 1981 until he resigned under pressure in 1983, Watt implemented an offshore leasing program that offered virtually the entire U.S. coastline for oil and gas drilling and held the largest coal lease sale in history, auctioning off 1.1 billion tons (1 billion metric tons) of coal in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming.

John Beasley, May 30: John Beasley, the veteran character actor who played a kindly school bus driver on the TV drama “Everwood” and appeared in dozens of films dating back to the 1980s, died after a brief illness. He was 79. Most recently, Beasley had small parts in the Showtime drama “Your Honor,” with Bryan Cranston, and “The Mandalorian,” a Star Wars offshoot on Disney+.

Jacky Oh, May 31: Jacky Oh, a model, actress and entrepreneur who formerly appeared on the comedy improv series “Wild ‘N Out,” died at 32. Jacky Oh, whose real name was Jacklyn Smith, shared three children with her partner DC Young Fly, a cast member on the VH1 series.

June

Cynthia Weil, June 1: Cynthia Weil, a Grammy-winning lyricist of notable range and endurance who enjoyed a decades-long partnership with husband Barry Mann and helped write “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “On Broadway,” “Walking in the Rain” and dozens of other hits, died at age 82. While many of Weil’s peers struggled once the Beatles caught on in the mid-1960s, she continued to make hits, sometimes with Mann, or with such partners as Michael Masser, David Foster and John Williams, with whom she wrote “For Always” for the soundtrack to Steven Spielberg’s “A.I. Artificial Intelligence.” Weil helped write Parton’s pop breakthrough “Here You Come Again”; the Peabo Bryson ballad “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again”; James Ingram’s “Just Once”; the Pointer Sisters’ “He’s So Shy”; and Lionel Richie’s “Running With the Night." In 1997, she was in the top 10 again with Hanson’s “I Will Come to You.”

Roger Craig, June 4: Roger Craig, who pitched for three championship teams during his major league career and then managed the San Francisco Giants to the 1989 World Series that was interrupted by a massive earthquake, died. He was 93. After his playing days were done, Craig became a renowned pitching coach for the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers. He was on manager Sparky Anderson’s staff with the 1984 Tigers, who opened 35-5 and won the World Series.

Anna Shay, June 5: Anna Shay, an heiress, philanthropist and breakout star of the Netflix reality series “Bling Empire,” died at 62 from a stroke. It was not immediately clear when she died. She told OprahMag.com in a 2021 interview she had no idea what she was getting into when she joined the cast of “Bling Empire,” which chronicled the lives of ultra wealthy Angelenos of Asian descent.

Astrud Gilberto, June 5: Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on “The Girl from Ipanema” made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova, died at 83. Gilberto became an overnight, unexpected superstar in 1964, thanks to knowing just enough English to be recruited by the makers of “Getz/Gilberto,” the classic bossa nova album featuring saxophonist Stan Getz and her then-husband, singer-songwriter-guitarist Joao Gilberto.

The Iron Sheik, June 7: The Iron Sheik, a former pro wrestler who relished playing a burly, bombastic villain in 1980s battles with some of the sport’s biggest stars and later became a popular Twitter personality, died at age 81. During his pro wrestling career, he donned curled boots and used the “Camel Clutch” as his finishing move during individual and tag team clashes in which he played the role of an anti-American heel for the WWF, which later became the WWE. The Iron Sheik’s influence extended to the sport’s biggest stars, including wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Pat Casey, June 7: BMX star Pat Casey died after he lost control of the motocross bike he was riding and was ejected while performing a jump on park ramps in San Diego. He was 29. Casey, a competitive BMX rider, recently competed in the X Games Japan event in May. He placed fifth in BMX Park Best Trick and ninth in BMX Park.

Pat Cooper, June 7: Pat Cooper, a stand-up comedian well known for his appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Analyze This” and Howard Stern’s radio show, died at 93. Cooper’s career began in the 1950s at small clubs on the East Coast. He later served as the opening act for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Jerry Lewis, and appeared on multiple TV shows, including those hosted by Dean Martin and Merv Griffin.

Pat Robertson, June 8: Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, died. He was 93. For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment — usually delivered with a smile, as a gentle lament — that blamed natural disasters on gays and feminists and accused Black Lives Matter demonstrators of being anti-Christian.

Ted Kaczynski, June 11: Ted Kaczynski, known as the “Unabomber,” who carried out a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others, died by suicide, The Associated Press reported. Kaczynski, 81, was suffering from late-stage cancer. Kaczynski had been held in the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. He admitted committing 16 bombings from 1978 and 1995, permanently maiming several of his victims.

Silvio Berlusconi, June 12: Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, died at age 86. To admirers, the three-time premier was a capable and charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage. To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses.

Treat Williams, June 13: Actor Treat Williams, whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair,” died after a motorcycle crash in Vermont. He was 71. He appeared in dozens of television shows but was perhaps best known for his starring role from 2002 to 2006 in “Everwood” as Dr. Andrew Brown, a widowed brain surgeon from Manhattan who moves with his two children to the Colorado mountain town of that name.

Cormac McCarthy, June 13: Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who in prose both dense and brittle took readers from the southern Appalachians to the desert Southwest in such novels as “The Road,” “Blood Meridian” and “All the Pretty Horses,” died at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 89. Little known to the public at age 60, he would become one of the country’s most honored and successful writers despite rarely talking to the press. He broke through commercially in 1992 with “All the Pretty Horses” and over the next 15 years won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer, was a guest on Oprah Winfrey’s show and saw his novel “No Country for Old Men” adapted by the Coen brothers into an Oscar-winning movie.

Glenda Jackson, June 15: Glenda Jackson, a two-time Academy Award-winning performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker before an acclaimed late-life return to stage and screen, died at age 87. She had recently completed filming “‘The Great Escaper,” in which she co-starred with 90-year-old Michael Caine. She won two Academy Awards, for the brooding D.H. Lawrence adaptation “Women in Love” in 1971 and the sophisticated romcom “A Touch of Class” in 1974. A lifelong socialist, she spent 23 years as a Labour Party lawmaker, serving as a minister for transport in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s first government in 1997.

Daniel Ellsberg, June 16: Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, died. He was 92. Until the early 1970s, when he disclosed that he was the source for the stunning media reports on the 47-volume, 7,000-page Defense Department study of the U.S. role in Indochina, Ellsberg was a well-placed member of the government-military elite. The Pentagon Papers were first published in The New York Times in June 1971, with The Washington Post, The Associated Press and more than a dozen others following. The Nixon administration quickly tried to block further publication on the grounds that the papers would compromise national security, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the newspapers on June 30, 1971, a major First Amendment ruling rejecting prior restraint.

Julian Sands, June 24: The remains of actor Julian Sands, who disappeared in January, found in a mountainous area of Southern California. How he died was not immediately known. In 1995’s “Leaving Las Vegas,” Sands played an abusive Latvian pimp alongside Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The film was nominated for four Oscars, with Cage winning best actor. Sands touted his love of the outdoors in a 2020 interview with the Guardian, saying he was happiest when “close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning."

Lew Palter, June 27: Lew Palter, an actor and theater coach perhaps best known for his role in the 1997 film “Titanic,” died at 94. Palter, whose numerous credits include appearances on “Columbo,” “L.A. Law” and the detective series “Delvecchio,” was perhaps best known to audiences for his role in “Titanic” as Macy’s co-owner Isidor Strauss, a wealthy passenger who was depicted embracing his wife in their stateroom as they went down with the ship. As a teacher, some of his students included Ed Harris, Don Cheadle and “Saturday Night Live” cast member Cecily Strong,

Nicolas Coster, June 27: Nicolas Coster, well known for his roles on soap operas “All My Children” and “Santa Barbara,” died. He was 89. One of Coster’s earliest roles listed on his IMDb page is the 1953 film “Titanic.” He would later go on to appear as John Eldridge in more than 20 episodes of the television series, “Our Private World” and as one of the original cast members of “Somerset.”

Ryan Mallett, June 27: Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died in an apparent drowning while vacationing in Florida. He was 35. Mallett was drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Mallett played for the Patriots from 2011-14 before playing with the Houston Texans in 2014-15 and the Baltimore Ravens in 2015-17.

Alan Arkin, June 30: Alan Arkin, the wry character actor who demonstrated his versatility in comedy and drama as he received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 2007 for “Little Miss Sunshine,” died. He was 89. A member of Chicago’s famed Second City comedy troupe, Arkin was an immediate success in movies with the Cold War spoof “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” and peaked late in life with his win as best supporting actor for the surprise 2006 hit “Little Miss Sunshine.” More than 40 years separated his first Oscar nomination, for “The Russians are Coming,” from his nomination for playing a conniving Hollywood producer in the Oscar-winning “Argo.” In recent years he starred opposite Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series “The Kominsky Method,” a role that earned him two Emmy nominations.

July

Porfino Muñoz Ledo, July 9: Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, Mexico’s veteran political chameleon who played a key role in the country’s democratic reforms, died at 89. Since entering politics in the 1970s, Muñoz Ledo was never far from the center of power, even if that meant changing parties. A brilliant strategist, Muñoz Ledo was able to conceive of many possible paths in Mexico’s long transition to democracy. But he was never able to imagine one without himself in a central role.

In Memoriam Photo Gallery -- July through September 2023

Andrea Evans, July 9: Andrea Evans, who rose to soap opera stardom as Tina Lord on “One Life to Live,” died after battling cancer. She was 66. In the ’70s and ’80s, Evans starred as “One Life to Live’s” bad girl. She left the soap in 1981 and played Patty Williams on “The Young and the Restless” from 1983 to 1984. In 1985, she returned to “One Life to Live” and ended up receiving a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1988.

Tony Bennett, July 21: Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decades-long career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died at 96, just two weeks short of his birthday. He not only survived the rise of rock music but endured so long and so well that he gained new fans and collaborators, some young enough to be his grandchildren. In 2014, at age 88, Bennett broke his own record as the oldest living performer with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart for “Cheek to Cheek,” his duets project with Lady Gaga.

Bo Goldman, July 25: Bo Goldman, who penned the Oscar-winning scripts to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Melvin and Howard” and whose textured, empathy-rich screenplays made him one of Hollywood’s finest writers, died at the age of 90. Those screenplays and more – the family drama “Shoot the Moon”; “The Rose,” with Bette Midler; “Scent of a Woman,” with Al Pacino – made Goldman a widely considered master of screenwriting along with contemporaries like Billy Wilder and Paddy Chayefsky.

Sinead O'Connor, July 26: Sinead O'Connor, who catapulted to stardom in 1990 with her version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," died at the age of 56. She was a lifelong non-conformist — she said her shaved head was in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamorous. The singer was always outspoken on political matters, from Irish unification to sexual abuse in the Catholic church. O’Connor is survived by her three children. Her son Shane died at age 17 last year. Her cause of death was not immediately revealed.

Randy Meisner, July 26: Randy Meisner, a founding member of the Eagles who added high harmonies to such favorites as “Take It Easy” and “The Best of My Love” and stepped out front for the waltz-time ballad “Take It to the Limit,” died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 77. Meisner left the band in 1977 and would go on to release three solo albums, beginning with 1978’s “Randy Meisner” and ending with his 1982 album, also titled “Randy Meisner.” Former bandmate Don Felder called Meisner "the sweetest man in the music business."

Paul Reubens, July 30: Paul Reubens, known for his role as Pee-wee Herman, died at 70 after a 6-year battle with cancer. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” he said in a statement released by his team. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.” Reubens’ character with his too-tight gray suit, white chunky loafers and red bow tie was best known for the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and the TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

Angus Cloud, July 31: Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” died. He was 25. In a statement, Cloud’s family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son. Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”

August

Mark Margolis, August 3: Veteran character actor Mark Margolis, who had a breakout role as a mobster in “Scarface” but became best known decades later for his indelible, fearsome portrayal of a vindictive former drug kingpin in TV’s “Breaking Bad,” died after a short illness. He was 83. Margolis was nominated for an Emmy in 2012 for outstanding guest actor in “Breaking Bad” as Hector “Tio” Salamanca, the murderous elderly don who was unable to speak following a stroke.

William Friedkin, August 7: William Friedkin, the generation-defining director who brought a visceral realism to 1970s hits “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist” and was quickly anointed one of Hollywood’s top directors when he was only in his 30s, died at the age of 87. He cemented his legacy early with “The French Connection,” which was based on a true story and deals with the efforts of maverick New York City police Detective James “Popeye” Doyle to track down Frenchman Alain Charnier, mastermind of a large drug pipeline funneling heroin into the United States. He followed with an even bigger blockbuster, “The Exorcist,” released in 1973 and based on William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil. A new film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September.

DJ Casper, August 7: Willie Perry Jr., a Chicago disc jockey known as “DJ Casper” and creator of the iconic “Cha Cha Slide” dance, died after a long battle with cancer. He was 58. His “Cha Cha Slide” continues to be a favorite at weddings, clubs and many other events about two decades after it became popular. Participants typically dance in lines and rows, following commands to a funky beat on when and where to step, stomp, hop and slide.

Sixto Rodriguez, August 8: Sixto Rodriguez, who lived in obscurity as his music career flamed out early in the U.S. only to find success in South Africa and a stardom he was unaware of, died in Detroit. He was 81. Rodriguez’s legacy would take off back home after the singer and songwriter became the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.” Rodriguez was “more popular than Elvis” in South Africa, Stephen “Sugar” Segerman said in 2013. The Cape Town record store owner’s nickname comes from the Rodriguez song “Sugar Man.”

Robbie Robertson, August 9: Robbie Robertson, The Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter who in such classics as “The Weight” and “Up on Cripple Creek” mined American music and folklore and helped reshape contemporary rock, died after a long illness at 80. From their years as Bob Dylan’s masterful backing group to their own stardom as embodiments of old-fashioned community and virtuosity, The Band profoundly influenced popular music in the 1960s and ’70s, first by literally amplifying Dylan’s polarizing transition from folk artist to rock star and then by absorbing the works of Dylan and Dylan’s influences as they fashioned a new sound immersed in the American past.

Johnny Hardwick, August 10: Voice actor and comedian Johnny Hardwick, known best for his role as the chain-smoking conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble on the long-running animated show “King of the Hill,” died. He was 59. Though “King of the Hill” ended its run in 2010, Hardwick’s performance as Dale Gribble has lived on through internet memes, including his comical use of “pocket sand” to escape confrontation.

Jerry Moss, August 16: Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, the Police, the Carpenters and hundreds of other performers, died at 88. A&M released such blockbuster albums as Alpert’s “Whipped Cream & Other Delights,” Carole King’s “Tapestry” and Peter Frampton’s “Frampton Comes Alive!” They were home to the Carpenters and Cat Stevens,Janet Jackson and Soundgarden,Joe Cocker and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.

Chris Peluso, August 18: Chris Peluso, a Broadway actor who appeared in “Mamma Mia!” and several other productions, died at the age of 40. Peluso stepped away from the spotlight back in 2022 to deal with schizoaffective disorder. Peluso was also described by Playbill as a “favored understudy” who covered roles in “Assassins,” “Lestat” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” He was also a member of multiple touring productions of “Wicked,” playing the part of Fiyero.

Ron Cephas-Jones, August 19: Ron Cephas Jones, a veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his role as as a long-lost father who finds redemption on the NBC television drama series “This Is Us,” died “due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.” He was 66. On “This Is Us,” Jones played William “Shakespeare” Hill, a biological father whose life is renewed through his relationship with the family of his son Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown.

Maxie Baughan, August 19: Maxie Baughan, a College Football Hall of Famer from Georgia Tech and a nine-time Pro Bowler in the NFL, died at 85. He was a second-round draft pick, No. 20 overall, by Philadelphia in 1960. Baughan was inducted into Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1965 and the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2015.

Bray Wyatt, August 24: WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, died at the age of 36. In 2019, Wyatt debuted ‘The Fiend,’ a clown-like alter ego that captivated WWE audiences. Wyatt was a three-time world champion in the WWE. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Bob Barker, August 26: Bob Barker, the longtime host of the gameshow “The Price is Right,” died "peacefully" at the age of 99. Barker hosted “Truth or Consequences” through 1975. But a few years earlier in 1972, he also took on hosting duties for the CBS revival of “The Price Is Right” — previously an NBC game show hosted by Bill Cullen. To a certain group of people, he may be best known for beating up Adam Sandler in the movie, "Happy Gilmore." He retired as the host of "The Price is Right" in 2007.

September

Jimmy Buffett, September 1: Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration of loafing into an empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, died. He was 76. The song — from the album “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” — spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 8. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 for its cultural and historic significance, became a karaoke standard and helped brand Key West, Florida, as a distinct sound of music and a destination known the world over.

Bill Richardson, September 2: Bill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico and an American ambassador to the United Nations who also worked for years to secure the release of Americans detained by foreign adversaries, died in his sleep at the age of 75. Before his election in 2002 as governor, Richardson was the U.S. envoy to the United Nations and energy secretary under President Bill Clinton and served 14 years as a congressman representing northern New Mexico. But he also forged an identity as an unofficial diplomatic troubleshooter. He traveled the globe negotiating the release of hostages and American servicemen from North Korea, Iraq, Cuba and Sudan.

Steve Harwell, September 4: After years of battling health problems, former Smash Mouth front man Steve Harwell died at the age of 56. Harwell’s manager told TMZ that the singer had suffered from alcohol abuse for years and that he had reached the final stages of liver failure. Smash Mouth had several hits in the early 2000s, including “All Star,” “Walkin on the Sun,” and a cover of “I’m a Believer.” Both “All Star” and “I’m a Believer” were featured on the soundtrack of the movie “Shrek.”  

Gary Wright, September 4: Singer Gary Wright, best known for his hit song “Dream Weaver,” died at his home in the Los Angeles area. He was 80. Six years ago, the singer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and then with Lewy body dementia. In the late ’60s, he joined the band Spooky Tooth, which he left in 1970. He also was a member of the Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Wright also collaborated with another Beatle, George Harrison, on his solo albums “All Things Must Pass” and “Cloud Nine.”

Charlie Robison, September 10: Charlie Robison, the Texas singer-songwriter whose rootsy anthems made the country charts until he was forced to retire after complications from a medical procedure left him unable to sing, died at 59. His 2001 album “Step Right Up” produced his only Top 40 country song, “I Want You Bad.”

Mike Williams, September 12: Former NFL receiver Mike Williams, who was injured in a construction accident and later put on a ventilator, died 2 weeks after the incident. He was 36. Williams was last on an NFL roster during a portion of the 2016 offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs. He ended his career with 223 receptions for 3,089 yards and 26 TDs in 63 games.

Michael McGrath, September 14: Michael McGrath, a Broadway character actor who shined in zany, feel-good musicals and won a Tony Award for “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” died. He was 65. McGrath was in over a dozen Broadway shows including “Plaza Suite,” “She Loves Me,” “Tootsie” and “Spamalot” as well as on television as the sidekick to Martin Short on “The Martin Short Show.”

Billy Miller, September 16: Billy Miller, an actor best known for his roles in soap operas like “The Young and the Restless” and “General Hospital” died one day before his 44th birthday. “The actor was struggling with manic depression when he died,” his manager said. Miller’s acting credits list more than 700 episodes of “The Young and the Restless” (2008-2014) and nearly 600 episodes of “General Hospital” (2014-2019), plus sm

David McCallum, September 25: Actor David McCallum, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” in the 1960s and was the eccentric medical examiner in the popular “NCIS” 40 years later, died at 90. In 2007, when he was working on “NCIS,” McCallum told a reporter: “I’ve always felt the harder I work, the luckier I get. I believe in serendipitous things happening, but at the same time, dedicating yourself to what you do is the best way to get along in this life.”

Brooks Robinson, September 26: Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, died. He was 86. Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. Robinson participated in 18 All-Star Games, won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player award after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs.

Dianne Feinstein, September 28: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, one of the Senate’s most prominent women, died at the age of 90, hours after taking part in Senate votes that morning. Feinstein served three decades as a senator from California, becoming an icon and a trailblazer in the process. She was the longest-serving woman senator in American history. She was thrust into prominence when she became mayor of San Francisco following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. 

October

Tim Wakefield, October 1: Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballing workhorse of the Red Sox pitching staff who bounced back after giving up a season-ending home run to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs to help Boston win its curse-busting World Series title the following year, died. He was 57. Wakefield had brain cancer, according to ex-teammate Curt Schilling, Wakefield converted to pitcher after mastering the knuckleball in the minor leagues. Relying on the old-timey pitch that had largely fallen into disuse, he went on to win 200 major league games, including 186 with the Red Sox — behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens in franchise history.

In Memoriam Photo Gallery - October through December 2023

Dick Butkus, October 5: Dick Butkus, a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears whose speed and ferocity set the standards for the position in the modern era, died in his sleep at the age of 80. He was the quintessential Monster of the Midway and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. He is still considered one of the greatest defensive players in league history.

Burt Young, October 8: Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” franchise, died at the age of 83. Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including “Chinatown,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Sopranos.”

Rudolph Isley, October 12: Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the Isley Brothers who helped perform such raw rhythm and blues classics as “Shout” and “Twist and Shout” and the funky hits “That Lady” and “It’s Your Thing,” died at age 84. Rudolph Isley left the group in 1989, three years after the sudden death of O’Kelly Isley, to become a Christian minister. He was among the Isleys inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Stephen Rubin, October 13: Stephen Rubin, a longtime publishing executive with an eye for bestsellers and a passion for music and public life who helped launched the career of John Grisham, among others, and released such blockbusters as “The Da Vinci Code” and “Fire and Fury,” has died. He was 81. he knew that books would define his legacy, especially the one which sold the most copies. In his memoir, he offered a succinct, if incomplete prediction: “I suppose the headline of my obit will read 'Publisher of ”The Da Vinci Code" dies'.”

Piper Laurie, October 14: Piper Laurie, the strong-willed, Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles despite at one point abandoning acting altogether in search of a “more meaningful” life, died at her home in Los Angeles. She was 91. Laurie arrived in Hollywood in 1949. She went on to receive Academy Award nominations for three distinct films: The 1961 poolroom drama “The Hustler”; the film version of Stephen King’s horror classic “Carrie,” in 1976; and the romantic drama “Children of a Lesser God,” in 1986.

Suzanne Somers, October 15: Suzanne Somers, well known for her roles in “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step,” died one day shy of her 77th birthday. Her publicist said she "passed away peacefully at home" after having "survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.” Somers’ first on-screen appearance was in the 1968 film “Bullitt,” according to her IMDb page, though she was uncredited. She also appeared in “American Graffiti,” “The Rockford Files,” and “One Day at a Time.”

Phyllis Coates, October 18: Phyllis Coates, the actress who first portrayed Lois Lane opposite George Reeves’ Superman in the original “Adventures of Superman” television series, died at the age of 96. Coates’ later credits included appearances in “This Is Alice,” “Perry Mason,” “The Patty Duke Show” and “Gunsmoke,” among other film and TV roles. In 1994, she also played Ellen Lane — the mother of Lois Lane — in an episode of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.”

Betsy Rawls, October 21: Betsy Rawls trained to be a physicist and instead devoted her life to golf, first as a four-time U.S. Women’s Open champion and later as a tournament administrator, a remarkable career that landed her in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Rawls, who won eight majors in her 55 LPGA Tour titles, died at her beach home in Delaware. She was 95.

Richard Roundtree, October 24: Richard Roundtree, the trailblazing actor who starred as the ultra-smooth private detective in several “Shaft” films beginning in the early 1970s, died of cancer. He was 81. Roundtree, who was born in New Rochelle, New York, was considered as the first Black action hero and became one of the leading actors in the blaxploitation genre through his New York street smart John Shaft character in the Gordon Parks-directed film in 1971. At age 28, it was Roundtree’s first feature film appearance after starting his career as a model.

Richard Moll, October 26: Richard Moll, a character actor who found lasting fame as an eccentric but gentle giant bailiff on the original “Night Court” sitcom, died. He was 80. Moll played “Bull” Shannon on NBC’s “Night Court” from 1984-1992 alongside stars Harry Anderson and John Larroquette. His character formed a close friendship with the court’s other bailiff, Roz Russell, played by Marsha Warfield. Bull was known for his shaved head, catchphrase, “Ohh-kay,” and a dim but sweet world view.

Matthew Perry, October 28: Actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role on “Friends,” died from an apparent drowning. He was 54. Perry was most known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom “Friends” which ran from 1994 to 2004. He revealed his immense struggle with addiction to drugs and alcohol during his career in a 2022 memoir titled, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”

Frank Howard, October 30: Frank Howard, a four-time All-Star who slugged 382 home runs during a lengthy major league career that included a World Series title with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963, died. He was 87. The 6-foot-7 Howard, nicknamed Hondo, played 1,895 regular-season and three postseason games from 1958-73. He spent a brief time as a manager, with the San Diego Padres in 1981 and the New York Mets in 1983. Howard led the American League in home runs twice, in 1968 and ‘70, sandwiched around his 48-homer season that remains the most in Washington baseball history. He was inducted into the Nationals’ ring of honor in 2016.

Ken Mattingly, October 31: Ken Mattingly, an astronaut who is best remembered for his efforts on the ground that helped bring the damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft safely back to Earth, died. He was 87. His most dramatic mission was one that he never flew. In 1970, Mattingly was supposed to have joined the crew of Apollo 13, piloting the command module. But he was removed from the mission a few days before launch after being exposed to German measles. Several days into the mission, an oxygen tank on the spacecraft’s service module exploded, knocking out most of the power and oxygen to the command module. The lunar landing was scrapped and NASA began frantic efforts to save Swigert, James Lovell and Fred Haise.
Mattingly, who knew the spacecraft intimately, worked with engineers and others as they analyzed the situation and scrambled to find solutions and pass on instructions to the crew.

Tyler Christopher, October 31: Tyler Christopher, known for his roles in “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives,” died from an apparent “cardiac event” at his San Diego apartment. He was 50. Christopher portrayed Nikolas Cassadine on the iconic medical soap opera from 1996 to 2016. After his two-decade tenure with the show, he played Stefan DiMera on “Days of Our Lives” from 2018 to 2019. The actor earned a Daytime Emmy for each of these roles and four nominations.

November

Bob Knight, November 1: Bob Knight, the brilliant and combustible coach who won three NCAA titles at Indiana and for years was the scowling face of college basketball, has died. He was 83. Knight was among the winningest and most controversial coaches in the sport, finishing his career with 902 victories in 42 seasons at Army, Indiana and Texas Tech while mentoring some of America’s best coaches.. He also coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1984. He was nicknamed “The General” and his trademark temper also cost him his job at Indiana in 2000. He once hit a police officer in Puerto Rico, threw a chair across the court and was accused of wrapping his hands around a player’s neck.

Frank Borman, November 7: Astronaut Frank Borman, who commanded Apollo 8’s historic Christmas 1968 flight that circled the moon 10 times and paved the way for the lunar landing the next year, died in Billings, Montana. He was 95. Borman also led troubled Eastern Airlines in the 1970s and early ’80s after leaving the astronaut corps. But he was best known for his NASA duties. Launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral on Dec. 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 trio spent three days traveling to the moon, and slipped into lunar orbit on Christmas Eve. After they circled 10 times on Dec. 24-25, they headed home on Dec. 27.

Kevin Turen, November 11: Kevin Turen, a producer on HBO’s mega-hit “Euphoria,” “The Idol” and slasher flicks “X” and “Pearl,” along with yet-to-be-released “MaXXXine,” died at the age of 44. No cause of death was given at the time. “Kevin was so incredibly special, this world is going to be less without him,” Turen’s father, Edward Turen told Deadline.

Peter Seidler, November 14: Peter Seidler, chairman and owner of the San Diego Padres, died at 63. No cause of death has been announced, but the team announced in September that the two-time cancer survivor underwent an unidentified medical procedure. Seidler will be remembered throughout San Diego for his belief in what the Padres could be, as well as his extensive philanthropic endeavors in the community.

George “Funky” Brown, November 16: George “Funky” Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna” and the party favorite “Celebration,” died in Los Angeles at age 74. Kool & The Gang sold millions of records with its catchy blend of jazz, funk and soul, what Brown liked to call “the sound of happiness.” In 1964, Brown helped launch the Grammy-winning group, originally called the Jazziacs, along with such friends as bassist Robert “Kool” Bell, brother Ronald Bell on keyboards and guitarist Charles Smith.

Rosalynn Carter, November 19: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who was married to former President Jimmy Carter for 77 years, died days after entering hospice care. She was 96. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said in a statement. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” Rosalynn Carter was a longtime advocate for mental health issues. She was diagnosed with dementia in March, which the center said the family was hoping to help destigmatize.

Willie Hernandez, November 21: Three-time All-Star relief pitcher Willie Hernández, who won the 1984 AL Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers, died in Florida at the age of 69. Hernández had a 9-3 record and 32 saves in 33 chances in 1984, with a 1.92 ERA over 80 games and 140 1/3 innings. He is among just 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP in the same year, edging Kansas City’s Dan Quisenberry for Cy Young in 1984 and Minnesota’s Kent Hrbek for MVP.

Marty Krofft, November 25: Marty Krofft, a TV producer known for imaginative children’s shows such as “H.R. Pufnstuf” and primetime hits including “Donny & Marie” in the 1970s, died of kidney failure at the age of 86. “H.R. Pufnstuf” proved to have pop culture staying power. Despite totaling just 17 episodes, the surreal show, featuring an island, a witch, a talking flute, a shipwrecked boy and a redheaded, cowboy boot-wearing dragon, came in 27th in a 2007 TV Guide poll ranking of all-time cult favorites.

Henry Kissinger, November 29: Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the diplomat with the thick glasses and gravelly voice who dominated foreign policy as the United States extricated itself from Vietnam and broke down barriers with China, died at the age of 100. With his gruff yet commanding presence and behind-the-scenes manipulation of power, Kissinger exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize. Decades later, his name still provoked impassioned debate over foreign policy landmarks long past.

Shane MacGowan, November 30: Shane MacGowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of “Celtic Punk” band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad “Fairytale of New York,” died. He was 65. The Pogues fused Irish traditional music and rock’n’roll into a unique, intoxicating blend, though MacGowan became as famous for his sozzled, slurred performances as for his powerful songwriting.

December

Sandra Day O'Connor, December 1: Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and who emerged as the swing vote on some of the court’s biggest cases, died of “complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness.” She was 93. Over her more than two decades on the Supreme Court, O’Connor became an independent voice, at times siding with the liberal wing and guiding many of the court’s consequential cases. Since leaving the bench, O’Connor became a leading advocate for civics education, founding and leading iCivics.

Denny Laine, December 5: Denny Laine, who co-founded the Moody Blues with Mike Pinder and later Wings along with Paul and Linda McCartney, died at home at 79. “Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour and was always ready to help other people,” McCartney wrote, in part. “He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends."

Norman Lear, December 5: Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of TV sitcoms, has. He was 101. Lear “took television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people,” the late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television’s early “golden age,” once said.

Ryan O'Neal, December 8: Ryan O’Neal, the heartthrob actor who went from a TV soap opera to an Oscar-nominated role in “Love Story” and delivered a wry performance opposite his charismatic 9-year-old daughter Tatum in “Paper Moon,” died at the age of 82. O’Neal was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, a decade after he was first diagnosed with chronic leukemia. Ryan O’Neal was among the biggest movie stars in the world in the 1970s, working across genres with many of the era’s most celebrated directors including Peter Bogdanovich on “Paper Moon” and “What’s Up, Doc?” and Stanley Kubrick on “Barry Lyndon.”

Andre Braugher, December 11: Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor who would master gritty drama for seven seasons on “Homicide: Life on The Street” and modern comedy for eight on “Brooklyn 99,” died following a brief illness at 61. The Chicago-born actor would establish himself in the role of Det. Frank Pembleton, the lead role on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” a dark police drama based on a book by David Simon, who would go on to create “The Wire.”

James McCaffrey, December 17: James McCaffrey, a veteran television actor best known for voicing the titular character of the “Max Payne” video game franchise died after a fight with cancer. He was 65. In addition to voicing the character of Max Payne, McCaffrey had a television and film career spanning nearly four decades, with recurring roles in “Suits,” “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Jessica Jones” and “Blue Bloods,” among others. He also appeared in FX’s “Rescue Me” as Jimmy Keefe, a firefighter who died on 9/11.

Laura Lynch, December 22: Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Dixie Chicks was killed and another person was hurt in a head-on collision in Hudspeth County, Texas. Lynch was a member of the band from 1990 until 1993. The group released 3 albums before Lynch’s departure. The band would become global superstars with the release of 1998’s “Wide Open Spaces,” which only featured the three remaining members of the group: Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines.

Lee Sun-kyun, December 27: Lee Su-kyun, a popular South Korean actor, was found dead in a car in Seoul. The actor, best known worldwide for his performance in the Oscar's Best Picture winner "Parasite," was well known in South Korea for his roles in the TV drama series, "Coffee Prince," as well as other dramas like "Behind The White Tower," "Pasta" and "My Mister."

Tom Smothers, December 27: Tom Smothers, half of the comedic music duo the Smothers Brothers, passed away following a battle with cancer. The pair of brothers were popular TV staples throughout the late 50s and 60s and went on to have their own show which lasted till 1969. Tom Smothers also appeared in several movies and recorded guitar with John Lennon on the 1969 song "Give Peace a Chance".