Died in Their 40s

Anne Marie Hochhalter (2025), Columbine survivor

Anne Marie Hochhalter was a survivor of the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, who later spoke out about the impact of gun violence.

Jeff Baena (1977–2025), The Little Hours filmmaker

Jeff Baena was a screenwriter and director known for such movies as “I Heart Huckabees” and “The Little Hours,” as well as the husband of actress Aubrey Plaza.

Dr. Kelly Powers (1979–2024), Fox News regular

Dr. Kelly Powers was a podiatric surgeon and a familiar face on Fox News programs when she publicly shared her brain cancer diagnosis in 2020.

Israel Vázquez (1977–2024), three-time world champion boxer

Israel Vázquez was a Mexican boxer nicknamed "El Magnifico" whose three world championships and rivalry with Rafael Márquez made him one of Mexico’s most beloved boxers.

Bob Bryar (1979–2024), former My Chemical Romance drummer

Bob Bryar was the former drummer for My Chemical Romance, including on their hit 2006 album “The Black Parade.” 

Gavin Creel (1976–2024), award-winning Broadway headliner

Gavin Creel was an award-winning Broadway musical star known for his work in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Hair,” and “Hello, Dolly!” 

Stephen Peat (1980–2024), former NHL enforcer

Stephen Peat was a right winger with the NHL’s Washington Capitals in the 2000s. 

Rob “Rabbit” Pitts (1979–2024), Tex Mex Motors star

Rob “Rabbit” Pitts was a vintage car enthusiast known for his YouTube channel and his 2023 Netflix show, “Tex Mex Motors.” 

Shaun Martin (1978–2024), Snarky Puppy keyboardist

Shaun Martin was a seven-time Grammy Award winner as a keyboardist for the jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy and music director and producer for gospel singer Kirk Franklin.

Waraire Boswell (1975–2024), fashion designer to NBA stars 

Waraire Boswell was a fashion designer known for his bespoke designs for NBA icons like LeBron James and . 

Erica Ash (1977–2024), MADtv and Survivor’s Remorse actress

Erica Ash was an actress best known for her comedy work in the Fox sketch comedy show “MADtv” and the Starz sitcom “Survivor’s Remorse.” 

Naomi Pomeroy (1974–2024), Top Chef Masters star

Naomi Pomeroy was a Portland, Oregon chef who founded the restaurant Beast and competed on cooking shows like “Iron Chef” and “Top Chef Masters.” 

Jacoby Jones (1984–2024), former Baltimore Ravens receiver 

Jacoby Jones was a former NFL wide receiver and Pro-Bowl player who scored a record-setting 108-yard kickoff return touchdown with the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.

Benji Gregory (1978–2024), child actor from ALF

Benji Gregory was a child actor best known as Brian Tanner, the son on the 1980s sitcom “ALF.” 

Shifty Shellshock (1974–2024), Crazy Town lead singer

Seth Binzer , better known as Shifty Shellshock , was the lead singer for the rap-rock band Crazy Town, known for their hit, “Butterfly.” 

Ben Potter (1984–2024), YouTube star better known as Comicstorian 

Ben Potter was a YouTube star better known as Comicstorian, whose audio drama adaptations of comics entertained millions of subscribers.

Sean Burroughs (1980–2024), Olympic gold-winning MLB third baseman

Sean Burroughs was an Olympic gold medal-winning MLB third baseman who spent four years with the San Diego Padres.

Mandisa (1976–2024), Grammy-winning American Idol finalist

Mandisa was a contemporary Christian singer who came to prominence when she competed in season five of “American Idol” in 2006.

Casey Benjamin (1978–2024), Grammy-winning saxophonist

Casey Benjamin was a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, an original member of the Robert Glasper Experiment, and a vocoder wizard who influenced jazz-based hip hop and R&B.

Konstantin Koltsov (1981–2024), Belarusian hockey player 

Konstantin Koltsov was a Belarusian hockey player who played for the Belarusian national team and spent parts of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Max Hardy (1983–2024), Detroit chef known for community advocacy

Max Hardy was a Detroit chef and author who was profiled in The New York Times and was best known for his community advocacy and philanthropic work.

Kenneth Mitchell (1974–2024), Star Trek: Discovery regular 

Kenneth Mitchell was an actor best known for his recurring roles on the TV series “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Jericho,” and his role in the blockbuster “Captain Marvel.”

Luis Vasquez (1979–2024), singer and musician known as The Soft Moon 

Luis Vasquez was a singer, composer and musician known professionally as The Soft Moon, his dark wave music project.

Dejan Milojević (1977–2024), Golden State Warriors assistant coach

Dejan Milojević was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors and a former basketball star in Serbia, where he played for 15 years, winning three MVPs and three championships.

Adan Canto (1981–2024), The Cleaning Lady star 

Adan Canto was a Mexican actor best known for playing Arman Morales on “The Cleaning Lady” for two seasons, as well his role as Aaron Shore on “Designated Survivor.” 

Klee Benally (1975–2023), Navajo activist and musician 

Klee Benally was a Navajo activist, artist, writer, and musician who fought to protect sacred sites, battled for Native American rights, and co-founded the political punk band Blackfire.

Lee Sun-kyun (1975–2023), star of Oscar-winning Parasite

Lee Sun-kyun was a South Korean actor best known for starring as Park Dong-ik, patriarch of the wealthy Park family, in the acclaimed film “Parasite.”

Ross McDonnell (1979–2023), cinematographer known for The First Wave

Ross McDonnell was a photographer, cinematographer, and director who won Emmy Awards for his work on the documentaries “The First Wave” and “The Trade.” He went missing in New York in November 2023.

Karl Tremblay (1976–2023), Les Cowboys Fringants singer

Karl Tremblay was the lead singer and cofounder of the Quebec folk rock band Les Cowboys Fringants.

Brandi Mallory (1983–2023), Extreme Weight Loss star and influencer 

Brandi Mallory was a makeup artist who starred on the reality show “Extreme Weight Loss.” 

Kyle LeDuc (1981–2023), off-road racing champion

Kyle LeDuc was a second-generation off-road racer with seven Pro 4 Championship Off-Road wins whose 30 years in racing netted over 100 wins throughout his career. 

Matt Ulrich (1981–2023), Super Bowl-winning Colts guard 

Matt Ulrich was a former guard with the Indianapolis Colts during their win at Super Bowl XLI in 2007 and later started his own fitness company.

Taraja Ramsess (1982–2023), stuntman in Black Panther 

Taraja Ramsess was a stunt performer known for his work in such movies as “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame.” 

Tasha Butts (1982–2023), Georgetown women’s basketball head coach

Tasha Butts was a former WNBA player who had recently been named the head coach of Georgetown University’s women’s basketball team.

Chris Snow (1981–2023), NHL exec whose ALS fight was inspirational 

Chris Snow was the assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames who became an advocate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) awareness after he was diagnosed with the disease.

Nashawn Breedlove (1977–2023), actor in 8 Mile

Nashawn Breedlove was an actor and rapper best known for his rap battle in the 2002 movie “8 Mile.”

Billy Miller (1979–2023), The Young and the Restless star

Billy Miller was an actor who won Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance as Billy Abbott in the soap opera “The Young and the Restless.” 

Irish Grinstead (1980–2023), singer with 702

Irish Grinstead was a singer with the 1990s girl group 702, known for their songs "Where My Girls At?" and "Get It Together." 

Brandon Hunter (1980–2023), former NBA forward 

Brandon Hunter was a standout basketball player at Ohio University who became a power forward in the NBA for the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.

Sliman Bensmaia (1973–2023), pioneer of touch-enabled prosthetics

Sliman Bensmaia was a neuroscientist and leading expert on the sense of touch who developed technology that allows prosthetic limbs to sense temperature and touch in a realistic way.

Chris Peluso (2023), Broadway star of Wicked, Mamma Mia! 

Chris Peluso was a Broadway actor whose starring roles included Sky in “Mamma Mia!” 

Mikala Jones (1979–2023), celebrated Hawaiian pro surfer 

Mikala Jones was a Hawaiian pro surfer known for embracing modern technology and shooting stunning first-person video of his rides.

Jeffrey Carlson (1975–2023), All My Children star 

Jeffrey Carlson was an award-winning stage actor, known for playing the trans character Zoe on the long-running soap opera “All My Children.” 

Coco Lee (1975–2023), internationally famous singer and actress

Coco Lee was a singer, songwriter, and actress who released 18 albums and in 2001 became the first Chinese American to perform at the Oscars.

Dahrran Diedrick (1979–2023), Big 12-leading Cornhuskers rusher 

Dahrran Diedrick , a Big 12-leading rusher for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, enjoyed a 10-year career in both the NFL and the Canadian Football League (CFL). 

Clark Haggans (1977–2023), former Steelers linebacker 

Clark Haggans was an NFL linebacker who helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

Big Pokey (1974–2023), longtime Houston rapper

Big Pokey was a longtime rapper in the “chopped and screwed” scene out of Houston and a founding member of the Screwed Up Click collective.

Heather Armstrong (1975–2023), Queen of the Mommy Bloggers 

Heather Armstrong was called the “Queen of the Mommy Bloggers” for her popular blog Dooce.0

Rob Laakso (1979–2023), Kurt Vile collaborator in the Violators 

Rob Laakso was a multi-instrumentalist indie musician who was a longtime member of the Violators and a key collaborator with Kurt Vile, in addition to working with bands like Swirlies and Mice Parade.