Table of contents for TIME In Memoriam 2023 in TIME Magazine

WRITER B. 1936 | Edith Pearlman won the Drue Heinz Literature Prize in 1996 for her short story collection, Vaquita and Other Stories, but she didn’t rise to literary fame until she became a finalist for the 2011 National Book Award at age 74 for Binocular Vision: New & Selected Stories. Throughout her career that spanned over four decades, she published more than 250 works of short fiction and nonfiction in magazines, journals, anthologies, and online. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Pearlman made New England her home and died on January 1 in Brookline, Massachusetts, at the age of 86.…

WRITER B. 1940 | Russell Banks was an American poet and novelist, focusing mainly on themes of race, class, and power, and overcoming difficult situations in everyday life. Much of his writing reflected his upbringing—he was raised in a working-class family, and his father deserted them when he was a boy. According to TIME’s 1998 review of Banks’ book, Cloudsplitter: A Novel, “he knows the lives of men who drive dented pickups, show up for work with beer headaches and hold back, most of the time, from battering their wives and children.” Banks, a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, was 82 when he died on January 8.…

ACTOR B. 1939 | Tony-, Golden Globe-, and Oscar-nominated actor Melinda Dillon died on January 9 in Los Angeles at age 83. Born in Hope, Arkansas, Dillon moved to New York City after she finished acting school and landed the critically acclaimed role of Honey in the 1962 Broadway play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? after just a few weeks. Her quick rise was not without its difficulties, however; she left the play and acting altogether after just nine months. Dillon made her comeback in the 1970s, mostly playing supporting roles. Her character Mrs. Parker in the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story, made TIME’s “Top 10 Movie Moms We Wish Were Ours” list.…

BEATING VICTIM B. 1993 | Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was stopped for an alleged traffic violation, dragged from his car, and beaten by a group of Memphis police officers on January 7. He died from his injuries three days later. The event was captured on bodycam and surveillance videos, which were released to the public on January 27. They sparked protests across the country. Five police officers were fired and charged with various felonies, including second-degree murder; four pleaded not guilty and one took a plea deal. In September, the Justice Department announced separate federal charges against the five officers for civil rights violations related to Nichols’ death.…

BASKETBALL PLAYER & COACH B. 1949 | Chris Ford, former NBA star and coach known as the “Mad Bomber,” died in Philadelphia on January 17. He was 74. Ford was a college standout at Villanova University, leading them to three NCAA tournament appearances. He was drafted to the Detroit Pistons in 1972, then traded to the Boston Celtics in 1978. The NBA adopted the three-point field goal the following season, and Ford is credited by the NBA to have made the first three-pointer on October 12, 1979. With Ford, the Celtics won the NBA World Championship series in 1981. Ford later became a coach for the Celtics and other teams. ‘The three-point score introduced this season turned out to be a bonanza for guard Chris Ford; he hit on 43%…

WRITER & AD EXECUTIVE B. 1946 | Bell, the author best known for The New York Times bestselling spy novels about the fictional secret agent Lord Alexander Hawke, died in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 20. He was 76. Although writing was his passion and his novels made him famous, Bell pursued writing only after he retired as an advertising executive in 2000. He was president and chief creative officer at Leo Burnett U.S.A. and vice-chairman of the board and worldwide creative director at Young & Rubicam, one of the largest ad agencies in the world, where he and his team won several awards.…

HOCKEY PLAYER B. 1939 | Canadian-born Bobby Hull, known as “The Golden Jet,” was one of the greatest hockey players of all time but left a legacy shrouded in personal controversy. On the ice, he played 15 seasons for the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 50 goals or more during five of those seasons. He later joined the World Hockey Association, winning the Gordie Howe Trophy twice. His athletic prowess, however, was eclipsed by accusations of spousal abuse and racist comments. Despite Hull’s darker personal exploits, a statue of him outside Chicago’s United Center stands in his honor. Hull died in Wheaton, Illinois, on January 30 at the age of 84.…

BIOCHEMIST B. 1926 | Paul Berg, American pioneer in genetic engineering, died on February 15 at his home on the Stanford University campus in California. He was 96. Berg won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with fellow researchers Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger. Berg was recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for creating the first DNA molecule made of parts from different organisms, which ushered in a new era of genetic engineering, with applications in medicine and commerce, especially food production. Berg recognized his research raised ethical concerns and public-health risks. In 1975, he led a conference of DNA researchers who adopted rules to regulate their own work.…

SINGER B. 1937 | Known for his signature song, “Any Day Now,” Jackson had a string of chart-topping hit songs in the 1950s and 1960s. “Any Day Now,” written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard in 1962, amplified Jackson’s success. The song spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 that year, including three weeks at No. 2 on the R&B Singles chart. His smooth baritone voice, stylish stage presence, and ability to woo R&B fans drew the attention of Motown Records, which signed him on in 1968. Jackson was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2015. He was 85 when he died in Atlanta February 16.…

ACTOR B. 1939 | Known for her role in the TV crime drama Hill Street Blues, Bosson died February 18 in Santa Monica at the age of 83. She was nominated for five Emmys for playing Fay Furillo in the series before leaving the production in 1986. She continued to star in a handful of other crime shows, including Murder One and Hooperman, as well as making guest appearances in Mannix, L.A. Law, and other TV shows. Boson made her film debut playing a nurse in the 1968 movie Bullitt with Steve McQueen.…

FILM PRODUCER B. 1921 | Walter Mirisch, who made his mark producing many classic movies, including Oscar-winning In the Heat of the Night, died February 24 in Los Angeles at the age of 101. He and his brothers, Harold and Marvin, created the Mirisch Company in 1957, overseeing movies that garnered 28 Oscars. Among those were West Side Story and The Apartment. Other classics he had a hand in were The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Great Escape. He was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1973 to 1977.…

OLYMPIC DIVER B. 1930 | Pat McCormick, the first diver to win back-to-back Olympic springboard and platform gold medals (1952 and 1956), died March 7 in Santa Ana, California, at the age of 92. As a child, she practiced diving off a bridge in Long Beach, California, going on to win 26 national diving titles, including her four Olympic gold medals. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965 and was on the organizing committee for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Her daughter, Kelly, also a diver, won silver in springboard at the 1984 Los Angeles games and a bronze in Seoul in 1988.…

FOOTBALL COACH B. 1927 | As head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for 18 seasons, Grant led the team to four Super Bowl appearances, 11 division titles, and three National Football Conference championships. He started his career playing basketball for the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers before switching sports, playing football with the Philadelphia Eagles, then joining the Canadian Football League’s Winnepeg Blue Bombers in 1953. He accepted the head coaching spot with the Vikings in 1967 and became the first person inducted into both the CFL Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was 95 when he died March 11 in Minnesota.…

ARCHITECT B. 1929 | From 1948 to 1956, Wright apprenticed with his famed grandfather, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, at Taliesin and Taliesin West, working with him on such projects as New York’s Guggenheim Museum and Monona Terrace in Wisconsin. He eventually moved back to Los Angeles to work with his architect father, Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., who went by Lloyd, until Lloyd’s death in 1978. At that point Eric Lloyd Wright launched his own firm, following in his grandfather’s footsteps to focus on organic architecture and environmentally friendly design. In 1999, he founded the nonprofit Wright Way Organic Resource Center in Malibu, California. He was 93 when he died March 13.…

YOUNG-ADULT AUTHOR B. 1952 | Peters, whose work included young-adult novels about LGBTQ+ characters, died March 21 at the age of 71 at her home in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. After writing short stories for children’s magazines, she sold her first book, The Stinky Sneakers Contest, in 1992. By 2000 she was writing about more mature topics aimed at young-adult readers. Her book Luna, featuring a transgender teen, was a finalist for a National Book Award in 2004. Peters also wrote novels touching on bullying, discrimination, suicide, and alcoholism, including Define Normal, and Between Mom and Jo.…

COMPOSER B. 1952 | Ryuichi Sakamoto, an award-winning composer whose music reflected Eastern and Western cultures, died March 28 at age 71. His band, Yellow Magic Orchestra, became a phenomenon in Japan after creating techno-pop music using electronic synthesizers. His first film score was composed for the 1983 movie Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, in which he also acted with David Bowie. He and his co-composers won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy for The Last Emperor in 1987. Sakamoto earned a Golden Globe for The Sheltering Sky and wrote the score for The Revenant. He also composed solo albums and wrote music for the 1992 Summer Olympics.…

JAZZ PIANIST B. 1930 | The award-winning jazz great took to the piano at the age of 3, played professionally as a teen, and was touring by 20. Jamal, whose unique style was a major influence on Miles Davis, earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, and the Kennedy Center’s Living Jazz Legend Award. TIME once wrote, “Ahmad can build his musical ideas with such subtlety that the listener often has the sensation of not knowing where he is being led until the final note is played.” He was 92 when he died April 16 at his home in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts.…

TABLOID TV HOST B. 1944 | Host of The Jerry Springer Show, featuring controversial guests with bad behavior, Springer died April 27 in Evanston, Illinois, at the age of 79. Starting out with a law degree from Northwestern University, he focused on politics, winning a seat on Cincinnati’s City Council in the 1970s before being elected mayor, a post he held from 1977 to 1978. He moved into local TV reporting, then became an anchor, winning 10 local Emmys for his work. His national TV talk show kicked off in 1991 and ran 27 seasons before it was cancelled. His autobiography, Ringmaster, was published in 1998.…

COMIC BOOK ARTIST B. 1930 | John Romita Sr., known best for his artwork in Marvel Comics, died in June 12 in Floral Park, Illinois, at age 93. He began working for Marvel in 1965, primarily on Daredevil-themed issues until The Amazing Spider-Man artist and co-creator Steve Ditko left Marvel and writer Stan Lee asked Romita to fill in. At first, Romita followed Ditko’s original style, but later gave Spider-Man his own spin—it quickly became Marvel’s top seller. One of Romita’s iconic characters was Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker’s love interest, who he reportedly modeled after actress Ann-Margret. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2002.…

ADVENTURERS The five people aboard the Titan submersible that went missing on June 18 were confirmed dead on June 22 after debris that indicated that the vessel imploded was found. The group was venturing into the deep sea to tour the Titanic wreckage site. The tragedy—along with the $250,000 per-passenger price tag—put a spotlight on the oft-unregulated extreme tourism trade that is almost exclusively patronized by wealthy clients. American Stockton Rush, 61, was an engineer and the co-founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the exploration company that owned the submersible. OceanGate suspended all operations a few weeks after the Titan incident. French sub pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, was a diver and leading Titanic expert. Known as “Mr. Titanic,” he made 37 successful trips to the oceanliner’s wreckage during his…

ASTRONAUT B. 1932 | The former astronaut, physicist, fighter pilot, and entrepreneur died in Houston on January 3 at age 90. Cunningham was the lunar module pilot for the Apollo 7 mission, the first crewed flight of NASA’s Apollo program. He received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and he was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, International Space Hall of Fame, Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame, San Diego Air and Space Museum Hall of Fame, and Houston Hall of Fame. In 1977, he published the book, The All-American Boys, a candid memoir about his experience in the space industry.…

ACTOR B. 1968 | Adam Rich was best known for his portrayal of Nicholas, the youngest son of the Bradford Family on the TV comedy-drama Eight Is Enough that ran from 1977 to 1981. Rich was only 8 years old when he became a star. After Eight Is Enough, he mostly made guest appearances on TV shows, did voice work, and appeared in commercials, but he lived a troubled life due to his bouts of depression, use of drugs and alcohol, and run-ins with the law. He became a mental-health advocate a few years before his death. Rich died in Los Angeles on January 7 at age 54.…

WRITER B. 1928 | Johnson, the English speechwriter, writer, and author and editor of more than 50 books, died on January in London at age 94. Although he leaned toward left-wing ideologies as a young man, he eventually became a popular conservative historian. He wrote for The Daily Telegraph, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, and others. In the review of Johnson’s 1977 book, The History of Christianity, TIME observed, “[He] has written a literary rarity, a highly readable, deeply learned, thoroughly fascinating account of 2,000 years of Christian history.… Johnson is master of the arresting detail, the vivid personality sketch.”…

STUNT PERFORMER B. 1962 | Knievel, who promoted himself as “Kaptain Robbie Knievel,” died in Reno, Nevada, on January 13. He was 60. Knievel followed in the footsteps of his daredevil father, Evel Knievel, performing his first stunt show alongside his dad when he was just 8 years old. According to his official website, Kneivel made over 350 motorcycle jumps and holds 20 world records. A couple of his most memorable stunts include his 1989 jump over the fountains at Caesar’s Palace (a stunt his father failed in 1967) and a 228-foot jump across the Grand Canyon in 1999.…

FILM PRODUCER B. 1943 | Edward R. Pressman, founder of Pressman Film, a company that launched the careers of some of the most prominent figures in the movie industry since the 1960s, died in Los Angeles on January 17 at age 79. As a producer, Pressman avoided a hands-on approach and focused more intently on assembling the right mix of creative talent. He produced Sisters, released in 1972, which was director Brian De Palma’s first thriller film. Pressman was also behind Oliver Stone’s 1987 Wall Street and 1988 Talk Radio, Danny DeVito’s Hoffa in 1992, Mary Harron’s American Psycho in 2000, and dozens of other celebrated films.…

WRITER B. 1942 | British-born literary travel writer Jonathan Raban died in Seattle, Washington, on January 17. He was 80. Raban did not like being referred to as a “travel writer,” as he felt his work reflected more of a personal journey with reporting and prose—different than guidebooks that are most closely related with the term. Raban’s travel narratives include Arabia: Through the Looking Glass, about the Middle East; Old Glory, about his travel down the Mississippi River; Hunting Mister Heartbreak, which followed the footsteps of U.S. immigrants; and Passage to Juneau, about his sea voyage from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska.…

SET DESIGNER B. 1939 | Lee was a six-time Emmy Award-winning set designer for Saturday Night Live, from the premiere episode in 1975 until 1980, and from 1985 until his death. He was a rare mainstay on the hit late-night variety show where cast members come and go. Lee also lent his talents to the Trinity Repertory Company in his home of Providence, Rhode Island, and worked on the design for several iconic Broadway sets, including Candide (1974), Sweeney Todd (1979), and Wicked (2003), each of which earned him a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. Lee died on February 6 in Providence at age 83.…

BASKETBALL PLAYER & COACH B. 1973 | Simone Edwards, the first Jamaican player in the WNBA, died on February 16 in Florida at age 49. At 6 feet, 4 inches tall, she was a standout at Seminole State College in Oklahoma and later at the University of Iowa. She was chosen as a developmental player for the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 1997, and later played for the Seattle Storm, winning the WNBA championship in 2004. Edwards, known to fans as the “Jamaican Hurricane,” retired from the Storm in 2006 as the team’s all-time leader in rebounds, minutes played, and games played. She went on to play basketball professionally in Europe and Israel and coached the Jamaican women’s national basketball team.…

BASEBALL PLAYER & COMMENTATOR B. 1941 | Professional baseball catcher and MLB color commentator Tim McCarver died February 16 in Memphis at age 81. While playing for the big leagues—from 1959 to 1980—McCarver spent most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. Then he moved to the broadcast booth for 30 years, often working alongside Joe Buck. During that time, McCarver called 23 World Series games and 20 All-Star games and won three Emmys. He was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016 and the St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Fame in 2017.…

BASEBALL PLAYER B. 1940 | Called “Pepi” by fans, the colorful and sometimes controversial first baseman played with the New York Yankees for most of his 12-year MLB career. Pepitone played in three World Series for the Yankees and won three Gold Gloves. He hit a career-high 33 home runs in 1966. Off the field, he was known for his flashy attire and fluffy hairpiece. Pepitone also played for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves. He died March 13 in Kansas City at age 82.…

BASKETBALL PLAYER & COACH B. 1942 | Reed, the legendary New York Knicks center who was known as “The Captain,” played with the NBA team from 1964 to 1974. Named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1965, he captured a string of awards in the 1969-1970 season, including NBA’s Most Valuable Player and MVP of the championship finals. After retiring from playing, Reed did some coaching before becoming general manager, then a senior vice president with the New Jersey Nets. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and named to the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Reed died at the age of 80 in Houston on March 21.…

ACTOR & COMEDIAN B. 1935 | While studying medicine, Xavier López, known by his stage name Chabelo, worked as an assistant at a television network in Mexico when he discovered his calling as a children’s comic. Famous throughout Mexico for playing a little boy in the TV variety show En Familia con Chabelo, he earned a Guinness World Record for portraying that character for more than 57 years. The show was also awarded a Guinness World Record for 44 years of uninterrupted broadcast. López, who also appeared in a number of movies, was 88 when he died in Mexico City on March 25.…

SATIRIST B. 1932 | A piano-playing satirist who parodied politicians for 60 years, Mark Russell died on March 30 at his Washington, D.C., home. He was 90. After serving in the Marine Corps, he took on piano-playing gigs in Washington bars, cracking wise about politics between songs. In 1961, Russell landed a job at the Shoreham Hotel in the nation’s capital, where he continued to skewer politicians until 1981. He starred in a series of solo comedy specials that ran for nearly 30 years on PBS and hosted NBC’s Real People from 1979 to 1983. His autobiography, Presenting Mark Russell, was published in 1980.…

RACE CAR DRIVER B. 1937 | Obsessed with breaking the world land speed record as a child, Craig Breedlove achieved that goal in 1963, when he averaged just over 407 mph in his racer, “Spirit of America.” In 1964 he broke his own record at 500 mph, and a year later, he hit 600 mph. As a teen, Breedlove skipped college and worked odd jobs so he could spend his spare time building and racing cars. Once the fastest man on wheels, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2009. Breedlove died in Rio Vista, California, on April 4 at age 86.…

WRITER B. 1936 | The former advertising executive, anti-TV crusader, and activist was 86 when he died April 11 at his home in Honokaa, Hawaii. Mander’s advertising career started at Freeman & Gossage in San Francisco, where one of his advertising campaigns for the Sierra Club helped halt the building of dams in the Grand Canyon. Later he worked with Public Interest Communications, then Public Media Center, focusing on campaigns for nonprofit groups like Planned Parenthood and Earth Island Institute. His most recent book, 70 Ads to Save the World, An Illustrated Memoir of Social Change, was published in 2022.…

OLYMPIC SPRINTER B. 1990 | Tori Bowie, the U.S. Olympic sprinter who won three Olympic medals in her career, died April 23 of pregnancy complications in Horizon West, Florida. She was 32. Starting her professional track and field career in 2013, Bowie sprinted her way to winning three medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She earned silver in the 100-meter dash, a bronze in the 200-meter, and gold in the 100-meter relay with three teammates. She won bronze at the Beijing World Championships in 2015 and two gold medals in the 2017 World Championships in London. Bowie also modeled for a Valentino campaign in 2017.…

BASEBALL & BASKETBALL PLAYER B. 1930 | In an era when pros could play more than one sport, Dick Groat played in the MLB and the NBA, before dropping basketball to focus on baseball. Starting out as an All-American in both sports at Duke University in the 1950s, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as shortstop and the NBA’s Fort Wayne Pistons. He left the Pistons to focus on baseball, and in 1960 was named the National League’s MVP. Spending most of his 14-year MLB career with the Pirates, Groat was elected to the Pirates Hall of Fame shortly before he died April 27 in Pittsburgh. He was 92.…

DIRECTOR OF DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY B. 1958 | Stewart, the first Marine Corps officer to head the Defense Intelligence Agency, was a teen when he immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. He joined the Marines in 1981, serving for 38 years and becoming the first Black officer to lead the DIA, from 2015 to 2017. He also served as vice commander of U.S. Cyber Command. His many military decorations included the Defense Superior Service medal, the Legion of Merit with one gold star, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars, and the Combat Action Ribbon. Stewart died April 28 in Aldie, Virginia. He was 64.…

AUTHOR & ACTIVIST B. 1934 | Arun Gandhi, the activist who followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, died May 2 in Kolhapur, India, at the age of 89. Arun Gandhi traveled the world, lecturing and advocating for nonviolence and the power of peace. His books include A Patch of White, Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence, The Gift of Anger and Other Lessons from my Grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, and a children’s book called Grandfather Gandhi. In 1991, he and his wife founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Memphis.…

FOOTBALL PLAYER B. 1936 | Brown, the NFL Hall of Fame running back who led the Cleveland Browns to their 1964 Super Bowl win, died on May 18 in Los Angeles at age 87. He was a three-time Associated Press NFL MVP Award winner, and according to the TIME cover story from November 26, 1965, was “regarded as a genuine phenomenon in a sport that shares the language (‘blitz,’ ‘bullet,’ ‘bomb’) of war.” He was also a civil rights activist. Post-NFL, he became an actor and color commentator. His legacy is stained by allegations of violence against women, which he denied.…

ACTOR B. 1951 | American actor Treat Williams, known for his role as Dr. Andy Brown on the TV show Everwood, died on June 12 in Albany, New York. He was 71. Williams broke into film in the late 1970s, and he was nominated for the 1980 Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for his role as George Berger in the film Hair. He spent the next decades in TV and film, including his portrayal of Danny Ciello, a troubled NYPD narcotics detective in the film Prince of the City, which garnered him a 1981 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.…

JOURNALIST B. 1922 | Kalb was a journalist who covered foreign affairs for CBS News, NBC News, and The New York Times. In 1984, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and spokesman for the U.S. Department of State by President Ronald Reagan. He was the first journalist who had covered the state department to become its spokesperson. Kalb resigned two years later, in objection to the administration reportedly planting false stories about Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, calling it a “disinformation program.” He said, “Faith in the word of America is the pulse beat of our democracy.” Kalb died on January 8 at age 100.…

GREEK MONARCH B. 1940 | Constantine II, the last king of Greece who was featured in the April 28, 1967 TIME cover story, died in Athens on January 10 at the age of 82. During World War II, his family fled to South Africa and Egypt, returning in 1946. Constantine’s father, Paul, took the throne in 1947. Prince Constantine won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics for yachting and later became a member of the International Olympic Committee. He became king of Greece in 1964 during a time of political upheaval—he was forced into exile in 1967 at age 27 and remained in exile for 40 years. The Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973.…

ACTOR B. 1936 | Kimbrough, who played the straight-faced anchor of FYI, the fictional news magazine on the hit TV sitcom Murphy Brown from 1988 to 1998, and again in 2018, died on January 11 in Culver City, California. He was 86. For his work on Murphy Brown, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1990. In addition to his television and film appearances, Kimbrough appeared on Broadway, including in the 1970 production of Company, Stephen Sondheim’s musical that was nominated for a record 14 Tony Awards, including one for Kimbrough for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.…

ACTOR B. 1927 | The Italian actor, artist, and international sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s died on January 16 in Rome at age 95. Before she did her first U.S. film in 1953, she had appeared in European films for nearly a decade, receiving a Silver Ribbon and a BAFTA nomination. She was the cover subject of the August 16, 1954, issue of TIME, which reported on the Italian movie industry, Lollobrigida’s rise to fame, and the U.S. releases of Beat the Devil and the French-language film Fanfan la Tulipe. In the story, TIME reported, “She is the girl who, according to Humphrey Bogart, ‘makes Marilyn Monroe look like Shirley Temple.’”…

FASHION DESIGNER B. 1934 | Rabanne, the fashion designer known for his innovative designs that eschewed traditional fabric sewing techniques in favor of plastic and metal constructions, died in Portsall, France, on February 3 at the age of 88. He started as a jewelry designer for big fashion houses, including Dior, Givenchy, and Balenciaga, and made his couture debut in 1966, featuring his signature “space age” designs. His knack for the unconventional also made a mark on the fragrance world—his unique scents Calandre, 1 Million, and Lady Million are still popular today. The designer was also known for his eccentric beliefs, including that he was visited by Jesus and aliens.…

FILM DIRECTOR B. 1936 | English film director Hugh Hudson, best known for directing the 1981 sports drama film Chariots of Fire, died in London on February 10. He was 86. Chariots of Fire was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Hudson for Best Director, and won four: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score. He also directed the 1984 adventure film Greystoke, the Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, which received three Oscar nominations. Hudson was an accomplished documentarian and directed successful commercial advertising campaigns as well.…

ACTOR B. 1938 | Stevens launched her film career in 1959 playing naïve, blonde bombshells but evolved into roles that allowed her to display a wide range of acting abilities on the big screen and TV. In the 1960s, she co-starred alongside Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, Dean Martin in The Silencers, and Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! She also had roles in The Courtship of Eddie’s Father and The Poseidon Adventure. Stevens worked as a director, producer, and author as well. She was 84 when she died February 17 in Los Angeles.…

ACTOR B. 1935 | The actor, most recognized for playing Tevye in the film Fiddler on the Roof, died at home in Israel March 8 at the age of 87. Topol started as a comic, boosting morale in the Israeli army before becoming one of Israel’s most honored actors. He won his first Golden Globe as the lead in the 1964 Israeli film Sallalh Shabati. His Tevye portrayal in the 1971 film earned Topol his second Golden Globe. In 2015, he was awarded the Israel Prize for his acting and charity work. He also performed on Broadway and on stage in London, and starred in movies.…

ACTOR B. 1962 | Reddick, known for his roles as Charon in the John Wick movies, Cedric Daniels on The Wire, and Chief Irvin Irving in the series Bosch, died March 17 in Los Angeles. He was 60. Although he was a prolific actor with an imposing presence, Reddick had planned a music career after studying classical composition. He shifted into acting and earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Yale in 1994, the same year he made his TV debut on New York Undercover. He continued his interest in music, releasing an album of his own compositions, Contemplations & Remembrances in 2007. ‘Modern audiences can’t get enough of mythology and world-building, and the John Wick universe offers myriad possibilities.’TIME, March 13, 2023…

COMEDIAN, TV PRESENTER, & DRAG QUEEN B. 1955 | Breaking into show business as drag queen Lily Savage, O’Grady also was a much loved TV presenter, comedian and LGBTQ+ rights activist in the UK. He hosted a number of TV and radio programs and performed on stage throughout his career. In 2005, The Paul O’Grady Show was awarded Best Daytime Program by the Royal Television Society and O’Grady earned Best Entertainment Performance from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Also known for his animal rights activism and philanthropy, O’Grady died March 28 at the age of 67 at his home in Kent, England.…

MAGICIAN B. 1926 | A magician and expert in memory training, Lorayne died April 7 at the age of 96 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Inspired by a card trick he saw as a boy, he mastered that trick, taught himself the art of magic, and became proficient in memory skills. He delighted TV audiences with his memory and sleight-of-hand illusions on The Ed Sullivan Show, Today, Good Morning America, and The Regis Philbin Show. He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and he wrote several bestselling books, including The Memory Book, co-authored with former NBA All-Star Jerry Lucas.…

FASHION DESIGNER B. 1934 | Quant was a self-taught London designer who shook up the fashion world in the 1950s and 1960s with her bold looks, short hemlines, and brightly colored tights. She helped popularize the miniskirt and hotpants and her London look was brought to the United States in 1965 when she signed a contract with JC Penney. Quant was presented with the Hall of Fame Award by the British Fashion Council in 1990. Ten years later, she retired as head of Mary Quant Ltd. She died April 13 at age 93 in Surrey, England.…

PRESS SECRETARY TO JACQUELINE KENNEDY B. 1937 | The first person to become press secretary to a first lady of the United States, Timmins was 23 when she took on the task of working with Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961. Timmins was previously employed in the Belgian Embassy as a receptionist, then later became secretary to one of John F. Kennedy’s top aides. After Kennedy was assassinated, Timmins stayed on to help Jacqueline Kennedy until 1966. Timmins died April 25 at her home in Edwards, Colorado, at the age of 85.…

MUSICIAN B. 1933 | Known for his outlandish attire and on-stage antics, the British rocker kicked off his music career playing piano at a coffee bar in London. Dubbed “Britain’s Wild Man of Rock ’n’ Roll,” Harris released his first single, “Rockin’ at the Two I’s,” on the Decca label in 1957. That same year, his appearances on the BBC program Six-Five Special were criticized for negatively influencing teens. Often performing in pink hair and wild costumes, Harris played the club circuit through the 1970s, touring throughout the UK, Italy, and Israel. He died April 27 at the age of 90.…

BASEBALL PLAYER B. 1949 | Only 21 when he won both the American League’s Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player in 1971, Blue died May 6 in San Francisco. He was 73. The left-handed pitcher, who was referred to as “A Bolt of Blue Lightning” in TIME’s August 23, 1971, cover story, made his major league debut with the Oakland Athletics in 1969 and helped the team win three World Series titles in 1972, 1973, and 1974. He stayed with Oakland for nine seasons, was traded to the San Francisco Giants, then to the Kansas City Royals. He moved back to the Giants in 1985 before retiring after the 1986 season.…

MUSICIAN B. 1964 | Rourke, the bassist for the English rock band the Smiths, died in New York City on May 19. He was 59. The quartet, best known for songs such as “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” and “There Is a Light that Never Goes Out” came to define a certain 1980s sound. Rourke joined the Smiths in 1982 after their first gig and remained active until the band broke up in 1987, but Rourke’s heroin addiction was an ongoing issue with the band. He also played with Sinead O’Connor and the Pretenders, and formed the groups Freebass, D.A.R.K, and Blitz Vega.…

ACTOR & POLITICIAN B. 1936 | Jackson, winner of three Emmys, two Oscars, a Tony Award, and a seat in the British Parliament, died June 15 in London. She was 87. She started acting in film, theater, and TV roles in the 1970s through the early 1990s, including two notable roles as Elizabeth I. She left the thespian stage for politics in 1992—she was a MP until retiring in 2015. In 2016, at the age of 80, she played the title role in Macbeth at London’s Old Vic, and in 2018, she won a Tony Award for her performance in Three Tall Women.…

WHISTLEBLOWER B. 1931 | Ellsberg, the former Pentagon analyst who in 1971 gave the New York Times the Pentagon Papers, 47 volumes of documents that exposed how the government had mismanaged the Vietnam War and lied about it, died on June 16 in Kensington, California. He was 92. For his part in the leak, Ellsberg was charged with espionage, but the charges were dropped after it was revealed that the Nixon White House had engaged in illegal evidence-gathering. TIME’s 1971 cover story on the Pentagon Papers noted, “Appeal to a higher morality by an individual or an organization is often necessary—and always dangerous.”…