Those We Lost in 2024 part 1of2

2024 seemed to be a year of loss for many newsworthy people, a list longer than normal—celebrities, those in the arts, and those internationally known.

In fact, the list was so long I had to go through it and pick a cross-section representing the entirety and even at that, I still needed to break it down into a 2-part blog.

So…presented chronologically from most recent on December 29 back through January 4, 2024, is a partial list. Next week in part 2, I'll present another list of a cross-section of those lost from January 4 through December 26, 2024.

Jimmy Carter:  Former president James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. died on Dec. 29. He was 100. The 39th president of the United States served from 1977-1981. In 2002 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Following his term as president, he dedicated himself to charity work, mostly in hands-on labor of building houses for Habitat For Humanity. He had been in hospice care since 2023, following the death of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, and a series of short hospital stays.

Linda Lavin:  Broadway star and Tony award-winning actress Linda Lavin died on Dec. 29. She was 87. The actress passed unexpectedly due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer. She rose to prominence in the '70s starring in the TV series Alice, following a stint as a guest star in multi-episodes of Barney Miller.

Nikki Giovanni:  Renowned poet, activist and leading figure of the Black Arts Movement, died Dec. 9 in Virginia after her third cancer diagnosis. She published her first book of poetry, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968, and published more than 20 more over the course of her career; she also helmed a publishing cooperative to amplify Black female writers in 1970.

Earl Holliman:  Award-winning screen star died on Nov. 25 at 96. Holliman  won a Golden Globe Award for his supporting performance as Jim Curry in the 1956 Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn film The Rainmaker. He is also remembered for co-starring in the 1970s with Angie Dickenson in the television series Police Woman.

Barbara Taylor Bradford:  The best-selling novelist died peacefully at her home on Nov. 24 following a short illness. She was 91. Born and raised in Leeds, England, Bradford OBE sold over 91 million copies of her books over the course of her career.

Chuck Woolery:  Original host of Wheel of Fortune, Chuck Woolery died at his home in Texas on Nov. 24 at the age of 83. He was not only the original host of Wheel of Fortune, he also hosted the popular dating show Love Connection for over a decade, as well as Scrabble, Greed and Lingo.

Bobby Allison:  The 1983 NASCAR Cup Series champion, died peacefully at his home on Nov. 9 at the age of 86. A Hall of Fame driver, Allison won 85 career races, with career highlights that included the 1983 Winston Cup Series Champion victory, three Daytona 500 wins and becoming a member of NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class in 2011.

Quincy Jones:  The legendary music producer died at his home in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. The musician is survived by his seven children. The family held a private funeral for their beloved patriarch a week after his death.

Maggie Smith:  Dame Maggie Smith passed away peacefully on Sept. 27 at the age of 89. Adept at both comedy and drama, she had a long and distinguished career on the stage and in movies, appearing most recently in the British television series Downton Abbey.

John Amos:  The Good Times and Roots actor died on Aug. 21 of congestive heart failure. He was 84.

Shannen Doherty:  Best remembered for her role in Beverly Hills 90210, she died at age 53 on July 13 after years of living with cancer. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

Richard Simmons:  The professional fitness coach died at his Los Angeles home on July 13. He was 76.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer:  The sex therapist who became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1980s died on July 12 at the age of 96.

Shelley Duvall:  The actress died at her home in Blanco, Texas, on July 11 from complications of diabetes.  She was 75.  She is probably best known for her role in The Shining.

Donald Sutherland:  The Canadian actor died on June 20 at the age of 88. His wry, arresting screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from M.A.S.H. to Ordinary People and The Hunger Games.

Dabney Coleman:  The actor died at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., on May 16. He was 92. Remembered for his many acting roles, the movie 9 To 5 is one of his most popular.

Barbara Rush:  The actress died peacefully in her sleep on March 31 at the age of 97. She was a regular in several television series including Peyton Place and Flamingo Road as well as numerous movie roles.

Richard Lewis:  The comedian and actor died on February 27 after suffering a heart attack. He was 76 and is best known for his role on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Toby Keith:  The country singer died on February 5 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer in fall 2021. He was 62.

Carl Weathers:  He died peacefully in his sleep on February 1 at the age of 76. The actor is best known for roles in Rocky, Predator and The Mandalorian.

Chita Rivera:  The Broadway actress, singer, and dancer died on Jan. 30 in New York after a brief illness. She was 91. The two-time Tony Award winning actress had been in 20 musicals over her long career.

Glynis Johns:  She died on January 4 in Los Angeles of natural causes at the age of 100. The Academy Award nominated actress costarred with Julie Andrews in the classic 1964 film Mary Poppins.

Stop back next week for part 2 of this 2-part list of Those We Lost In 2024.