Influential figures lost in 2022
One would have to go back hundreds of years to find a monarch who reigned longer than Queen Elizabeth II.In her 70 years on the throne, she helped modernize the monarchy across decades of enormous social change, royal marriages and births, and family scandals. For most Britons, she was the only monarch they had ever known.
Her death Sept. 8 was arguably the most high-profile death this year, prompting a collective outpouring of grief and respect for her steady leadership as well as some criticism of the monarchy’s role in colonialism.
Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022:
January
Sidney Poitier, 94: He transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, becoming the first Black actor to win an Oscar for best lead performance and the first to be a top boxoffice draw. Jan. 6.
Bob Saget, 65: Actorcomedian known for his role on the sitcom “Full House” and as the wisecracking host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Jan. 9.
Dwayne Hickman, 87: Actor remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis. Jan. 9.
Clyde Bellecourt ,85:A leader in the Native American struggle for civil rights. Jan. 11.
Ronnie Spector, 78: Sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the girl group the Ronettes. Jan. 12.
Andre Leon Talley ,73:A towering and highly visible figure of the fashion world who made history as a rare Black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry. Jan. 18.
Meat Loaf, 74: Rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” Jan. 20.
February Ashley Bryan
, 98: A prolific and prize-winning children’s author and illustrator who told stories of Black life, culture and folklore in such acclaimed works as “Freedom Over Me,” “Beautiful Blackbird” and “Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum.” Feb. 4.
Lata Mangeshkar, 92: A legendary Indian singer with a prolific, groundbreaking catalog and a voice recognized by more than a billion people in South Asia. Feb. 6.
Luc Montagnier, 89: A French researcher who won a Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering HIV and more recently spread false claims about the coronavirus. Feb. 8.
Betty Davis, 77: A bold and pioneering funk singer, model and songwriter of the 1960s and ’70s who was credited with inspiring then-husband Miles Davis’ landmark fusion of jazz and more contemporary sounds. Feb. 9.
Ivan Reitman, 75: Influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century, from “Animal House” to “Ghostbusters.” Feb. 12.
P.J. O’Rourke, 74: Prolific author and satirist who refashioned the irreverence and “gonzo” journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary. Feb. 15.
March
Emilio Delgado, 81: Actor and singer who for 45 years was a warm and familiar presence in children’s lives and a rare Latino face on American TV as fix-it shop owner Luis on “Sesame Street.” March 10.
William Hurt, 71: His laconic charisma and selfassured subtlety as an actor made him one of the 1980s’ foremost leading men in movies such as “Broadcast News,” “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill.” March 13.
Lauro Cavazos , 95: A Texas ranch foreman’s son who rose to become the first Latino to serve in a presidential Cabinet as U.S. secretary of education during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. March 15.
Don Young, 88: The Alaska congressman was the longest-serving Republican in the history of the U.S. House. March 18.
Madeleine Albright, 84: A child refugee from Naziand then Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe who rose to become the first female secretary of state and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women. March 23.
April
Estelle Harris, 93: She hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza’s short-fused mother on “Seinfeld” and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise. April 2.
Gilbert Gottfried, 67: Actor and legendary standup comic known for his scorched voice and crude jokes. April 12.
Orrin Hatch, 88: The longest-serving Republican senator in history who was a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades. April 23.
Dr. Morton Mower, 89: A former Maryland-based cardiologist who helped invent an automatic implantable defibrillator that has helped countless heart patients live longer and healthier. April 25.
Naomi Judd, 76: Her family harmonies with daughter Wynonna turned them into the Grammywinning country stars the Judds. April 30.
May
Norman Mineta, 90: He broke racial barriers for Asian Americans serving in high-profile government posts and ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks as the federal transportation secretary. May 3.
Mickey Gilley, 86: Country singer whose namesake Texas honky-tonk inspired the 1980 film “Urban Cowboy” and a nationwide wave of Western-themed nightspots. May 7.
Bob Lanier, 73. The left-handed big man who muscled up beside the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as one of the NBA’s top players of the 1970s. May 10.
Shireen Abu Akleh ,51.A correspondent who became a household name synonymous with Al Jazeera’s coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories. May 11.
Ray Liotta, 67: Actor best known for playing mobster Henry Hill in “Goodfellas” and baseball player “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in “Field of Dreams.” May 26.
June
Tony Siragusa, 55. Charismatic defensive tackle who was part of one of the most celebrated defenses in NFL history with the Baltimore Ravens. June 22.
Hershel “Woody” Williams, 98: The last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, whose heroics under fire over several crucial hours at the Battle of Iwo Jima made him a legend in his native West Virginia. June 29.
July Bradford Freeman,
97: Last survivor of the famed Army unit featured in the World War II oral history book and miniseries “Band of Brothers.” July 3.
James Caan, 82: The curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as Sonny Corleone of “The Godfather” and to TV audiences as both the dying football player in “Brian’s Song” and the casino boss in “Las Vegas.” July 6.
Shinzo Abe, 67: Japan’s longest serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history. July 8.
Tony Sirico, 79: He played mobster Paulie Walnuts in “The Sopranos” and brought his tough-guy swagger to films including “Goodfellas.” July 8.
Paul Sorvino, 83: An imposing actor who specialized in playing crooks and cops like Paulie Cicero in “Goodfellas” and the NYPD Sgt. Phil Cerreta on “Law & Order.” July 25.
David Trimble , 77: A former Northern Ireland first minister who won the Nobel Peace Prize for playing a key role in helping end Northern Ireland’s decades of violence. July 25.
Tony Dow, 77: As Wally Cleaver on the sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” he helped create the popular and lasting image of the American teenager of the 1950s and ’60s. July 27.
Nichelle Nichols, 89: She broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” TV series. July 30.
Bill Russell, 88. NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years — the last two as the first Black head coach in any major U.S. sport — and marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr. July 31.
August
Vin Scully, 94. A Hall of Fame broadcaster who called thousands of games involving the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers during his 67 years in the booth. Aug. 2.
Olivia Newton-John, 73: Grammy-winning superstar who reigned on pop, country, adult contemporary and dance charts with such hits as “Physical” and “You’re the One That I Want” and won countless hearts as everyone’s favorite Sandy in the blockbuster film version of “Grease.” Aug. 8.
Lamont Dozier, 81: He was the middle name of the celebrated Holland-DozierHolland team that wrote and produced “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Heat Wave” and dozens of other hits and helped make Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond. Aug. 8.
Anne Heche, 53: Emmywinning film and television actor whose dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and accomplished career contrasted with chapters of personal turmoil. Aug. 14.
Mikhail Gorbachev, 91: As last leader of the Soviet Union, he set out to revitalize it but ended up unleashing forces that led to the collapse of communism, the breakup of the state and the end of the Cold War. Aug. 30.
September Barbara Ehrenreich,
81: Author, activist and selfdescribed “myth buster” who in such notable works as “Nickel and Dimed” and “Bait and Switch” challenged conventional thinking about class, religion and the very idea of an American dream. Sept. 1.
Bernard Shaw, 82: CNN’s chief anchor for two decades and a pioneering Black broadcast journalist best remembered for calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 as missiles flew around him in Baghdad. Sept. 7.
Ramsey Lewis , 87: A renowned jazz pianist whose music entertained fans over a more than 60year career that began with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and made him one of the country’s most successful jazz musicians. Sept. 12.
Jean-Luc Godard, 91: The iconic “enfant terrible” of the French New Wave who revolutionized popular cinema in 1960 with his first feature, “Breathless,” and stood for years among the film world’s most influential directors. Sept. 13.
Ken Starr, 76: A former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president’s impeachment and put Starr at the center of one of the country’s most polarizing debates of the 1990s. Sept. 13.
Louise Fletcher , 88: A late-blooming star whose riveting performance as Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award. Sept. 23.
Coolio, 59: The rapper was among hip-hop’s biggest names of the 1990s with hits including “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage.” Sept. 28.
October
Charles Fuller, 83: The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of the searing and acclaimed “A Soldier’s Play” who often explored and exposed how social institutions can perpetuate racism. Oct. 3.
Loretta Lynn, 90: The Kentucky coal miner’s daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music. Oct. 4.
Angela Lansbury, 96: British actor who kicked up her heels in the Broadway musicals “Mame” and “Gypsy” and solved endless murders as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the TV series “Murder, She Wrote.” Oct. 11.
Robbie Coltrane, 72: Comedian and character actor whose hundreds of roles included a crime-solving psychologist on the TV series “Cracker” and the gentle half-giant Hagrid in the “Harry Potter” movies. Oct. 14.
Ash Carter, 68: A former defense secretary who opened combat jobs to women and ended a ban on transgender people serving in the military. Oct. 24.
Leslie Jordan, 67: Emmywinning actor whose wry Southern drawl and versatility made him a comedy and drama standout on TV series including “Will & Grace” and “American Horror Story.” Oct. 24.
Jerry Lee Lewis, 87: Untamable rock ’n’ roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal. Oct. 28.
November
Takeoff, 28: A rapper best known for his work with the Grammy-nominated trio Migos. Nov. 1.
Archbishop Chrysostomos II, 81: Outspoken leader of Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Christian Church whose forays into the country’s complex politics and finances fired up supporters and detractors alike. Nov. 7.
Jeff Cook, 73: Guitarist who co-founded the country group Alabama and steered them up the charts with such hits as “Song of the South” and “Dixieland Delight.” Nov. 8.
Robert Clary , 96: A French-born survivor of Nazi concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty POW in the improbable 1960s sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.” Nov. 16.
Irene Cara, 63: Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy winning singeractor who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie “Fame” and then belted out the era-defining hit “Flashdance ... What a Feeling” from 1983’s “Flashdance.” Nov. 25.
Christine McVie, 79: British-born Fleetwood Mac vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player whose cool, soulful contralto helped define such classics as “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and “Don’t Stop.” Nov. 30.
December Dorothy Pitman Hughes,
84: A pioneering Black feminist, child welfare advocate and lifelong community activist who toured the country speaking with Gloria Steinem in the 1970s and appears with her in one of the most iconic photos of the second-wave feminist movement. Dec. 1.
Bob McGrath, 90: Actor, musician and children’s author known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on “Sesame Street.” Dec. 4.
Kirstie Alley, 71: Twotime Emmy winner whose roles on the TV series “Cheers” and in the “Look Who’s Talking” films made her one of the biggest stars in comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Dec. 5.
Stephen “tWitch” Boss, 40: Beloved dancing DJ on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and a former contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Dec. 13.
Franco Harris, 72: Hall of Fame running back who caught the “Immaculate Reception,” considered the most iconic play in NFL history. Dec. 20.
Pele, 82: Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became a global sports giant. Dec. 29.