Mourning the loss of our role models in 2016
Now that 2016 has ended, we can reflect upon the year. We see fond memories, the emotional rollercoaster of the election, and the heartbreak of losing so many celebrities that shaped our generation and generations before us.
January: To start the year off, the two time Grammy award winning singer David Bowie, whose music shaped the ideas of multiple generations, died at age 69 on the 10th. Alan Rickman died four days later at age 69. Rickman was best known for his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series and as Hans Gruber in “Die Hard”.
February: The only recognizable name on the list of 2016 deaths for me was Harper Lee who died on the 19th at age 89. Lee won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 for her first novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. She published a sequel, “Go Set a Watchman,” to her first novel in 2015.
March: Again, from a long list of names of people who died in 2016, Nancy Reagan was the name that stood out the most. Reagan was a former Hollywood actress and the First Lady alongside the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. She died on the sixth at age 94.
April: Among others, Prince died on April 21, 2016 at age 57. Prince was known for being a “character” on stage thanks to his flashy outfits and breathtaking vocals. He also was known for his seven Grammy awards. This music icon died due to an opioid overdose.
When May passed without another icon passing, we thought we were in the clear. Maybe the iconic deaths of 2016 were coming to a close. Maybe we could continue to focus on other things such as the election instead of mourning the loss of our favorite musician, writer, or actor. Little did we know, 2016 was far from over.
June: Right as June began, Muhammad Ali died. He passed on the third. He was a legendary figure in boxing. The three time heavyweight champion died at age 74.
Despite the death of Arnold Palmer on Sept. 25, there were luckily fewer high profile deaths during the summer months.
Summer came to a close. While we were getting back into the swing of school during November and reacting to the news of our new President Elect, Donald Trump, news reports came in of Fidel Castro’s death. He passed on Nov. 20 at age 90. For the Cubans living in the United States, there were wild parties making headlines while Cuba mourned the loss of the former dictator.
Finally, December rolled around. Nobody was prepared for what December was going to bring in order to make 2016 go out with a bang. On the 27th, Carrie Fisher passed away due to a heart attack that occurred on a plane from London to Los Angeles. Our beloved Princess Leia from the Star Wars series died at the young age of 60. Then one day later, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, died at age 84. Reynolds was best known for her role as Kathy Selden in “Singin’ in the Rain.”
As 2016 left us, our beloved actors and actresses, singers, authors, political figures, and a great boxer stayed behind with it. They will not go unremembered though. These people will live on no matter if it is on screen, on air, or in their words. 2016 may have been a rough year but those who we lost will live on in our minds and hearts for years to come.
