Richard "Dick" Thornburgh, a former Republican governor of Pennsylvania who went on to serve as US attorney general under two presidents, died December 31 at the age of 88.
Dawn Wells, who played the lovable castaway Mary Ann Summers on "Gilligan's Island," died from Covid-19 complications on December 30, her publicist Harlan Boll confirmed to CNN. She was 82.
Mexican composer and singer
Armando Manzanero died December 28 after battling Covid-19 for weeks. He was 85. Manzanero was a prolific composer, with more than 600 songs to his name, according to Mexico's Society for Authors and Composers. His songs were interpreted by artists from around the world, including Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick, Perry Como, Spanish singer Raphael and fellow Mexican star Luis Miguel.
Hall of Fame pitcher
Phil Niekro died December 26 after a battle with cancer, the Atlanta Braves announced. He was 81. Niekro mastered the art of throwing the knuckleball, a rarity among major league pitchers.
Hall of Famer
K.C. Jones, who won 12 NBA championships as a player and coach, died at the age of 88, the Boston Celtics announced on December 25.
John "Ecstasy" Fletcher, founder of the 1980s hip-hop group Whodini, died December 23 at the age of 56, according to a statement released by his family. The cause of death was unknown at the time.
Stella Tennant, who made her name in modeling by eschewing the traditionally feminine aesthetics that made stars out of her contemporaries, died December 22 at age 50, Vogue reported.
Kevin Greene, who had the third most sacks in NFL history, died December 21, according to statements from the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Greene was 58. No cause of death was given.
K.T. Oslin, a country music singer and songwriter who came to fame with her anthem "80's Ladies," died at the age of 78, it was reported on December 21. Oslin became the first woman to win the CMA Award for song of the year in 1988. She also won multiple Grammy and ACM Awards during her career. Some of her other hits include "Hold Me" and "Come Next Monday."
Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who played the character Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, died on December 17, his agent confirmed to CNN. He was 75.
Ann Reinking, the actress, dancer and choreographer who played Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical "Chicago," died on December 12, her manager confirmed to CNN. She was 71.
Best-selling British espionage writer David Cornwell — known to the world as
John le Carré — died December 12 at the age of 89, according to his literary agent. His most famous works spanned some six decades and included "The Spy Who Came In Form the Cold," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "A Most Wanted Man." The latter two were recently made into blockbuster movies.
Country music legend
Charley Pride died December 12 of complications from Covid-19. He was 86. Between 1967 and 1987, Pride delivered 52 Top 10 country hits. He became the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 2000.
Actress
Carol Sutton died December 10 due to complications from Covid-19. She was 76. The New Orleans native built an extensive list of credits, including "Steel Magnolias," "Queen Sugar," and "Lovecraft Country."
Actor and wrestler
Thomas "Tiny" Lister Jr. was found dead in his home December 10 after experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, his manager told CNN. He was 62. Lister was best known for his role as Deebo in the "Friday" movie franchise alongside rapper Ice Cube.
Mountaineer
Doug Scott, who was part of the first UK team to summit Mount Everest via the southwest face, died on December 7. He was 79. Scott spent the later years of his life helping people in the Himalayas and founded the charity Community Action Nepal in 1989.
Chuck Yeager, the test pilot who broke the sound barrier in 1947, died December 7 at the age of 97.
David Lander, right, who played Squiggy on the sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," died December 4, his family said in a statement to CNN. He was 73. Lander had been fighting multiple sclerosis for decades.
Pro wrestling trailblazer
Pat Patterson died on December 2 at the age of 79, World Wrestling Entertainment announced. Patterson, who began his career in 1958, was the first openly gay wrestling star. He continued to work for WWE after retiring from the ring.
Rafer Johnson, who ended his famed track-and-field career with an exciting win in the 1960 Olympic decathlon, died December 1, according to UCLA and USA Track & Field. He was 86.
Argentina soccer legend
Diego Maradona died at the age of 60, a source close to his family confirmed to CNN on November 25. A source from the Argentinian Justice Ministry who was present at the time of Maradona's autopsy said the cause of death was an "acute secondary lung edema to exacerbated chronic heart failure." Maradona, regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, became a household name after inspiring his country to World Cup glory in 1986.
Fred Sasakamoose, the National Hockey League's first Indigenous player, died November 24 at the age of 86, according to his son Neil Sasakamoose. Fred Sasakamoose's death came five days after he was hospitalized with Covid-19.
Bruce Boynton, a civil rights icon who helped inspire the historic Freedom Rides of 1961, died November 23 at the age of 83.
Country music singer
Hal Ketchum died November 23 due to complications from dementia, his wife said. He was 67. Ketchum, who was known for country music hits such as "Small Town Saturday Night" and "Long Haired Country Boy," released his first album in 1988. He would go on to release 10 more albums, according to his website.
David Dinkins, the first and, to date, only Black mayor of New York City, died November 23 at the age of 93. Dinkins dedicated much of his public life trying to improve race relations in the nation's largest city.
Pat Quinn, one of the co-founders of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, died November 22 at the age of 37, according to a statement from the ALS Foundation. The Ice Bucket Challenge went viral in 2014 with more than 17 million people pouring ice water over their heads to raise awareness for ALS, commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's disease." Nationally, 2.5 million people donated $115 million to the ALS Association in what the organization said at the time was "probably the single largest episode of giving outside of a disaster or emergency."
Legendary Indian actor
Soumitra Chatterjee, a famous protégé of Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray, died November 15 of health complications related to Covid-19. He was 85.
Lucille Bridges died November 10 at the age of 86. In 1960, her daughter became the first Black student to attend William Frantz Elementary School after a federal judge ordered the Orleans Parish School Board to desegregate as a result of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
Basketball Hall of Famer
Tommy Heinsohn died at 86, the Boston Celtics confirmed on November 10. Heinsohn's legacy will forever be tied to the Celtics, where he played a part in all 17 of the franchise's championships — from player to coach to color commentator.
Saeb Erekat, the veteran Palestinian negotiator, died November 10 at the age of 65. He was hospitalized in October after contracting the coronavirus. Erekat, one of the most prominent Palestinian politicians of the last few decades, was a major part of negotiations between Palestinian officials and Israel during intensive peace process negotiations in the 1990s.
Alex Trebek, the genial "Jeopardy!" host with all the answers and a reassuring presence in the TV game-show landscape for five decades, died November 8 at the age of 80. Trebek revealed in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, triggering an outpouring of support and well wishes at the time.
Sean Connery, the Scottish actor whose five-decade-long movie career was dominated by the role of James Bond, died on October 31, according to his publicist. Connery was 90 years old.
Nikki McKibbin, best known for competing on the TV show "American Idol," died after suffering an aneurysm on October 28, her husband Craig Sadler said in a Facebook post. She was 42.
James "The Amazing" Randi died October 20 at the age of 92, according to his educational foundation. He made a name for himself as an escape artist and later as a skeptic who challenged magicians who deceived the public.
Spencer Davis, bandleader of The Spencer Davis Group who produced the hits "Keep On Running" and "Gimme Some Lovin'," died October 19 at the age of 81.
James Redford, an activist, filmmaker and philanthropist, died October 17 at the age of 58. Redford is the son of actor and director Robert Redford.
India's first ever Oscar winner, costume designer
Bhanu Athaiya, died October 15 at the age of 91. Athaiya dressed the casts of more than 100 Bollywood movies and gained international acclaim for her work on the 1982 movie "Gandhi."
Rhonda Fleming, a film star in the 1940s and 50s known as the "Queen of Technicolor," died October 14 at the age of 97.
Lonnie Norman, the mayor of Manchester, Tennessee, died October 12 after being hospitalized for Covid-19. He was 79. One of his proudest accomplishments was his role as a friend and supporter of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which began in Manchester in 2002 and is now one of the most popular summer music festivals in the nation.
Conchata Ferrell, a beloved longtime character actress whose vast list of credits included roles in TV series like "Two and a Half Men" and films like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Erin Brockovich," died on October 12, according to her manager. She was 77.
Roberta McCain, the mother of the late Sen. John McCain, died October 12 at the age of 108. The McCain matriarch was a frequent presence on the campaign trail when her son sought the presidency in 2008.
Hall of Fame baseball player
Joe Morgan, part of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine and one of the best second basemen to don a glove, died at the age of 77, the Reds said in a statement on October 12.
Hall of Fame pitcher
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford died October 9 at the age of 91. Ford finished his career with a 236 wins, the all-time record by a New York Yankee. The left-hander helped lead New York to 11 American League pennants and six World Series titles. Ford's 10 wins in World Series games are the most by any pitcher.
Johnny Nash, best known for his 1972 hit "I Can See Clearly Now," died October 6, his son, John Nash, told CNN. He was 80 years old.
Eddie Van Halen, the renowned lead guitarist of iconic rock group Van Halen, died October 6 after a "long and arduous battle with cancer," his son wrote on social media. He was 65.
Japanese designer
Kenzo Takada, famous for creating the international luxury fashion house Kenzo, died October 4 due to complications related to Covid-19, a spokesperson for Takada's luxury K-3 brand said in a statement sent to CNN. Takada was 81.
Actor
Thomas Jefferson Byrd was fatally shot in Georgia on October 3, according to Atlanta police spokesman Anthony Grant. Byrd was 70. Byrd worked with director Spike Lee on many projects, including "He Got Game," "Get on the Bus" and "Clockers."
NFL legend
Gale Sayers, widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs to ever carry a football, died September 23 at the age of 77. At 34, Sayers became the youngest player ever inducted into the Hall of Fame. His short seven-season career was cut short by injuries to both knees, but not before twice leading the league in rushing and earning five first-team All-Pro selections.
Michael Lonsdale, the British-French actor famous for playing one of James Bond's most iconic villains, died September 21 at the age of 87. Lonsdale starred in the 1979 film "Moonraker" as the villain Hugo Drax.
Robert Graetz, a White minister famously known for his support of the Montgomery bus boycott, died on September 20, according to a Facebook post from the Southeastern Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Graetz was 92, according to the Stanford University King Institute's biography of him.
Former PepsiCo CEO
Donald Kendall died September 19 at the age of 99. He served as the CEO of both Pepsi-Cola and PepsiCo for 23 years.
Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died September 18 due to complications of metastatic pancreas cancer, the court announced. She was 87. Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, was appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and in recent years served as the most senior member of the court's liberal wing.
British actress
Diana Rigg, whose decades-long acting career spanned the 1960s spy series "The Avengers," classical theater and "Game of Thrones," died on September 10, according to her agent. Rigg was 82.
Hall of Fame baseball player
Lou Brock died September 6 at the age of 81, a Brock family representative confirmed to the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was known for having the second-most stolen bases in MLB history.
David Graeber, an anthropologist and a leading figure of the Occupy Wall Street movement, died September 2, his wife told CNN. He was 59. Graeber was a professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics, known for his sharp critiques of capitalism and bureaucracy as well as his anarchist views.
Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
Tom Seaver, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and 12-time All-Star, died from complications of Lewy body dementia and Covid-19, the National Baseball Hall of Fame said on September 2. He was 75.
DJ
Erick Morillo died September 1 at the age of 49. The Colombian-born artist, who was raised in New York and New Jersey, is known for his Reel 2 Real 1994 song "Go On Move," also known as "I Like To Move It."
Former Indian president
Pranab Mukherjee died at the age of 84, according to a tweet from his son on August 31.
John Thompson, the first Black basketball head coach to win the NCAA national championship, died at his Arlington, Virginia, home on August 30, a family source confirmed to CNN. He was 78.
Cliff Robinson, a former NBA All-Star who played with the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns, died August 29 at the age of 53.
Actor
Chadwick Boseman, who starred in "Black Panther" and portrayed iconic figures such as Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall, died August 28 at the age of 43. Boseman had been battling colon cancer since 2016, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account.
Ben Cross, the English actor who starred in the Oscar-winning film "Chariots of Fire" and appeared in reboots of "Star Trek" and "Dark Shadows," died August 18, according to his manager. He was 72.
Robert Trump, the younger brother of US President Donald Trump, died August 15 at the age of 71. In a statement confirming his brother's death, President Trump said: "He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace."
Sumner Redstone, a media titan and billionaire who, as chairman of Viacom and National Amusements, drew headlines both for his deal-making as well as his turbulent personal life, died on August 11. He was 97. Redstone's sprawling empire included CBS and Viacom, corporations that were the parents of a host of subsidiaries ranging from Paramount Pictures and MTV to Comedy Central and Spike TV.
Wilford Brimley, the mustachioed actor known for his big screen roles in "Cocoon," "Absence of Malice" and "The Natural," died August 1. His acting credits also include television shows like "Our House," and more recently, commercials for Quaker Oats and the American Diabetes Foundation. He was hospitalized in St. George, Utah, for medical problems and was receiving dialysis when he died. He was 85.
Alan Parker, the celebrated British director whose credits include adored musicals "Fame," "Evita" and "Bugsy Malone" and gritty crime dramas "Mississippi Burning" and "Midnight Express," died July 31, the British Film Institute said in a statement on behalf of his family. He was 76.
Herman Cain, a former presidential candidate and former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, died July 30 after being hospitalized due to coronavirus, according to an obituary sent from his verified Twitter account and Newsmax, where he was launching a television show. He was 74.
Olivia de Havilland, a two-time Oscar winner and the last surviving star of "Gone With the Wind," died July 26 at the age of 104, her publicist Lisa Goldberg told CNN.
Actor
John Saxon, who starred opposite Bruce Lee in the classic film "Enter the Dragon," died July 25 at the age of 83, his wife told CNN. Saxon starred in nearly 200 movies and TV shows. He won the Golden Globe Award for new star of the year in 1958.
Influential blues rock guitarist
Peter Green, co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, died at the age of 73, his family's legal representatives confirmed on July 25. Green wrote some of the band's most notable hits, including "Albatross," "Black Woman Magic" and "Man of the World."
TV personality
Regis Philbin died July 24 at the age of 88, according to a statement released by his family. Philbin was nominated for 37 Daytime Emmy Awards throughout his career and won six, and he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. In 2006, Philbin was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Charles Evers, the older brother of the late civil rights icon Medgar Evers, died July 22 at the age of 97, Rankin County Coroner David Ruth told CNN. Charles Evers was considered one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement. He became the NAACP's state voter registration chairman in 1954, and after his brother's death he took over his leadership roles and began drives to register Black voters. In 1969, Evers made history when he was elected mayor of Fayette, becoming the first Black mayor in Mississippi.
John Lewis, the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal beating by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama, to become a towering figure of the civil rights movement and a longtime US congressman, died July 17 after a six-month battle with cancer. He was 80.
Civil rights leader
Rev. Cordy Tindell "C.T." Vivian died July 17, his daughter Kira Vivian told CNN. He was 95. Vivian participated in the Freedom Rides and worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Grant Imahara, host of Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" and Netflix's "White Rabbit Project," died at the age of 49, according to a statement from the Discovery Channel on July 13. No cause of death was available.
The body of former "Glee" actress
Naya Rivera was found in a Southern California lake on July 13, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said. Rivera, 33, had been presumed dead after she went missing on July 8. She had gone to the lake that afternoon and rented a pontoon boat with her 4-year-old son, according to authorities. Rivera's son was later seen on the boat, but his mother was nowhere to be found. Rivera played Santana Lopez on "Glee" and appeared in nearly every episode of the musical-comedy-drama. She was also on the sitcom "The Royal Family" and in the comedy film "The Master of Disguise."
Zindzi Mandela, South Africa's ambassador to Denmark and daughter of anti-apartheid icons Nelson and Winnie Mandela, died July 13 at the age of 59, according to the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Actress
Kelly Preston died after a two-year battle with breast cancer, her husband, John Travolta, said in an Instagram post on July 12. She was 57 years old.
Country music scribe
Charlie Daniels, best known for the hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," died July 6 at the age of 83.
Ennio Morricone, an Oscar-winning film composer, died July 6 at the age of 91. Morricone is best known for the instantly recognizable melodies from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "Once Upon a Time in the West."
Nick Cordero, a Broadway actor who had admirers across the world rallying for his recovery, died July 5 after a battle with Covid-19, according to his wife, Amanda Kloots. He was 41.
Carl Reiner, the writer, actor, director and producer whose many decades' worth of credits — including "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The 2000-Year-Old Man" — showcased a ready wit and a generous spirit, died June 29. He was 98.
Milton Glaser, co-founder of New York Magazine and famed graphic designer behind the "I ♥ NY" logo, died on June 26, according to the magazine. It was his 91st birthday.
Joel Schumacher, an eclectic director whose career ranged from a pair of divisive Batman movies to "St. Elmo's Fire," died June 22 after a yearlong battle with cancer, a representative for Schumacher told CNN. He was 80.
Actor
Ian Holm died June 19 at the age of 88, according to a statement from his agent. Holm had a long and varied acting career that saw him cast as a slew of characters, including Bilbo Baggins in the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, Ash in Ridley Scott's "Alien" and athletics coach Sam Mussabini in the 1981 movie "Chariots of Fire," a performance for which he was nominated for an Oscar.
Bonnie Pointer, one of the founding members of the singing group The Pointer Sisters, died June 8 at the age of 69. Pointer recorded five albums with her sisters before pursuing a solo career. She signed with Motown and scored her biggest solo hit with the 1978 disco track, "Heaven Must Have Sent You."
Indian actor
Chiranjeevi Sarja, who starred in 20 films included the popular "Amma I Love You," died of a heart attack on June 7, according to B.S. Yediyurappa, chief minister of Karnataka. Sarja was 39.
Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, who was known for his monumental environmental artworks with his late wife, Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, died May 31 at the age of 84.
Playwright
Larry Kramer, a trailblazing AIDS activist, died May 27 at the age of 84. With his essay "1,112 and Counting," Kramer helped shift the nation's attention to the spread of AIDS. And his continued activism, while often divisive, helped propel the United States to respond to the crisis in the way it did.
Stanley Ho, Macao gambling tycoon and one of Hong Kong's first billionaires, died on May 26, his family said. He was 98.
Eddie Sutton, the first college basketball coach to lead four different schools to the NCAA tournament, died on May 23, according to his family. He was 84.
Jerry Sloan, the longtime Utah Jazz head coach who led the team to the NBA Finals twice and ranks third among NBA coaches on the all-time wins list, died May 22 at the age of 78.
Annie Glenn, a lifelong advocate for those with speech impediments and wife of the late astronaut John Glenn, died of complications from Covid-19 on May 19. She was 100.
Ravi Zacharias, who spent his life defending Christianity through books and lectures, died May 19 at the age of 74. Zacharias was a leading figure among Christian Apologists -— a branch of Christian theology that defends Christian doctrines against objections.
Ken Osmond, an actor best known for his role as troublemaker Eddie Haskell on "Leave It to Beaver," died at the age of 76, his son Eric told The Hollywood Reporter on May 18.
Director
Lynn Shelton, known for the films "Humpday" and "Your Sister's Sister," died May 15, according to her representative, Adam Kersh. She was 54. Kersh said Shelton died of a previously undiagnosed blood disorder. Her partner, the comedian and actor Marc Maron, said Shelton collapsed Friday after having been ill for a week.
Actor
Fred Willard died on May 15, his daughter, Hope Mulbarger, confirmed to CNN. He was 86. Willard was known for his roles in the movie "Best in Show" and TV sitcoms "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Modern Family."
Phyllis George, the broadcast television pioneer and former Miss America, died May 14, her children confirmed to CNN. She was 70. In 1975, George became the first female co-anchor of the football pregame show "The NFL Today."
Gregory Tyree Boyce, an actor who appeared in the 2008 film "Twilight," was found dead in a Las Vegas residence on May 13, a spokesperson with the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner confirmed to CNN. He was 30. According to the coroner's office, Boyce was found dead with Natalie Adenike Adepoju, 27. The cause and manner of death is still being determined. A public information officer for the Las Vegas Police Department told CNN in an email that the deaths were "not a criminal incident" and referred any inquiry to the coroner's office.
Actor and comedian
Jerry Stiller died of natural causes, his son, actor Ben Stiller, said in a tweet on May 11. He was 92. Jerry Stiller was perhaps best known for his roles on the TV sitcoms "Seinfeld" and "The King of Queens."
Soul singer
Betty Wright died from cancer May 10 at the age of 66, according to reports from multiple media outlets. Wright was known for her song "Clean Up Woman," which became a top five hit, according to the biography posted on her verified Facebook page.
Little Richard, the screaming, preening, scene-stealing wild man of early rock 'n' roll with hits like "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally," died May 9 at the age of 87, Dick Alen, his former agent, confirmed to CNN.
Paul "Bear" Vasquez, whose cries of exaltation at a double rainbow turned him into a viral star, died May 9 at the age of 57, according to the Mariposa County Coroner's Office. "Bear" lived in relative solitude for much of his life. But his sincere love of nature — and rainbows in particular — endeared him to millions.
Roy Horn, who dazzled audiences for decades as half of the animal and magic act Siegfried and Roy, died of complications from the coronavirus on May 8. He was 75.
Brian Howe, former frontman for the British rock group Bad Company, died May 5 at the age of 66.
Don Shula, the longtime Miami Dolphins coach and architect of the only perfect season in NFL history, died May 4 at age 90. Though he spent several seasons in the NFL as a player and served as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, he is best known for his quarter-century at the helm of the Miami Dolphins. He won more games than any head coach in NFL history.
Matt Keough, a former major-league pitcher and an occasional figure on "Real Housewives of Orange County," died May 1 at the age of 64. The right-handed, mustachioed Keough pitched in 170 games for the Oakland A's from 1977 to 1983, earning an All-Star Game appearance as a rookie in 1978 and the American League's Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1980.
Actor
Sam Lloyd, who most notably portrayed lawyer Ted Buckland on the TV comedy "Scrubs," died at age 56, his agent said May 1. Lloyd's television career also included roles in "Desperate Housewives," "Seinfeld," "Modern Family," "The West Wing," "Cougar Town," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Shameless," according to his agent.
Veteran Bollywood actor
Rishi Kapoor died in a hospital after a two-year battle with leukemia, his family representative confirmed in a statement on April 30. He was 67. Kapoor's first lead role — in the 1973 romantic film "Bobby" — won him the Filmfare Award, India's equivalent of the Oscars, for best actor.
Bollywood star
Irrfan Khan, known internationally for his roles in "Life Of Pi" and "Slumdog Millionaire," died April 29, his representatives confirmed. He was 53. Khan, one of India's best-known and most beloved actors, revealed in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumor — an abnormal growth that begin in the body's specialized neuroendocrine cells, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Troy Sneed, a Grammy-nominated gospel singer and record label founder, died April 27 of complications from Covid-19. He was 52. Sneed was known for gospel radio hits including "My Heart Says Yes" and "Worked It Out."
Theodore Gaffney, who photographed the Freedom Riders as they protested segregation in the 1960s, died April 19 of complications related to the novel coronavirus. He was 92. Gaffney was also one of the first black photographers in the White House.
Howard Finkel, the legendary ring announcer and WWE Hall of Famer, died at the age of 69, the company announced on April 16. Finkel would mark championship victories with his signature call, "and Nnneeeww world champion!"
NFL Hall of Famer
Willie Davis died April 15 at the age of 85, according to the Green Bay Packers. The defensive end, who in 1965 became the first black captain for the Packers, spent 10 years with the team.
Brian Dennehy, a versatile character actor whose career spanned five decades, died April 15 at the age of 81, his talent agency confirmed. Dennehy, a two-time Tony Award winner, starred in a wide range of films, often in tough-guy roles.
Former NFL quarterback
Tarvaris Jackson died in a car crash in Alabama on April 12. He was 36 years old. During his 10-year career with the NFL, he had 45 career touchdowns.
Stirling Moss, a British motor racing legend widely considered one of the greatest drivers never to win a Formula One title, died April 12 at the age of 90. Moss was an active race driver between 1948 and 1962, competing in numerous classifications and winning 212 of the 529 races he competed in.
NHL center
Colby Cave, who played for the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins, died April 11 at the age of 25. He died days after doctors operated on him to remove a colloid cyst that was putting pressure on his brain, according to NHL.com. He had been in a medically induced coma since suffering a brain bleed overnight.
Influential singer-songwriter
John Prine, whose career spanned five decades, died April 7 due to complications related to coronavirus, his publicist confirmed. He was 73.
Legendary baseball player
Al Kaline died April 6 at the age of 85, according to the Detroit Tigers. Kaline played his entire career in Detroit, where he was an All-Star 18 times, won a World Series in 1968 and earned the nickname "Mr. Tiger."
Veteran actress
Shirley Douglas, the wife of Donald Sutherland and mother of Kiefer Sutherland, died April 5 due to complications surrounding pneumonia, Kiefer Sutherland said on Twitter. She was 86.
NFL Hall of Famer
Bobby Mitchell, who became the first African American to play for the Washington Redskins, died April 5, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was 84.
Timothy Brown, a former NFL star and actor on the comedy/drama "M*A*S*H," died April 4 in Southern California. He was 82.
Adam Schlesinger, the co-founder of pop-rock band Fountains of Wayne and an Oscar-nominated songwriter, died Wednesday, April 1, from complications related to coronavirus. He was 52.
Bill Withers, the singer-songwriter whose soulful hits included "Lean On Me," Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day," died March 30 of heart complications, according to his family. He was 81.
Lorena Borjas, a transgender Latinx activist from New York who spent decades advocating for people from marginalized communities, died March 30 from complications due to the novel coronavirus, according to a close friend. Borjas, 59, spent decades serving transgender people, undocumented immigrants, sex workers and those living with HIV/AIDS, providing them with legal assistance and other services.
Tomie dePaola, a children's author and illustrator known for his book "Strega Nona," died on March 30. The 85-year-old author died from complications from surgery after he fell in his barn which served as a studio, according to a statement from his literary agent. DePaola authored nearly 300 books, including "Oliver Button is a Sissy," "The Legend of Old Befana," and the New York Times best-seller "Quiet."
Rocker
Alan Merrill, who wrote and recorded the original version of the hit song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," died March 29 after being diagnosed with coronavirus, his daughter told CNN. Merrill, 69, was a big star in Japan in the 1970s and wrote and recorded the anthem "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" in 1975 with his band The Arrows. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts covered the song in 1982 and the single shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Famed Japanese comedian
Ken Shimura died March 29 after contracting the novel coronavirus, his representatives said. Shimura, 70, has been described as "Japan's Robin Williams," with the country's television networks heavily covering his death.
Joe Diffie, a country music singer known for his lighthearted odes to country life that reached mainstream success in the 1990s, died March 29 from complications of coronavirus, his publicist said in a news release. Diffie was 61.
Fred "Curly" Neal, whose flashy dribbling skills and smile made him a Harlem Globetrotters legend, died March 26. He was 77.
World-renowned jazz musician
Manu Dibango died of coronavirus on March 24, according to
his official Facebook page. He was 86. The Cameroonian saxophone player achieved global fame in the 1970s for his style of mixing jazz with traditional music from his home country. Dibango was also a big influence for many musicians around the globe for several decades and his music was often sampled; most famously in Michael Jackson's hit "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin."
Kenny Rogers, whose legendary music career spanned six decades, died on March 20. He was 81. Rogers had 24 No. 1 hits during his career, and more than 50 million of his albums sold in the United States alone.
Swedish actor
Max Von Sydow, who made his name in the films of Ingmar Bergman before featuring in international hits like "Game of Thrones," died March 8 at the age of 90. He was a well-known figure in both European and American cinema, starring in films from Bergman's masterpiece "The Seventh Seal" to international blockbusters such as "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
James Lipton, whose serious interviews with high-profile stars "Inside the Actors Studio" for more than 20 years made him a well-known pop-culture figure, died March 2 at the age of 93.
Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president who ruled for nearly 30 years until being overthrown, died on February 25. He was 91. During his 29 years in power, Mubarak survived would-be assassins and ill health, crushed a rising Islamist radical movement and maintained the peace pact with neighboring Israel that got his predecessor killed.
Clive Cussler, the bestselling author and sea explorer, died on February 24, his family announced in a Facebook post.
He was 88.
Katherine Johnson, a pioneering mathematician who, along with a group of other brilliant black women, helped make US space travel possible, died on February 24. She was 101. Her life and work served as inspiration for the film "Hidden Figures."
Former Major League Baseball shortstop
Tony Fernandez died at age 57, the Toronto Blue Jays tweeted on February 16. He suffered a stroke and had been struggling with kidney issues, the team said. During his 17-year career, Fernandez won four Gold Glove Awards, made five All-Star appearances and won a World Series title with the 1993 Blue Jays.
Caroline Flack, the former host of the hit British reality show "Love Island," died at the age of 40, her family confirmed on February 15. A family lawyer told PA Media that Flack committed suicide and her body was found in her east London apartment.
Actress
Lynn Cohen, best known for her role as Magda the housekeeper in "Sex and the City," died February 14, according to her manager. She was 86.
Actor
Robert Conrad, known for the television show "The Wild Wild West," died February 8 at the age of 84, according to family spokesman Jeff Ballard.
Kirk Douglas, one of the great Hollywood leading men whose off-screen life was nearly as colorful as his on-screen exploits, died February 5 at the age of 103, according to his son, actor Michael Douglas.
Willie Wood, a Hall of Fame football player and former safety for the Green Bay Packers, died February 3 at the age of 83, according to a statement from the team. Wood won two Super Bowls as a member of the Packers.
Mary Higgins Clark, the bestselling "Queen of Suspense" who wrote dozens of suspense novels sold worldwide, died January 31 at age 92, Clark's publisher confirmed on Twitter. Clark's writing career spanned decades and included bestselling titles such as "Loves Music, Loves to Dance" and "A Stranger Is Watching."
NASCAR driver
John Andretti, a nephew of racing legend Mario Andretti, died from colon cancer on January 30, according to a tweet from Andretti Autosport. He was 56.
NBA legend
Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26. He was 41. Bryant was one of nine victims in the crash. His 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed.
Leila Janah, a social entrepreneur who poured her energy into creating job opportunities for the world's poorest communities, died January 24 due to complications from epithelioid sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer. She was 37.
Jim Lehrer, the legendary debate moderator and former anchor of the "NewsHour" television program, died January 23 at the age of 85. Lehrer anchored the "NewsHour," the flagship newscast on public television in the United States, for 36 years.
"Monty Python" star
Terry Jones died at age 77, Britain's PA Media news agency reported on January 22. Jones was a member of the much-loved British comedy group and also directed a number of its most popular films, including "Life of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life."
Americana singer and songwriter
David Olney, whose music was recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Steve Young, Emmylou Harris and others, died of an apparent heart attack while performing in Florida on January 18, according to a statement on his website. He was 71.
Former professional wrestler
Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, WWE Hall of Famer and the father of actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, died at the age of 75, the WWE announced on January 15.
Sultan
Qaboos bin Said, who ruled Oman since 1970, died January 10, according to the official Oman News Agency. He died at age 79 and was the longest-serving Arab leader.
Rapper
5th Ward Weebie was a major player in the distinctive bounce music scene in New Orleans. He died January 9 at the age of 42. His publicist said he had a "heart attack which turned into emergency heart surgery and ultimately heart failure."
Don Larsen, the man who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history, died January 8 at the age of 90, according to his representative Andrew Levy.
Elizabeth Wurtzel, whose 1994 memoir "Prozac Nation" ignited conversations about the then-taboo topic of clinical depression, died on January 7. She was 52. Her husband, Jim Freed, told CNN she died following a battle with metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her brain.
Neil Peart, who helped propel the band Rush to global stardom and sealed his place as one of the greatest drummers in rock music, died January 7 after a long battle with brain cancer, according to a family spokesman. He was 67.
Derek Acorah, a popular TV psychic medium and former host of the British reality show "Most Haunted," died January 3 at the age of 69.
John Baldessari, one of America's most influential conceptual artists, died on January 2. He was 88. Baldessari was renowned for combining photography with various other media, with some of his most iconic works featuring colorful dots pasted over subjects' faces in portraits and found photographs.
David Stern, the former NBA commissioner who reshaped the league and presided over its skyrocketing growth for three decades, died on January 1. He was 77.