By Bernard McGhee | Associated Press
It was a murder case almost everyone had an opinion on. O.J. Simpson’s “trial of the century” over the 1994 killings of his ex-wife and her friend bared divisions over race and law enforcement in America and brought an intersection of sports, crime, entertainment and class that was hard to turn away from.
In a controversial verdict, the football star-turned-actor was acquitted in the criminal trial but later found civilly liable in the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Years later, he served nine years in prison on unrelated charges. His death in April brought an end to a life that had become defined by scrutiny over the killings.
Related: 2024 obituaries: Notable Bay Area residents who died
But he was just one of many influential and noteworthy people who died in 2024.
Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February, was a fierce political foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, crusading against corruption and staging protests against the Kremlin. He had been jailed since 2021 when he returned to Russia to face certain arrest after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin.
Other political figures who died this year include: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi; former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; Vietnamese politician Nguyen Phu Trong; U.S. congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov; pundit Lou Dobbs; former U.S. senators Joe Lieberman, Jim Inhofe, Tim Johnson and Jim Sasser; Namibian President Hage Geingob; and former Lebanese prime minister Salim Hoss.
The year also brought the deaths of several rights activists, including the reverends Cecil L. “Chip” Murray and James Lawson Jr.; Dexter Scott King; Hydeia Broadbent; and David Mixner.
Business leaders who died this year include: Indian industrialist Ratan Tata, The Home Depot co-founder Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, financier Jacob Rothschild and Daiso retail chain founder Hirotake Yano.
Simpson wasn’t the only athlete with a complex legacy who died this year. Pete Rose, who died in September, was a career hits leader in baseball whose achievements were tarnished when it was revealed he gambled on games. Other noteworthy sports figures who died include: basketball players Jerry West and Dikembe Mutombo; baseball players Willie Mays and Fernando Valenzuela; and gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi.
The music industry lost a titan in producer Quincy Jones, who died in November. His many contributions included producing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album and working with hundreds of other musicians over a long and storied career.
Other artists and entertainers who died this year include: actors James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera, Donald Sutherland, Maggie Smith, Bob Newhart, Gena Rowlands, Louis Gossett Jr., Shelley Duvall, Kris Kristofferson, Sandra Milo, Anouk Aimée, Carl Weathers, Joyce Randolph, Tony Todd, Shannen Doherty and Song Jae-lim; musicians Sergio Mendes, Toby Keith, Phil Lesh, Melanie, Dickey Betts, Françoise Hardy, Fatman Scoop, Duane Eddy and Frankie Beverly; filmmakers Norman Jewison, Roger Corman and Morgan Spurlock; authors Faith Ringgold, Alice Munro and N. Scott Momaday; TV fitness guru Richard Simmons; sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer; talk show host Phil Donahue; and poets Shuntaro Tanikawa, John Sinclair and Kazuko Shiraishi.
Here is a roll call of some noteworthy figures who died in 2024:
JANUARY
Frank Ryan, 87; He was the quarterback who led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964, and spent his offseasons getting a doctorate diploma in mathematics; Jan. 1
Zvi Zamir, 98: He was a former director of Israel’s Mossad spy service who warned that Israel was about to be attacked on the eve of the 1973 Mideast war; Jan. 2.
Glynis Johns, 100: The Tony Award-winning stage and screen star played the mother opposite Julie Andrews in the classic movie “Mary Poppins” and introduced the world to the bittersweet standard-to-be “Send in the Clowns” by Stephen Sondheim; Jan. 4.
Christian Oliver, 51: The German actor had dozens of film and TV roles, including the 2008 film “Speed Racer” and the 2006 movie “The Good German”; Jan. 4
David Soul, 80: The actor-singer was a 1970s heartthrob who co-starred as the blond half of the crime-fighting duo “Starsky & Hutch” and topped the music charts with the ballad “Don’t Give Up on Us”; Jan. 4.
Mario Zagallo, 92: The iconic Brazilian soccer star was the first person to win World Cup championships as a player and as a manager; Jan. 5
Franz Beckenbauer, 78. He won the World Cup both as a player and coach and became one of Germany’s most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm; Jan. 7
Adan Canto, 42: The performer had several TV and film roles, including in the series “The Cleaning Lady” and “Designated Survivor”; Jan. 8
Amalia Knavs, 78: She was the mother of first lady Melania Trump; Jan. 9
Bill Hayes, 98: He shot to stardom with the No. 1 hit “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” then went on to play the beloved Doug Williams on the daytime drama “Days of Our Lives” for more than 50 years; Jan. 12
Joyce Randolph, 99: The veteran stage and television actor whose role as the savvy Trixie Norton on “The Honeymooners” provided the perfect foil to her dimwitted TV husband; Jan. 13
Shawn Barber, 29: The Canadian athlete was the 2015 world champion pole vaulter, and he also made the finals in pole vault at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio; Jan. 17
Jack Burke Jr., 100: He was the oldest living Masters champion and staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors; Jan. 19
Lance Larson, 83: The swimmer won the Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, but minutes later was ruled to have finished second in a decision often called the most controversial swimming race in Olympic history; Jan. 19
Marlena Shaw, 81: She was a jazz and R&B vocalist whose “California Soul” was one of the defining soul songs of the late 1960s; Jan. 19
Mary Weiss, 75: She was the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “Leader of the Pack.” Jan. 19
Norman Jewison, 97; The Canadian filmmaker, who was nominated for 3 Oscars and received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, directed such acclaimed and wide-ranging movies as “In the Heat of the Night,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Moonstruck”; Jan. 20
Gigi Riva, 79: The all-time leading goalscorer for Italy’s men’s national team was known as the “Rombo di Tuono” (Rumble of Thunder); Jan. 22
Dexter Scott King, 62: He dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King; Jan. 22
Charles Osgood, 91. He anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, was host of the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence. Jan. 23.
Melanie, 76. The singer-songwriter rose through the New York folk scene, performed at Woodstock and had a series of 1970s hits including the enduring cultural phenomenon “Brand New Key”; Jan. 23
N. Scott Momaday, 89: A Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist whose debut novel “House Made of Dawn” is widely credited as the starting point for contemporary Native American literature. Jan. 24
Herbert Coward, 85: He was known for his “Toothless Man” role in the movie “Deliverance”; Jan. 24
Harry Connick Sr., 97: He was a longtime New Orleans district attorney who faced questions about whether his office withheld evidence that favored defendants, and he also was the father to famed singer Harry Connick Jr.; Jan. 25
Jimy Williams, 80: The Major League Baseball manager won more than 900 games in his career with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros, and was named AL Manager of the Year in 1999; Jan. 26
Cletus Anderson, 82: He was the founder of V.I.P. Records in Long Beach, and his work with such musicians as Snoop Dogg and Warren G helped put West Coast rap on the map; Jan. 28
Sandra Milo, 90: An icon of Italian cinema who played a key role in Federico Fellini’s “8½” and later became his muse; Jan. 29
Jean Carnahan, 90: She became the first female senator to represent Missouri when she was appointed to replace her husband following his death; Jan. 30
Chita Rivera, 91: The dynamic dancer, singer and actress garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists; Jan. 30.
FEBRUARY
Carl Weathers, 76: He was a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore.” Feb. 1
Wayne Kramer, 75: The guitarist was a co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5, which “basically invented punk rock”; Feb. 2
Ian Lavender, 77: An actor who played a hapless Home Guard soldier in the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army”; Feb. 2
Hage Geingob, 82: He was Namibia’s president and founding prime minister who played a central role in what has become one of Africa’s most stable democracies after returning from a long exile in Botswana and the United States as an anti-apartheid activist; Feb. 4
Bob Beckwith, 91: He was a retired firefighter whose chance encounter with the president amid the rubble of ground zero became part of an iconic image of American unity after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks; Feb. 4.
Toby Keith, 62: The hit country crafter of pro-American anthems both riled up critics and was loved by millions of fans; Feb. 5
John Bruton, 76: The former Irish prime minister played a key role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland; Feb. 6
Sebastián Piñera, 74: The two-time former president of Chile faced social upheaval followed by a pandemic in his second term; Feb. 6
Seiji Ozawa, 88: The Japanese conductor amazed audiences with the lithe physicality of his performances during three decades at the helm of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Feb. 6
Henry Fambrough, 85: He was the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “The Rubberband Man”; Feb. 7
Mojo Nixon, 66: The larger-than-life musician, who provided vocals on such songs as “Elvis is Everywhere” and “Don Henley Must Die,” was an MTV mainstay in the 1980s and later became a Sirius XM radio host; Feb. 7
Bob Edwards, 76. He anchored National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” for just under 25 years and was the baritone voice who told many Americans what had happened while they slept; Feb. 10
William Post, 96: He was a was a co-inventor of the favorite breakfast treat, the Pop-Tart; Feb. 10
Kelvin Kiptum, 24: The Kenyan runner was the men’s world record holder in the marathon, and he held three of the seven fastest marathon times ever recorded; Feb. 11
Hirotake Yano, 80: He founded the retail chain Daiso known for its 100-yen shops, Japan’s equivalent of the dollar store. Feb. 12
Alexei Navalny, 47: The fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests; Feb. 16.
Lefty Driesell, 92: He was a Hall of Fame coach whose folksy drawl belied a fiery on-court demeanor that put Maryland on the college basketball map and enabled him to rebuild several struggling programs; Feb. 17
Hydeia Broadbent, 39: The HIV/AIDS activist came to national prominence in the 1990s as a young child for her inspirational talks to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus she was born with; Feb. 20
Edith “Edie” Ceccarelli, 116: The Willits resident was the oldest living person in the United States at the time of her death; Feb. 22
Chris Gauthier, 48: The character actor had roles in dozens of productions, including in such TV shows as “Once Upon a Time,” “Supernatural,” “Smallville” and many Hallmark movies; Feb. 23
Kenneth Mitchell, 49: The Canadian actor had scores of TV and film credits, including roles on such shows as “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Captain Marvel”; Feb. 24
Jacob Rothschild, 87: The financier and philanthropist was part of the renowned Rothschild banking dynasty; Feb. 26
Richard Lewis, 76: An acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain”; Feb. 27
Nikolai Ryzhkov, 94: He was a former Soviet prime minister who presided over botched efforts to shore up the crumbling national economy in the final years of the USSR; Feb. 28
Stacy Wakefield, 53: She was the widow of former MLB pitcher Tim Wakefield, and the pair passed away within five months of one another; Feb. 28
Brian Mulroney, 84: The former Canadian prime minister forged close ties with two Republican U.S. presidents through a sweeping free trade agreement that was once vilified but is now celebrated; Feb. 29
MARCH
Iris Apfel, 102: She was a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style; March 1
Akira Toriyama, 68: The creator of the best-selling Dragon Ball and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics; March 1
Chris Mortensen, 72: The award-winning journalist covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN; March 3
Capt. Charlie Griffin, 55: He was a commercial fisherman who became famous for his turn on the National Geographic reality show “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks”; March 4
Garrison Brown, 25: He was a member of the large family featured in the long-running TLC reality series “Sister Wives”; March 5
Steve Lawrence, 88: He was a popular singer who was a solo performer and in tandem with wife Eydie Gorme, and the pair were known for frequent appearances on talk shows, in night clubs and in Las Vegas; March 7
David E. Harris, 89: He flew bombers for the U.S. military and broke barriers in 1964 when he became the first Black pilot hired at a major U.S. airline; March 8
Eric Carmen, 74: The singer-songwriter fronted the power-pop 1970s band the Raspberries and later had soaring pop hits like “All by Myself” and “Hungry Eyes” from the hit “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack; March 11
Paul Alexander, 78: The Texas man spent most of his life using an iron lung chamber and built a large following on social media, recounting his life from contracting polio in the 1940s to earning a law degree; March 11
David Mixner, 77: The longtime LGBTQ+ activist was an adviser to Bill Clinton during his presidential campaign and later called him out over the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer personnel in the military; March 11
David Breashears, 68; He transmitted the first live TV pictures from the summit of Mount Everest, then later co-directed an IMAX documentary about the world’s tallest mountain; March 14
Steve Harley, 73: The British singer was a member of the glam-rock band Cockney Rebel, who had an enduring hit with the song “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)”; March 17
Thomas Stafford, 93: The NASA astronaut, who flew to the moon but did not land there, was the Apollo 10 commander and part of first US-Soviet space linkup; March 18
M. Emmet Walsh, 88: The character actor brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner”; March 19
Laurent de Brunhoff, 98: The author revived the popular “Babar” children’s book series about an elephant-king created by his dad and presided over its rise to a global franchise; March 22
Peter Angelos, 94: He was an attorney whose firm won high-profile cases against industry titans such as tobacco giant Philip Morris, then later became the embattled owner of the Baltimore Orioles; March 23
Lou Whittaker, 95: The legendary American mountaineer helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, and he taught generations of climbers during his more than 250 trips up Mount Rainier, the tallest peak in Washington state; March 24
Joe Lieberman, 82. The former U.S. senator of Connecticut nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election and almost became Republican John McCain’s running mate eight years later; March 27
Louis Gossett Jr., 87: He was the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar, and he also won an Emmy for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots”; March 28
Chance Perdomo, 27: The actor rose to fame as a star of “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Gen V”; March 29
William D. Delahunt, 82: The longtime Massachusetts congressman was a Democratic stalwart who postponed his retirement from Washington to help pass former President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda; March 30
Barbara Rush, 97: She was a popular leading actor in the 1950s and 1960s who co-starred with Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman and other top film performers and later had a thriving TV career; March 31
APRIL
Lou Conter, 102: He was the last living survivor of the USS Arizona battleship that exploded and sank during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor; April 1
Vontae Davis, 35: The former NFL cornerback was the brother of former San Francisco 49ers star Vernon Davis; April 1
Joe Flaherty, 75: The actor and comedian starred in such beloved TV shows as “SCTV” and “Freaks and Geeks,” and had memorable cameos in the films “Stripes” and “Happy Gilmore”; April 1
Maryse Condé, 90; The acclaimed writer of such books as “Segu” and “Tales from the Heart” was considered the “grande dame: of Caribbean literature; April 2
Christopher Durang, 75: The Tony-winning playwright of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for “Miss Witherspoon,” plus acted in such films as “The Secret of My Success” and “The Cowboy Way”; April 2
Larry Lucchino, 78: The lawyer-turned-Major League Baseball executive helped usher in the sport’s retro ballpark revolution, helping shape Baltimore’s Camden Yards and San Diego’s Petco Park; April 2
John Sinclair, 82: He was a poet, music producer and counterculture figure whose lengthy prison sentence after a series of small-time pot busts inspired a John Lennon song and a star-studded 1971 concert to free him; April 2
The Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, 94: The influential pastor and civil rights leader used his tenure at one of Los Angeles’ oldest churches to uplift the predominantly Black neighborhoods following one of the country’s worst race riots; April 5
George and Lori Schappell, 62: They were the world’s oldest conjoined twins; April 7
Peter Higgs, 94: The Nobel prize-winning physicist proposed the existence of the so-called “God particle” that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang; April 8
Ralph Puckett Jr., 97: He was a retired Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor seven decades after he was wounded leading a company of outnumbered Army Rangers in battle during the Korean War; April 8
O.J. Simpson, 76: The decorated football superstar and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but later found liable in a separate civil trial; April 10
William Strickland, 87: He was a longtime civil rights activist and supporter of the Black Power movement who worked with Malcolm X and other prominent leaders in the 1960s; April 10
Eleanor Coppola, 87: She was the matriarch of the filmmaking Coppola family, and documented several of husband Francis Ford Coppola’s movies, including 1991’s “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse”; April 12
Robert MacNeil, 93: He created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades; April 12
Faith Ringgold, 93: An award-winning author and artist, she broke down barriers for Black female artists and became famous for her richly colored and detailed quilts combining painting, textiles and storytelling; April 12
Whitey Herzog, 92: The longtime St. Louis Cardinals manager led the team to three pennants and one World Series win, and later was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; April 15
Carl Erskine, 97: He pitched two no-hitters as a mainstay on the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series. April 16.
Bob Graham, 87: The former U.S. senator and two-term Florida governor gained national prominence as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks and as an early critic of the Iraq war; April 16
Dickey Betts, 80: The guitar legend co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man”; April 18
Roman Gabriel, 83: The first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL was the league MVP in 1969; April 20
Terry Anderson, 76: The globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent became one of America’s longest-held hostages after he was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years; April 21
Aaron Thomas, 86: He was a star tight end with the New York Giants, playing with the team from 1962 to 1970; April 26
William Laws Calley Jr., 80: As an Army lieutenant, he led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history; April 28
Duane Eddy, 86: A pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser” and “Peter Gunn” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless others; April 30
Akebono Taro, 54: The Hawaii-born sumo champ was considered a legend of the sport, becoming the first foreign-born wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” — or grand champion — in Japan
MAY
Susan Buckner, 72: The actress had a memorable role in “Grease,” then later appeared on such TV shows as “The Love Boat” and “Starsky and Hutch”; May 2
Dick Rutan, 85: He, along with copilot Jeana Yeager, completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling; May 3
Jeannie Epper, 83: She was a groundbreaking performer who did stunts for many of the most important women of film and television action of the 1970s and ’80s, including star Lynda Carter on TV’s “Wonder Woman”; May 5
Bernard Hill: 79. The actor delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and went down with the ship as the captain in “Titanic”; May 5
Ian Gelder, 74: The British actor had a memorable role as Kevan Lannister on “Game of Thrones”; May 6
Steve Albini, 61: The alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more; May 7
Kim Ki Nam, 94: He was a North Korean propaganda chief who helped build personality cults around the country’s three dynastic leaders; May 7
Pete McCloskey, 96: He was a pro-environment, anti-war California Republican who co-wrote the Endangered Species Act and co-founded Earth Day; May 8
Ralph Kennedy Frasier, 85: He was the last surviving member of a trio of African American youths who were the first to desegregate the undergraduate student body at North Carolina’s flagship public university in the 1950s; May 8
Sean Burroughs, 43: As a 12-year-old, he threw back-to-back no-hitters in the Little League World Series and appeared on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” then went on to play seven seasons in the major leagues; May 9
Roger Corman, 98: The “King of the Bs” helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks; May 9
David Sanborn, 78; The Grammy-winning saxophonist had several successful solo albums, and played alongside such artists as Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie; May 12
Alice Munro, 92: The Nobel laureate was a Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers; May 13
Cyril Wecht, 93; The celebrity pathologist, who worked on such cases as Elvis Presley and JonBenet Ramsey, also alleged that more than one shooter killed John F. Kennedy; May 13
Dabney Coleman, 92: The mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie”; May 16
Peter Buxtun, 86: The whistleblower revealed that the U.S. government allowed hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama to go untreated for syphilis in what became known as the Tuskegee study; May 18
Fred Roos, 89: He was an Oscar-winning producer who was a longtime Francis Ford Coppola collaborator, and he helped introduce audiences to such stars as Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson; May 18
Ebrahim Raisi, 63: The Iranian president was a hard-line protege of the country’s supreme leader who helped oversee the mass executions of thousands in 1988 and later led the country as it enriched uranium near weapons-grade levels, launched a major attack on Israel and experienced mass protests; May 19
Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60: He was Iran’s foreign minister and a hard-liner close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who confronted the West while also overseeing indirect talks with the U.S. over the country’s nuclear program; May 19
Ivan F. Boesky, 87: The flamboyant stock trader’s cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals in the history of Wall Street; May 20
Morgan Spurlock, 53: He was a documentary filmmaker and Oscar nominee whose most famous works skewered America’s food industry and who notably ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet; May 23
Grayson Murray, 30: He was a two-time winner on the PGA Tour; May 25
Bill Walton, 71: He starred for John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins before becoming a Hall of Fame center for his NBA career and one of the biggest stars in basketball broadcasting; May 27
Bob Kelley, 96: He was the longtime publisher of Kelley Blue Book; May 28
Marian Robinson, 86: She was the mother of former first lady Michelle Obama; May 31
JUNE
Tin Oo, 97: He was one of the closest associates of Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as a co-founder of her National League for Democracy party; June 1
Janis Paige, 101: The popular actor in Hollywood and in Broadway musicals and comedies danced with Fred Astaire, toured with Bob Hope and continued to perform into her 90s; June 2
David Levy, 86: The Israeli politician born in Morocco fought tirelessly against deep-seated racism against Jews from North Africa and went on to serve as foreign minister and hold other senior governmental posts; June 2
Brigitte Bierlein, 74: The former head of Austria’s Constitutional Court became the country’s first female chancellor in an interim government in 2019; June 3
William Anders, 90: The former astronaut was part of historic Apollo 8 mission, which was the first human spaceflight to travel to the moon and back, and he also took the iconic Earthrise photo; June 7
Paul Pressler, 94: He was a leading figure of the Southern Baptist Convention who was accused of sexually abusing boys and young men and later settled a lawsuit over the allegations; June 7
Frank Carroll, 85; The longtime figure skating coach helped guide six Olympic medalists at 10 Winter Games and led such skaters as Michelle Kwan and Evan Lysacek to stardom; June 7
Lynn Conway, 86: She was pioneer in the design of microchips that are at the heart of consumer electronics, and she overcame discrimination as a transgender person; June 9
The Rev. James Lawson Jr., 95: He was an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction; June 9
Françoise Hardy, 80: She was a French singing legend and pop icon since the 1960s; June 11
Jerry West, 86: He was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and his silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo; June 12
Benji Gregory, 46; The former child actor, who had a range of appearances on TV shows and commercials, was best known for his role on the 1980s sitcom “ALF”; June 13
George Nethercutt, 79: The former U.S. congressman from Washington state was a lawyer with limited political experience when he ousted Democratic Speaker of the House Tom Foley as part of a stunning GOP wave that shifted national politics to the right in 1994; June 14
Kazuko Shiraishi, 93: A leading name in modern Japanese “beat” poetry, she was known for her dramatic readings — at times with jazz music; June 14
Anouk Aimée, 92: The radiant French actor starred in such classic films as Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” and Claude Lelouch’s “A Man and a Woman”; June 18
Willie Mays, 93: The electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players; June 18
Donald Sutherland, 88: The Canadian actor had a wry, arresting screen presence that spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games.” June 20
Taylor Wily, 56; He was a former sumo wrestler and UFC fighter who later turned to acting, becoming a fan favorite on the reboots of “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum, P.I.”; June 20
Tamayo Perry, 49; The former pro surfer had a handful of film and TV roles, including in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Hawaii Five-0”; June 23
Seth Binzer, 49: The musician, also known as “Shifty Shellshock,” was the lead singer for Crazy Town, and he worked as a songwriter and producer for several other bands; June 24
Bill Cobbs, 90: The veteran character actor became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man; June 25
Kinky Friedman, 79: The eclectic singer-songwriter had a wide-ranging career, including touring with Bob Dylan, writing crime novels and running for governor of Texas in 2006; June 27
Martin Mull, 80: His droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development”; June 27
Pål Enger, 57: He was a talented Norwegian soccer player turned celebrity art thief who pulled off the sensational 1994 heist of Edvard Munch’s famed “The Scream” painting from the National Gallery in Oslo; June 29.
Sarah Becker, 52: She appeared on the MTV reality show “The Real World: Miami” as a comic book enthusiast
JULY
Robert Towne, 89: He was the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Chinatown,” and wrote many other films, including “The Last Detail,” “Shampoo,” and two “Mission: Impossible” movies; July 1
Khyree Jackson, 24: The rookie cornerback with the Minnesota Vikings was named first-team All-Pac-12 in his final season at University of Oregon; July 6
Joe Bonsall, 76: The Grammy award winner was a celebrated tenor with the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys; July 9
Walter Hoffman, 92: He was a big-wave surfer who later went on to build surfboards and with his brother gave rise to the surf clothing industry; July 9
Jim Inhofe, 89: A powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, the Republican U.S. senator was a conservative known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change; July 9
Tommy Robinson, 82: The former U.S. congressman who gained notoriety as an Arkansas sheriff for tactics that included chaining inmates outside a state prison to protest overcrowding; July 10
Shelley Duvall, 75: She was an intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”; July 11
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 96: The diminutive sex therapist became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics; July 12
Shannen Doherty, 53: The actress starred on such TV shows as “Beverly Hills, 90210” and whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories; July 13
James Sikking, 90: He starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character’s kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.”; July 13
Richard Simmons, 76: He was television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better; July 13
Jacoby Jones, 40: The former NFL receiver whose 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 against the San Francisco 49ers remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history; July 14
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, 69: He played for three NBA teams over an eight-season career and coached in the WNBA, but he also was the father of NBA legend Kobe Bryant; July 15
Cheng Pei-pei, 78: The Chinese-born martial arts film actor starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”; July 17
Lou Dobbs, 78: The conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network; July 18
Bob Newhart, 94: The deadpan accountant-turned-comedian became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album; July 18
Esta TerBlanche, 51: The South African actress played Gillian Andrassy on “All My Children” between 1997 and 2001; July 19
Nguyen Phu Trong, 80: He was general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party and the country’s most powerful politician; July 19
Sheila Jackson Lee, 74: The longtime congresswoman from Texas helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday; July 19
Abdul “Duke” Fakir, 88: He was the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops, which was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love”; July 22
John Mayall, 90: He was a British blues pioneer who helped introduce the world to Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and other musical superstars; July 22
Edna O’Brien, 93: Ireland’s literary pride and outlaw scandalized her native land with her debut novel “The Country Girls” before gaining international acclaim as a storyteller and iconoclast; July 27
Erica Ash, 46: The actress and comedian was best known for her roles on “MadTV” and “The Real Husbands of Hollywood”; July 28
Francine Pascal, 92: She was a onetime soap opera writer whose “Sweet Valley High” novels and the ongoing adventures of twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield captivated millions of young readers; July 28
Betty Prashker, 99: She was a pioneering editor of the 20th century who as one of the first women with the power to acquire books published such classics as Kate Millett’s “Sexual Politics” and Susan Faludi’s “Backlash” and helped oversee the careers of Jean Auel, Dominick Dunne and Erik Larson; July 30
Ismail Haniyeh, 62. Hamas’ top leader in exile landed on Israel’s hit list after the militant group staged its surprise Oct. 7 attacks; July 31
AUGUST
Billy Bean, 60: The former MLB outfielder, who later served as an executive with the league, became just the second former player to come out as gay after retirement; Aug. 6
Connie Chiume, 72: The South African actress starred in “Black Panther” and its sequel, “Wakanda Forever”; Aug. 6
Jack Russell, 63. He was the lead singer of the bluesy ’80s metal band Great White, whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me,” and who was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island; Aug. 7
Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, 88: He was a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career; Aug. 8
Susan Wojcicki, 56: She was a pioneering tech executive who helped shape Google and YouTube; Aug. 9
Wallace “Wally” Amos, 88: The creator of the Famous Amos cookie empire went on to become a children’s literacy advocate; Aug. 13
Gena Rowlands, 94. She was hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and charmed audiences in her son’s tear-jerker “The Notebook”; Aug. 14
Peter Marshall, 98. The actor and singer turned game show host played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares”; Aug. 15
Alain Delon, 88: The internationally acclaimed French actor embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world; Aug. 18
Phil Donahue, 88: His pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others; Aug. 18.
Ruth Johnson Colvin, 107: She founded Literacy Volunteers of America, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and received the nation’s highest civilian award: the Presidential Medal of Freedom; Aug. 18
Al Attles, 87: The Basketball Hall of Famer coached the 1975 NBA champion Golden State Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador; Aug. 20
John Amos, 84: He starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots”; Aug. 21
Salim Hoss, 94: The five-time former Lebanese prime minister served during some of the most tumultuous years of his country’s modern history; Aug. 25
Leonard Riggio, 83: The brash, self-styled underdog transformed the publishing industry by building Barnes & Noble into the country’s most powerful bookseller before it was overtaken by the rise of Amazon.com; Aug. 27
Edward B. Johnson, 81: As a CIA officer, he traveled into Iran with a colleague to rescue six American diplomats who fled the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran; Aug. 27
Johnny Gaudreau, 31: An NHL player known as “Johnny Hockey,” he played 10 full seasons in the league; Aug. 29
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, 69: As New Zealand’s Māori King, he was the seventh monarch in the Kiingitanga movement; Aug. 30
Fatman Scoop, 56: The hip-hop artist topped charts in Europe with “Be Faithful” in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by artists including Missy Elliott and Ciara; Aug. 30
SEPTEMBER
Linda Deutsch, 80: She was a special correspondent for The Associated Press who for nearly 50 years wrote glittering first drafts of history from many of the nation’s most significant criminal and civil trials including Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson; Sept. 1
James Darren, 88: He was a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget”; Sept. 2
Sergio Mendes, 83: He was a Grammy-winning Brazilian musician whose hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global legend; Sept. 5
Rich Homie Quan, 33: The Atlanta rapper was known for trap jams like “Type of Way” and “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”; Sept. 5
James Earl Jones, 93: He overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen, eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader; Sept. 9
Frankie Beverly, 77: With his band Maze, he inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go”; Sept. 10
Jim Sasser, 87: He was a Tennessee Democrat who served 18 years in the U.S. Senate and six years as ambassador to China; Sept. 10
Alberto Fujimori, 86: His decade-long presidency in Peru began with triumphs righting the nation’s economy and defeating a brutal insurgency only to end in autocratic excess that later sent him to prison; Sept. 11
Joe Schmidt, 92: The Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957, then later coached the team; Sept. 11
Tito Jackson, 70: The singer and musician was one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5; Sept. 15
John David “JD” Souther, 78: The prolific songwriter and musician helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s with his collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt; Sept. 17
Kathryn Crosby, 90; She appeared in such movies as “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad”, “Anatomy of a Murder,” and “Operation Mad Ball” before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby; Sept. 20.
Dan Evans, 98: He was a three-term Republican governor of Washington state who went on to serve in the U.S. Senate before leaving in frustration because he felt it was too rancorous and tedious; Sept. 20
John Ashton, 76: The veteran character actor memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films; Sept. 26
Maggie Smith, 89: The masterful, scene-stealing actor won an Oscar for the 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films; Sept. 27
Hassan Nasrallah, 64: The Hezbollah leader transformed the Lebanese militant group into a potent paramilitary and political force in the Middle East; Sept. 27
Kris Kristofferson, 88: He was a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor; Sept. 28
Drake Hogestyn, 70: The “Days of Our Lives” star appeared on the show for 38 years; Sept. 28
Ron Ely, 86: The actor was famed for playing “Tarzan” on TV in the 1960s, then later wrote a pair of mystery novels in the 1990s before returning to the headlines in 2019 amid a family tragedy; Sept. 29
Gavin Creel, 48: The Broadway musical theater veteran won a Tony Award for “Hello, Dolly!” opposite Bette Midler and earned nominations for “Hair” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie”; Sept. 30
Frank Fritz, 60: He was a star of the reality TV show “American Pickers”; Sept. 30
Dikembe Mutombo, 58: The Basketball Hall of Famer was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game; Sept. 30
Humberto Ortega, 77: The Nicaraguan guerrilla fighter and Sandinista defense minister later in life became a critic of his older brother President Daniel Ortega; Sept. 30
Ken Page, 70. He was a stage and screen actor who starred alongside Beyoncé in “Dreamgirls,” introduced Broadway audiences to Old Deuteronomy in “Cats” and scared generations of kids as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain of the 1993 animated holiday film “The Nightmare Before Christmas”; Sept. 30
Pete Rose, 83: He was baseball’s career hits leader and a fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied; Sept. 30
OCTOBER
Megan Marshack, 70: She was an aide to Nelson Rockefeller who was with the former New York governor and vice president when he died under circumstances that spurred intense speculation; Oct. 2
Mimis Plessas, 99: He was a beloved Greek composer whose music was featured in scores of films, television shows and theatrical productions and who provided the soundtrack to millions of Greeks’ lives; Oct. 5.
Cissy Houston, 91: A two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist who sang with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and other stars and knew triumph and heartbreak as the mother of singer Whitney Houston; Oct. 7
Tim Johnson, 77: The former U.S. senator was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota and was adept at securing federal funding for projects back home during his nearly three decades in Washington; Oct. 8
Luis Tiant, 83: The former MLB pitcher, a three-time All-Star and four-time 20-game winner, was part of the storied 1975 Boston Red Sox team; Oct. 8
Ratan Tata, 86: One of India’s most influential business leaders, the veteran industrialist was former chairman of the $100 billion conglomerate Tata Group; Oct. 9
Ethel Kennedy, 96: She was the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, raising their 11 children after he was assassinated and remaining dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy; Oct. 10.
Lilly Ledbetter, 86: She was a former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to landmark wage discrimination legislation; Oct. 12
Philip G. Zimbardo, 91: The was psychologist behind the controversial “Stanford Prison Experiment” that was intended to examine the psychological experiences of imprisonment; Oct. 14
Liam Payne, 31: He was a former One Direction singer whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans; Oct. 16
Yahya Sinwar, 61: The Hamas leader who masterminded the surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel that shocked the world and triggered the longest, deadliest and most destructive war in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Oct. 16
Mitzi Gaynor, 93: The effervescent dancer and actor starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film “South Pacific” and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly; Oct. 17
Thelma Mothershed Wair, 83; She was one of nine Black students who integrated a high school in Arkansas’ capital city of Little Rock in 1957 while a mob of white segregationists yelled threats and insults; Oct. 19
Fethullah Gülen, 83: The reclusive U.S.-based Islamic cleric inspired a global social movement while facing unproven accusations that he masterminded a failed 2016 coup in his native Turkey; Oct. 20
Michael Newman, 67: The “Baywatch” star, who appeared in 150 episodes of the show over its two iterations, was the only actual lifeguard on the show; Oct. 20
Lynda Obst, 74: The veteran movie producer worked on such films as “Flashdance” and “Sleepless in Seattle”; Oct. 22
Fernando Valenzuela, 63: The Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981; Oct. 22
Phil Lesh, 84: He was a classically trained violinist and jazz trumpeter who found his true calling by reinventing the role of rock bass guitar as a founding member of the Grateful Dead; Oct. 25
Teri Garr, 79: The quirky comedy actor rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star in such favorites as “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie”; Oct. 29
Colm McLoughlin, 81: The Irishman landed in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and helped lead Dubai Duty Free into becoming an airport retail behemoth generating billions of dollars; Oct. 30
NOVEMBER
Quincy Jones, 91: He was a multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists; Nov. 3
Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, 95: The co-founder of The Home Depot was a billionaire philanthropist and a big Republican donor; Nov. 4
Murray Sinclair, 73: He was a former First Nation judge, senator and chair of the commission that delved into Canada’s troubled history of residential schools for First Nations students; Nov. 4
Elwood Edwards, 74: He voiced America Online’s ever-present “You’ve got mail” greeting; Nov. 5
Tony Todd, 69: The actor was known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film “Candyman” and for roles in many other films and television shows; Nov. 6
Bobby Allison, 86: He was founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer; Nov. 9
Timothy West, 90: A British actor who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain’s waterways; Nov. 12
Song Jae-lim, 39: The South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo”; Nov. 12
Ted Olson, 84: He was a conservative attorney who successfully argued on behalf of same-sex marriage cases; Nov. 13
Shuntaro Tanikawa, 92: He pioneered modern Japanese poetry — poignant but conversational in its divergence from haiku and other traditions; Nov. 13
Bela Karolyi, 82: The charismatic, if polarizing, gymnastics coach turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport; Nov. 15
Paul Teal, 35: The actor appeared in such TV shows as “One Tree Hill” and “Outer Banks”; Nov. 15
Arthur Frommer, 95. His “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day” guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad; Nov. 18
Alice Brock, 83: Her Massachusetts-based eatery helped inspire Arlo Guthrie’s deadpan Thanksgiving standard, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”; Nov. 21
Fred Harris, 94: The former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, presidential hopeful and populist championed Democratic Party reforms in the turbulent 1960s; Nov. 23
Chuck Woolery, 83: The game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19; Nov. 23
Barbara Taylor Bradford, 91: She was a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga “A Woman of Substance” and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies; Nov. 24
Bob Bryar, 44: The musician was a drummer with the rock band My Chemical Romance; Nov. 24
Mary McGee, 87: The female racing pioneer was profiled in the Oscar-contending documentary “Motorcycle Mary”; Nov. 27
Prince Johnson, 72: He was a Liberian former warlord and senator whose brutal tactics shocked the world; Nov. 28
Ananda Krishnan, 86: He was one of Malaysia’s richest tycoons with a vast business empire including telecommunications, media, petroleum and real estate; Nov. 28
Silvia Pinal, 93: The Mexican actress was a film star from her country’s Golden Age of cinema, then later transitioned into roles in theater and TV before running for public office; Nov. 28
Lou Carnesecca, 99: He was the St. John’s basketball coach whose outlandish sweaters became an emblem of his team’s rousing Final Four run in 1985 and who was a treasured figure in New York sports; Nov. 30
December
Debbie Nelson, 69: She was the single mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his hit song lyrics; Dec. 2
Israel Vázquez, 46: The Mexican boxer was a three-time world champion; Dec. 3
Miho Nakayama, 54: The Japanese pop singer was a teen idol in the 1980s, then went on to become an award-winning actress best known for the film “Love Letter”; Dec. 6
Nikki Giovanni, 81: The poet and author spent decades as a literary celebrity sharing her takes on everything from racism and love to space travel and mortality; Dec. 9
Michael Cole, 84: The actor, best known for his role as one-third of the title duo in “The Mod Squad,” also had roles on such TV shows as “General Hospital” and “ER”; Dec. 10
George Kresge Jr., 89: The mesmerizing entertainer and mentalist was known generations of TV watchers as The Amazing Kreskin; Dec. 10
Jim Leach, 82: The former congressman served 30 years as a politician from eastern Iowa and later headed the National Endowment for the Humanities; Dec. 11
Diane Delano, 67: The character actress appeared in dozens of TV and film roles, most notably in the series “Northern Exposure”; Dec. 13
Bay Area News Group and CNN Wire Services contributed to this report.
