Obituaries
In Memoriam: Influential People We Said Goodbye To In 2022
Remembering the political leaders, actors, musicians and other famous people who died in 2022.
ACROSS AMERICA — From political leaders who shaped policies to groundbreaking entertainers who brought about cultural shifts, Americans said goodbye to dozens of people who influenced policy, diplomacy and pop culture.
Sidney Poitier
The groundbreaking actor died at 94 on Jan. 6. He played roles with such dignity that it helped to change how Black people are portrayed on the screen.
Bob Saget
Bob Saget, who for years played America's dad as Danny Tanner on "Full House," died at 65 on Jan.9. The comedian was in Florida doing a show for his stand-up tour at the time of his death. An autopsy concluded the actor likely fell backward, struck his head and died in his hotel room.
Charles McGee
Charles McGee, 102, died Jan. 16. He was a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars and later helped to bring attention to the Black pilots who battled racism at home to fight for freedom abroad. Jan. 16.
READ THE FULL LIST: 2022’s Most Notable Deaths: A Month-By-Month Final Roll Call
Dr. Paul Farmer
Dr. Paul Farmer, 62, died Feb. 21. A U.S. physician, humanitarian and author, he is renowned for providing health care to millions of impoverished people worldwide and cofounding the global nonprofit Partners in Health.
Former Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright, 84, died March 23. A child refugee from Nazi- and then Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe, Albright rose to become the first female secretary of state and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women.
Former Sen. Orrin G. Hatch
Hatch, 88, died April 23. The longest-serving Republican senator in history, he was a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades.
Dr. Morton Mower
Dr. Morton Mower, 89, died April 25. A former Maryland-based cardiologist who helped invent an automatic implantable defibrillator that has helped countless heart patients live longer and healthier.
Autherine Lucy Foster
Autherine Lucy Foster, 92, died March 2. She was the first Black student to enroll at the University of Alabama.
Ray Liotta
The New Jersey native known for his roles in "Goodfellas" and "Field of Dreams" died May 26. Ray Liotta was 67.
James Caan
The legendary "Godfather" actor James Caan died July 6. Caan was born in the Bronx in 1940 and grew up in Sunnyside, Queens. He played football in college, but fell in love with the theater. In addition to his role as Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather," he played Frank in the 1981 flick "Thief" and Paul Sheldon in the 1990 film "Misery."
Ivana Trump
A New York socialite and first wife of former President Donald Trump, Ivana Trump died July 14 at 73. Donald and Ivana Trump stood atop New York City's social and media worlds in the 1980s and 1990s, a pairing of a publicity-loving businessman and a stylish Czech model. The couple divorced in 1992.
Anne Heche
The Emmy Award-winning and Tony-nominated actress Anne Heche was 53 when she died Aug.12. She was removed from life support after a week-long coma due to a severe brain injury she suffered in a fiery crash.
Loretta Lynn
Country music icon Loretta Lynn died at 90at her home in Tennessee on Oct.4. The Kentucky coal miner's daughter's frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter
Carter, 68, died Oct. 24. He opened all military combat positions to women and ended the ban on transgender troops serving in the military, a policy that remained in place for about a year before Trump reinstated the ban. President Joe Biden lifted the ban days after he took office.
Julie Powell
Julie Powell died on Oct. 26 from cardiac arrest at age 49. She launched the Julie/Julia Project, in which she spent a year trying to cook every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking,"that catapulted her to food-world fame in 2002.
Kirstie Alley
Actress Kirstie Alley, best known from the TV show "Cheers," died at 71 on Dec.5.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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