If you lost a loved one or someone you know in 2016, you have my deepest sympathies. I myself lost a friend this year. So I had declared 2016 a pretty cruel year from early on.
Peppered throughout a year of hostility was a seemingly endless list of beloved and adored celebrity “friends”. People we felt we knew. Respected. Here is a list of people we lost this year. Wish them peace. 2016 will be getting nailed in a crate and stored in a massive government warehouse.
Names are listed in no particular order:
Prince: The legendary musician was found dead at his Paisley Park Estate in Chanhassen, MN, in April. He was 57 years old.
Muhammad Ali: After battling Parkinson’s disease for more than three decades, the 74-year-old boxing legend passed away in June. The tragic death came as a result of complications due to a respiratory issue.
George Michael: The English singer-songwriter passed away at his home on Christmas Day due to heart failure, according to his manager. His publicist gave the following statement to the BBC: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.”
David Bowie: The iconic rock singer died in January at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Zsa Zsa Gabor: The legendary Hollywood actress died at age 99 in December. After TMZ reported that the star suffered from a heart attack and was later pronounced dead at the hospital, her rep confirmed the heartbreaking news to Variety.
Florence Henderson: The iconic star of The Brady Bunch passed away at 82 years old due to heart failure on Nov. 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA. She is survived by her children, Barbara, Joseph, Robert, and Lizzie, and her five grandchildren.
Alan Thicke: The star died at the age of 69 in December. The actor — who was best known for his role as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains — passed away from a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter. He is survived by his wife Tanya and his three sons, Robin, Brennan, and Carter.
Gene Wilder: The beloved actor, who charmed audiences in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Blazing Saddles, died in August at the age of 89.
Alexis Arquette died in September at the age of 47. Alexis passed away from a heart attack following a bacterial infection; it was also revealed that Alexis had been battling HIV for 29 years.
Anton Yelchin: The Star Trek actor died at the age of 27 following a fatal car accident in June.
Alan Rickman: The English actor, best known for portraying the role of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, passed away in January at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer.
Patty Duke: The famed stage and screen actress died in March of sepsis from a ruptured intestine. She was 69.
Ricky Harris: The actor and comedian, who was known for his controversial stand-up and appearances on shows like Everybody Hates Chris, passed away in December due to unknown causes. He was 54.
Doris Roberts: The Emmy-winning actress, who was best known for her role on Everybody Loves Raymond, passed away in April. She was 90.
Garry Marshall, creator of Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and The Odd Couple, died in July of complications from pneumonia following a stroke. The director of Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries was 81.
Former first lady Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure in March. She was 94.
Keo Woolford: The Hawaii Five-0 actor died at a hospital in Hawaii after suffering a stroke in November. He was 49.
Music producer Lou Pearlman passed away in prison in August at the age of 62. A handful of Lou’s former artists — including Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, and AJ McLean — took to social media to share thoughts about his passing.
Robert Vaughn: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. star died in November after a short battle with acute leukemia. He was 83.
Frank Sinatra jr: The singer and son of Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato, died of a heart attack in March. He was 72.
Tommy Ford: The Martin star died at the age of 52 on Oct. 12 after his family made the decision to take him off life support. He entered the hospital for a ruptured aneurysm in his abdomen just days before.
Former WWE star Joanie Laurer — aka Chyna — was found dead at her home in Redondo Beach, CA, in April.
Leonard Cohen: The singer-songwriter passed away in November at the age of 82. His label, Sony Music Canada, released a statement on his Facebook page, writing, “It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away. We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries. A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. The family requests privacy during their time of grief.” A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Beloved French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel died in August at the age of 86.
Arnold Palmer: The golf great passed away in September after suffering heart complications. He was 87.
Harper Lee: The famous author, who penned To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman, died in February at the age of 89.
Ken Howard: The actor and president of SAG-AFTRA died at his home in LA in March. He was 71.
Vanity (neé Denise Matthews) was a singer, actress, and one-time prodigy of Prince. She died in February at the age of 57, just months before her mentor.
Country music legend Merle Haggard died in April at the age of 79.
Hollywood actor Abe Vigoda passed away in January at the age of 94.
Phife Dawg — née Malik Izaak Taylor — was a famous rapper and member of A Tribe Called Quest. He died in March at the age of 45 after suffering complications from diabetes.
Comedy titan Garry Shandling passed away in March at the age of 66. In December, his cause of death was revealed as a blood clot, according to a Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office autopsy report obtained by TMZ.
Star Wars actor Kenny Baker, who famously played R2-D2, suffered from a long-term illness and passed away in August at the age of 81.
Ron Glass: The actor best known for his roles in Firefly and Barney Miller died in late November of respiratory failure. He was 71.
Gwen IfillL The PBS NewsHour coanchor died of cancer at the age of 61 in mid-November. WETA President and CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller confirmed the news to her staff in an email that reads, “I am very sad to tell you that our dear friend and beloved colleague Gwen Ifill passed away today in hospice care in Washington. I spent an hour with her this morning and she was resting comfortably, surrounded by loving family and friends.”
Peter Vaughan: The British actor, who was well-known for his recent role as Maester Aemon Targaryen in Game of Thrones, passed away in December at the age of 93. His agent, Sally Long-Innes, confirmed the news to BBC News, saying, “This is to confirm that very sadly Peter Vaughan passed away at approximately 10:30 this morning.” She added that he “died peacefully with his family around him.”
Carrie Fisher: The actress, best known for her role as Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars franchise, passed away on Dec. 27 after suffering from a heart attack on Dec. 23. Her family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement on behalf of her daughter, Billie Lourd, saying, “It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.” She was 60.