Remembering Legends who impacted our lives.

by Chris Stouffer



As we move from day-to-day, taking care of all those things we need to such as our families, our jobs, our well being, etc., we often miss things happening outside of our own realm. While coping with our own bad news, we sometimes miss out on the tragedies of those who have unknowingly been there for us.

These are the people who made us laugh when we needed it the most, and those who comforted us during times of heartache. They're the people that inspired us, and the people who allowed us to venture into a fantasy world at times. They're the actors, and musicians, and athletes, and writers who welcomed us into their world with their words, lyrics, and performances.

Today I honor some of those who passed in 2016. Some of them we remember vividly, as their deaths made headlines across the country. Others still made an impact on fans however may not have gotten the same press, or were in fact overlooked by other news. Thank you for coming into our lives and making some of our life experiences just a little better with your craft.

Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917 - 2016), Hollywood socialite
Craig Sager (1951 - 2016), NBA sideline reporter
Bernard Fox (1927 - 2016), actor Bewitched
Alan Thicke (1947 - 2016), actor Growing Pains
John Glenn (1921 - 2016), American astronaut
Greg Lake (1947 - 2016), musician Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Billy Chapin (1943 - 2016), child actor
Andrew Sachs (1930 - 2016), actor Fawlty Towers
Van Williams (1934 - 2016), actor Surfside 6
Margaret Whitton (1949 - 2016), actress Secret of My Success
Fritz Weaver (1926 - 2016), television actor
Florence Henderson (1934 - 2016), actress The Brady Bunch
Ron Glass (1945 - 2016), actor Barney Miller
Gwen Ifill (1955 - 2016), tv journalist, Washington Week on PBS
Leon Russell (1942 - 2016), musician/collaborator
Robert Vaughn (1932 - 2016), actor tv's The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Leonard Cohen (1934 - 2016), singer-songwriter
Julie Gregg (1937 - 2016), actress Godfather, Godfather II
Michael Massee (1955 - 2016), actor Amazing Spider-Man
Arnold Palmer (1929 - 2016), professional golfer
Jose Fernandez (1992 - 2016), MLB pitcher Miami Marlins
Jean Shepard (1933 - 2016), Grand Ole Opry country star
Charmaine Carr (1942 - 2016), actress The Sound of Music
Alexis Arquette (1969 - 2016), actress and reality tv star
Anna Dewdney (1965 - 2016), children's author
Gene Wilder (1933 - 2016), actor Young Frankenstein
Steven Hill (1922 - 2016), actor Law & Order
John McLaughlin (1927 - 2016), host The McLaughlin Report PBS
Kenny Baker (1934 - 2016), actor Star Wars
John Saunders (1955 - 2016), sportscaster ABC college football
Jerry Doyle (1956 - 2016), actor Babylon 5
Gloria DeHaven (1925 - 2016), actress MGM musicals
Garry Marshall (1934 - 2016) director Pretty Woman
Noel Neill (1920 - 2016), actress Superman tv series
Michael Camino (1939 - 2016), director The Deer Hunter
Elie Wiesel (1928 - 2016), Nobel Peace Prize recipient 1986
Pat Summitt (1952 - 2016), women's basketball coach U of Tenn.
Buddy Ryan (1934 - 2016), NFL coach
Bud Spencer (1929 - 2016), actor They Call Me Trinity
Ryan Jimmo (1981 - 2016), UFC fighter known as "Big Deal"
Bill Cunningham (1929 - 2016), fashion photographer NY Times
Bernie Worrell (1944 - 2016), musician Parliament-Funkadelic
Anton Yelchin (1989 - 2016), actor Star Trek
Ron Lester (1970 - 2016), actor Varsity Blues
Ann Morgan Guilbert (1928 - 2016), actress Dick Van Dyke Show
Theresa Saldana (1954 - 2016), actress Raging Bull
Christina Grimmie (1994 - 2016), singer The Voice season 6
Muhammad Ali (1942 - 2016), legendary boxer
Gordie Howe (1928 - 2016), NHL pro Detroit Red Wings
Nick Menza (1964 - 2016), musician Megadeth
Morley Safer (1931 - 2016), CBS reporter 60 Minutes
Guy Clark (1941 - 2016), Grammy winning singer-songwriter
Madeleine Lebeau (1923 - 2016), actress Casablanca
Richard Libertini (1933 - 2016), actor Fletch
Billy Paul (1934 - 2016), Grammy winning R&B and jazz singer
Prince (1958 - 2016), music legend Purple Rain
Chyna (1970 - 2016), WWF wrestler and reality tv star
Doris Roberts (1925 - 2016), actress Everybody Loves Raymond
Daisy Lewellyn (1980 - 2016), magazine editor and reality tv star
Merle Haggard (1937 - 2016), Country Music Hall of Fame 1994
Joseph Medicine Crow (1913 - 2016), Battle of Little Bighorn
Zaha Hadid (1950 - 2016), architect London Aquatic Centre
Patty Duke (1946 - 2016), actress The Miracle Worker
Nancy Reagan (1921 - 2016), former first lady of the U.S.
Mother Mary Angelica (1923 - 2016), founder of EWTN
Garry Shandling (1949 - 2016), comedian and actor
Joey Feek (1975 - 2016), CMA winner country duo Joey+Rory
Pat Conroy (1945 - 2016), author Prince of Tides
George Kennedy (1925 - 2016), actor Naked Gun
Cara McCollum (1992 - 2016), anchor SNJ Today, former Miss NJ
Vanity (1959 - 2016), musician Vanity 6
Katie May (1981 - 2016), Sports Illustrated model
Maurice White (1941 - 2016), founder Earth, Wind & Fire
Paul Kantner (1941 - 2016), founding member Jefferson Airplaine
Glenn Frey (1948 - 2016), founding member The Eagles
Abe Vigoda (1921 - 2016), actor Barney Miller and The Godfather
Noreen Corcoran (1943 - 2016), tv actress Bachelor Father
Dan Haggerty (1941 - 2016), actor Life & Times of Grizzly Adams
Rene Angelil (1942 - 2016), husband of musician Celine Dion
Alan Rickman (1946 - 2016), actor Harry Potter film series
Sir George Martin (1926 - 2016), record producer The Beatles
David Bowie (1947 - 2016), legendary British rocker
Phife Dawg (1970 - 2016), founding member A Tribe Called Quest
Keith Emerson (1944 - 2016), musician Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Angus Scrimm (1926 - 2016), actor Phantasm film series
Patrick Harrington Jr. (1929 - 2016), actor One Day At a Time
Kitty Kallen (1922 - 2016), swing era pop singer
Pierre Boulez (1925 - 2016), world-renowned French conductor
Robert Stigwood (1934 - 2016), producer Grease, Sat. Night Fever

Although these creative minds are gone, the footprint they leave will entertain and create memories for generations to come as they have for many of us today.

Sources: www.legacy.com, www.imdb.com, TMZ