Following is a comprehensive list of the celebrated figures we've lost in 2021 ... so far.
Each name is followed by the deceased figure's age at the time of death, birth and death dates, a description and a link to the original obit.
Who did I miss?
Read 'em and weep ...
Move over, Babe! (GIF via GIPHY)
Hank Aaron, 86 (February 5, 1934-January 22, 2021) All-time great baseball player who held the MLB record for career home runs for 33 years OBITS
Khalid bin Abdullah, 83 (circa 1937-January 11, 2021) Saudi prince, racehorse owner OBIT
Sheldon Adelson, 87 (August 4, 1933-January 11, 2021) One of the Top 10 richest men in the world, a self-made casino magnate who poured money into right-wing causes and politicos, most impactfully Donald Trump (b. 1946) OBIT
Nikolai Antoshkin, 78 (December 19, 1942-January 17, 2021) Russian commander who helped stop the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster OBIT
Apted pupils (Images via movie stills)
Michael Apted, 79 (February 10, 1941-January 2021) Director of the innovative Up series of documentaries (1977-2019), and of films as varied as Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Nell (1994) and The World Is Not Enough (1999) OBIT
Bob Avian, 83 (December 26, 1937-January 21, 2021) Accomplished Broadway choreographer and co-choreographer of such shows as A Chorus Line (1975), Miss Saigon (1991) and Sunset Boulevard (1994) OBIT
Jean-Pierre Bacri, 69 (May 24, 1951-January 18, 2021) French actor and screenwriter who appeared in Subway (1985) OBIT
David Barclay, 86 (October 27, 1934-January 10, 2021) Reclusive British billionaire whose media empire included The Daily Telegraph OBIT
Renie Bardeau, 86 (circa 1934-January 4, 2021) Iconic photographer of all things Disneyland OBIT
Mary Catherine Bateson, 81 (December 8, 1939-January 2, 2021) Cultural anthropologist who was the daughter — and a subject — of Margaret Mead (1901-1978) OBIT
Sharon Begley, 64 (June 14, 1956-January 16, 2021) Pre-eminent science writer for Newsweek OBIT
Walter Bernstein, 101 (August 20, 1919-January 22, 2021) Blacklisted screenwriter who was Oscar-nominated for writing The Front (1976) OBIT
Tim Bogert, 76 (August 27, 1944-January 13, 2021) Member of Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and supergroup Beck, Bogert & Appice OBIT
Harold Bornstein, 73 (March 3, 1947-January 8, 2021) The personal doc who dubiously proclaimed Donald Trump (b. 1946) the picture of health via a widely derided letter that he later admitted had been dictated by Trump himself OBIT
Perry Botkin Jr., 87 (-January 18, 2021) TV composer of themes for The Young and the Restless (1973-present), Happy Days (1974-1984), Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), and the smash hit “Nadia's Theme” (1977) OBIT
Harry Brant, 24 (1996-January 17, 2021) Socialite son of model Stephanie Seymour (b. 1968) and billionaire Peter M. Brant (b. 1947) OBIT
Lee Breuer, 83 (February 6, 1937-January 3, 2021) Cofounder of the Mabou Mines theater company, writer of Broadway Pulitzer Prize finalist The Gospel at Colonus (1983) OBIT
Steve Carver, 75 (April 5, 1945-January 8, 2021) Director of such action films as The Arena (1974), An Eye for an Eye (1981) and Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) OBIT
Ben Chafin, 60 (May 18, 1960-January 1, 2021) Georgia state senator OBIT
Dave Creek, 42 (circa 1988-January 7, 2021) Lead character designer on Bob's Burgers (2011-2018) OBIT
Deezer D, 55 (March 10, 1965-2021) Longtime ER (1994-2009) actor, rapper OBIT
Nathalie Delon, 79 (August 1, 1941-January 21, 2021) French actress in such films as Le Samourai (1967) OBIT
Eric Jerome Dickey, 59 (July 7, 1961-January 3, 2021) Best-selling novelist with dozens of works to his credit, including Milk in My Coffee (1998) OBIT
Ron Dominguez, 85 (August 10, 1935-January 1, 2021) Disney Legend who had been an Executive Vice President of Attractions and at various times supervised Frontierland and Tomorrowland, among other duties OBIT
Bard-on material (Image via Mercer Arts Center)
Jerry Douglas, 84 (November 15, 1935-January 9, 2021) Gay-porn director of films from 1973-2007 who also directed the gay play Tubstrip (1973) and the movie Score (1974) OBIT
Nancy Bush Ellis, 94 (February 4, 1926-January 10, 2021) Sister and aunt of presidents OBIT
The original Tiger Kings (Image via Frontier)
Siegfried Fischbacher, 81 (June 13, 1939-January 14, 2021) One half of the flamboyant, big cat-taming Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy OBIT
Mira Furlan, 65 (September 7, 1955-January 20, 2021) Babylon 5 (1993-1998) actress OBIT
Charlene Gehm, 69 (December 14, 1951-January 10, 2021) Dancer with the Joffrey Ballet OBIT
George Gerdes, 72 (February 23, 1948-January 1, 2021) Singer-songwriter who became a character actor OBIT
Mary Grady, 96 (circa 1924-January 7, 2021) Longtime talent agent to a slew of the most successful child actors of the past 60 years, and the mother of the late My Three Sons star Don Grady (1944-2012) and Eight Is Enough star Lani O'Grady (1954-2001) OBIT
Angie Jakusz, 40 (March 27, 1980-January 2021) “No Fun Angie” on Season 10 of Survivor (2005) OBIT
Howard Johnson, 79 (August 7, 1941-January 10, 2021) Jazz tuba player OBIT
Rémy Julienne, 90 (April 17, 1930-January 21, 2021) Stunt man in James Bond films OBIT
Lubomir Kavalek, 77 (August 9, 1943-January 18, 2021) Chess grandmaster OBIT
Question-and-answer King (GIF via GIPHY)
Larry King, 87 (November 19, 1933-January 23, 2021) Broadcast legend known for his knack for celebrity interviews OBIT
Among sports legends, Lasorda really took the cake.(GIF via GIPHY)
Tommy Lasorda, 93 (September 22, 1927-January 7, 2021) Dodger icon OBIT
Richard Lindheim, 81 (circa 1939-January 18, 2021) Veteran TV producer who co-created The Equalizer (1985-1989) OBIT
Floyd Little, 78 (July 4, 1942-January 1, 2021) Denver Broncos star known as “The Franchise” OBIT
Robert F. Liu, 94 (circa 1926-January 10, 2021) Noted TV cinematographer OBIT
Pat with her Loud son, Lance (Image via family photo)
Patricia Loud, 94 (October 4, 1926-January 10, 2021) Matriarch on TV's first reality series, An American Family (1973) OBIT
Mona Malm, 85 (January 24, 1935-January 12, 2021) Swedish actress known for such films as Fanny and Alexander (1982) and The Best Intentions (1992) OBIT
Martin Markinson, 89 (December 23, 1931-January 7, 2021) Theater owner and producer who brought Torch Song Trilogy (1982) and On Your Feet (2015) to Broadway OBIT
Gerry Marsden, 78 (September 24, 1942-January 3, 2021) Lead singer of the British Invasion group Gerry and the Pacemakers, the makers of such hits as the football anthem “You'll Never Walk Alone” (1963 UK) and “Ferry Cross the Mersey” (1964 UK) OBIT
Owen Marsh, 90 (May 29, 1930-January 10, 2021) Noted camera operator on Ben-Hur (1959), How the West Was Won (1962) and The Towering Inferno (1974) OBIT
Ved Mehta, 86 (March 21, 1934-January 9, 2021) Celebrated New Yorker writer OBIT
Diana Millay, 85 (June 7, 1935-January 8, 2021) Broadway and TV actress best known for her work on Dark Shadows (1966-1969) and in its 1971 spin-off feature film Night of Dark Shadows, and for the soap Secret Storm (1971) OBIT
John Muckler, 86 (April 13, 1934-January 4, 2021) One of the architects of the Edmonton Oilers' five Stanley Cup championships OBIT
Mick Norcross, 57 (circa 1963-January 21, 2021) Appeared on the UK reality series The Only Way Is Essex (2011-2013; 2014) OBIT
Marion Ramsey, 73 (May 10, 1947-January 7, 2021) Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy movies (1984-1989) OBIT
John Reilly, 84 (November 11, 1936-January 9, 2021) Longtime soap star, known for General Hospital (1984-1995; 2013), Passions (2000-2008) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1996-1998) OBIT
Paige Rense, 90 (May 4, 1929-January 1, 2021) Editor of Architectural Digest OBIT
Deborah Rhode, 68 (January 29, 1952-January 8, 2021) Stanford professor who pushed for an overhaul of the legal profession OBIT
Anthony Rhulen, 51 (September 27, 1969-January 15, 2021) Producer of The Butterfly Effect (2004) OBIT
Heart-pelt performances: Richardson with Raquel (Image via 20th Century Fox)
John Richardson, 86 (January 19, 1934-January 5, 2021) British actor who appeared in One Million Years B.C. (1966) OBIT
Peter Mark Richman, 93 (April 16, 1927-January 14, 2021) Longtime TV, movie and stage actor with Three's Company (1978-1979) and Dynasty (1981-1984) among his most popular credits, as well as the classic Twilight Zone episode “The Fear” (1964) OBIT
A Bond girl on top (Image via MGM)
Tanya Roberts, 65 (October 15, 1955-January 4, 2021) Star of the films Tourist Trap (1979), The Beastmaster (1982), Sheena (1984) and A View to a Kill (1985) also known as Julie Rogers on Charlie's Angels (1980-1981) and as Midge Pinciotti on That '70s Show (1998-2004) OBIT
Jimmie Rodgers, 87 (September 18, 1933-January 18, 2021) Smooth pop and country singer of the #1 hit “Honeycomb” (1957) OBIT
Joanne Rogers, 92 (March 9 1928-January 14, 2021) Widow of Fred “Mr. Rogers” Rogers (1928-2003) OBIT
Antonio Sabàto Sr., 77 (April 2, 1943-January 6, 2021) Grand Prix (1966) and One Dollar Too Many (1968) actor, father of the model and actor Antonio Sabàto Jr. (b. 1972) OBIT
Margo St. James, 83 (September 12, 1937-January 11, 2021) Founder of COYOTE, an advocacy group for sex workers OBIT
Paul Scheidler, 93 (September 7, 1927-January 18, 2021) So-called Godfather of the Anti-Abortion Movement OBIT
Pilar Schneider, 91 (circa 1929-January 10, 2021) Mother of Rob Schneider (b. 1963) who appeared in many of his films OBIT
Cheyann Shaw, 27 (January 14, 1993-January 4, 2021) Fitness influencer who documented a long battle with ovarian cancer OBIT
Neil Sheehan, 84 (October 27, 1935-January 7, 2021) Author of the National Book Award-winning, Pulitzer Prize-winning book A Bright Shining Lie (1988) who obtained the Pentagon Papers for The New York Times OBIT
Barbara Shelley, 88 (February 13, 1932-2021) Hammer horror queen who starred in their cult films The Gorgon (1964), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966) and Quartermass and the Pit (1967), as well as in the horror classic Village of the Damned (1960) OBIT
Philip J. Smith, 89 (July 29, 1931-January 15, 2021) Longtime CEO of the Shubert Organization OBIT
Can Spector's (seen in 2019) musical genius be appreciated in spite of his personal evil? (Images via CDCR & London)
Phil Spector, 81 (December 26, 1939-January 16, 2021) Auteur songwriter and producer whose “Wall of Sound” changed pop history, and whose work with the Crystals, the Ronettes, Ike & Tina Turner, the Beatles (group and solo) and many others became some of music's most famous hits; legendarily volatile and abusive, he was convicted of murder in 2009 OBIT
Gordon Stewart, 79 (July 6, 1941-January 4, 2021) Found of Sandals Resorts International OBIT
Don Sutton, 75 (April 2, 1945-January 18, 2021) Hall-of-Fame pitcher OBIT
Stacy Title, 56 (February 21, 1964-January 11, 2021) Film producer nominated for an Oscar for the short Down on the Waterfront (1994) and who directed The Last Supper (1995) and The Bye Bye Man (2017) OBIT
Kim Tschang-Yeul, 91 (December 24, 1929-January 5, 2021) South Korean painter of luminous water droplets OBIT
Brian Urquhart, 101 (February 28, 1919-January 1, 2021) Creator and director of UN peacekeeping operations OBIT
Martinus J.G. Veltman, 89 (June 27, 1931-January 4, 2021) Dutch theoretical physicist OBIT
Kerry Vincent, 75 (circa 1945-January 2, 2021) Celebrated cake artist, judge on the Food Network's Food Network Challenge (2006-2012) OBIT
Paul Westphal, 70 (November 30, 1950-January 2, 2021) Basketball Hall of Famer who was both a Celtics player and coach OBIT
George Whitmore, 89 (1931-January 1, 2021) Famed El Capitan mountain climber OBIT
Marsha Zazula, 68 (April 21, 1958-January 10, 2021) Co-founder of Megaforce Records, which released the first Metallica album (1983) OBIT
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