2021, like 2020, was a year of tremendous loss of life due to Covid. 2021 was also a year for the loss of many famous people, famous for various reasons—politicians, sports figures, scientists, and celebrities.
I've compiled a brief list of a cross section of those we lost in 2021.
And first on the list, January 6, 2021, are those Capitol Police who lost their lives defending the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
HANK AARON January 22, 2021—86 years old
Baseball great who
started his career with the Milwaukee Braves. He broke Babe Ruth's long
standing home run record in 1974, eventually hitting 755 home runs during his
professional career. He was well known for his philanthropic work.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER February 5, 2021—91 years old
Academy Award
winning actor, probably best know for The Sound Of Music.
RUSH LIMBAUGH February 17, 2021—70 years old
Conservative radio
host.
PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH April 9, 2021—99 years old
Married to Queen Elizabeth
II for 73 years.
HESTER FORD April 17, 2021—115 or 116 years old
The oldest living
person in America, a black woman who saw 21 people
become president and lived through the Great Depression, both World Wars, Jim
Crow laws, the civil rights movement and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
MICHAEL COLLINS April 28, 2021—90 years old
Command pilot for
the Apollo 11 mission that saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin be the first to
step foot on the moon. "One small step for man…"
GAVIN MacLEOD May 29, 2021—90 years old
Actor best known for
his roles in the television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love
Boat.
COLIN POWELL October 18, 2021—84 years old
General Colin Powell
rose through the ranks of the U.S. military, commanded the Gulf War,
become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush,
and Secretary of State under President George W. Bush.
STEPHEN SONDHEIM November 26, 2021—91 years old
In his remarkable six-decade career, the
Broadway legend won a Pulitzer Prize and eight Tony Awards. At 27, he had his
first show on Broadway: West Side Story. The
lyricist and composer's body of work includes Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the
Park with George, Company, Pacific Overtures, Into the Woods and Assassins.
BOB DOLE December 5, 2021—98 years old
Longtime Senate Republican leader and the party's presidential nominee in 1996. He lost the use of his right arm during World War II. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018.
DESMOND TUTU December 26, 2021—90 years old
A towering figure who helped bring an end to
apartheid in South Africa. In 1984, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for
that work.
BETTY WHITE December 31, 2021—99 years old
Beloved actress
whose career spanned 7 decades, died just weeks short of her 100th
birthday. Well known for her work with animal rights. She is probably best
known for her roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls.
Winner of several Emmy awards, her last Emmy for hosting Saturday Night Live
when she was 88 years old.
As I said, this is only a brief cross-section of those we lost in 2021.
4 comments:
We lost some amazing folks in 2021. In our author world, we lost Suzanne Burke, an Australian writer. Thanks for sharing, Samantha.
Of course, those of us who are older are struck by just how many of those we read and watched on screen are passing. Everytime I see someone's name listed as trending or see their picture online, I'm worried that someone else I've dearly enjoyed is gone. :(
Excellent compilation. There were a few I had missed seeing in the news.
What’s amazing is that most of these folks were well into their 80s and 90s. Great longevity. We’ll miss them as well as many others.
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