Ed Asner, William Shatner and More Remember Valerie Harper – TheWrap

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  Here’s a list of some of the notable celebrities and industry professionals in film, TV, music and sports who have passed away in 2019. 

  
  

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  Joe Stapleton 
  

  The New England broadcaster who appeared in several Oscar-winning films like “Spotlight” and “Mystic River,” died Jan. 1. Stapleton was 55. 

  
  

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  Daryl Dragon 
  

  One half of pop duo Captain and Tennille died Jan. 2 of renal failure, according to Reuters. He was 76.

  
  

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  Gene Okurland 
  

  The famed WWE announcer, who frequently interviewed the likes of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant at their peak, died Jan. 2. Okurland was 76. 

  
  

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  Bob Einstein 
  

  The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Arrested Development” actor (and brother of actor-filmmaker Albert Brooks) died  Jan. 2. Einstein was 76. 

  
  

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  Verna Bloom 
  

  The “Animal House” and “The Last Temptation of Christ” actress died Jan. 9. A family spokesperson told USA Today that Bloom died from complications from dementia. Bloom was 80.

  
  

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  Mark Urman 
  

  The veteran indie film distributer, who was most recently president and CEO of New York-based Paladin Films, died Jan. 12 following a bout with cancer. He was 66.

  
  

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  Carol Channing  
  

  The legendary Broadway and musical actress  (“Hello Dolly,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”) died Jan. 15. Channing was 97. 

  
  

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  Lorna Doom 
  

  The German bassist and founding member of the seminal Los Angeles-based punk band The Germs, died Jan. 17. She was 61. 

  
  

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  John Coughlin 
  

  The former champion figure skater died by suicide on Jan. 18. The news came days after Coughlin was suspended from the sport over a pending grievance. He was 33.

  
  

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  Andy Vajna 
  

  The Hungarian producer who worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone on some of their most popular films, including “Rambo” and “Total Recall,” died at his home in Budapest on Jan. 20. He was 74.

  
  

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  Russell Baker 
  

  A two-time Pulitzer-winning writer and longtime host of PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre,” Baker died Jan. 21 in his Lessburg, Virginia, home. Baker was 93. 

  
  

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  James Frawley 
  

  The director of “The Muppet Movie” and the show “The Monkees,” died on Jan. 22 at his home in Indian Wells, California. He was 82.

  
  

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  Kevin Barnett 
  

  The comic and co-creator of “Rel,” the Lil’ Rel Howery-led sitcom on Fox, died Jan. 22 due to a hemorrhage. Barnett was 32.

  
  

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  Michel Legrand  
  

  The French composer who won three Oscars for his songs (“The Windmills of Your Mind”) and film scores (“Summer of ’42,” “Yentl”) died Jan. 26. Legrand was 86.

  
  

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  James Ingram

  The singer and songwriter whose hits included “I Don’t Have the Heart,”  died Jan. 29. According to TMZ, Ingram died following a battle with brain cancer. He was 66. 

  
  

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  Louisa Moritz 
  

  The “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” actress who was one of the numerous women who accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, died of natural causes on Jan. 30. Moritz was 72.

  
  

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  Neal James 
  

  “The Banjo Man” on Animal Planet’s “Call of the Wildman,” died on Feb. 1 in Kentucky. He was 55.

  
  

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  Julie Adams

  The actress known for playing the damsel in distress in the 1954 monster movie “Creature From the Black Lagoon,” died Feb. 3. She was 92. 

  
  

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  Kristoff St. John 
  

  The actor who played the character Neil Winters on the CBS daytime soap opera “The Young and the Restless” since 1991, died on Feb. 3. He was 52.

  
  

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  Albert Finney 

  The British Oscar-nominated actor who starred in “Tom Jones,” “Erin Brockovich” and the “Bourne” movies, died on Feb. 8. He was 82.

  
  

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  Ron Miller 
  

  The former president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company and son-in-law of company founder Walt Disney, died on Feb. 9. He was age 85.

  
  

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  Jan-Michael Vincent 

  The actor, who starred in the TV series “Airwolf” and movies like “The Mechanic,” died on Feb. 10 at the age of 74 in North Carolina. According to CBS, the actor died of cardiac arrest.

  
  

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  Pedro Morales 
  

  The WWE announced on Feb. 12 that the company’s first-ever “Triple Crown” Champion died. The Puerto Rico native was 76.

  
  

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  Bruce Ganz 
  

  The Swiss actor whose work ranged from “Wings of Desire” to the much-memed “Downfall,” died on Feb. 15. He was  77

  
  

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  Karl Lagerfeld 
  

  The legendary fashion designer who served as longtime creative director of major brands such as Chanel and Fendi died on Feb. 19. He was 85

  
  

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  Stanley Donen 
  

  The director of classic musical films like “On the Town” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” died on Feb. 23. He was 94. 

  
  

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  Katherine Helmond 

  The character actress who rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s with roles on the sitcoms “Soap” and “Who’s the Boss?” and appeared in such films as Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil,” died on Feb. 23 at age 89.

  
  

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  Beverley Owen 
  

  The actress who played the original Marilyn Munster on the iconic 1960s sitcom “The Munsters,” died on Feb. 24. She was 81. 

  
  

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  Lisa Sheridan 
  

  The actress who appeared on a numerous top TV shows including “Halt and Catch Fire,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “Invasion,” died on Feb. 25. She was 44.

  
  

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  Mark Hollis  

  The lead singer for the 1980s rock band Talk Talk died on Feb. 26. He was 64.

  
  

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  Jeraldine Saunders 
  

  The creator of the iconic ABC series “The Love Boat” died on Feb. 26. She was 96.

  
  

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  André Previn 
  

  The German-American, Oscar-winning musician and composer who worked on the music for 1965’s Best Picture winner “My Fair Lady,” died on Feb. 28. He was 89. 

  
  

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  Andrew Berends 
  

  The documentary filmmaker who worked as a cameraman on the Oscar-winning doc “Free Solo” died on March 3. He was 46.

  
  

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  Keith Flint 
  

  The lead singer of the pioneering 1990s British electronica band The Prodigy, was found dead on March 4. He was 49

  
  

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  Luke Perry 

  The “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Riverdale” actor died on March 5 after suffering a stroke. He was 52. 

  
  

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  King Kong Bundy 
  

  The wrestling legend whose real name was Christopher Alan Pallies died on March 5. He was 61.

  
  

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  Sidney Sheinberg

  The longtime president and chief operating officer of MCA and Universal Studios who is also credited with discovering and nurturing the career of Stephen Spielberg, died on March 7. He was 84.

  
  

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  Jed Allan 

  Soap opera veteran Jed Allan, best known for playing Don Craig on “Days of Our Lives,” C.C. Capwell on “Santa Barbara” and Rush Sanders on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died on March 9. He was 84.

  
  

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  Richard Erdman

  Known by millennials for his work on “Community” as Greendale’s smart-alecky Leonard Rodriguez died Saturday, March 13. He was 93.

  
  

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  Jim Raman

  Dr. James “Jim” Raman, an orthodontist who competed on Season 25 contestant of CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” died Monday, March 15. He was 42.

  
  

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  Dick Dale 

  The man responsible for the song credited with the creation of surf rock; his version of “Misirlou,” a single-string rattler that became an overnight hit after he performed it on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1963, died Sunday, March 14. He was 81.

  
  

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  Michael Lynne

  The Hollywood producer who helped transform New Line Cinema into a powerhouse and served as an executive producer on Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, died Sunday, March 21. He was 77.

  
  

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  Agnes Varda 

  The pioneering French film director who emerged in the New Wave movement of the 1960s and continued to direct influential work including 2017’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Faces Places,” died Thursday, March 28. She was 90.

  
  

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  Shane Rimmer 

  The Canadian actor known for his leading voice role as a pilot on the series “Thunderbirds” and appeared in multiple James Bond movies, died Friday, March 29. He was 89.

  
  

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  Shelley Lazar

  The pioneer of ticketing VIP programs for everyone from the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney to The Who, died Sunday, March 31. She was 69.

  
  

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  Nipsey Hussle

  The Grammy-nominated rapper who appeared in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s semi-autobiographical film “I Tried,” died Sunday, March 31. He was 33. 

  
  

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  Tania Mallet

  The actress who played Tilly Masterson in the 1964 James Bond movie “Goldfinger,” died in late March. She was 77.

  
  

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  Nadja Regin

  The actress who starred in two James Bond films opposite Sean Connery, died at age 87.

  
  

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  Seymour Cassel

  The Academy Award-nominated actor who regularly collaborated with Wes Anderson and John Cassavetes died Sunday, April 7. He was 84.

  
  

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  Alexa Valiente

  The award-winning producer for ABC News died Friday, April 5. She was 27.

  
  

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  Charles Van Doren

  The disgraced ’50s-era quiz show contestant who was found to have received the answers in advance, died Tuesday, April 9. He was 93.

  
  

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  Soni Methu

  The Kenyan journalist and the former host of CNN’s show “Inside Africa,” died on Thursday, April 11. She was 34. 

  
  

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  Bibi Andersson

  The Swedish actress, known for her roles in “The Seventh Seal” and “Persona,” died on Sunday, April 14. She was 83. 

  
  

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  Georgia Engel

  The actress who starred as Georgette Franklin on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” between 1972 and 1977, died Friday, April 12 at the age of 70, 

  
  

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  Bradley Welsh

  The former boxer who made his acting debut in 2017 in Danny Boyle’s “T2 Trainspotting,” died Wednesday, April 17. He was 42. 

  
  

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  Chet Coppock

  The Chicago-based sports broadcaster known locally as “The Godfather of Sports” in the 1980s, died Wednesday, April 17. He was 70. 

  
  

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  Lorraine Warren

  The famed investigator of paranormal activity who researched the “Amityville Horror” hauntings and was the subject of James Wan’s film “The Conjuring,” died Thursday, April 18. She was 92. 

  
  

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   Steve Golin

  The Oscar-winning film and TV producer of “Spotlight” and founder-CEO of Anonymous Content, died after a battle with cancer Sunday, April 21. 

  
  

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  Terry Rawlings

  The British film and sound editor who was an Oscar nominee for his work on Best Picture winner “Chariots of Fire” died Tuesday, April 23.

  
  

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  Stefanie Sherk

  The Canadian model and actress known for work on “CSI: Cyber” and in the rom-com “Valentine’s Day,” died Saturday, April 20. She was 43. 

  
  

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  John Singleton

  The Oscar-nominated director of “Boyz N the Hood,” the 2000 remake of “Shaft” and “2 Fast 2 Furious,” died Monday, April 29. He was 51.

  
  

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  Peter Mayhew 

  The 7-foot-2-inch tall actor who portrayed Chewbacca in five “Star Wars” films, died Tuesday, April 30. He was 74. 

  
  

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  Alvin Sargent 

  The storied screenwriter best known for his Academy Award-winning script for “Ordinary People” and his Oscar-nominated “Paper Moon,” died Thursday, May 9. He was 92. 

  
  

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  Peggy Lipton 

  The star of the iconic TV series “The Mod Squad” and part of the ensemble cast of “Twin Peaks” has died at age 72, her daughters Rashida and Kidada Jones told the Los Angeles Times on May 11.

  
  

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  Doris Day 

  The actress in popular 1950s and ’60s movies such as “Pillow Talk,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and “Move Over, Darling” died Monday, May 13. She was 97. 

  
  

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  Tim Conway

  The Emmy-winning comedian and actor who memorably starred in “McHale’s Navy” in the 1960s and “The Carol Burnett Show” in the ’70s, died Tuesday, May 14. He was 85.

  
  

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   Tom Jennings

  The former Hollywood talent agent and casting director, died on Thursday, April 18, his family announced. He was 81.

  
  

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  Ashley Massaro

  The former WWE Superstar died on Thursday, May 16 at the age of 39.

  
  

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  Grumpy Cat 

  The cat whose perpetually sad expression launched a thousand memes, died on Friday, May 17 at age of seven. 

  
  

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  Sammy Shore

  The legendary stand-up comedian and co-founder of the Comedy Store in Los Angeles,  died on Saturday, May 18. He was 92.

  
  

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  Gabriel Diniz

  Brazilian pop star died in a plane crash on Monday, May 27. He was 28.

  
  

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  Carmine Caridi

  The actor who appeared in a key role in “The Godfather: Part II” as well as “The Godfather: Part III,” died on Wednesday, May 29. 

  
  

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  Johnnie Planco

  The former WME agent and co-founder of management/production company Parseghian Planco died on Sunday, June 2. 

  
  

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  Todd Tongen

  The longtime anchor and reporter at Florida’s WPLG died on Monday, June 3. He was 56

  
  

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  Dr. John 

  The legendary New Orleans-based musician who collaborated with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera and The Black Keys died on Thursday, June 6. He was 77.

  
  

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  Max Saines 

  On Saturday, June 8 it was announced that the Endeavor Content TV exec died from a pre-existing heart condition. He was 28.

  
  

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  Sylvia Miles 

  The two-time Oscar nominee for supporting roles in the Best Picture winner “Midnight Cowboy” and “Farewell, My Lovely” died on Wednesday, June 12. She was 94.

  
  

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  Edith Gonzalez

  The Mexican telenovela star died early Thursday, June 13, according to reports. She was 54.

  
  

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  Franco Zeffirelli

  The two-time Oscar nominee best known for his 1968 big-screen version of “Romeo and Juliet,” died on Saturday, June 15. He was 96.

  
  

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  Katherine Textor

  The longtime “60 Minutes” producer who worked closely with Morley Safer during his final years, died Friday, June 14 following a battle with cancer. She was 45.

  
  

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  Gloria Vanderbilt

  The fashion designer, actress, heiress, artist and socialite died on Monday, June 17 from “very advanced” cancer in her stomach. She was 95.

  
  

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  Milton Quon

  One of the last surviving members of the animation team during the Walt Disney Studios golden age, died on Tuesday, June 18. He was 105.

  
  

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  Elliot Roberts

  The music manager who shepherded the careers of iconic artists including Joni Mitchell and Neil Young died on Friday, June 21. He was 76.

  
  

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  Beth Chapman

  Beth Chapman, the wife of Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” died on Wednesday, June 26 after suffering from throat and lung cancer. She was 51.

  
  

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  Billy Drago

  The actor who played Frank Nitti in Brian De Palma’s “The Untouchables” died in Los Angeles on Monday, June 24 from complications of a stroke. He was 73

  
  

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  Ben Barenholtz

  The producer-distributor who helped launch the careers of David Lynch and the Coen Brothers, died on Wednesday, June 26 in Prague. He was 83.

  
  

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  Martin Charnin

  The Emmy-, Tony- and Peabody Award winner best known as the creator, lyricist and director of the musical “Annie,” died on Wednesday, July 3. He was 84.

  
  

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  Arte Johnson

  The writer who won an Emmy for his work on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” died Wednesday, July 3. He was 90.

  
  

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  Cameron Boyce

  The actor best known for his roles in the Disney Channel series “Jessie” and the “Descendants” TV movie franchise died Saturday, July 6. He was 20.

  
  

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  Eddie Jones 

  The veteran actor of film, TV and theater best known for his long-running role as Jonathan Kent in the series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” died on Saturday, July 7. He was 84.

  
  

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  Denise Nickerson

  The child actress best known for playing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 classic “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” died late Wednesday, July 10. She was 62.

  
  

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  Stewart the Dog 

  The corgi who played Captain Raymond Holt’s dog Cheddar on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” died Monday, July 8. He was 13.

  
  

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  Emily Hartridge

  The YouTube personality died Friday, July 12. She was 35.

  
  

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  Stephen Verona

  The producer, co-writer and co-director of “The Lords of Flatbush,” died Saturday, July 13. He was 78.

  
  

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  David Hedison

  The actor who was best known for his work in two James Bond films and on the series “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” died Thursday, July 18. He was 92.

  
  

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  Rutger Hauer 

  The Dutch actor best known for portraying the tragic villain Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic “Blade Runner,” died Wednesday, July 24. He was 75.

  
  

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  Russi Taylor 

  The voice actor behind the Disney icon Minnie Mouse in hundreds of projects over the last three decades, died on Saturday, July 27. Taylor was 75.

  
  

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  Richard A. Fox 

  The owner of Fox Theaters and the last volunteer president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, died Wednesday, July 28. He was 90. 

  
  

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  Grant Thompson

  The popular YouTuber that racked up millions of subscribers and billions of views by sharing life-hack and experimental videos, died Wednesday, July 29 following a paragliding accident. He was 38.

  
  

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  Harold Prince

  The producer and director associated with many of the 20th century’s most successful Broadway musical productions died at age 91. As a frequent collaborator with both Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Prince garnered 21 Tony Awards, more than any other individual, over the course of his career. In a traditional gesture, marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed on the night of his death on July 31. 

  
  

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  Harley Race

  The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee and eight-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion died of lung cancer Aug. 1 at the age of 76.

  
  

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  D. A. Pennebaker

  The prolific documentary filmmaker and chronicler of 1960s counterculture died on Aug. 1 at the age of 94. 

  
  

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  Toni Morrison

  The novelist, essayist and teacher died from complications of pneumonia at age 88 on Aug. 5. Morrison’s 11 novels earned her a Pulitzer Prize in 1988, a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

  
  

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  Peter Fonda 

  The two-time, Oscar-nominated star of “Easy Rider” and more recently films such as “Ulee’s Gold” died on Friday, Aug. 16. He was 79.

  
  

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  Richard Williams  

  The Oscar-winning animator best known for creating Roger Rabbit died on Friday, Aug. 16. He was 86.

  
  

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  Kip Addotta

  The comedian who frequently appeared on “The Tonight Show” died the week of Aug.t 12. He was 75. 

  
  

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  David Koch

  The billionaire industrialist and philanthropist whose family empire has wielded significant political influence in conservative circles died Friday, Aug. 23. He was 79. 

  
  

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  Isabel Toledo

  The fashion designer who outfitted former first lady Michelle Obama for President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration died Monday, Aug. 26 at the age of 59 from breast cancer.

  
  

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  Jessi Combs 

  The former “Mythbusters” star and professional race car driver died on Tuesday, Aug. 27 while attempting to break her own land-speed record. She was 36.

  
  

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  Valerie Harper

  The actress and feminist activist best known for playing groundbreaking sitcom character Rhoda Morgenstern from 1970 to 1978 on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and its spinoff “Rhoda,” died Friday, Aug. 30 at 80.

  
  

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