36 Celebrities Who Died in 2022: Gone but Never Forgotten

Last updated on January 29th, 2024 at 05:42 pm

When 2021 ended with the death of America’s Golden Girl Betty White on December 31, 2021, it seemed as though things couldn’t get any worse. The world had lost one of the most beloved celebrities, but it only took a few days into 2022 to realize that it was in for another year of heartbreak as more of our most beloved stars said their last goodbyes. Fortunately, their legacies have outlived them, and we can at least look back on them in comfort as we mourn each celebrity death.

Here is a list of 36 of the biggest names among the celebrities who died in 2022. Gone, but never forgotten.

1. Peter Bogdanovich

peter bogdanovich giving a speech on the hollywood walk of fame — Image from Shutterstock.

The 2022 year started with sadness almost right away as famed director and actor Peter Bogdanovich passed away on January 6. Best known for his role in The Sopranos and for directing the music film for Tom Petty’s Runnin’ Down a Dream, he was 82 when he died from complications related to Parkinson’s disease.

Related: Best Tom Petty Songs

2. Sidney Poitier

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Actor, director, and diplomat Sidney Poitier, best known for being the first Black actor and Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Lilies of the Field (1963), died on January 5. Poitier’s cause of death was cardiopulmonary failure, along with underlying causes, including prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. He was 94.

3. Bob Saget

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America’s dad, Bob Saget, best known for his role as Danny Tanner on Full House, broke our hearts when he unexpectedly passed away on January 9. The 65-year-old comedian and actor died from blunt head trauma.

4. Ralph Emery

an accoustic guitar on a hardwood floor — (No licensable images available) Image by De An Sun on Unsplash

Ralph Emery, lovingly remembered as the Dick Clark of country music, passed away at the age of 88 on January 15. Little is known about Emery’s cause of death other than it came following a brief illness.

Related: 50 Best Country Songs

5. Meat Loaf

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Famed singer and actor Meat Loaf sadly passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 20. Best known for his Bat Out of Hell trilogy of records, which sold over 100 million copies, he was 74 when he died. Sadly, he was one that the world could blame COVID-19 for taking away from us.

Related: How Did Meat Loaf Die?

6. Betty Davis

Photo of Bette Davis and Cindy Robbins from the western television series Wagon Train. This was Davis' first television appearance in a western series. — Image is in the Public Domain.

Betty Davis, a famed singer, songwriter, and model, was 77 when she passed away on February 9. The second wife of Miles Davis, who was known for her sexually oriented performance style and lyrics, died following a battle with cancer.

7. Ivan Reitman

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Canadian filmmaker Ivan Reitman was 75 when he died on February 12, passed away peacefully in his sleep. Reitman was best known for directing films like Ghostbusters I and II, Kindergarten Cop, and Space Jam.

8. Shane Warne

shane warn on the red carpet — Image from Shutterstock.

Shane Warne, considered one of the greatest cricket players in the sport’s history, was 52 years old when he died on March 4. He was on holiday in Ko Samui, Thailand, when he died of an atherosclerosis-induced heart attack.

9. Madeleine Albright

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Madeleine Albright, best known for being the first woman to be named Secretary of State, died on March 23. She was 84. Her official cause of death was cancer.

10. Gilbert Gottfried

gilbert gottfried arriving at an event with a woman — Image from Shutterstock.

Comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried passed away on April 12 at 67. Gottfried, who was known for his strong New York accent as well as his edgy and sometimes controversial sense of humor, died due to recurrent ventricular tachycardia, which was made worse by his private struggle with type II myotonic dystrophy.

11. Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy in his hockey gear in 1978 — Image is in the Public Domain.

Mike Bossy, a professional ice hockey player best known for his time with the New York Islanders, died of lung cancer on April 15. He was 65.

12. Guy Lafleur

mike la fleur with a fan holding a jersey — Image by Patrick68 on Wikimedia Commons.

Guy Lafleur became yet another ice hockey player to make our celebrities who died in 2022 list when he passed away on April 22, at the age of 70. Nicknamed “the Flower” and “Le Demon Blond,” Lafleur made history as the first player in the National Hockey League to score 50 goals for six consecutive seasons.

13. Naomi Judd

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Naomi Judd is easily one of the most heartbreaking stories of all the celebrities who died in 2022. On April 30, one day before she and her daughter, Wynonna Judd, were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi Judd committed suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The “Mama He’s Crazy” singer was 76 years old.

14. Andrew Symonds

andrew symonds arriving for a cricket game — Image by privatemusings on Wikimedia Commons.

Andrew Symonds, a two-time Cricket World Cup winner (2003 and 2007), was only 46 when he died on May 14, 2022. Sadly, his death was the result of a single-vehicle road accident outside of Townsville, Queensland.

15. Ray Liotta

ray liotta in a suit on the red carpet — Image from Shutterstock.

Actor Ray Liotta, best known for his roles in Field of Dreams (1989) and Goodfellas (1990), became one of the celebrities who died in 2022 on May 26. At age 67, autopsies cited several reasons for his death, including respiratory failure, pulmonary edema, and heart failure. Atherosclerosis was also noted, although it was considered a secondary cause of death.

16. James Caan

james cann in a suit at an event — Image from Shutterstock.

Academy-award-winning actor James Caan, best known for portraying Sonny Corleone in The Godfather films, died on July 6. He was 82. His official cause of death was a heart attack brought on by coronary artery disease.

17. Bill Russell

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Bill Russell, an 11-time National Basketball Association Champion, died on July 31 at 88. Russell, who spent his entire playing career with the Boston Celtics, was cited as “the great champion in all of team sports” by the NBA commissioner at the time of his death.

18. Vin Scully

a memorial for vin scully after his death — Image from Shutterstock.

Famed sportscaster Vin Scully, who spent 67 years as the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, died on August 2. He was 94.

19. Olivia Newton-John

best olivia newton john songs a statue of olivia newton john at madame tussands — Image from Shutterstock.

We had to say “Goodbye to Sandra Dee” on August 8 when Olivia Newton-John, famed for her singing career and portrayal of Sandy Olson in the hit film Grease (1978), passed away at 73. Newton-John’s sad death came following years of battling breast cancer that had metastasized to her back.

20. Anne Heche

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Anne Heche was only 53 when she passed away on August 11. The actress, known for such films as The Juror and I Know What You Did Last Summer, died following a multiple-vehicle collision that happened six days earlier and eventually left her with an anoxic brain injury.

21. Elizabeth II

Queen elizabeth II in a gown and crown — Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Image is in the Public Domain

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch in history, passed away on September 28. At 96, she had reigned over England for over 70 years and was much beloved among her subjects.

22. Louise Fletcher

louise fletcher arriving on the red carpet — Image from Shutterstock.

Louise Fletcher, the multi-award-winning actress known for portraying Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), died on September 23, at 88.

23. Coolio

rappers who overdosed rapper coolio on the red carpet — Image from Shutterstock.

Rapper Coolio, best known for singles like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” was just 59 when he died on September 28. His official cause of death was an accidental overdose brought on by fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Related: How Did Coolio Die?

24. Loretta Lynn

The “Coal Miner’s Daughter” broke the hearts of country fans everywhere when she died on October 4 at her Hurricane Mills home. The 90-year-old legend was responsible for breaking through for other female artists in country music.

Related: How Did Loretta Lynn Die

25. Angela Lansbury

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Angela Lansbury was one of Britain and America’s most respected actresses and singers on the stage and screen, with an 80-year acting career. In the latter half of that career, she brought her talents to youth, voicing Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991) and beyond. She died at the age of 96 on October 11.

26. Robbie Coltrane

robbie coltrane on the red carpet — Image from Shutterstock.

Harry Potter fans were deeply in mourning on October 14 when “Hagrid,” aka Robbie Coltrane, sadly passed away. The well-known and beloved actor was 72 years old when he passed from multiple organ failure complicated by sepsis and other health issues.

Related: How Did Alan Rickman Die?

27. Jerry Lee Lewis

jerry lee lewis on stage playing piano — Jerry Lee Lewis in 2006. Image from Shutterstock.

“The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis became one of the celebrities who died in 2022 on October 28, at the age of 87. Famed for songs like “Crazy Arms,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” and “Great Balls of Fire,” he has been cited as “rock ‘n’ roll’s first great wild man.”

28. Aaron Carter

aaron carter performing in a stadium — Image from Shutterstock.

One of the youngest to appear on our celebrities who died in 2022 list is singer and rapper Aaron Carter, who sadly passed away on November 5 at the tender age of 34. While his official cause of death was not at first publicized, it has since been ruled an accidental drowning after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam.

Related: How Did Aaron Carter Die?

29. John Aniston

jennifer anniston with her father john anniston at an event — Image from Shutterstock.

Jennifer Aniston will always be one of our favorite Friends, so we felt for her on November 11 when her father, John Aniston, died on November 11. Famed for his role in the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, Aniston was 89 when he passed away.

30. Christine McVie

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British musician Christine McVie, vocalist and songwriter for Fleetwood Mac, died on November 30. The 79-year-old died after suffering a stroke.

31. Kirstie Alley

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Actress Kirstie Alley was 71 when she died on December 5. Known for her roles in the TV show sitcom Cheers as well as various films like It Takes Two and For Richer or Poorer, she passed away following a battle with stage IV colon cancer.

32. Jim Stewart

Jim Stewart, co-founder of Stax Records, lived to be 92 before he died on December 5. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

33. tWitch

songs about death a pot with in loving memory on it with flowers in it — Image by Sandy Millar on Unsplash.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss is perhaps one of the saddest entries on our celebrities who died in 2022 list, as he died via a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The So You Think You Can Dance and The Ellen DeGeneres Show alum was just 40 years old.

34. Barbara Walters

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Famed broadcast journalist Barbara Walters, known for her interviewing ability and popularity among viewers, was 93 when she died on December 30. Her death came following several years of battling dementia.

35. Benedict XVI

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Pope Benedict XVI, who served in the chair of St. Peter from April 19, 2005, until February 28, 2013, died on December 31, at the age of 95. Benedict XVI was well-known as a landmark theologian and the first pope to resign from the papacy since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.

36. Jeremiah Green

modest mouse band with jeremiah green on the drums in the back — Image from Shutterstock.

By the time December 31 came around, it was clear that it was time to get into 2023 when Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green passed away at the age of 45. His death was the result of stage IV cancer, which was announced publicly just days before his death.

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