Gone But Not Forgotten in 2021
We’ve said goodbye to many famous faces, voices & names from radio, movies, television, sports, history, arts and literature so far in 2021. These celebrities and others said their final farewell to us recently.
(2021 Celebrity Memorial Photo Montage: © A. Hamilton)
Celebrity deaths in 2021 that you may have missed:
Hank Aaron (nee Henry Louis Aaron; “Hammer”)
National Baseball Hall of Fame American MLB right fielder (Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves; Milwaukee Brewers), 25-time MLB All-Star, 1958-1960 Golden Glove winner, 1957 NL MVP & World Series Champ (born Feb. 5, 1934 – died Jan. 22, 2021; age 86). (Hank Aaron 1974 Photo: Texas Rangers)
George Armstrong (“Big Chief Shoot The Puck”)
Hockey Hall of Fame Canadian, Toronto Maple Leafs NHL team captain & right winger (1949-1971: 4-time 1960s Stanley Cups), Toronto Marlboros Coach (2-time Memorial Cups- 1973 & 1975) (born July 6, 1930 – died Jan. 24, 2021; age 90) (George Armstrong 1970 Photo: Toronto Maple Leafs)
Canadian pro hockey player, WHA & NHL centre (Montreal Canadiens – 1959 Calder Memorial Trophy, 6-Time All-Star, 6 Stanley Cups; Los Angeles Kings; Chicago Black Hawks) (born Sept. 18, 1937 – died Feb. 7, 2021; age 83). Ralph Backstrom died after a long illness. (Ralph Backstrom 1969 Photo)
Basketball Hall of Fame American NBA forward (Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers), 1959 NBA Rookie of the Year, 11-time NBA All-Star, and Coach (New Orleans Jazz) (born Sept.16, 1934 – died Mar. 22, 2021; age 86). Elgin Baylor died of natural causes. (Elgin Baylor 1967 Photo: Utah Daily Chronicle)
Beverly Cleary (nee Beverly Atlee Bunn)
Newbery Medal-winning American young adult fiction & children’s books author (Henry Huggins; Ellen Tebbits; Beezus and Ramona; The Mouse and the Motorcycle; Ramona the Pest; Runaway Ralph; Otis Spofford) (born April 12, 1916 – died Mar. 25, 2021; age 104). (Beverly Cleary 1954 Photo)
Chick Corea (nee Armando Anthony Corea)
Grammy Award-winning American classical & jazz pianist, bandleader, & composer (500 Miles High; Windows; Spain), performer with Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, and the Miles Davis band (born June 12, 1941 – died Feb. 9, 2021; age 79). Chick Corea died of cancer. (Chick Corea 1976 Photo: Polydor Records)
Henry Darrow (nee Enrique Tomás Delgado Jiménez)
Puerto-Rican actor of films (The Hitcher) & TV (The High Chaparral; Santa Barbara; Zorro; The New Dick Van Dyke Show; General Hospital; One Life to Live; The Bold and the Beautiful; Hawaii Five-O) (born Sept. 15, 1933 – died Mar. 14, 2021; age 87). (Henry Darrow 2009 Photo: Harry Cason)
Marvelous Marvin Hagler (nee Marvin Nathaniel Hagler)
American World & International Boxing Hall of Fame 1980-1987 middleweight champ, Fighter of the Decade (Boxing Illustrated) (born May 23, 1954 – died Mar. 13, 2021; age 66). Cause of death for Marvin Hagler is unknown. (Marvin Hagler 1986 Photo: Reagan White House Photographs)
Canadian Sports Hall of Fame Olympic rower (1992 Barcelona coxless pair & eights gold; 1996 Atlanta double sculls gold; quadruple sculls bronze), FISA Thomas Keller medalist (born Nov. 27, 1965 – died Jan. 11, 2021; age 55). Kathleen Heddle had cancer before she died. (Rowing Photo: Sean Robertson)
American actress of TV (Alice Mitchell on Dennis the Menace) & films (The Strawberry Roan; Sport of Kings; Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back; Triple Threat; Johnny Allegro; Miss Grant Takes Richmond; Kill the Umpire; Rancho Notorious) (born Apr. 2, 1923 – died Apr. 3, 2021; age 98). (Gloria Henry 1959 Photo: CBS)
Hal Holbrook (nee Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr.)
Emmy and Tony-winning American actor of stage, TV (The Bold Ones: The Senator; Evan Evans on Evening Shade; The Brighter Day), & movies (All The President’s Men; Magnum Force; The Firm; The Star Chamber) (born Feb. 17, 1925 – died Jan. 23, 2021; age 95) (Hal Holbrook 1989 Photo: Alan Light)
Larry King (nee Lawrence Harvey Zeiger)
American journalist, actor & host of radio and TV (Larry King Live; Larry King Now; PoliticKING with Larry King; Miami Undercover; Larry King Show) (born Nov. 19, 1933 – died Jan. 23, 2021; age 87). Larry King had COVID-19 before he died. (Larry King 2006 Photo: P.O. 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)
Bruce Kirby (nee Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu)
American actor of TV (L. A. Law; Car 54, Where Are You?; Columbo; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Hogan’s Heroes; Ironside; Bonanza; ; Room 222; Barney Miller; McCloud; Holmes and Yoyo; Kojak) & movies (How to Frame a Figg) (born Apr. 24, 1928 – died Jan. 4, 2021; age 92) (Bruce Kirby Photo: Courtesy John Kirby)
American actor of TV (Lt. Al Giardello on Homicide: Life on the Street) & films (Othello; The Running Man; Alien; Midnight Run; The Thomas Crown Affair; Blue Collar; Live and Let Die; Brubaker; The Star Chamber) (born Nov. 15, 1939 – died Mar. 15, 2021; age 81). (Yaphet Kotto 1969 Daniel Boone)
Tommy Lasorda (nee Thomas Charles Lasorda)
National Baseball Hall of Fame Major League Baseball manager (Los Angeles Dodgers 1976-1996, 2X World Series Championships), MLB pitcher & coach (born Sept. 22, 1927 – died Jan. 7, 2021; age 93). Tommy Lasorda died of cardiac arrest. (Tommy Lasorda 1981 Photo: Reagan White House)
American Emmy & Oscar-winning actress of TV (Lassie; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Phyllis, The Facts of Life; Raising Hope; Mr. Novak), movies (The Last Picture Show; Young Frankenstein; Spanglish; Prancer) (born Apr. 30, 1926 – died Jan. 27, 2021; age 94. (Cloris Leachman 1960 Thriller)
John Lutz
Edgar Award-winning American mystery author (Single White Female; Buyer Beware / Alo Nudger; Tropical Heat / Fred Carver; Darker Than Night / Frank Quinn) (born Sept.11, 1939- died Jan. 9, 2021; age 81). Cause of death for John Lutz is unknown. (John Lutz Photo: Phil Shoulberg Photography LLC)
Agatha Award-winning American author of Judge Deborah Knott & Sigrid Harald books (Bootlegger’s Daughter; Southern Discomfort; Shooting at Loons) (born Aug. 25, 1938 – died Feb. 23, 2021; age 82). Margaret Maron died of stroke complications. (Margaret Maron 2007 Photo: Margaret Maron)
Gerry Marsden (nee Gerard Marsden)
Gerry and the Pacemakers & solo British singer-songwriter (Ferry Cross the Mersey; Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying; You’ll Never Walk Alone; I’ll Be There) (born Sept. 24, 1942 – died Jan. 3, 2021; age 78). Gerry Marsden died of a blood infection in his heart. (Gerry Marsden 1964 Photo: Paul Schumach)
Biff McGuire (nee William Joseph McGuire Jr.)
American actor of TV (All My Children; Search for Tomorrow; The Secret Storm; Santa Barbara; Barnaby Jones) & films (Serpico; The Thomas Crown Affair; Midway; Hollywood Seagull; The Heart is a Lonely Hunter) (born Oct. 25, 1926 – died 2021; age 94). (Biff McGuire 1973 The Werewolf of Washington)
Academy Award-winning American screenwriter (Brokeback Mountain; The Evening Star) & Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (Lonesome Dove; The Last Picture Show; Terms of Endearment) (born June 3, 1936 – died Mar. 25, 2021; age 84). (Larry McMurtry’s Booked Up Book Store 2005 Photo: Surgeonsmate)
Prince Philip [Mountbatten] (nee Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark)
Naturalised British citizen as Philip Mountbatten, Prince of the United Kingdom, consort of Queen Elizabeth II, patron or board member of 800+ organizations, and avid sportsman (born June 10, 1921 – died April 9, 2021; age 99). (Prince Philip 1992 Photo: Allan warren)
Christopher Plummer (nee Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer)
Emmy, Tony, & Oscar-winning Canadian actor of stage, TV & films (Beginners; The Sound of Music; Remember; Triple Cross; National Treasure; Battle of Britain; Stage Struck) (born Dec. 13, 1929 – died Feb. 5, 2021; age 91). Christopher Plummer died after a fall. (Christopher Plummer 1973 The Pyx)
John Reilly
American actor of TV (Sean Donely on General Hospital; Dr. Danny Stewart on As the World Turns; Passions; Sunset Beach; Beverly Hills, 90210) & movies (The Great Waldo Pepper) (born Nov. 11, 1936 – died Jan. 9, 2021; age 86). Cause of death for John Reilly is unknown. (John Reilly 1978 Lassie: A New Beginning)
Peter Mark Richman (nee Marvin Jack Richman; aka Mark Richman)
American actor of TV (Cain’s Hundred; Longstreet; Santa Barbara; Dynasty; The F.B.I.; Beverly Hills, 90210; Police Story; The Virginian) & movies (The Black Orchid; The Murder Men; Friendly Persuasion; The Strange One) (born Apr. 16, 1927 – died Jan. 14, 2021; age 93). (Peter Mark Richman 1957: Photoplay)
Tanya Roberts (nee Victoria Leigh Blum)
American model and actress of TV (Julie Rogers on Charlie’s Angels; Midge Pinciotti on That 70’s Show) and movies (The Beastmaster; Sheena; A View to a Kill; Inner Sanctum) (born Oct. 15, 1955 – died Jan. 3, 2021; age 65). Cause of death for Tanya Roberts is unknown. (Tanya Roberts 1983 Photo: CBS)
Jimmie Rodgers (nee James Frederick Rodgers)
American singer (Honeycomb; Kisses Sweeter Than Wine; Secretly; Mule Skinner Blues; It’s Over), host & actor of TV (The Folk World of Jimmie Rodgers) and movies (Back Door to Hell) (born Sept. 18, 1933 – died Jan. 18, 2021; age 87). (Jimmie F. Rodgers 1961 The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come)
Phil Spector (nee Harvey Phillip Spector)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame American songwriter & producer (To Know Him is to Love Him; You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling; My Sweet Lord) (born Dec. 26, 1939 – died Jan. 16, 2021; age 81). Phil Specter died of COVID-19 complications. (Phil Spector 2000 Photo: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com)
Leon Spinks
1976 Montreal Olympic Games light heavyweight American gold medalist, 1978 World Heavyweight Champ (defeated Muhammad Ali) (born July 11, 1953 – died Feb. 5, 2021; age 67). Leon Spinks had prostate cancer before he died. (Leon Spinks 1995 Photo: Johnmaxmena at English Wikipedia)
Tony & Emmy Award-winning American actress of TV (The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman; Roots; East Side, West Side) & movies (Sounder; Bustin’ Loose; A Man Called Adam; The Heart is a Lonely Hunter; The Blue Bird) (born Dec. 19, 1924 – died Jan. 28, 2021; age 96) (Cicely Tyson 1956 Carib Gold)
American singer with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group the Supremes (The Happening; Back in My Arms Again; Where Did Our Love Go; Baby Love; You Can’t Hurry Love), and author (Dreamgirl; Supreme Faith) (born Mar. 6, 1944 – died Feb. 8, 2021; age 76). (Mary Wilson 1965 Photo: Jac. de Nijs)
More Gone But Not Forgotten
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