They Live on in Our Hearts! Remembering the Stars and Legends We've Lost In 2021
Maya Angelou famously said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maybe that is why celebrity deaths can seem so profound.
Whether it is their films, books, songs, TV shows or the way they play sports, their lives have impacted us in deep ways. They pulled at our heartstrings. They inspired us to challenge ourselves. They made us cry and laugh, sometimes all at once. Even if we don’t know them personally, the connection is there and so is the loss.
“Entertainers and famous people give voice to unarticulated thoughts. They take action in domains where we dare to dream,” says Nancy Winston, LCSW, a noted psychotherapist and human behavior expert who studied with the pioneering therapist Milton Erickson. “They go beyond what we thought imaginable.”
While those celebrities we lost in 2021 may not be with us, their indelible imprint on our lives remains. Especially since these stars left us with so much. Parade.com pays tribute to those celebrities who have died in 2021.
Celebrity deaths in 2021
Betty White
January 17, 1922-December 31, 2021
Just days shy of her 100th birthday, legendary comedic actress Betty White passed away on New Year's Eve at the age of 99. Over a career that spanned eight decades, White gained acclaim and legions of fans for her hilarious sitcom characters—most notably, Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland. White's agent and close friend, Jeff Witjas, said in statement after her passing, "I thought she would live forever. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband, Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."
John Madden
April 10, 1936-December 28, 2021
John Madden, the legendary NFL coach-turned-broadcaster, died unexpectedly at the age of 85. In addition to leading the Oakland Raiders to the title of Super Bowl champions in January 1977, Madden also elevated the art of sports commentary and became a huge video game mogul thanks to his astonishingly successful Madden NFL game series. In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Markie Post
November 4, 1950-August 7, 2021
Markie Post, the veteran actress known for her work on Night Court, The Fall Guy and decades of TV shows and films, died August 7, 2021. Her manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, confirmed her death. Post had been battling cancer for 3 years and 10 months. She was 70.
“With great sadness, the family of actress Markie Post tonight shares her passing after a three year, ten month battle with cancer,” wrote her family in statement.
Jay Pickett
February 10, 1961-July 30, 2021
Jay Pickett, the veteran actor who starred in General Hospital, Days of our Lives, Port Charles and NCIS: Los Angeles died on July 30, 2021. He was 60 years old.
Pickett, who wrote, produced and was starring in the film Treasure Valley, was on set in Idaho, on the seventh day of filming that movie, when he died. No official cause of death has been released.
According to Treasure Valley director Travis Mills, Pickett became sick when he was getting ready to shoot near Oreana, Idaho. As Mills shared, Pickett was sitting on a horse ready to shoot a scene when he suddenly slumped over. Minutes later paramedics arrived, but Pickett was declared dead at the scene.
Ron Popeil
May 3, 1935-July 28, 2021
What do the Chop-O-Matic hand food processor, the Ronco Pocket Fisherman, the Electric Pasta Maker, Mr. Microphone, the Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ and the GLH-9 Spray On Hair have in common?
They are all the creations of Ron Popeil. The inventor, gadget guru, marketing icon and infomercial star died July 28, 2021.
According to a release from a family representative at The Ortner Group, Popeil peacefully passed away at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 86.
Joey Jordison
April 26, 1975-July 26, 2021
Joey Jordison, a drummer and founding member of the hard rock band Slipknot, died July 26, 2021. He was 46. A rep representative for the family shared that Jordison died peacefully in his sleep. No other cause of death was given.
During his time with Slipknot, the ’90s-era heavy metal band earned three Top 10 hits on the Billboard 200, including one No. 1 “All Hope Is Gone” and a No. 2 hit with “Snuff.”
Charles Robinson
November 9, 1945 - July 11, 2021
Actor Charlie Robinson, who was best known for his role as Mac on Night Court, died July 11, 2021. He was 75.
He had long battled cancer. His manager, Lisa DiSante, said Robinson died of cardiac arrest with multi-system organ failures due to septic shock and metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Robert John Downey Sr.
June 24, 1936-July 9, 2021
Filmmaker Robert John Downey Sr., whose son is Robert Downey Jr. died July 6, 2021. For the past five years he had been living with a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. The director, actor, producer, cinematographer and writer died in his sleep at his home in New York City. He was 85.
“Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s,” wrote Robert Downey Jr. on his Instagram page. “He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout.”
Ned Beatty
July 6, 1937-June 13, 2021
Ned Beatty, the beloved actor, known for his roles in Network, Superman, Deliverance and many other films and TV shows died Sunday, June 13, 2021, from natural causes. He was 83.
According to his manager, Deborah Miller, Beatty passed away Sunday amid loved ones at his home in Los Angeles. In a career that lasted more than four decades, Beatty was a well-known character actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for the Paddy Chayefsky film Network, playing corporate executive Arthur Jensen, who delivers a stirring three-minute monologue. In its review, The New York Times declared his performance “beautifully played” and called him “the mouthpiece for some of Mr. Chayefsky’s bluntest thoughts about the current state of the wealth of nations.”