Noteworthy and influential people who’ve died this year

The September killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a campus speaking event rocked the political landscape in the U.S. and beyond.

Kirk, who was known for making provocative statements on gender and race, was the founder of Turning Point USA, a group that mobilized young, Christian conservatives. He was credited with increasing political engagement for younger people and helping Donald Trump win reelection to the White House. His shooting death prompted somber conversations about political violence as well as angry calls for political retribution.

September also saw the death of acclaimed actor Robert Redford. Known as the Hollywood golden boy, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s with films such as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were.”

Other notable deaths in September included Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, Italian actor Claudia Cardinale, designer Giorgio Armani, Indigenous actor Graham Greene, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson and Black liberation activist Assata Shakur.

Here is a roll call of some influential figures who have died in the first nine months of this year (cause of death cited, if available):

___

JANUARY

___

Wayne Osmond, 73. A singer, guitarist and founding member of the million-album-selling family act The Osmonds, who were known for such 1970s teen hits as “One Bad Apple,” “Yo-Yo” and “Down By the Lazy River.” Jan. 1.

David Lodge, 89. A witty and prolific British novelist and critic who gently satirized academia, religion and even his own loss of hearing in such highly praised narratives as the Booker Prize finalists “Small World” and “Nice Work.” Jan. 1.

Rosita Missoni, 93. The matriarch of the iconic Italian fashion house that made colorful zigzag-patterned knitwear high fashion and helped launch Italian ready-to-wear. Jan. 1.

James Arthur Ray, 67. A self-help guru whose multimillion-dollar business toppled after he led a sweat lodge ceremony in Arizona that left three people dead. Jan. 3.

Costas Simitis, 88. A former prime minister of Greece and the architect of the country’s joining the common European currency, the euro. Jan. 5.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, 96. The founder of France’s far-right National Front was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him staunch supporters and widespread condemnation. Jan. 7.

Peter Yarrow, 86. The singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war. Jan. 7.

Nancy Leftenant-Colon, 104. The first Black woman to join the U.S. Army Nurse Corps after the military was desegregated in the 1940s. Jan. 8.

Sam Moore, 89. The surviving half and higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave, which was known for such definitive hits of the era as “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin.'” Jan. 10.

José “Cha Cha” Jiménez, 76. A prominent Civil Rights figure in Chicago who advocated for Puerto Rican rights, founded the Young Lords and cofounded the Rainbow Coalition. Jan. 10.

David Lynch, 78. The filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” and the TV series “Twin Peaks.” Jan. 16.

Bob Uecker, 90. He parlayed a forgettable playing career into a punch line for movie and TV appearances as “Mr. Baseball” and a Hall of Fame broadcasting tenure. Jan. 16.

Joan Plowright, 95. An award-winning British actor who, with her late husband Laurence Olivier, did much to revitalize the U.K.’s theatrical scene in the decades after World War II. Jan. 16.

Cecile Richards, 67. A national leader for abortion access and women’s rights who led Planned Parenthood for 12 tumultuous years. Jan. 20.

Mauricio Funes, 65. A president of El Salvador who spent the final years of his life in Nicaragua to avoid various criminal sentences. Jan. 21.

Valérie André, 102. A French aviator and parachutist who was the first woman to become a general officer in France. Jan. 21.

Garth Hudson, 87. The Band’s virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician who drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Weight” and “Rag Mama Rag.” Jan. 21.

Richard Williamson, 84. An ultratraditionalist Catholic bishop whose denial of the Holocaust created a scandal in 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI rehabilitated him and other members of his breakaway society. Jan. 29.

Dick Button, 95. He was one of the most accomplished men’s figure skaters in history, and one of his sport’s great innovators and promoters. Jan. 30.

Marianne Faithfull, 78. The British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied. Jan. 30.

___

FEBRUARY

___

Horst Köhler, 81. A one-time head of the International Monetary Fund who became a popular German president before stunning the country by resigning abruptly in a flap over comments about the country’s military. Feb. 1.

Barbie Hsu, 48. A Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama “Meteor Garden” that once swept Asia. Feb. 2. Pneumonia triggered by the flu.

The Aga Khan, 88. He became the spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims at age 20 as a Harvard undergraduate and poured a material empire built on billions of dollars in tithes into building homes, hospitals and schools in developing countries. Feb. 4.

Kultida Woods, 80. The Thai-born mother of Tiger Woods, whom he credits with instilling in him a dominant spirit and encouraging him to wear a red shirt on Sunday as his power color. Feb. 4.

Irv Gotti, 54. A music mogul who founded Murder Inc. Records and was behind major hip-hop and R&B artists such as Ashanti and Ja Rule. Feb. 5.

Virginia McCaskey, 102. She inherited the Chicago Bears from her father, George Halas, but avoided the spotlight during more than four decades as the team’s principal owner. Feb. 6.

Tony Roberts, 85. A versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies – often as Allen’s best friend. Feb. 7.

Sam Nujoma, 95. The fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, coming to be known as the father of his nation. Feb. 8.

Tom Robbins, 92. The novelist and prankster-philosopher who charmed and addled millions of readers with such screwball adventures as “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and “Jitterbug Perfume.” Feb. 9.

Anne Marie Hochhalter, 43. She was partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting, but found the strength to forgive and to heal her soul after bonding with another family devastated by the tragedy. Feb. 16.

Gene Hackman, 95. The Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers. Feb. 17. Found dead with his wife, who had died a week earlier, in their home.

Paquita la del Barrio, 77. A Mexican musical legend known for her powerful voice and fierce defense of women. Feb. 17.

James Harrison, 88. An Australian man credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his record-breaking blood plasma donations over six decades. Feb. 17.

Souleymane Cissé, 84. The Malian filmmaker was a pioneer of African cinema with a career spanning 50 years. Feb. 19.

Mabel Staton, 92. The Black track and field standout who broke through racial barriers and became the only woman to compete for the United States in the long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Feb. 20.

Clint Hill, 93. The Secret Service agent who leaped onto the back of President John F. Kennedy’s limousine after the president was shot, then was forced to retire early because he remained haunted by memories of the assassination. Feb. 21.

Joe Fusco, 87. A College Football Hall of Fame coach who won four NAIA Division II national championships in 19 years at Westminster College. Feb. 22.

Roberta Flack, 88. The Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after that. Feb. 24.

Michelle Trachtenberg, 39. A former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows – “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl.” Feb. 26.

Boris Spassky, 88. A Soviet-era world chess champion who lost his title to American Bobby Fischer in a legendary 1972 match that became a proxy for Cold War rivalries. Feb. 27.

David Johansen, 75. The wiry, gravelly-voiced singer and last surviving member of the glam and protopunk band the New York Dolls who later performed as his campy, pompadoured alter ego, Buster Poindexter. Feb. 28.

___

MARCH

___

Angie Stone, 63. The Grammy-nominated R&B singer was a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence and was known for the hit song “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.” March 1. Car crash.

Joey Molland, 77. A guitarist with the Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger, which was known for such 1970s hits as “No Matter What” and “Day After Day.” March 1.

George Lowe, 67. The voice behind the irreverent animated superhero on Adult Swim’s “Space Ghost Coast to Coast.” March 2.

Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 70. A Cuban American who fought tirelessly for a free Cuba and who spent 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of a politically powerful South Florida family. March 3.

Carl Dean, 82. Dolly Parton’s devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit “Jolene.” March 3.

Oleg Gordievsky, 86. A Soviet KGB officer who helped change the course of the Cold War by covertly passing secrets to Britain. March 4.

Roy Ayers, 84. A legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” that has been sampled by such R&B and rap heavyweights as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube. March 4.

Robert G. Clark, 95. He was elected in 1967 as Mississippi’s first Black lawmaker of the 20th century and rose to the second-highest leadership role in the state House of Representatives. March 4.

D’Wayne Wiggins, 64. A founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Tony! Toni! Tone! behind the classic songs “Anniversary,” “It Never Rains (In Southern California)” and (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow.” March 7.

Junior Bridgeman, 71. A basketball standout who led Louisville to a Final Four, starred for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and then launched an even more successful career as a business owner with stakes in restaurants, publishing and the Bucks franchise. March 11.

Ron Nessen, 90. A veteran broadcast journalist who was press secretary for President Gerald Ford and sought to restore the integrity that the position had lost during the Nixon administration. March 12.

Raúl M. Grijalva, 77. The Democratic congressman was a champion of environmental protections and progressive ideals who took on principled but often futile causes during a two-decade career in Congress. March 13.

Alan Simpson, 93. The former U.S. senator was a political legend whose quick wit bridged partisan gaps in the years before today’s political acrimony. March 14.

Nita Lowey, 87. The former congresswoman was a long-serving New York Democrat who was the first woman to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee. March 15.

Émilie Dequenne, 43. The Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in “Rosetta.” March 16. Cancer.

Eddie Jordan, 76. An ex-Formula 1 team owner and media personality whose humor, strong opinions and often extravagant dress sense made him a popular pundit on TV after selling the team in 2005. March 20.

George Foreman, 76. The fearsome heavyweight boxer who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old world champion and a successful business owner. March 21.

Kitty Dukakis, 88. The wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who spoke openly about her struggles with depression and addiction. March 21.

Paul “Greg” House, 63. He spent two decades on Tennessee’s death row before he was finally freed, and later campaigned against the death penalty. March 22.

Mia Love, 49. A daughter of Haitian immigrants who became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress. March 23. Brain cancer.

David Childs, 83. The lead architect of the One World Trade Center skyscraper that rose from the site where the twin towers collapsed in New York City during the 9/11 attacks. March 26.

Richard Chamberlain, 90. The handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” who found a second career as an award-winning “king of the miniseries.” March 29.

___

APRIL

___

Val Kilmer, 65. The brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in “Top Gun,” donned a voluminous cape as Batman in “Batman Forever” and portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors.” April 1. Pneumonia.

Theodore McCarrick, 94. A once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children. April 3.

Jay North, 73. He starred as the towheaded mischief-maker on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” for four seasons starting in 1959. April 6.

Clem Burke, 70. His versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes. April 6. Cancer.

Rubby Pérez, 69. Known for songs such as “Volveré,” “El Africano” and “Tu Vas a Volar,” he devoted his long career to merengue, the signature musical style of the Dominican Republic. April 8. Died after a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

Octavio Dotel, 51. He pitched for 13 major league teams in a 15-year career and won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. April 8. Died after a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

Kim Shin-jo, 82. A prominent ex-North Korean commando who resettled in South Korea as a pastor after his daring mission to assassinate then-South Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1968 failed. April 9.

Mario Vargas Llosa, 89. The Peruvian author was a Nobel literature laureate and a giant of Latin American letters. April 13.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, 85. The former Malaysian prime minister was a moderate who extended the country’s political freedoms but was criticized for lackluster leadership. April 14.

Wink Martindale, 91. The genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough” who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley. April 15.

Nora Aunor, 71. She became one of the biggest stars of Philippine cinema during a career that spanned seven decades. April 16.

Bob Filner, 82. A 10-term U.S. congressman whose long political career ended abruptly after he was elected mayor of San Diego and driven from office amid sexual misconduct allegations. April 20.

Pope Francis, 88. History’s first Latin American pontiff, who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for poor people but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change. April 21. Stroke.

Steve McMichael, 67. A star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team whose larger-than-life personality made him a fixture in the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling. April 23. ALS.

Tom Brown, 84. The two-sport star whose interception sealed the 1966 NFL title game for Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. April 23.

Virginia Giuffre, 41. She accused Britain’s Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein. April 25.

Dick Barnett, 88. A basketball Hall of Famer who played on both New York Knicks NBA championship teams after being part of a historic college powerhouse at Tennessee A&I. April 27.

___

MAY

___

Ruth Buzzi, 88. She rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made more than 200 television appearances during a 45-year career. May 1.

Jill Sobule, 66. The award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl.” May 1. Died in a house fire.

George Ryan, 91. A former Illinois governor disgraced by a corruption scandal that landed him in prison, yet heralded by some for clearing the state’s death row. May 2.

David H. Souter, 85. The retired Supreme Court justice was the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench. May 8.

Johnny Rodriguez, 73. The country music star who was a popular Mexican American singer best known for chart-topping hits in the 1970s, such as “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” and “That’s the Way Love Goes.” May 9.

Robert Benton, 92. The Oscar-winning filmmaker who helped reset the rules in Hollywood as the co-creator of “Bonnie and Clyde,” and later received mainstream validation as the writer-director of “Kramer vs. Kramer” and “Places in the Heart.” May 11.

Christopher “Kit” Bond, 86. A Republican who brought billions of dollars in federal funding to Missouri during his four terms in the U.S. Senate and was the state’s youngest person to be governor. May 13.

José Mujica, 89. The former Uruguayan president, onetime Marxist guerrilla and flower farmer, whose radical brand of democracy, plainspoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world. May 13.

Charles Strouse, 96. The three-time Tony Award-winner was Broadway’s industrious, master melody-maker who composed the music for such classic musical theater hits as “Annie,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Applause.” May 15.

George Wendt, 76. An actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf.” May 20.

Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, 75. The congressman was an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district. May 21.

Susan Brownmiller, 90. A prominent feminist and author of the 1960s and ’70s whose “Against Our Will” was a landmark and intensely debated bestseller about sexual assault. May 24.

Phil Robertson, 79. The “Duck Dynasty” patriarch who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon. May 25.

Charles Rangel, 94. The former New York congressman was an outspoken, gravel-voiced Harlem Democrat who spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. May 26.

Rick Derringer, 77. The guitarist and singer who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded “Hang On Sloopy,” had a hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” and earned a Grammy Award for producing “Weird Al” Yankovic’s debut album. May 26.

Presley Chweneyagae, 40. The South African actor who gained international recognition for his leading role in the 2005 film “Tsotsi,” which won South Africa’s first-ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. May 27.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, 87. The revered Kenyan man of letters and voice of dissent who, in dozens of fiction and nonfiction books, traced his country’s history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny. May 28.

Bernard Kerik, 69. He served as New York City’s police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned. May 29.

Loretta Swit, 87. She won two Emmy Awards playing Maj. Margaret Houlihan, the demanding head nurse of a behind-the-lines surgical unit during the Korean War on the pioneering hit TV series “M.A.S.H.” May 30.

Etienne-Emile Baulieu, 98. A French scientist best known as the inventor of the abortion pill. May 30.

Renée Victor, 86. She voiced the no-nonsense, sandal-throwing Abuelita in Disney’s animated hit “Coco” and played the wisecracking Lupita on Showtime’s “Weeds.” May 30.

___

JUNE

___

Shigeo Nagashima, 89. He was known in Japan as “Mr. Pro Baseball” and was one of the most famous people in the country during his playing days. June 3.

Jim Marshall, 87. The former Minnesota Vikings defensive end was one of the four members of the famed Purple People Eaters front that formed the backbone of four Super Bowl teams. June 3.

Niède Guidon, 92. The Brazilian archaeologist known for discovering hundreds of prehistoric cave paintings in northeastern Brazil and for her research challenging theories of ancient human presence in the Americas. June 4.

Edgar Lungu, 68. The former Zambian president served as the leader of the southern African nation from 2015 to 2021. June 5.

Nina Kuscsik, 86. She campaigned for women’s inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year they were officially allowed to enter the race. June 8.

Sly Stone, 82. The revolutionary musician and dynamic showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and ’70s and beyond with such hits as “Everyday People,” “Stand!” and “Family Affair.” June 9.

Frederick Forsyth, 86. The British author of “The Day of the Jackal” and other bestselling thrillers. June 9.

Brian Wilson, 82. The Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls” and other summertime anthems, and made him one of the world’s most influential recording artists. June 11.

Ananda Lewis, 52. The former MTV and BET host who became a beloved television personality in the 1990s with her warmth and authenticity. June 11. Breast cancer.

Anne Burrell, 55. A TV chef who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of “Worst Cooks in America.” June 17.

Alfred Brendel, 94. A pianist and poet renowned for his refined playing of Beethoven over a six-decade career. June 17.

Mick Ralphs, 81. A guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople. June 23.

Bobby Sherman, 81. His winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a teen idol in the 1960s and ’70s with bubblegum pop hits like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.” June 24.

Joseph Giordano, 84. A surgeon who played a central role in saving President Ronald Reagan’s life after an assassination attempt in 1981. June 24.

Carolyn McCarthy, 81. She successfully ran for Congress in 1996 as a crusader for gun control after a mass shooting on a New York commuter train left her husband dead and her son severely wounded. June 26.

Bill Moyers, 91. The former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas. June 26.

Lalo Schifrin, 93. The composer who wrote the endlessly catchy theme for “Mission: Impossible” and more than 100 other arrangements for film and television. June 26.

D. Wayne Lukas, 89. The Hall of Famer who became one of the most accomplished trainers in the history of horse racing and a face of the sport for decades. June 28.

___

JULY

___

Jimmy Swaggart, 90. The televangelist who became a household name, amassing an enormous following and multimillion-dollar ministry, only to be undone by his penchant for prostitutes. July 1.

Alex Delvecchio, 93. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame who helped the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup three times in the 1950s. July 1.

Michael Madsen, 67. The actor best known for his coolly menacing, steely-eyed, often sadistic characters in the films of Quentin Tarantino, including “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2.” July 3.

Ed Fiori, 72. For 13 years, he was the only player to rally from a 54-hole deficit to beat Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour. July 6.

Edward DiPrete, 91. A former Rhode Island governor who served as the state’s chief executive for six years and was later jailed for corruption. July 8.

Lee Elia, 87. A former major league player and coach who was managing the Chicago Cubs in 1983 when he famously criticized the team’s fans in a memorable postgame rant. July 9.

David Gergen, 83. A veteran of Washington politics and an adviser to four presidents in a career spanning decades in government, academia and media. July 10.

Muhammadu Buhari, 82. A former Nigerian president who led the country twice as a military head of state and a democratic president. July 13.

The Rev. John MacArthur, 86. An influential and exacting evangelical preacher. July 14.

Andrea Gibson, 49. A celebrated poet and performance artist who, through their verse, explored gender identity, politics and their 4-year battle with terminal ovarian cancer. July 14.

Fauja Singh, 114. An Indian-born runner nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo who was believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner. July 14. Died after being hit by a car.

Bradley John Murdoch, 67. Known as the “Outback Killer” and convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio, who vanished in arid central Australia in 2001. July 15.

Connie Francis, 87. The wholesome pop star of the 1950s and ’60s whose hits included “Pretty Little Baby” and “Who’s Sorry Now?” – the latter would serve as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy. July 16.

Felix Baumgartner, 56. The extreme athlete was the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile (39-kilometer) leap through the stratosphere more than a decade ago. July 17. Car crash.

Alan Bergman, 99. The Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with his wife, Marilyn, for an enduring and loving partnership that produced such old-fashioned hits as “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?,” “It Might Be You” and the classic “The Way We Were.” July 17.

Rex White, 95. He was NASCAR’s oldest living champion and a 2015 inductee into the Hall of Fame. July 18.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 54. As teenage son Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” he was central to a cultural phenomenon that helped define the 1980s. July 20. Accidental drowning.

Thomas Anthony Durkin, 78. A nationally prominent criminal defense attorney who, for five decades, was a fixture in Chicago’s courthouses and who was known for his relentless advocacy for a roster of notorious clients. July 21.

Ozzy Osbourne, 76. The gloomy, demon-invoking lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the godfather of heavy metal. July 22.

Chuck Mangione, 84. A two-time Grammy Award-winning musician who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-flavored single “Feels So Good” and later became a voice actor on the animated TV comedy “King of the Hill.” July 22.

Joey Jones, 70. The Welsh soccer hero who won two European Cups with Liverpool and was dubbed “Mr. Wrexham.” July 22.

Hulk Hogan, 71. The mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act. July 24.

Cleo Laine, 97. Her husky contralto was one of the most distinctive voices in jazz, and she was regarded by many as Britain’s greatest contribution to the quintessentially American music. July 24.

Dwight Muhammad Qawi, 72. The Hall of Fame fighter who took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion. July 25.

Ryne Sandberg, 65. A Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball’s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs. July 28.

Flaco Jimenez, 86. The legendary accordionist from San Antonio who won multiple Grammys and helped expand the popularity of conjunto, Tejano and Tex-Mex music. July 31.

___

AUGUST

___

Jeannie Seely, 85. The soulful country music singer behind such standards as “Don’t Touch Me.” Aug. 1.

Stella Rimington, 90. The first female chief of Britain’s MI5 intelligence agency and later a successful thriller writer. Aug. 3.

Loni Anderson, 79. She played a struggling radio station’s empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati.” Aug. 3.

Ion Iliescu, 95. Romania’s first freely elected president after the fall of communism in 1989 who later faced charges of crimes against humanity for his role in the bloody revolution. Aug. 5.

Eddie Palmieri, 88. The avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz. Aug. 6.

James Lovell, 97. The commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering. Aug. 7.

Myint Swe, 74. He became Myanmar’s acting president under controversial circumstances after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi more than four years ago. Aug. 7.

William H. Webster, 101. The former FBI and CIA director whose troubleshooting skills and integrity helped restore public confidence in those federal agencies. Aug. 8.

Danielle Spencer, 60. She played the wisecracking and tattling little sister Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom “What’s Happening!!” Aug. 11.

Genshitsu Sen, 102. A former Kamikaze pilot trainee who later promoted peace as a grand master of the Japanese tea ceremony. Aug. 14.

Mike Castle, 86. The former Delaware governor was a Republican moderate who championed creating the popular 50 State Quarters Program of commemorative coins while he served in Congress. Aug. 14.

Tristan Rogers, 79. He played legacy character Robert Scorpio on ABC’s “General Hospital.” Aug. 15.

Terence Stamp, 87. The British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films. Aug. 17.

Brent Hinds, 51. The former singer-guitarist for the Grammy-winning heavy metal band Mastodon. Aug. 20. Motorcycle crash.

Humpy Wheeler, 86. A pioneering motorsports promoter and former president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Aug. 20.

Frank Caprio, 88. A retired municipal judge in Rhode Island who found online fame as a caring jurist and host of “Caught in Providence.” Aug. 20.

James Dobson, 89. A child psychologist who founded the conservative Christian ministry Focus on the Family and was a politically influential campaigner against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Aug. 21.

Ron Turcotte, 84. The Hall of Fame jockey who rode Secretariat to the Triple Crown in 1973. Aug. 22.

Angela Mortimer Barrett, 93. She overcame partial deafness and an intestinal infection to win three Grand Slam singles titles, including the 1961 Wimbledon. Aug. 25.

Randy “Duke” Cunningham, 83. His feats as a U.S. Navy flying ace during the Vietnam War catapulted him to a U.S House of Representatives career that ended in disgrace when he was convicted of accepting $2.4 million in bribes. Aug. 27.

___

SEPTEMBER

___

Graham Greene, 73. A trailblazing Indigenous actor whose long and successful career on the big and small screen included an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in “Dances with Wolves.” Sept. 1.

Giorgio Armani, 91. The iconic Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire. Sept. 4.

Joseph McNeil, 83. One of four North Carolina college students whose occupation of a racially segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter 65 years ago helped spark nonviolent civil rights sit-in protests across the South. Sept. 4.

The Duchess of Kent, 92. Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, she famously broke royal protocol to hug a Wimbledon runner-up and stepped away from family duties to teach music in a public school. Sept. 4.

Mark Volman, 78. A founding member of the 1960s pop group The Turtles, whose hits include “Happy Together” and “Elenore.” Sept. 5.

Polly Holliday, 88. A Tony Award-nominated screen and stage actor who turned the catchphrase “Kiss my grits!” into a national retort as the gum-chewing, beehive-wearing server aboard the long-running CBS sitcom “Alice.” Sept. 9.

Charlie Kirk, 31. He rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump. Sept. 10. Fatally shot during an appearance at a college in Utah.

Bobby Hart, 86. The songwriter was a key part of the Monkees’ multimedia empire who teamed with Tommy Boyce on such hits as “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone.” Sept. 10.

Kim Seong-Min, 63. A prominent North Korean defector who used radio broadcasts, USB sticks and a network of sources in the secretive country to inform the North Korean public about the truth of their authoritarian government. Sept. 12.

Hermeto Pascoal, 89. An eccentric and prolific Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger known affectionately as “The Sorcerer of Sounds” and “The Mad Genius.” Sept. 13.

Ricky Hatton, 46. The former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular fighters in the sport. Sept. 14.

Robert Redford, 89. The Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters. Sept. 16.

Brett James, 57. The Grammy award-winning country songwriter whose string of top hits includes “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney. Sept. 18. Plane crash.

George Smoot, 80. A Nobel laureate who conducted groundbreaking research into the origins of the universe during a long career at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Sept. 18.

Sonny Curtis, 88. A vintage rock ‘n’ roller who wrote the raw classic “I Fought the Law” and posed the enduring question “Who can turn the world on with her smile?” as the writer-crooner of the theme song to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Sept. 19.

Bernie Parent, 80. The Hall of Famer considered one of the great goalies of all time who anchored the net for the Philadelphia Flyers’ only two Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s during their Broad Street Bullies heyday. Sept. 21.

Bobby Cain, 85. He helped integrate one of the first high schools in the South in 1956 as one of the so-called Clinton 12. Sept. 22.

Claudia Cardinale, 87. An acclaimed Italian actor who starred in some of the most celebrated European films of the 1960s and 1970s. Sept. 23.

Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, in his 80s. Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti who served as the kingdom’s top religious figure over a quarter century that saw the ultraconservative Muslim nation socially liberalize. Sept. 23.

Sara Jane Moore, 95. She was imprisoned for more than 30 years after she made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. Sept. 24.

Assata Shakur, 78. A Black liberation activist who was given political asylum in Cuba after her 1979 escape from a U.S. prison where she had been serving a life sentence for killing a law enforcement officer. Sept. 25.

Robert B. Barnett, 79. A powerhouse Washington attorney who became a fixture in the political and publishing worlds as the literary representative for Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, and dozens of other leaders. Sept. 25.

Russell M. Nelson, 101. The oldest-ever president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sept. 27.