Kenny Baker (1934–2016), R2-D2 actor

Kenny Baker, the British actor who played R2-D2 in “Star Wars,” died Aug. 13, 2016, after a long illness, according to The Guardian. He was 81.

Rocky Johnson (1944–2020), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s father

Rocky Johnson was a WWE Hall of Fame professional wrestler and the father of Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He was part of the first African-American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history as a member of The Soul Patrol with Tony Atlas. Starting out as a wrestler in his native Canada, Johnson moved to the WWE in 1983. Known as the “Soul Man,” he had rivalries with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Adrian Adonis before retiring from wrestling in 1991. At his son's request, Johnson trained him in wrestling. Years later, in 2008, The Rock inducted his father into the WWE Hall of Fame.

B. Smith (1949–2020), restaurateur and lifestyle guru

B. Smith was the owner of the popular Manhattan restaurant B. Smith, whose eye for style made her a well-known designer and lifestyle guru. Born Barbara Elaine Smith, she was also a model who was one of the first black women to appear on the cover of Mademoiselle magazine, in 1976. Called the black Martha Stewart, she starred in the syndicated TV show “B. Smith with Style,” and she wrote cookbooks including “B. Smith’s Entertaining and Cooking for Friends.” As a décor designer, Smith created collections sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and La-Z-Boy.

Betty Dodson (1929–2020), feminist sex educator

Betty Dodson was a sex educator known for teaching women how to masturbate via her workshops, books, and videos.

Max Cleland (1942–2021), U.S. senator from Georgia

Max Cleland was a disabled Vietnam veteran and a former Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia.

Jamal Edwards (1990–2022), pioneering British music entrepreneur

Jamal Edwards was a pioneering British music figure whose YouTube channel SBTV was influential in promoting emerging rappers and singers such as Ed Sheeran and Stormzy.  

Ray Scott (1933–2022), professional bass fishing legend 

Ray Scott was the “father of modern bass fishing” who created the first national professional bass fishing circuit.

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.

A.S. Byatt (1936–2023), bestselling author of Possession

A.S. Byatt was a British author who won the prestigious Booker Prize for her bestselling 1990 novel “Possession: A Romance.”