Died October

Linda LaFlamme (1939–2024), keyboardist, co-writer of White Bird

Linda LaFlamme was a musician and founding member of It’s a Beautiful Day, the San Francisco band with which she performed the 1960s anthem, “White Bird.”

Greg Hildebrandt (1939–2024), iconic fantasy artist

Greg Hildebrandt was an artist best known for his works of fantasy and science fiction set in the worlds of Middle-earth, plus “Star Wars” and Magic: The Gathering, often created in partnership with his late twin brother, Tim Hildebrandt.

Mike Haffner (1942–2024), former Broncos receiver and broadcaster

Mike Haffner was a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos who later became a color commentator for NBC and longtime sports broadcaster.

Manuel “Guajiro” Mirabal (1933–2024), famed Cuban trumpeter

Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal was a famed trumpeter best known for his work with Buena Vista Social Club, who sparked a renewed interest in Cuban music in the 1990s. 

Lonnie Warwick (1942–2024), longtime Vikings linebacker

Lonnie Warwick was an NFL linebacker best known for his eight years with the Minnesota Vikings’ Purple People Eaters, and for playing in Super Bowl IV.0

Lynda Obst (1950–2024), film producer who boosted women

Lynda Obst was a film producer who helped boost women’s role in Hollywood, best known for movies like “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Interstellar,” “Flashdance,” and “Adventures in Babysitting.”

Teri Garr (1944–2024), Oscar nominee for Tootsie

Teri Garr was an actress known for roles in such movies as “Tootsie,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Mr. Mom,” and many more.

Jim Donovan (1956–2024), voice of the Cleveland Browns 

Jim Donovan was a sportscaster best known for his long tenure as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Browns.

Jerrod Mustaf (1969–2024), Maryland basketball star

Jerrod Mustaf was a star basketball player at the University of Maryland who had a brief career with the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, as well as overseas teams. 

Paul Morrissey (1938–2024), Andy Warhol collaborator

Paul Morrissey was a filmmaker best known for his collaborations with artist Andy Warhol and for briefly managing the Velvet Underground.

Sarah Danser (1990–2024), Naked and Afraid star

Sarah Danser was a reality TV personality known for her appearances in several seasons of “Naked and Afraid” and its spin-off, “Naked and Afraid XL.”

Bill Hay (1935–2024), NHL Hall of Famer for Chicago Black Hawks

Bill Hay was a Hall of Fame hockey player best known for his eight seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks, including winning the NHL’s rookie of the year prize in 1960. 

Jeri Taylor (1938–2024), Star Trek writer and producer

Jeri Taylor was a television writer and producer best known for her work with “Star Trek,” including writing for “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and co-creating “Star Trek: Voyager.” 

David Harris (1949–2024), played Cochise in The Warriors

David Harris was an actor best known for his performance as gang member Cochise in the cult classic 1979 film “The Warriors.” 

DJ Clark Kent (1966–2024), producer who helped discover Jay-Z

DJ Clark Kent was a music insider and hip-hop producer who played a role in the rise of some of the genre’s biggest stars, including Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G.

Phil Lesh (1940–2024), Grateful Dead bassist

Phil Lesh was a founding member of the Grateful Dead and remained the band’s bassist for its entire 30-year career.

Dr. Warren M. Washington (1936–2024), scholar and climate scientist

Dr. Warren M. Washington was an acclaimed climate scientist and scholar who advised six U.S. presidents on climate change and served as chair of the National Science Board.

Rudy May (1944–2024), Angels, Yankees pitcher

Rudy May was a left-handed pitcher for such Major League Baseball teams as the California Angels and New York Yankees from the 1960s through ‘80s.0

Jack Jones (1938–2024), The Love Boat theme singer

Jack Jones was a singer and actor best known for such songs as “Wives and Lovers” and the theme song to the TV show “The Love Boat.” 

Julia Hawkins (1916–2024), 108-year-old record-setting sprinter

Julia Hawkins was a senior cyclist who, at age 100, became a competitive sprinter and eventually set multiple records in her age group.

Yehuda Bauer (1926–2024), Holocaust scholar

Yehuda Bauer was a historian and scholar whose work as an authority on the Holocaust is widely seen as some of the most important in the world. 

Mimi Hines (1933–2024), Funny Girl star 

Mimi Hines was an actress, singer, and comedian who stepped in to replace Barbra Streisand in the lead role of “Funny Girl” on Broadway.

Christine Boisson (1956–2024), Emmanuelle actress

Christine Boisson was a French model and actress who first drew attention in the 1974 film “Emmanuelle” and went on to have over 80 screen credits and lead dozens of stage productions.

Michael Newman (1957–2024), Baywatch lifeguard

Michael Newman was a firefighter, lifeguard, and actor who starred on the hit TV show “Baywatch.”

Fernando Valenzuela (1960–2024), L.A. Dodgers great

Fernando Valenzuela was a Mexican-born Major League Baseball pitcher best known for his time with the L.A. Dodgers, during which he won a Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in the same year, sparking “Fernandomania.”

Patti McGee (1945–2024), first female skateboarding champion

Patti McGee was the first woman to skateboard professionally and the first winner of the women’s division of the National Skateboard Championships.

Andrew Schally (1926–2024), Nobel Prize winner

Andrew Schally was an endocrinologist whose work studying links between hormones and the brain stem resulted in him sharing a Nobel Prize with neuroscientist Roger Guillemin and physicist Rosalyn Yalow.

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.

Paul Di’Anno (1958–2024), former Iron Maiden vocalist

Paul Di’Anno was a rock singer-songwriter best known as an early frontman for the legendary band Iron Maiden, performing on their debut and “Killers” albums, as well as co-writing the latter’s title track.

Bobby Gill (1959–2024), NASCAR truck racer 

Bobby Gill was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racer known as a tough competitor on the track.

Rick Nolan (1943–2024), former U.S. congressman from Minnesota

Rick Nolan represented Minnesota as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981 and again from 2013 to 2019.

Philip G. Zimbardo (1933–2024), Stanford Prison Experiment researcher

Philip G. Zimbardo was a psychologist, professor and author best known as the researcher who created and administered the Stanford Prison Experiment. 

John Kinsel Sr. (1917–2024), WWII Navajo Code Talker

John Kinsel Sr. was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and one of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers, who helped the Allies win World War II.

Thelma Mothershed Wair (1940–2024), Little Rock Nine member

Thelma Mothershed Wair was the oldest of the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, prompting one of the most important civil rights clashes in American history. 

Bob Yerkes (1932–2024), Boba Fett stuntman

Bob Yerkes was a legendary stuntman and circus performer known for his work in “Return of the Jedi,” “Back to the Future,” and dozens of other movies.

Guilherme Vasconcelos (1986–2024), Brazilian MMA fighter

Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos was a Brazilian MMA fighter who competed on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” and became more widely known when he dated pop star Demi Lovato.

Mitzi Gaynor (1931–2024), star of “South Pacific”

Mitzi Gaynor was an actress and singer known for movie musicals including “South Pacific” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

Liam Payne (1993–2024), One Direction singer

Liam Payne was a singer and pop star best known for his time with the best-selling British group One Direction, one of the biggest boy bands of all time.

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.

Libby Titus (1947–2024), Love Has No Pride singer-songwriter

Libby Titus was a singer and songwriter known for “Love Has No Pride,” which has been covered by such artists as Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt.

Ka (1972–2024), Brooklyn rapper and NYC firefighter 

Ka was a prolific Brooklyn-based rapper whose lyrically-rich albums earned him accolades, and who was also known for his two-decade career as an FDNY firefighter, where he rose to captain.

Alex Salmond (1954–2024), former first minister of Scotland

Alex Salmond was the first minister of Scotland from 2007 through 2014, leading the country as it prepared to vote on a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom.

Lilly Ledbetter (1938–2024), activist who fought for equal pay

Lilly Ledbetter was a Goodyear area manager turnedactivist whose Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. lawsuit resulted in landmark equal pay legislation, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

John Lasell (1928–2024), Dark Shadows actor

John Lasell was an actor best known for playing vampire hunter Dr. Peter Guthrie on the gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows.” 

Toni Vaz (1922–2024), NAACP Image Award creator

Toni Vaz was an actress and the first Black stuntwoman in Hollywood, best known for being the creator of the NAACP Image Awards.

Don Marshall (1932–2024), five-time Stanley Cup winner

Don Marshall was an NHL veteran who won five straight Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and was the last surviving member of the legendary 1956 team. 

Abdul Salaam (1953–2024), famed New York Jets defenseman

Abdul Salaam was a defensive tackle for the N.Y. Jets in the 1980s, best known as part of the team’s feared and respected New York Sack Exchange foursome that included Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons, and Joe Klecko.

Tim Johnson (1946–2024), longtime U.S. senator from South Dakota

Tim Johnson was a longtime U.S. senator from South Dakota who was the last Democrat to win statewide election in the state.

Ethel Kennedy (1928–2024), human rights advocate

Ethel Kennedy was the widow of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and an advocate for human rights.