Jerry Butler (1939–2025), first leader of The Impressions

Jerry “Iceman” Butler was the original lead singer for The Impressions, who went on to a successful solo career and later became a Chicago politician.0

John Spratt (1942–2024), South Carolina congressman

John Spratt was a longtime member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a Democrat from South Carolina’s Fifth District.

Malcolm Smith (1941–2024), Baja 1000 racing legend

Malcolm Smith was a racing driver known for his five wins at the Baja 1000 and four at the Baja 500, both notoriously grueling desert races.

Michael Newman (1957–2024), Baywatch lifeguard

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

Ray St. Germain (1940–2024), well-known Winnipeg musician and TV host

Ray St. Germain was a popular Canadian musician and longtime host of Canadian television shows “Time for Living” and “Big Sky Country.” 

Parnelli Jones (1933–2024), 1963 Indy 500 winner

Parnelli Jones was a racing driver who won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and was a two-time champion at the Baja 1000 desert race.

Ralph Puckett Jr. (1926–2024), last Korean War Medal of Honor recipient 

Ralph Puckett Jr. was an Army Ranger who served with valor in the Korean War and received the Medal of Honor more than 70 years later.

Vernor Vinge (1944–2024), cyberspace pioneering sci-fi author 

Vernor Vinge was a five-time Hugo Award-winning science fiction author, among the first to envision cyberspace and who warned about technology and AI reaching a point beyond human control.

Richard Truly (1937–2024), former astronaut who led NASA

Richard Truly was an astronaut and vice admiral in the U.S. Navy who became the first former astronaut to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was head of NASA when the famous “Pale Blue Dot” photo was captured.

Golden Richards (1950–2024), won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys

Golden Richards was a former NFL wide receiver who caught a touchdown pass for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1978 Super Bowl.

Richard Caster (1948–2024), three-time Pro Bowl NY Jets receiver 

Richard Caster was a 13-year NFL veteran who went to three Pro Bowls as a New York Jet.

Gerald McGinnis (1934–2024), inventor of the CPAP machine

Gerald E. “Jerry” McGinnis was a biomedical engineer who invented the CPAP machine and founded several medical technology companies, including Respironics and Lanz Medical Products.

David Del Tredici (1937–2023), Pulitzer Prize-winning composer

David Del Tredici was a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer for the stage whose work was inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” including his 1976 breakthrough work, “Final Alice,” which made him renowned as an “outsider” composer.

Beverly Willis (1928–2023), pioneering female architect

Beverly Willis was a pioneering architect whose influence helped break gender norms in the industry, co-founding the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and designing a number of notable landmarks. 

Sir Ian Wilmut (1944–2023), Dolly the cloned sheep co-creator

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut was a British embryologist who led the Roslin Institute team at the University of Edinburgh that cloned Dolly the sheep in 1996.

Gary Wright (1943–2023), Dream Weaver singer and songwriter 

Gary Wright was a singer and songwriter known for his hit songs “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive.” 

David LaFlamme (1941–2023), White Bird singer and songwriter 

David LaFlamme was a singer, songwriter, and violinist with It’s a Beautiful Day, known for their 1969 hit “White Bird.”

Otis Taylor (1942–2023), groundbreaking Chiefs wide receiver

Tall, powerful, and fast, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor helped evolve professional football by changing the way teams and fans saw the position. His strength and speed made him a formidable opponent, leading him to three Pro Bowls and being named AFC Player of the Year in 1971. Taylor’s 46-yard touchdown pass in Super Bowl IV still makes highlight reels to this day, leading the team to an upset victory over the 12-2 Minnesota Vikings.

Napoleon XIV (1938–2023), sang They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!

Jerry Samuels was a singer and songwriter better known as Napoleon XIV, who had a novelty hit with “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!”

Jeff Cook (1949–2022), guitarist and fiddler for Alabama

Jeff Cook was a co-founder of the wildly popular country band Alabama, playing guitar, fiddle, and keyboards as well as singing backing vocals.

Robert Toll (1940–2022), co-founder of Toll Brothers homebuilders

Robert Toll was the co-founder and former CEO of Toll Brothers, the luxury homebuilding company.

Jody Miller (1941–2022), “Queen of the House” country singer

Jody Miller was a country singer known for her 1965 hit, “Queen of the House.”

Venetia Stevenson (1938–2022), glamorous 1950s Hollywood star  

Venetia Stevenson was an actress who starred in films in the 1950s and 1960s including “Darby’s Rangers.”

John Froines (1939–2022), Chicago Seven trial defendant

John Froines was one of the defendants at the notorious Chicago Seven trial following the 1968 Democratic National Convention, as well as a chemist researching toxic substances.

Dwayne Hickman (1934–2022), “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” star

Dwayne Hickman was an actor who starred in the title role of the classic sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”

Peter Bogdanovich (1939–2022), acclaimed film director

Peter Bogdanovich was an iconic film director known for “The Last Picture Show,” “Paper Moon,” and “Mask.” 

Joan Didion (1934–2021), award-winning novelist and journalist

Joan Didion was a novelist and journalist who won the National Book Award for Nonfiction for her 2005 book “The Year of Magical Thinking.”

Geoffrey Scott (1942–2021), actor who played Mark Jennings on “Dynasty”

Geoffrey Scott was an actor known for roles including Mark Jennings on the popular 1980s soap opera “Dynasty.”

Nancy Darsch (1951–2020), one of the original WNBA coaches

Nancy Darsch was a women’s basketball coach who helped take USA Basketball to gold at the 1984 and 1996 Olympics and was one of the original WNBA coaches.

Florence Howe (1929–2020), women’s studies pioneer

Florence Howe was a pioneer of women’s studies and the founder of the Feminist Press.  

Lee Iacocca (1924–2019), iconic leader of Ford and Chrysler

Lee Iacocca was the iconic automaker who helped create Ford models including the Escort and Mustang. Later, he headed Chrysler, helping turn the company from near failure to great success.

Jim Pike (1936–2019), co-founder and lead singer of The Lettermen

Jim Pike was a co-founder and lead singer of the popular vocal pop group The Lettermen. Pike formed the group with college friend Bob Engemann and Tony Butala. Their terrific harmonies were a success right away, charting their Grammy nominated song, “The Way You Look Tonight,” that same year. They were most popular in the 1960s, hitting the Billboard charts 20 times including the songs “When I Fall in Love” and “Theme from A Summer Place.” His brother Gary joined the group in 1967, replacing Engemann. Jim Pike’s voice wore out from constant touring and he left the group in 1973. He regained his voice and later started a new vocal group with Engemann.

Tony Mendez (1940–2019), Ex-CIA spy inspired the movie “Argo”

Tony Mendez (1940–2019) was the ex-CIA agent who led the daring rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran in 1980. His story was immortalized in the 2012 movie “Argo,” in which he was portrayed by Ben Affleck. Iran took over the U.S. embassy after their revolution in 1979. Mendez masterminded the escape of the U.S. citizens from the homes of two Canadian diplomats by passing them off as members of a film crew.

Roberta Peters (1930 - 2017), coloratura soprano opera star

The coloratura soprano was a 35-year veteran of New York City's Metropolitan Opera Company.

Janet Reno (1938 - 2016), former U.S. attorney general

The former United States attorney general who served under President Bill Clinton died Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Agnes Nixon (1922 - 2016), All My Children creator

Agnes Nixon, the creator of “All My Children” and “One Life To Live,” died Sept. 28, 2016, according to multiple news sources. She was 93.

Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), boxing legend & cultural icon

Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing champion named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated magazine, died June 3, 2016. He was 74.