Tribute to Notable Individuals Who Passed Away in 2021
Here are some of the most famous people who have died in 2021.
Hall of Fame basketball player Sam Jones died Thursday, December 30, at the age of 88. Jones was named one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players earlier this year. Focus On Sport/Getty ImagesFormer US Sen. Harry Reid died Tuesday, December 28, at the age of 82, according to a statement released by his wife. He had been battling pancreatic cancer. Joe Buglewicz/The New York Times/ReduxLegendary football coach and broadcaster John Madden died December 28 at the age of 85. Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2006. He led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl win in 1977. Dennis Desprois/Getty ImagesSarah Weddington, an attorney in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, died on Sunday, December 26. She was 76. Weddington helped represent Norma McCorvey, known in court documents as Jane Roe, in the case that affirmed the legality of a woman’s right to have an abortion. Bryan Bedder/Getty ImagesAcclaimed film director Jean-Marc Vallée died December 26 at the age of 58. He was known for his work in films like “Dallas Buyers Club.” Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesArchbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Anglican cleric, died on December 26. He was 90. He was revered for his inspiring work for civil and human rights during the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa. Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty ImagesArtist Wayne Thiebaud, known for his colorful depictions of American life, died Saturday, December 25, at the age of 101. Susan Watts/NY Daily News Archive/Getty ImagesNationally acclaimed writer Joan Didion died December 23 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Didion was 87. Her memoir, “The Year of Magical Thinking,” won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2005. Janet Fries/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesFormer US Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia, died on December 19 at the age of 76. Isakson was a senator for nearly 15 years before resigning from office in 2019. J. Scott Applewhite/APCarlos Marín, one quarter of the pop-opera group Il Divo, died December 19 at the age of 53. His illness led to the postponement of their tour shortly before his passing. Adrián Monroy/Medios y Media/Getty ImagesPritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Rogers passed away on December 18 at the age of 88. His influential designs include the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the 3 World Trade Center tower in New York. Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images
