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Jan 20 2025
Celebrated Figures We've Lost In 2025 — So Far Comments (0)

Tumblr_mudkkc65va1qbrdf3o1_500(GIF via GIPHY)

Following is a comprehensive list of the celebrated figures we lost in 2025.

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. See any typos? Give me a holler.

Here are 400+ of those we lost in 2024:

Read 'em and weep ...

The Aga Khan IV, 88 (December 13, 1936-February 4, 2025) Leader of the Ismaili Muslims for 68 years OBIT

Valérie André, 102 (April 21, 1922-January 21, 2025) Daring French 'copter pilot during WWII OBIT

Jeff Baena, 47 (June 29, 1977-January 3, 2025) Co-writer of I Heart Huckabees (2004), director of films that included Life After Beth (2014), husband of actor Aubrey Plaza (b. 1984) OBIT

Jo Baer, 95 (August 7, 1929-January 21, 2024) Minimalist painter OBIT

Lynn Ban, 52 (May 27, 1972-January 20, 2025) Bling Empire: New York (2023) reality star known for her jewelry designs OBIT

Allan M. Baird, 92 (1931-January 8, 2025) Former longtime Teamsters official with a history of building an LGBTQ coalition OBIT

Gene Barge, 98 (August 9, 1926-February 2, 2025) Celebrated R&B saxophonist OBIT

Black Bart aka Rick Harris, 76 (January 30, 1948-January 9, 2025) Wrestling star of the '80s and '90s OBIT

Bertrand Blier, 85 (March 14, 1939-January 20, 2025) French director who won the Oscar for Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978) and the Cannes Grand Prize for Too Beautiful for You (1989), but who scandalized with his gleefully misogynistic Going Places (1974) OBIT

Carolyn Brown, 97 (September 26, 1927-January 7, 2025) Legendary dancer with Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) OBIT

Tommy Brown, 97 (December 6, 1927-January 15, 2025) Brooklyn Dodger who made his debut with the club at age 16 OBIT

Dick-button-boycultureCutting a good figure (Image via handout)

Dick Button, 95 (July 18, 1929-January 30, 2025) Figure-skating champ and color commentator OBIT

David Edward Byrd, 83 (April 4, 1941-February 3, 2025) Designer of posters for a slew of rock groups and for the Broadway productions of Follies (1971), Godspell (1971) and more OBIT

Bill Byrge, 92 (July 16, 1932-January 9, 2025) Character actor who played Bobby in four Ernest movies (1988-1994) OBIT

JpegThe doctor is out. (GIF via GIPHY)

Leslie Charleson, 79 (February 22, 1945-January 12, 2025) Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital (1977-2023) OBIT

Barry Michael Cooper, 66 (circa 1958-January 22, 2025) Screenwriter of the Harlem Trilogy — New Jack City (1991), Sugar Hill (1994) and Above the Rim (1994) — and the person who coined the term New Jack Swing OBIT

Iris Cummings, 104 (December 21, 1920-January 24, 2025) Last survivor of the U.S. 1936 Summer Olympics swim team and later an aviator OBIT

Phyllis Dalton 99 (October 16, 1925-January 9, 2025) Costume designer on Lawrence of Arabia (1962) who won Oscars for her work on Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Henry V (1989) OBIT

Jack De Mave, 91 (December 8, 1933-January 16, 2025) Actor who was Ranger Bob Erickson on Lassie (1968-1970), played the Lone Ranger in a series of '70s TV ads for Frito-Lay and was an offbeat date for Rhoda on the second episode of Mary Tyler Moore (1970) OBIT

Carol Downer, 91 (October 9, 1933-January 13, 2025) Abortion-care activist OBIT

David W. Duclon, 74 (April 27, 1950-January 15, 2025) Comedy writer-producer who created Punky Brewster (1984-1988) OBIT

Nathalee Dupree, 85 (December 23, 1939-January 13, 2025) So-called Queen of Southern Cooking OBIT

Emilio Echevarría, 80 (July 3, 1944-January 4, 2025) Mexican actor known for Amores perros (2000), Y tu mamá también (2001), Die Another Day (2002) and Babel (2006) OBIT

Marianne-faithfull-boycultureCool rider (Image via Ares)

Marianne Faithfull, 78 (December 29, 1946-January 30, 2025) Pop star who became a rock goddess, icon and actor; inspired several Rolling Stones songs after a widely publicized relationship with Mick Jagger (b. 1943) OBIT

Jules Feiffer, 95 (January 26, 1929-January 17, 2025) Pulitzer-winning cartoonist who illustrated The Phantom Tollbooth (1961) and wrote the screenplays for Carnal Knowledge (1971) and Popeye (1980) OBIT

Ken Flores, 28 (circa 1996-January 28, 2025) Stand-up comic OBIT

Dr. Loretta Ford, 104 (December 28, 1920-January 22, 2025) Co-founder of the nurse practitioner role OBIT

Richard Foreman, 87 (June 10, 1937-January 4, 2025) Playwright who founded the Ontological-Hysteric Theater and was a multiple Obie Award winner OBIT

Barry Goldberg, 83 (December 25, 1941-January 22, 2024) Acclaimed keyboardist who played with Bob Dylan (b. 1941) when Dylan went electric OBIT

Irv Gotti, 54 (June 26, 1970-February 5, 2025) Murder Inc. Records founder OBIT 

Joe Hale, 99 (-January 29, 2025) Disney animator who worked on Peter Pan (1953), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and many others OBIT

Cleveland Harris, 79 (September 21, 1945-January 6, 2025) NFL coach who pushed for more opportunity for Black men OBIT

Richard Hays, 76 (May 4, 1948-January 3, 2025) Theologian who did an about-face, arguing that homosexuality was not sinful OBIT

Barbie Hsu, 48 (October 6, 1976-February 2, 2025) Taiwanese actor OBIT

Garth Hudson, 87 (August 2, 1937-January 21, 2025) Last surviving member of the Band OBIT

Derek Humphry, 91 (April 29, 1930-January 2, 2025) Right-to-die activist OBIT

Mike Hynson, 82 (June 28, 1942-January 10, 2025) Iconic surfer whose quest for the perfect wave was memorialized in the wildly popular 1966 doc The Endless Wave OBIT

Olga James, 95 (February 16, 1929-January 25, 2025) Actor who appeared in the 1954 film Carmen Jones as well as on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful (1956) and as a regular on The Bill Cosby Show (1969-1971) OBIT

Claude-Jarman-MGM-boycultureDeer/white people (Image via MGM)

Claude Jarman Jr., 90 (September 27, 1934-January 12, 2025) Juvenile Oscar winner for The Yearling (1946) OBIT

Lee joo-sil, 81 (March 8, 1944-February 2, 2025) Squid Game (2024) actor OBIT

Ágnes Keleti, 103 (January 9, 1921-January 2, 2025) Holocaust survivor and Hungarian gymnast who had been the oldest living Olympic medalist, winning her 10 medals after having been forced off her team in 1941 for being Jewish OBIT

David Kloss, ? (?-January 20, 2025) First Mr. International Leather (1979) OBIT

Heinz Kluetmeier, 82 (October 1, 1942-January 14, 2025) Sports photographer whose Sports Illustrated cover documenting the U.S.A. 1980 Winter Olympics hockey win was a classic OBIT

Bob Kuban, 84 (August 19, 1940-January 20, 2025) Drummer and bandleader who had a pop hit with “The Cheater” (1966) OBIT

Kenny Law, 68 (1956-January 14, 2025) Appeared on the Discovery series Moonshiners (2019-2025) OBIT

Jean-Marie Le Pen, 96 (June 20, 1928-January 7, 2025) Fucking Nazi of Paris OBIT

Nancy Leftenant-Colon, 104 (September 29, 1920-January 8, 2025) First Black nurse to serve in the regular U.S. Army, in 1948 OBIT

William E. Leuchtenburg, 102 (September 28, 1922-January 28, 2025) Historian and author OBIT

David Lodge, 89 (January 28, 1935-January 1, 2025) English author and critic whose Changing Places (1975) novel introduced the game Humiliation OBIT

Merle Louise, 90 (April 15, 1934-January 11, 2025) Original Gypsy (1959) cast member OBIT

200Cool drink of water, such a sweet surprise ... (GIF via GIPHY)

David Lynch, 78 (January 20, 1946-January 16, 2025) Visionary director of films including Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990), and the classic TV series Twin Peaks (1989-1991 + spin-offs) OBIT

Robert Machray, 79 (May 4, 1945-January 12, 2025) Fire Marshal Dobbins on Cheers (1990-1993) OBIT

Sal Maida, 76 (July 29, 1948-February 1, 2025) Bassist with Roxy Music and Milk N' Cookies OBIT

Ryan Whyte Maloney, 44 (circa 1980-January 27, 2025) The Voice Season 6 (2014) contestant OBIT

Virginia McCaskey, 102 (January 5, 1923-February 6, 2025) Chicago Bears owner OBIT

Rosita Missoni, 93 (November 20, 1931-January 1, 2025) Matriarch of the luxury clothing brand known for its stylish zigzags OBIT

Melba Montgomery, 86 (October 14, 1938-January 15, 2025) Country singer known for feisty duets OBIT

Sam-moore-boycultureHis debut solo album came out 30 years after it was made. (Image via Atlantic)

Sam Moore, 89 (October 12, 1935-January 10, 2025) One half of the legendary duo Sam & Dave OBIT

Brian Murphy, 92 (September 25, 1932-February 2, 2025) Star of the British sitcoms Man About the House (1973-1976) and George and Mildred (1976-1979) OBIT

Elizabeth Nissen, 71 (January 4, 1954-January 7, 2025) Veteran ABC News correspondent OBIT

Wayne-osmond-dies-obit-boycultureBrotherly love (Image via eBay)

Wayne Osmond, 73 (August 28, 1951-January 1, 2025) Member of the original singing Osmonds OBIT

Allyce Ozarski, 41 (circa 1983-January 24, 2025) Emmy-nominated producer who worked on Baskets (2017-2019), I Love You, America (2018), SMILF (2019) and The L Word: Generation Q (2019-2021) OBIT

Joel Paley, 69 (October 6, 1955-January 11, 2025) Playwright of Ruthless! (1992), an off-Broadway play starring Laura Bell Bundy (b. 1981) — whose understudies were Britney Spears (b. 1981) and Natalie Portman (b. 1981) OBIT

Charles Person, 82 (September 27, 1942-January 8, 2025) One of the Original Freedom Riders OBIT

Joan-plowright-boycultureShe, ironically, once won a Laurence Olivier Award. (Image via vintage headshot)

Joan Plowright, 95 (October 28, 1929-January 16, 2025) English acting icon who won the Tony for A Taste of Honey (1961) and was Oscar-nominated for Enchanted April (1991); widow of Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) OBIT

James Arthur Ray, 67 (November 22, 1957-January 3, 2025) Motivational speaker who was imprisoned on a manslaughter conviction OBIT

1y0QHer death on Trump's Inauguration Day felt like salt on a wound. (GIF via GIPHY)

Cecile Richards, 67 (July 15, 1957-January 20, 2025) Longtime (2006-2018) president of Planned Parenthood, reproductive rights activist and daughter of late Texas Gov. Ann Richards (1933-2006) OBIT

Mike Rinder, 69 (April 10, 1955-January 5, 2025) Scientology whistle-blower OBIT

Il_fullxfull.1918993141_svl5.jpg copyThey had faces then. (Image via Matthew Rettenmund)

Francisco San Martin, 39 (August 27, 1985-January 16, 2025) Actor who appeared on Days of Our Lives (2010-2011) and Jane the Virgin (2017) OBIT

David Schneiderman, 77 (April 14, 1947-January 17, 2025) Editor and later publisher and CEO at The Village Voice (1978-2006) OBIT

Jan_Shepard_GE_True_Gertie_the_Great_1963Simply the nest (Image via head shot)

Jan Shepard, 96 (March 19, 1928-January 17, 2025) Actor seen in King Creole (1958), Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) OBIT

Costas Simitis, 88 (June 23, 1936-January 5, 2025) Former PM of Greece OBIT

Tony Slattery, 65 (November 9, 1959-January 14, 2025) British actor and comedian OBIT

André Soltner, 92 (November 20, 1932-January 18, 2025) Famed French chef at NYC's Lutèce OBIT

Stuart Spencer, 97 (February 20, 1927-January 12, 2025) Renowned conservative political consultant OBIT

Harry Stewart Jr., 100 (July 4, 1924-February 2, 2025) One of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen to have seen action in WWII OBIT

John Sykes, 65 (July 29, 1959-January 2025) Former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist OBIT

Jeannot Szwarc, 87 (November 21, 1939-January 15, 2025) French film director who helmed Jaws 2 (1978), Somewhere in Time (1980) and Supergirl (1984) OBIT

Lynne Taylor-Corbett, 78 (December 2, 1946-January 12, 2025) Choreographer of Footloose (1984) OBIT

Stephan Thernstrom, 90 (November 5, 1934-January 23, 2025) Harvard professor who was a leading critic of affirmative action OBIT

George Tice, 86 (October 13, 1938-January 20, 2025) So-called Bard of New Jersey who photographed his state and beyond OBIT

Jeff Torborg, 83 (November 26, 1941-January 19, 2025) Catcher who caught three no-hitters, later managing the White Sox and the Mets OBIT

Oliviero Toscani, 82 (February 28, 1942-January 13, 2025) Legendary Italian photographer who art-directed some of Benetton's most controversial ads OBIT

Bob-uecker-boycultureThe butler did it. (Image via ABC)

Bob Uecker, 90 (January 26, 1934-January 16, 2025) Major League Baseball player, sports commentator and actor on Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990) and in the Major League (1989, 1994, 1998) OBIT

DJ Unk, 42 (November 28, 1982-January 24, 2025) Atlanta rapper OBIT

Claire van Kampen, 71 (November 3, 1953-January 18, 2025) Theater director and composer who was the wife of Mark Rylance (b. 1960) OBIT

Robert Verrall, 97 (January 13, 1928-January 17, 2025) Oscar-nominated animator for The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1953) OBIT

VivThey had faces. (Images via Instagram)

The Vivienne, 32 (April 12, 1992-January 3 or 4, 2025) First winner of RuPaul's Drag Race U.K. (2019), musical theater star OBIT

Marion Wiesel, 94 (January 27, 1931-February 2, 2025) Wife of the late Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) OBIT

Gus Williams, 71 (October 10, 1953-January 15, 2025) Seattle SuperSonics guard OBIT

Brenton Wood, 83 (July 26, 1941-January 3, 2025) Singer of the 1967 hits “The Oogum Boogum Song,” “Gimme Little Sign” and “Baby You Got It” OBIT

Ken Wydro, 81 (circa 1943-January 21, 2025) Co-creator and producer of long-running off-Broadway hit Mama, I Want to Sing (1983-1991) OBIT

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