Celebrity Deaths 2016

2016 has been a rough year. But what makes the year so much worse is that it took away so many of our favorite and most beloved celebrities. From the music industry to television, from movies to sports, there wasn’t an area of entertainment that didn’t feel the effect of 2016 celebrity death.

We lost Ziggy Stardust, Severus Snape, Willy Wonka, and Mrs. Brady, just to name a few, and every single one of them hit everyone right in the feels.

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Here is a list of the ten of the most heartbreaking celebrity deaths of 2016.

Let’s all hope that 2017 doesn’t hurt nearly as bad.

Next: Watch Fans Raise Wands In Honor Of Alan Rickman At Universal Orlando’s Celebration Of Harry Potter, David Bowie’s Art Collection on Display in New York, Star Trek’s Cast & Crew Honor Late Star Anton Yelchin, Robin Thicke And His Brother Pay Tribute to Late Father Alan Thicke, Gene Wilder Dies At 83

[H/T Wikipedia]

David Bowie

David Bowie died on January 10, 2016.

This sensational musician was well known not just for his music, but for how he helped shape the music world into what it is today. He is considered an innovator in performance, transforming how concerts were done, adding visual presentations and extreme stagecraft. What’s more, he continued to influence music for over five decades, putting out new music until right before he died.

But Bowie wasn’t just a musician, he was also an actor know best for his roles in Labryinth and A View to a Kill. He even lent his voice to a role in a Spongebob Squarepants film! He could and would do it all.

Sadly, Bowie died of liver cancer – an illness he had been diagnosed with only a year before and didn’t share with the public.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman died on Fabruary 21, 2016.

Rickman was an English actor who was known for roles that streatched across various genres. He played Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films. He played Metatron in Kevin Smith’s Dogma. He played Aledander Dane in Galaxy Quest. He even sang as Judge Turpin in the film adaptation of Sweeny Todd. On top of all of that he was also known for starring in many period peices, as well as working on stage.

After suffering a minor stroke in 2015, Rickman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he concealed from the public. After his passing fans posted messages and created memorials in significant places, especially surrounding the Harry Potter films. So many people’s hearts were broken when he passed, and so many took comfort in the tributes and messages written by those who worked with him, saying that he was just a great a person as he seemed.

Will we miss Alan Rickman? Always.

Prince

Prince died on April 21, 2016.

Prince was an influential and innovative musician, singer-songwriter, and producer. During his career, he transformed the way music was performed, much like David Bowie, in that he performed in in outrageous makeup and clothing. He acted flamboyant and ridiculous. He worked a variety of styles into his music. He did what he wanted to do on stage and it changed everything.

Though Prince is best known for his influence on music, he was also known for the time when he changed his name to a symbol and officially became “the artist formally known as Prince.” That symbol is still recognized today. Though the musician did use other pseudonyms to hide his presence when he was working as a songwriter or a producer with other artists.

No matter where you look, there is probably a little bit of influence from Prince.

Mohamed Ali

Mohamed Ali died on June 3, 2016.

Known as one of america’s greates boxers, this athlete is known as one of the most significant sports figures in history. He wasn’t just a boxer, but he was inspirational to many and controversial to many more. He was part of the Civil Right’s movement. He avoided the Draft for the Vietnam war and was arrested. He even changed his religion and his name early in the 1960’s. He believed in what he believed in and followed what he thought was right.

Later in life, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This lead to his gradual decline in health. As June 2016 approached, there were rumors that Ali was no longer able to speak and that he was being admitted to the hospital for cases of pneumonia and infections. Eventually he pased away from septic shock due to a respritory illness. He was 74 years old.

mohamed ali — (Photo: Facebook / Mohamed Ali)

Anton Yelchin

Anton Yelchin died on June 19, 2016.

Moving to America from Russia, Yelchin started off his career as a child actor. His most notable roles as a child were in Steven Spielberg’s Taken, Charlies Bartlett, and Along Came a Spider. In 2009 he was cast as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek. He then continued to play Chekov in the following two films: Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond (posthumously).

Yelchin was only 27 years old when he passed away in his driveway at his Los Angeles home. A malfunction of his vehicle caused the car to roll backward pinning him against a pillar. It was said that he did not suffer during the accident. He had such a promising career ahead of him, but 2016 took him too soon.

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder died on August 29, 2016.

With the titles of actor, comic, screenwriter, and director under his belt, Wilder will always and forever be known as the lovable – but sometimes harsh and scary – Willy Wonka from 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He was the funny creator of ridiculous things. He made kids laugh – it was one of the things that made him so loveable.

Many of his other notable movies were also comedies. The worked with Mel Brooks a few times, starring in films such as Young Frankenstein and The Producers.

Wilder’s death was another that came as a surprise. He was suffering and died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He decided to keep his illness a secret because he didn’t want to spoil the image his young fans had of him as the happy and warm Willy Wonka, a demeanour he shared with the character.

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer died on September 25, 2016.

Palmer was a particularly talented professional golfer. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He popularized golf as a sport because people wanted to watch him play, they wanted to watch him succeed, they wanted to watch him win.

His career started back in the 1950’s and lasted until the early 1970’s. During that time he managed to win 62 PGA Tour titles, which makes him the 4th person on the all-time victory list.

Palmer passed away while waiting for heart surgery. His passing marked a tremendously sad day in not only the world of golf, but the world of sports as a whole.

aronold palmer — (Photo: Facebook / Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children)

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen died on November 7, 2016.

Cohen was a bit of a creative jack of all trades. He was a musician, a poet, a painter, and a novelist. His work encompassed topics of religion, politics, sexuality, and relationships between people. He is best known for his son “Halleluiah.” Over the years, he has been an influential staple in the world of music. He even achieved the highest possible award for a Canadian civilian, becoming a Companion of the Order of Canada.

When he passed away in his sleep after a fall in his home earlier that evening – it is also said that cancer was a contributing factor in his death – many musicians paid their tributes to the late singer, many saying that without Cohen, they may not have become musicians.

leonard cohen — (Photo: Facebook / Leonard Cohen)

Florence Henderson

Florence Henderson died on November 24, 2016.

Known as everyone’s TV mom, Henderson’s death made an impact on a lot of people across the country. Anyone who watched television in the early 70’s knew her as Carol Brady from The Brady Bunch. She was the mom everyone wish they had. As it turns out, she was even the mom the children on the show wish they had had.

After her passing, many of the actors that worked with Henderson on The Brady Bunch opened up about how influential she was on them as they were growing up in the spotlight. Many of them said that she was almost like a second mom. Even now, Henderson’s family considers many of the actors from the show as family.

Henderson passed away from heart failure at the age of 82.

Alan Thicke

Alan Thicke died on December 13, 2016.

Best known as Jason Seaver from the 80’s sitcom Growing Pains, Thicke became everyone’s TV dad. He spent a lot of time on television, even after Growing Pains ended in 1992. He hosted for years before he started in sitcoms, and continued to host here and there afterward. Before his death, he even made an appearance on a few other sitcoms, such as Fuller House.

Thicke passed away from a heart attack. He and his youngest son, Carter were playing hockey, a past time that they participated in often. Thicke’s death was very unexpected, even to his family. The world lost a most beloved TV dad that day.