The famous and near-famous who passed away in 2015

Luke Skywalker · Jan 1, 2016

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[h=4]The famous and near-famous who passed away in 2015[/h]Oliver Sacks, the neurologist who fascinated readers with case histories that illustrated the brain’s mysteries, announced his own impending death of melanoma in a column in the New York Times.

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We remember the celebrities who passed away in 2015, after years of touching our hearts and lives.

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in 'Star Trek.'(Photo: CBS via Getty Images)

Oliver Sacks, the neurologist who fascinated readers with case histories that illustrated the brain’s mysteries, announced his own impending death of melanoma in a column in the New York Times.
The author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat said that as death neared he saw his life “as from a great altitude’’ with a “clear focus and perspective.’’ He also saw this: “My generation is on the way out.’’
“There will be no one like us when we are gone,’’ Sacks, 83, wrote in February. “But then there is no one like anyone else ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced.’’

USA TODAY's Passages is available on newsstands and at onlinestore.usatoday.com/special-editions.*(Photo: USA TODAY)

That conviction informs and inspires Passages, USA TODAY’s annual appreciation of celebrated Americans who died over the past year.
In retrospect, we can see their lives in clearer focus and perspective. And, as Sacks observed, they cannot be replaced.
Not Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed one of the most memorable characters in the annals of science fiction, Star Trek’s Mr. Spock.

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Leonard Nimoy played scores of roles in a showbiz career which lasted more than six decades, but none more memorable than "Spock" on the science fiction franchise "Star Trek." Nimoy passed away at the age of 83 in his Bel Air, California home.

Not Yogi Berra, a famous baseball player who became an even more famous American character.
Not B.B. King, the King of the Blues, who took his music from the cotton fields of Mississippi to the Royal Albert Hall, the Vatican and beyond. “People all over the world have problems,’’ he said. “And as long as people have problems, the blues will never die.’’
USA TODAY
B.B. King: Recommended listening

Not Mario Cuomo, the New York governor whose defense of liberalism in the age of Ronald Reagan reached its zenith in his fiery speech at the 1984 Democratic Convention. Reagan, echoing Puritan father John Winthrop, had called contemporary America “a shining city on a hill.’’
“A shining city is perhaps all the president sees from the portico of the White House,’’ Cuomo said. “But there’s another part to the shining city. In this part of the city there are more poor than ever, more families in trouble, more and more people who need help but can’t find it.’’
Cuomo was 82 when he died, King 89, Berra 90, Nimoy 83. All were part of Sacks’ generation “on the way out."*All are irreplaceable.
Who will sound like Ronnie Gilbert, 88, whose rich contralto helped make the Weavers (a group that included Pete Seeger) the spearhead of the folk revival a half century ago?

Theodore Bikel, an Oscar-nominated film actor, was a beloved stage presence who championed two of musical theater’s most famous leading male roles.It was Bikel who introduced audiences to Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" on Broadway. He played an Austrian military hero (later portrayed on screen by Christopher Plummer) opposite Mary Martin’s Maria in the original production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic, which opened in 1959.Bikel made a breakthrough appearance in the 1951 John Huston gem "The African Queen" and won an Academy Award nomination for his portrait of a Southern sheriff in 1958’s "The Defiant Ones." Other credits included "The Pride and The Passion," "The Blue Angel" and the 1964 film adaptation of "My Fair Lady." But no part was more prominent in Bikel’s repertoire than that of Tevye, the fretting, loving, Russian-Jewish father in "Fiddler on the Roof." He played the character in more than 2,000 performances, touring in the musical and becoming as firmly associated with it as either original Broadway star Zero Mostel or Chaim Topol, who played Tevye in the screen adaptation.* Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

One half of the team is gone ...Actress and comedian Anne Meara died May 23, 2015. She was 85.Meara rose to fame in the 1960s while performing comedy routines with her husband Jerry Stiller, left, under the stage name Stiller & Meara. She went on to write the play, "After Play," star in TV and film, including roles on "All My Children," "The King of Queens" and the TV series "Sex and the City." The Stiller family described Jerry Stiller as Meara's "husband and partner in life," according to a statement provided to the Associated Press. Also noted: Stiller and Meara were married for 61 years and "worked together almost as long."Meara is survived by Ben and Jerry Stiller, her daughter, Amy, and several grandchildren, AP reported.* Stefano Paltera, AP

Dick Van Patten, the venerable comic character actor who made millions chuckle on "Eight is Enough" and "The Love Boat," was a familiar face on American TV for decades, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Van Patten died June 23 in Santa Monica, Calif., of complications from diabetes. He was 86.His best-known role was that of beloved patriarch Tom Bradford on the family sitcom "Eight is Enough," about the goofy dad of a family with eight kids that ran from 1977 to 1981.The Bradford family, pictured, back row, left: Susan Richardson (Susan), Connie Needham (Elizabeth), Grant Goodeve (David), Willie Aames (Tommy), Lani O'Grady (Mary); Bottom row: Laurie Walters (Joannie), Dick Van Patten (Tom), Adam Rich (Nicholas), Betty Buckley (Abby), Dianne Kay (Nancy).* Jim Britt, ABC via Getty Images

Louis Jourdan, a dashing Frenchman who starred in "Gigi," "Can-Can," "Three Coins in the Fountain" and other American movies, was one of Hollywood’s last leading lovers of the golden era. Succeeding Charles Boyer as Hollywood's favorite French lover, Jourdan romanced Joan Fontaine, Jennifer Jones, Grace Kelly and Shirley MacLaine in films during the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s. In this Jan. 5, 1959 file photo, Jourdan and his wife Berthe Fredrique pose at their home in Beverly Hills, Calif. died on Feb. 14, 2015. He was 93.* AP

The half-human, half-Vulcan Spock would define the culture-changing science fiction franchise Star Trek as powerfully as the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, James T. Kirk (leading man William Shatner). Nimoy would portray the character in the original TV series, animated series, comic books and eight "Star Trek" feature films.Ironically, it took much persuasion for Nimoy to agree to put the ears on, and years to accept the success of the character once it became a worldwide phenomenon.When first approached to appear in Gene Roddenberry's NBC science fiction program Star Trek, Nimoy was on the rise in Hollywood, garnering parts in TV staples such as Bonanza and Perry Mason. He balked."I hesitated. I took my work seriously. Did I really want to put on those pointed ears?" Nimoy recalled during a commencement address at Boston University in 2012.Nimoy would be nominated for three Emmy Awards during the show's three-year run on NBC. Even after the original series ended in 1969 with faltering ratings, Spock and the rest of the Star Fleet crew would grow even more famous in prolific syndication."The impact on my life was intense, I had to deal with celebrity," Nimoy said.* Getty Images

Yogi Berra, the New York Yankee
The Hall of Famer, died at the age of 90 on Sept. 22. He undoubtedly would be reminding people of what he once said: “You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” Behind the plate, he was a classic catcher, adept at handling pitchers, comfortable in the squat position and skilled in using his quickness to smother their wild offerings.
He also managed the Yankees and Mets and led both to the World Series, never winning. But long after his playing/managing days, Berra maintained a public profile as one of baseball’s all-time classic personalities.* Kathy Willens, AP

In 1977, Banks was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but that simple honor hardly explained the greater significance he had for baseball fans in the Second City and beyond. In 2013, Banks received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama."Ernie came up through the Negro Leagues, making $7 a day. He became the first African-American to play for the Chicago Cubs, and the first number the team retired,” Obama said."Along the way, he became known as much for his 512 home runs and back-to-back National League MVPs as for his cheer, his optimism, and his love of the game. As a Hall-of-Famer, Ernie was an incredible ambassador for baseball, and for the city of Chicago. He was beloved by baseball fans everywhere.* Win McNamee, Getty Images

Stuart Scott, the ESPN anchor and reporter whose catchphrases became part of the American popular sports vernacular for the past two decades, died Jan. 4 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 49.Scott, who received a standing ovation during his acceptance of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2014 ESPY Awards in July, addressed his uncertain future."When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer," Scott said. "You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live."Scott joined ESPN in 1993 for the launch of ESPN2, quickly moving up the ranks as one of the network's main SportsCenter anchors thanks to his rapid-fire delivery and unique phrasing to describe highlights. While Scott might not have invented the term "Boo-yah," he certainly popularized it.By 2008, Scott was ubiquitous among the network's programming. He anchored late-night SportsCenter shows, hosted Monday Night Countdown on location during the NFL season, served as the lead host for NBA on ESPN and ABC and interviewed Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.* Kirby Lee, Image of Sport/US PRESSWIRE

Twelve-time NBA All-Star and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Moses Malone, one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, was the Finals MVP in 1983, the year of his famous "fo, fo, fo," prediction the Philadelphia 76ers would take the title in four-game sweeps. Malone died in his sleep in Norfolk, Va., Sept. 13. He was 60.Malone played five seasons with the Houston Rockets before joining the 76ers in 1982. Teamed with Julius Erving, the Sixers won the 1982-83 NBA championship.* Scott Cunningham, NBAE via Getty Images

Dusty Rhodes, a professional wrestler who endeared himself to fans as an everyman with a less-than-stellar physique, died June 11 in Orlando, Fla. He was 69.Rhodes, whose real name was Virgil Runnels, also went by the nickname the American Dream. He was a member of the World Wresting Entertainment Hall of Fame and held the National Wrestling Alliance championship three times.Rhodes was born Oct. 12, 1945, in Austin, Texas. He was the father of two W.W.E. wrestlers: Dustin Runnels, better known as Goldust, and Cody Runnels, who wrestles under the name Stardust.* Rex Features via AP Images

A snake wouldn't seem to offer much help on a football field. Unless that “Snake” was named Stabler.Ken Stabler, who led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl victory and was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1974, died July 8 of complications from colon cancer. He was 69."He was a cherished member of the Raider family and personified what it means to be a Raider," Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement. "He wore the silver and black with pride and poise and will continue to live in the hearts of Raider fans everywhere."Stabler's coach with the Raiders, John Madden, right, said his former quarterback was cool under pressure."I've often said, if I had one drive to win a game to this day, and I had a quarterback to pick, I would pick Kenny," Madden said. "Snake was a lot cooler than I was. He was a perfect quarterback and a perfect Raider."* AP

Billy Casper, one of the most prolific winners on the PGA Tour, commanded 51 wins on the PGA Tour, putting him at No. 7 on the career list behind only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson. His three major championships include the 1966 U.S. Open, the 1959 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the 1970 Masters. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. According to Golf Digest, Casper's winning rate of 9.2 percent trails only Nicklaus (12 percent) and Woods (26 percent) of all golfers who began their careers after 1950. Casper was a genius with the short game, considered one of the best putters in golf.Casper died Feb. 7, 2015, at his home in Utah. He was 83.* Carlos Osorio, AP

Televangelist Robert H. Schuller, who attempted to integrate the teachings of John Calvin with the positive thinking of Norman Vincent Peale in becoming one of the nation’s best-known pastors, watched his famed Crystal Cathedral megachurch empire crumble amid huge debt and family squabbles over leadership.Schuller died April 2 at age 88. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2013.In 2011, a bankruptcy proceeding reached a $57.5 million deal to permit the Catholic Diocese of Orange to purchase the iconic glass sanctuary in Garden Grove, Calif. Despite the family dissension that marked the end of Schuller's career, evangelical scholar Richard Mouw said he was "one of the great church leaders in the 20th century.”"The very idea of the original congregation in Anaheim, of a drive-in church, was very innovative," said Mouw, the former president of Fuller Theological Seminary. "It was, I think, motivated in great part by a desire to reach people who ordinarily would not come to a church."* Paul Harris Online USA Inc. via Getty Images

The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, who led the University of Notre Dame for 35 years and transformed it from an academically undistinguished Midwest school into one of the USA's most prestigious, died Feb. 26, on the school's campus in South Bend, Ind. He was 97. After Father Hesburgh became president of Notre Dame in 1952, he expanded it in nearly every way, enlarging the campus and doubling the school's student body. When he retired in 1987, Notre Dame had 9,600 students, 950 faculty members and an operating budget of $176.6 million, up from just $9.7 million in 1952. Its endowment grew from $9 million to $350 million and the school, which he had hoped would become "a Catholic Princeton" in the Midwest, was rated among the USA's best.Also a civil rights leader, a champion of immigration rights and a supporter of Third World development, he took on popes, presidents and powerful football coaches. His activism earned him a spot as a founding member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission in 1957. He joined hands with Martin Luther King Jr. at a 1964 civil rights rally in Chicago, singing 'We Shall Overcome.'In 1972, Notre Dame admitted its first undergraduate women — Hesburgh called it one of his proudest accomplishments.Hesburgh, former President of the University of Notre Dame, reacts during a halftime presentation recognizing his role in Notre Dame's co-education and involvement in Title IX starting in 1972 at an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday Dec. 8, 2012. Jill Matesic, a 1995 graduate who played soccer for Notre Dame, left, and Haley Scott DeMaria, a Notre Dame swimmer, applaud.* Joe Raymond, AP

Cardinal Edward Egan, who headed the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York from 2000 to 2009, died March 5 after suffering a heart attack at his Manhattan residence. He was 82.He was elevated to cardinal in May 2001, and retired in May 2009, a month after he was hospitalized and outfitted with a pacemaker.Before Pope John Paul II named him New York archbishop, he served as bishop of Bridgeport, Conn, from 1988 to 2000.The Bridgeport diocese was rocked by a sexual-abuse scandal involving priests. In 2002, he apologized in a letter read at Mass, saying, "If in hindsight we also discover that mistakes may have been made as regards prompt removal of priests and assistance to victims, I am deeply sorry."Three years later, Egan retracted the apology during a magazine interview, denying that sexual abuse occurred during his tenure.* Mario Tama, Getty Images

Mario Cuomo, among the most iconic New York governors of the 20th century, was known for his liberal views, soaring speeches and deeply held beliefs that made him among the most prominent Democrats of his time. His death came the same day as his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was inaugurated for a second term.Cuomo, a three-term governor, died Jan. 1 of heart failure. He was 82.President Obama remembered Cuomo as a politician who had a quintessentially American story."An Italian Catholic kid from Queens, born to immigrant parents, Mario paired his faith in God and faith in America to live a life of public service - and we are all better for it," Obama said. "He rose to be chief executive of the state he loved, a determined champion of progressive values, and an unflinching voice for tolerance, inclusiveness, fairness, dignity, and opportunity."Mario Cuomo decided against a run for president in 1991, famously leaving an airplane on the tarmac in Albany that was destined for New Hampshire. His decision opened the door for Bill Clinton to win the party's nomination and the presidency a year later.Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, second from left, celebrates with his father, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, after defeating Republican challenger Rob Astorino, at Democratic election headquarters in New York, Nov. 4, 2014. TV journalist and younger son Chris Cuomo watches at right.* Kathy Willens, AP

A former U.S. senator for Tennessee, GOP presidential candidate, Watergate attorney and longtime 'Law and Order' star at 6 feet 5 inches with a booming voice, Fred Thompson and his larger-than-life persona played a role in several key moments that shaped the U.S. and Tennessee political landscape.Thompson died Nov. 1 after a recurrence of lymphoma. He was 73."Fred once said that the experiences he had growing up in small-town Tennessee formed the prism through which he viewed the world and shaped the way he dealt with life. Fred stood on principle and common sense, and had a deep love for and connection with the people across Tennessee whom he had the privilege to serve in the United States Senate. He enjoyed a hearty laugh, a strong handshake, a good cigar, and a healthy dose of humility. Fred was the same man on the floor of the Senate, the movie studio, or the town square of Lawrenceburg, his home,” his family said in a statement.* Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

He was the privileged son of a longtime U.S. senator and two-term vice president, yet Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III was no stranger to personal adversity.When he was only 3, just weeks after his father, Joe Biden, had been elected to the Senate, the younger Biden was seriously injured in a 1972 car crash that killed his mother and infant sister. His father was sworn into office at his hospital bedside.And after launching his own successful political career, Beau Biden was dogged by health problems. In 2010, he suffered a mild stroke at the age of 41.Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Senator Joe Biden and his son Beau Biden at the 2008 Democratic National Convention at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado USA. According to a statement from his father, US Vice President Joe Biden, and family on 30 May 2015, Beau died from brain cancer at the age of 46.* Matthew Cavanaugh, EPA

Although twice elected attorney general, Beau Biden never realized the dream of many Delaware political observers that he would follow in his father's footsteps as a U.S. senator, and perhaps even become governor.Biden did, in fact, plan to run for governor in 2016. He made the announcement in an April 2014 email to supporters in which he also noted he would not seek re-election as Delaware attorney general.In addition to his work as a lawyer and attorney general, Biden was a major in an Army National Guard unit that deployed to Iraq in 2008.Beau Biden is survived by his wife, Hallie, and children Natalie, 11, and Hunter, 9, along with his father and stepmother, a brother and sister, a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, and three nieces.* Mark Wilson, Getty Images

New York Mayor Edward Koch, left, poses with former Miss America Bess Myerson in New York in this May 14, 1985 file photo, .Myerson, the first Jewish Miss America who parlayed her stunning 1945 victory into national celebrity, died Dec. 14, 2014, at her home in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 90. She landed a series of television jobs before her appointment as New York Cityís chief consumer watchdog in 1969. Myerson helped Koch win the 1977 mayoral race.* Carlos Rene Perez, AP

"60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon, speaks with a news producer at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Simon was killed in a car crash on Feb. 11, 2015, in Manhattan. Police say a town car in which he was a passenger hit another car. He was 73. "It's a terrible loss for all of us at CBS News," 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager said in a statement. "It is such a tragedy made worse because we lost him in a car accident, a man who has escaped more difficult situations than almost any journalist in modern times.Simon's distinguished career included 40 days in an Iraqi prison, a time that Fager described as an "incredibly difficult situation to get through." Upon his release, a bearded, gaunt Simon described a harrowing situation in which he was spit at and tortured.Simon's award-winning career spanned five decades and took him from Japan to Egypt, and from Vietnam to Paraguay, according to CBS.* John Paul Filo, CBS/AP

"Julian helped inspire an entire generation of young people, students, black and white," Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said. "He spent so much time speaking on college campuses, telling the story of the movement. He was so smart, so gifted, so articulate and he had a way of getting to people, to students, to young people and he succeeded."Lewis and Bond helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and later ran against each other in a contentious 1986 race for Congress when Bond was a Georgia state senator. After a few months, they smoothed out their differences and over the years, became good friends.Julian Bond, right, publicity director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, introduces new officers of the organization at a news conference in Atlanta, on May 23, 1966. Seated, left to right, they are Cleveland Sellars, program director; Mrs. Ruby Robinson, executive secretary; and Stokely Carmichael, chairman. Standing behind Carmichael is former SNCC chairman John R. Lewis.* Horace Cort, AP

Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said he was "choked up" and "broken-hearted" to learn about Bond's death. "He and I met back in 1960 during a student uprising, and one of the most central figures during that uprising was Julian Bond," Jackson said in a phone interview.Jackson said Bond set the activist tone for their generation and became known for taking many stands. His opposition to the Vietnam War caused white members of the Georgia House of Representatives to refuse to seat him when he was elected in 1965. A year later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor, forcing the House to swear him in on Jan. 9, 1967.Julian Bond (center), a young African American twice denied a seat in the Georgia Legislature, tells newsmen at Atlanta, Dec. 6, 1966 that he was pleased with the Supreme Court's decision in his favor.* Horace Cort, AP

Billionaire investor, casino mogul and real estate titan Kirk Kerkorian, 98, left, who played an influential role in the rise of Las Vegas and once tried unsuccessfully to take over automaker Chrysler, died on June 15.Kerkorian, who held a majority of MGM Resorts International's stock until recent years and previously owned the separate MGM Studios, had a net worth of $4 billion, according to Forbes estimates. That made him the 393rd wealthiest person in the world.He was a self-made tycoon. After a poor childhood in which he sold newspapers and did odd jobs, he served as a Royal Air Force pilot in World War II, gaining an appreciation for flight that he later converted into his first fortune.* William Thomas Cain, Getty Images

Author E.L. Doctorow, who wrote "Ragtime" and "Billy Bathgate," died on July 21. He was 84.
Among a long list of honors that he won during his life are the National Book Award, two PEN Faulkner awards and the National Humanities Medal, according to his website.
Edgar Lawrence Doctorow was born in 1931 in the Bronx borough of New York, the grandson of Jewish immigrants from Russia, and was named for his father's favorite author, Edgar Allen Poe, according to JSpaceNews.com. His writing talent became apparent when, for a class at the Bronx High School of Science, he wrote a detailed description of a doorman at Carnegie Hall and his supposed friendship with him, according to the publication. Doctorow later admitted to the teacher that the doorman was a work of fiction, but it impressed and convinced the teacher of Doctorow's talents.* Elisabetta Villa, Getty Images

Guenter Grass, the Nobel-winning German writer who gave voice to the generation that came of age during the horrors of the Nazi era but later ran into controversy over his own World War II past and stance toward Israel, died on April 13. He was 87.Grass was lauded by Germans for helping to revive their culture in the aftermath of World War II and helping to give voice and support to democratic discourse in the postwar nation.Yet he provoked the ire of many in 2006 when he revealed in his memoir "Skinning the Onion" that, as a teenager, he had served in the Waffen-SS, the combat arm of Adolf Hitler's notorious paramilitary organization.A trained sculptor, Grass made his literary reputation with "The Tin Drum," published in 1959. It was followed by "Cat and Mouse" and "Dog Years," which made up what is called the Danzig Trilogy — after the town of his birth, now the Polish city of Gdansk. Combining naturalistic detail with fantastical images, the trilogy captured the German reaction to the rise of Nazism, the horrors of the war and the guilt that lingered after Hitler's defeat.* Jens Meyer, AP

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Who will defend the honor of Atlantic City with the passion of Pinky Kravitz, 88? He went so far back he knew Nucky Johnson – the basis for the lead character on HBO’s Prohibition era series, Boardwalk Empire.
Pinky’s was the Voice of Atlantic City, spreading the gospel of boosterism for decades via his newspaper column and radio show, Pinky’s Corner. He had the misfortune to live long enough to see four of the city’s 12 casinos close over the last two years; mercifully, he did not live long enough to see more close.
Many of that generation were pioneers. Edward Brooke of Massachusetts, 95, in 1966 became the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction – and the last until 1992.
Bess Myerson, 90, was the first and only Jewish Miss America (1945). Little Stu Miller, 87, was the first and only pitcher ever forced into a balk by a gust of wind in a major league All Star Game (1961).

Pro Football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford passed away at the age of 84. Gifford was the face of the New York Giants organization for many years.*(Photo: Getty Images)

Frank Gifford, 83, was a trailblazer of another sort. As much as any football player, he helped make his New York Giants the toast of New York, and the National Football League the new national pastime.
A running back out of Bakersfield and USC, Gifford was the NFL’s MVP in 1956 on a team that won the league championship. His easy personality and good looks made him the prototypical sports celebrity endorser, and led to a broadcast career capped by play-by-play duties alongside Howard Cosell and Don Meredith on ABC’s Monday Night Football.
Some were soiled by scandal, such as former House Speaker Jim Wright, 92, who resigned in 1989 after two years amid an ethics controversy.
Others had an unfortunate final act. Fred Thompson, 73, was a key Watergate Committee staffer in 1974, a prolific TV actor and a two-term U.S. senator from Tennessee. But he’ll also be remembered as an unsuccessful, and rather cranky, candidate for president in 2008.
Death wasn’t confined to Sacks’ generation. Many died too young. The loss of Vice President Joe Biden’s son Beau at 46 of recurrent brain cancer was like a loss in the national family.
ESPN anchor Stuart Scott’s audience was well aware of his struggle with cancer, and inspired by his determination in the face of it.
Scott received a standing ovation when he accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2014 ESPY Awards. "When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer," Scott told the audience. "You beat cancer by how you live."
He died six months later, at 49.
Other successful men died young, including Dave Goldberg, 47, CEO of SurveyMonkey and husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.
One very rich man lived to be very old. Kirk Kerkorian, who made billions in Las Vegas and Hollywood deals, was 98.
We lost some great nicknames in 2015. Rodney “Hot Rod” Hundley, 80, was a shameless show boater on the basketball court at West Virginia University and at the microphone as an NBA broadcaster.
Kenneth “Snake’’ Stabler, 69, starred at quarterback for Alabama before moving to the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. Johnny “Yard Dog’’ Jones, 74, was a Chicago bluesman as persistent as his nickname suggested. After years on the small club circuit, he recorded his first album at 55.
If you believe in that sort of thing, you hope that Jayne Meadows, 95, was reunited with her husband Steve Allen, who died in 2000, and that Sarah Brady, 73, joined her husband Jim, the Reagan press secretary turned gun control advocate who predeceased her by one year.
Some passages took us back: Lesley Gore, 68, wailing “it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to’’ in the pre-Beatles year of 1963. Or Billy Joe Royal, 73, singing Down in the Boondocks*two years later.

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R.I.P. Yogi Berra USA TODAY Sports

Some of those who passed on left behind famous words:
“Sock it to me!’’ — Comedian Judy Carne, 76, who starred on the ‘60s comedy hit show, Laugh-In.
“Fo, fo, fo.” — Relentless rebounder Moses Malone, 60, who predicted his Philadelphia 76ers would win the 1984 NBA playoffs by sweeping three straight best-of-seven series. He was off by one game.

In this 1970 file photo, Chicago Cubs' Ernie Banks poses.*(Photo: AP)

“Let’s play two!’’ —*Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks, who so loved baseball that he wished every day was a doubleheader.
"It’ ain’t over ‘till it’s over.” —*Guess who?
Some who passed on were contrasts, such as college basketball coaches Dean Smith and Jerry Tarkanian, who died four days apart in February. Smith was 83, Tarkanian 84.
Smith, at North Carolina for 36 years, was known for winning two NCAA championships; running a clean program with high graduation rates; and playing at Kansas under Phog Allen, who himself had played there for James Naismith, who invented the sport.

Legendary North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith died at the age of 83. In 36 season at UNC, the Hall of Famer led the Tar Heels to two national championships, 11 Final Fours and 13 ACC tournament titles.*(Photo: USA TODAY)

Tark worked the other side of the street. The three schools he coached — Long Beach State, UNLV and Fresno State — ended up facing NCAA sanctions for rules violations. But like Smith, he won both an NCAA crown and the respect of those who played for him.
Some lives ended suddenly and tragically.
John Nash, 86, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician whose struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind, died in a car crash along with his wife Alicia in New Jersey. CBS TV newsman Bob Simon, 73, was killed a crash in New York City.
Walter Scheib, White House chef for 11 years under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, refocused the menu on American cuisine with seasonal ingredients. He was found dead after vanishing on a solo hike in New Mexico. He was 61.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, the troubled daughter of troubled singer Whitney Houston, died in a hospice, nearly six months after she was found face down and unconscious in her bathtub.

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Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, has passed away at the age of 22. In a statement, her family says "she is finally at peace in the arms of God." VPC

Sawyer Sweeten, 19, who played one of Ray Romano’s young twin sons on the TV comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996-2005, committed suicide.
Amanda Peterson, a 43-year-old actress best known for her role in the 1987 romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love, was found dead in her Colorado home of an accidental morphine overdose. She’d suffered from heart and lung disease, and from pain following a hysterectomy.
Some great creators went to meet their own maker.*Wes Craven, 76, imagined the bloodthirsty horror flick villain Freddie Krueger, and custom cars designer George Barris, 89, was subject of the title story in Tom Wolfe’s The Kandy-Colored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby. Melissa Mathison, 65, wrote the film with one of the most famous lines in cinema: “E.T. phone home.’’
ENTERTAIN THIS!
5 Wes Craven films to watch that aren't 'Scream' or 'Elm Street'

The civil rights movement lost many veterans, including Julian Bond, 75; Grace Lee Boggs, 100; and Rev. Willie T. Barrow, 90, "The Little Warrior," who marched at Selma and helped found what became the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.
Hard to believe that those passing on included Donna Douglas, 82, who played the gorgeous, guileless Elly Mae Clampet on The Beverly Hillbillies, and Pat Woodell, 71, one of three teenage sisters on Petticoat Junction. They live on in syndication, as does Al Molinaro, 96, the diner owner on Happy Days.

Donna Douglas as Elly May Clampett from the 1960's CBS series "The Beverly Hillbillies."*(Photo: Handout)

Martin Milner, 83, proved that a good TV actor usually has two successful series in him. His were Adam-12, an L.A. police procedural, and the seminal buddy-road trip drama Route 66.
Passing on in 2015 were the Marlboro Man (Darrell Winfield, 85); the driver of the VW in Disney’s The Love Bug (Dean Jones, 84); and bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazard (James Best, 88).
Jean Darling, 93, who once played the adorable blond girl on The Little Rascals was among the last living actors to have worked in silent film.
Musical genius took its leave.

Allen Toussaint, 77, was a songwriter, producer, performer and living symbol of New Orleans music. He died with his boots on — touring in Europe.

Ben E. King, 76, recorded bluesy pop classics such as Stand By Me and There Goes My Baby.

Percy Sledge, 74, breathed such emotion into the blues ballad, When a Man Loves a Woman, that it became a staple at weddings of all colors and classes. He sang it himself at the wedding of Bruce Springsteen collaborator Steve Van Zandt.

Lynn Anderson, 67, recorded the 1970 crossover country hit, (I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden.

Ornette Coleman, 85, was a jazz virtuoso on alto sax.

We lost innovators and inventors, including Samuel Glazer, 89, who introduced the Mr. Coffee drip coffeemaker in 1972 with the help of a special pitchman. So successful was the campaign, Glazer once said, that "millions of kids grew up thinking Joe DiMaggio was a famous appliance salesman."
Horst Brandstaetter, 81, launched the Playmobil*line of plastic toys in the 1970s. Jean Nidetch, 91, tackled her obesity problem and shared her lessons with others in meetings that became the foundation for Weight Watchers. Gary Ross Dahl, 78, created the big ‘70s fad, the Pet Rock.
Writers along the literary waterfront died. E.L. Doctorow, 84, was author of critically acclaimed novels such as The March and Billy Bathgate. Jackie Collins, 77, published 32 romance novels, all best-sellers. Colleen McCullough, 77, wrote The Thorn Birds (1977), which sold millions of copies and was made into a popular miniseries.

Oliver Sacks speaks at the World Science Festival in New York in 2008.*(Photo: Getty Images file)

Oliver Sacks’ last column for the Times focused on the Sabbath, in scripture the last day of the week and the one of rest. His saw a connection to the end of life, “when one can feel that one’s work is done and one may, in good conscience, rest.’’
Two weeks later, he went to his.
Other top stories from 2015:

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWCartoonist sums up 2015 in less than 60 seconds | 00:53The Indy Star's cartoonist Gary Varvel illustrates the many struggles we had in 2015 and hopes for a better year in 2016 with his year-end cartoon. VPC

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWHow the top car, SUV sales rivalries stacked up in 2015 | 02:04Who's up and who's down, compared with rivals? It's more than automakers who care about the sales stats. Some owners clubs and others take great pride in knowing their models came out on top. But 2015 was a topsy-turvy year. Buyers moved to SUVs. Wochit

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWTop 10 highlights of Capital Download in 2015 | 06:42We've collected 10 highlights from the year for USA TODAY's weekly video newsmaker series, including Ben Carson suggesting kindergarten teachers should be armed and Ben Bernanke saying more CEOs should have gone to jail.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWTop 3 viral moments we shamelessly loved in 2015 | 03:49We couldn't stop watching llamas on the run, a shark's dance moves and friendships implode over #TheDress.
Video provided by Newsy Newslook

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWTalkingTech Top 10 2015 | 02:45Jefferson Graham counts down his top 10 favorite #TalkingTech interviews of 2015, highlighted by driving with the mayor of Los Angeles in a semi-self-driving car, a meetup with ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and visit by mom to the podcast studio.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWBest and worst cities for single people in 2015 | 01:07Wallet Hub ranked 150 American cities based on how affordable and easy it is to date there. Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) tells us where singles should consider moving if they want to find love. Buzz60

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWUSA TODAY's best photographs of 2015 | 00:56USA TODAY's photo staff chooses their favorite images from 2015.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWWhen celebs got real with USA TODAY in 2015 | 01:39Carly Simon sheds some light on “You’re so vain.” Pete Townshend reflects on turning 70. Carol Burnett gives us her best Tarzan yell. Here are some of USA TODAY’s best celebrity moments from 2015.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWTop media controversies of 2015 | 01:22USA TODAY editor-at-large Rem Rieder shares his picks for this year's biggest controversies involving the media. USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWTop 5 car stories of 2015 | 01:42From airbags to diesel emissions, these auto stories made big news in 2015. USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWThe apps that made you say 'Wow!' this year | 01:40USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham takes a look at the top apps that made smartphone users say 'Wow!' in 2015.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWGet behind the scenes on USA TODAY's biggest celebrity shoots | 02:07Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY's west coast staff photographer, talks about getting up close and personal with some of 2015's biggest stars in movies, television and music. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWBest of 2015: Cops get silly on cam | 01:10These police officers owned the Internet in 2015 with their hilarious videos. Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) shows us the best. Buzz60

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWThe top gadgets of 2015 | 03:32USA TODAY tech columnist Jennifer Jolly shares her picks for this year's best gadgets.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWInstagram's most-liked image of 2015 not who you think | 01:05Kendall Jenner has taken the top spot for the most liked photo on Instagram in 2015. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) has the story. Buzz60

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWThe most memorable proposals of 2015 | 02:58From getting down on one knee in a Whole Foods to a phenomenal preschool assist, these are the best, most memorable proposals of 2015.
Video provided by Newsy Newslook

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWApple's most downloaded apps of 2015 | 01:33Apple released its list of the most downloaded apps of 2015--we run them down on #TalkingTech.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWJefferson Graham's 5 top tech innovations for 2015 | 02:07USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham counts down his top 5 tech innovations for 2015, highlighted by a must have app from Google on #TalkingTech.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWThe top 10 most Googled terms of 2015 | 01:00What did people search for the most in 2015? USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWLamar Odom, 'Jurassic World,' Paris: among 2015's top Google searches | 01:19At the top of Google's annual list of its top searches are Lamar Odom, the tragic attacks in Paris and dinosaurs on the big screen.
Video provided by Newsy Newslook

2015: YEAR IN REVIEW10 most-read stories of 2015 | 01:50The Paris attacks, Lamar Odom, Bobbi Kristina Brown and the San Bernardino, Calif., shootings are among the stories you clicked on most this year. USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEW2015: A year of global turmoil | 03:01From terrorist attacks to natural disasters, 2015 saw its share of turmoil across the globe. USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWLip sync battles and angry Liam Neeson: YouTube's top trending videos of 2015 | 01:20YouTube's top trending videos of 2015 contain a mix of singing, dancing and a giant water balloon.

2015: YEAR IN REVIEW6 months of Donald Trump running for president | 01:56Noteworthy moments from the campaign trail. A look at the first six months of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. USA TODAY

2015: YEAR IN REVIEWYogi Berra, B.B. King among greats we remember in 2015 | 02:37We remember the celebrities who passed away in 2015, after years of touching our hearts and lives.

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The famous and near-famous who passed away in 2015

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