Gene Winfield (1927–2025), custom car designer for movies and TV

Gene Winfield was an icon of the custom car community whose designs were seen in such movies and TV shows as “Blade Runner,” “Star Trek,” and “Bewitched.”

íngela ílvarez (1927–2024), singer who won a Latin Grammy at 95

íngela ílvarez was a Cuban singer and songwriter who won a Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2022, when she was 95 years old.

Barbara Dane (1927–2024), folk singer and activist

Barbara Dane was a folk, blues, and jazz singer who spent her career fighting for peace and justice through the power of song.

Lillian Schwartz (1927–2024), pioneer of computer-generated art

Lillian Schwartz was a groundbreaking digital artist whose computer-assisted work in the 1960s and ‘70s pre-dated personal home computers and mainstream digital art by many years.

Betty Halbreich (1927–2024), famed Bergdorf Goodman personal shopper 

Betty Halbreich was a New York City style icon as the longtime director of solutions at the city’s Bergdorf Goodman department store, where she was a personal shopper for celebrities and styled TV shows.

Joan Benedict (1927–2024), longtime stage and TV veteran

Joan Benedict was an actress known for her wide-ranging TV roles, including being a regular on “The Steve Allen Show,” in “Candid Camera” skits, and appearances on soap operas like “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives.”

Marty Pavelich (1927–2024), four-time Stanley Cup champion

Marty Pavelich was a Canadian NHL left winger who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the 1940s and ‘50s, winning four Stanley Cups with the celebrated squad.

Pete McCloskey (1927–2024), GOP congressman who fought Nixon

Pete McCloskey was a Republican congressman who became the first member of the House to call for Richard Nixon’s resignation, co-wrote the Endangered Species Act, and co-founded Earth Day.

Barbara Rush (1927–2024), “It Came From Outer Space” star

Barbara Rush was a prolific film, television and stage actress known for credits including the 1953 movie “It Came From Outer Space” and TV shows “Peyton Place” and “All My Children.” 

Bill Post (1927–2024), inventor of Pop-Tarts

Bill Post was the inventor of Pop-Tarts.

Victor J. Kemper (1927–2023), Dog Day Afternoon cinematographer

Victor J. Kemper was a cinematographer known for his work on such films as “Dog Day Afternoon,” “The Jerk,” and “Slap Shot.” 

Elliot Silverstein (1927–2023), Cat Ballou director 

Elliot Silverstein was a filmmaker who directed such movies as “Cat Ballou,” as well as episodes of “The Twilight Zone” and other TV shows.

Rosalynn Carter (1927–2023), former first lady of the United States

Rosalynn Carter was first lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981, wife to 39th President Jimmy Carter.

Robert Brustein (1927–2023), independent theater defender

Robert Brustein was a critic, professor, and writer who was a fierce proponent of independent theater and who advocated for theater to value art over commerce.

Barbara Mullen (1927–2023), unconventional 1950s model

Barbara Mullen was a model in the 1950s whose slim frame offered a glimpse into the future of modeling.

Christine King Farris (1927–2023), Martin Luther King Jr.’s sister 

Christine King Farris was a teacher and author, as well as the sister of the Rev.  

Homer Hogues (1927–2023), one of the last Tuskegee Airmen 

Homer Hogues was one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the decorated group of Black pilots who fought for the United States even as they faced discrimination. He served in World War II and worked as an airplane mechanic for the 99th Fighter Squadron.

Harry Markowitz (1927–2023), Nobel Prize-winning economist 

Harry Markowitz pioneered “modern portfolio theory,” which examines how diversification contributes to a portfolio’s ratio of risk and reward. His work as an economist earned him a Nobel Prize and numerous other honors.

Ed Ames (1927–2023), pop singer and Daniel Boone star 

Ed Ames starred as Mingo on the 1960s TV series “Daniel Boone,” and he sang hit songs such as “My Cup Runneth Over.” 

Kenneth Anger (1927–2023), experimental filmmaker and author

Kenneth Anger was an author and filmmaker whose experimental short films and books recounting salacious Hollywood rumors proved both infamous and influential. 

Harry Belafonte (1927–2023), legendary singer, actor, and activist

Harry Belafonte was the “King of Calypso,” a singer known for his signature song, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” as well as an actor and a prominent civil rights activist.

Virginia Norwood (1927-2023), physicist, “Mother of Landsat”

Virginia Norwood invented the multispectral scanner that allows us to take detailed images of Earth from orbit. An integral part of the Landsat 1 satellite, the technology paved the way for the satellite scanners providing imagery of Earth to this day. She is known as the “Mother of Landsat” thanks to her breakthrough.

Bud Grant (1927–2023), longtime Minnesota Vikings head coach

Bud Grant was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from the 1960s through 1980s, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances.

Greta Andersen (1927–2023), Olympic swimming champion 

Greta Andersen was a Danish professional swimmer. She broke 18 world marathon records and was the largest money winner in women’s professional swimming history.0e280af

Harry Whittington (1927–2023), Texas reformer shot by VP

Harry Whittington was a lawyer who made headlines in 2006 when he was accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney while on a hunting trip.

Gina Lollobrigida (1927–2023), Italian film star of Hollywood's Golden Age

Gina Lollobrigida, one of the world's most renowned movie actresses of the 1950s and '60s, died Jan 16, according to authorities in her home country of Italy.

Dick Savitt (1927–2023), tennis Hall of Famer

Dick Savitt was a Hall of Fame tennis player and one of only four U.S. men to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in the same year.

Pope Benedict XVI (1927–2022), former pope who stepped down in 2013

Pope Benedict XVI was the former pope, who became the first pope to resign his office voluntarily since 1294.

Marijane Meaker (1927–2022), award-winning young adult and lesbian author

Marijane Meaker was an author of pioneering young adult and lesbian fiction, including under such pen names as M.E. Kerr and Vin Packer.

Joyce Bryant (1927–2022), singer called “The Bronze Blonde Bombshell”

Joyce Bryant was a singer of the 1940s and ‘50s known as “The Bronze Blonde Bombshell” and “The Black Marilyn Monroe.”

Anita Kerr (1927–2022), backup singer for Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison

Anita Kerr was the leader of the Anita Kerr Singers, who sang backup for country superstars including and as well as recording their own music.

Eileen Ryan (1927–2022), actress and mother of Sean Penn

Eileen Ryan was an actress who appeared on “The Twilight Zone” and “Little House on the Prairie,” and who was the mother of actor Sean Penn.

Joan Hotchkis (1927–2022), “The Odd Couple” costar

Joan Hotchkis was an actress and writer who played Oscar’s girlfriend, Dr. Nancy Cunningham, on TV's “The Odd Couple.”

Vin Scully (1927–2022), iconic Dodgers sportscaster

Vin Scully was one of the most iconic baseball broadcasters ever, having spent a remarkable 67 years as the lone sportscaster for the Dodgers on both radio and television.

Pat Carroll (1927–2022), voice of Ursula in “The Little Mermaid”

Pat Carroll was an Emmy Award-winning actress who provided the voice of villain Ursula in the Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid.”

L.Q. Jones (1927–2022), “The Wild Bunch” actor

L.Q. Jones was a character actor best known for appearing in Western films from director Sam Peckinpah including “The Wild Bunch.”   

Joe Turkel (1927–2022), actor who played “The Shining” bartender

Joe Turkel was an actor known for roles including Lloyd, the ghostly bartender in “The Shining.”

Margaret Keane (1927–2022), “Big Eyes” artist

Margaret Keane was an artist known for her paintings of children with large sad eyes whose story of her husband stealing credit from her was told in the 2014 film “Big Eyes.”

Bruton Smith (1927–2022), NASCAR track owner and Hall of Famer

Bruton Smith was the founder and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, who owned NASCAR tracks including the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Midge Decter (1927–2022), prominent neoconservative writer

Midge Decter was a writer and one of the founders of the neoconservative movement in the 1960s.

Dede Robertson (1927–2022), wife of televangelist Pat Robertson

Dede Robertson was the beloved wife of popular televangelist Pat Robertson and a founding board member of the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Shirley Spork (1927–2022), LPGA co-founder

Shirley Spork was a golfer and teaching pro who co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950.

Lauro Cavazos (1927–2022), first Latino cabinet member

Lauro Cavazos was the first Latino cabinet member as he served as secretary of education under presidents and .

Shirley Hughes (1927–2022), British children’s author

Shirley Hughes was a British children’s author and illustrator known for “Dogger” and the “Alfie” series.  

Sidney Poitier (1927–2022), one of the 20th century's greatest actors

Sir Sidney Poitier was an acting legend who starred in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best actor, for his performance in "Lilies of the Field."

Mort Sahl (1927–2021), influential stand-up comedian

Mort Sahl was a stand-up comedian who pioneered a conversational style of comedy that influenced generations of comics.

Michael Constantine (1927–2021), “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” dad

Michael Constantine was an actor best known for playing Toula’s father, Gus Portokalos, in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and its sequel.

Celina Baez Sotomayor (1927–2021), mother of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Celina Baez Sotomayor was a registered nurse who was the mother of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Al Rappa (1927–2021), bassist with Bill Haley & His Comets

Al Rappa was a bassist with the pioneering rock and roll group Bill Haley & His Comets.