Top Ten Saddest Deaths of 2016

The Top Ten

David Bowie (January 10)

David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016), was an English singer born in London, the son of a sales promotion officer and a housewife.
He earned praise for his experimental and creative music, winning numerous awards and gaining admiration from... read more

Before David Bowie, there was no such thing as David Bowie. There never was a David Bowie before, and there's never going to be another David Bowie later.

It has been two years since his death. I've always loved his music. My heart was ripped to shreds when I heard the news of his passing. He was the innovator of many of the rock and roll genres we have today. He was also ahead of fashion trends.
It was devastating to hear of his death. David, if you are reading this, know that we all miss you and everything you created and innovated. We all love and miss you. Thanks for everything.
Carrie Fisher (December 27)

Carrie Frances Fisher (1956-2016) was an American actress, screenwriter, author, producer, and humorist. She was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. Fisher became internationally known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film series and also authored the semi-autobiographical... read more

When Carrie Fisher passed, America lost its princess, the Star Wars universe lost its Resistance leader, and the bipolar disorder community lost a vocal and much-loved advocate.

She was more than just the iconic Princess Leia. She was a strong figure in mental health awareness and an inspiration to many. May the Force be with her.

Her death shouldn't have received this much attention. People only remember her as Princess Leia from Star Wars.
Prince (April 21)

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 - April 21, 2016) was an American musician, widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential artists of the 1980s. He was known for his eclectic musical style, flamboyant stage presence, and mastery of multiple instruments. Some of his most iconic songs include... read more

I remember that day like it was yesterday. When my mom picked me up, she told me he died. Even if she hadn't told me, I'm pretty sure I'd have known because every radio station was playing a Prince song. I'm pretty sure the only other time they did that was with Michael Jackson. It's all anyone talked about the next day, and it was on the news for a week.

He died only four days before my birthday, so I got "Sign o' the Times" as a gift from my godfather, a huge Prince fan! It was the best (and saddest) birthday ever.

He had a concert the same day he died. He died in an elevator at his home in the Minneapolis metro. RIP, The Purple One.
Muhammad Ali (June 3)

Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (January 17, 1942 - June 3, 2016), was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet, and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures of the 20th century. Ali is... read more

David Bowie wasn't much compared to this legendary boxer.

He is without a doubt the best boxer of all time.

The greatest boxer of all time, without a doubt.
Gene Wilder (August 29)

Jerome Silberman, known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American stage and screen comic actor, screenwriter, and author. He began his career on stage and made his screen debut in the television series Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1962. Wilder passed away on August 28, 2016, due to complications... read more

Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to live.

The guy who played Willy Wonka died at age 83. RIP.
Alan Rickman (January 14)

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (February 21, 1946 - January 14, 2016) was an English actor and director known for playing a variety of roles on stage and screen, most notably Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series and Hans Gruber in Die Hard. He passed away of pancreatic cancer in 2016. Rickman also received... read more

Rickman may be remembered for his villainous roles, but he will also be remembered as a man full of endless kindness.

Even to the end, the thespian. Well, this time John Wayne does not ride off into the sunset with Grace Kelly. It's Alan Rickman instead.

Please, excuse us muggles.
Alan isn't Snape. Snape is him. He was the perfect Severus Snape and he will always be remembered.
After all this time?
Always.
George Michael (December 25th)

Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, known professionally as George Michael, was an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist. He rose to fame in the 1980s as one-half of the pop duo Wham! with hits like Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Last Christmas.... read more

If I see one more vote for 'Harambe,' I'll tell you all to stop bringing up dead memes in a desperate attempt to be funny, especially when dealing with serious subjects like the deaths of beloved and influential people.
Now that I've got that off my chest, George Michael's passing was considerably sad. Dying on Christmas is a terrible ordeal. After his death, we found out about all the wonderful and selfless things he did without any publicity. Plenty of celebrities do acts of charity, but it's those who do it for the right reasons that truly earn the respect of others.
As the saying goes, you don't know what you've lost until it's gone. George Michael was indeed one of those people. He will be missed.
Christina Grimmie (June 11)

Christina Victoria Grimmie (March 12, 1994 - June 10, 2016), known on YouTube as zeldaxlove64, was an American singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence by posting covers of popular songs and gained wider recognition as a finalist on season 6 of The Voice in 2014.... read more

Ah, yes. I feel this death was the only truly bad one as (A) she was brutally murdered, and (B) she didn't want to die because she had a whole life ahead of her. Gene Wilder, Angus "The Tall Man" Scrimm, etc. were simply old and died gentle, natural deaths. As for Carrie Fisher, Rob Ford, etc., they were drug addicts who were ultimately their own undoing.

Young, talented, and only 22. I loved Alan and Bowie and the others, but she was murdered when she tried to hug the guy, and he shot her. She had her whole life ahead of her. Her mother beat cancer thrice, only to lose her daughter. Her brother and father must be devastated too.
Harambe (May 28)

Harambe, born on May 27, 1999, was a male western lowland gorilla housed at the Cincinnati Zoo. He was shot and killed on May 28, 2016, by a zoo staff member after a three-year-old boy climbed into his enclosure, prompting concerns for the child's safety. The incident led to widespread public outcry... read more

Some people actually mourn Harambe. After all, he is one of the few deaths from murder. If you don't like the meme, that's fine, but don't be rude about his death. These comments are very messed up.

This needs to be number 1. Harambe was the best gorilla of all time!

Harambe's death is still sad regardless of his species.
Victims of Orlando Shooting (June 12)

The Newcomers

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Bryce Jordan (April 12)
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Melvin Laird (November 16)

The Contenders

Debbie Reynolds (December 28)

Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She was also the mother of actress and writer Carrie Fisher.
Reynolds received a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer for her role as Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three... read more

Way sadder than the death of Carrie Fisher.
Harper Lee (February 19)

Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926 to February 19, 2016), better known as Harper Lee, was an American novelist. She is best known for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which was published in 1960. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and is widely regarded as a classic of modern American literature... read more

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books of all time, and it has a great movie adaptation, which is also one of my favorite movies. RIP Harper. You were the epitome of a great author.

To Kill a Mockingbird was truly a novel that defines American literature. This person wrote that novel.

I finished To Kill a Mockingbird an hour before her death. Then I cried with the book curled up.
George Martin (March 8)

Sir George Henry Martin was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, audio engineer, and musician. He was often referred to as the Fifth Beatle for his extensive involvement in each of the Beatles' original albums. His innovative work had a profound influence on the music industry.
Anton Yelchin (June 19)

Anton Viktorovich Yelchin (March 11, 1989 to June 19, 2016) was a Russian-born American actor, best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot film series. He died on June 19, 2016, at the age of 27 from blunt trauma asphyxiation after being accidentally crushed by his own car outside his... read more

I was genuinely shocked and saddened by Yelchin's death when my dad told me from the news. What's worse is that he had only recently finished "Star Trek Beyond" with the film crew.
In addition, he used to be in a band, so he's part of the 27 Club now. I'll always remember you as Chekov. Live long and prosper.

Most of these people died after their prime and were already above 50 years old. This guy's death was super tragic.
Nancy Reagan (March 6)

Nancy Davis Reagan was an American actress and the wife of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Before becoming First Lady, she had a film career in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in numerous movies. As First Lady, she became known for her Just Say No campaign against drug use.

Our dear Nancy Reagan. She has been dead for one month.

I am happy that she is now with her husband.
Afeni Shakur (May 2)
Leonard Cohen (November 10)

Leonard Norman Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist. His work explored themes such as religion, politics, isolation, sexuality, and personal relationships. Cohen passed away on November 7, 2016, at the age of 82, shortly after releasing his final album, You Want It Darker.

This one hurt my heart. No one knew who he was if I mentioned him in conversation. It was embarrassing to try to name his widely known epic songs. Still left with confused faces, I was forced to link the Shrek theme song to him. This has always been a sore issue for me.
I love Shrek, but it feels wrong to link someone who changed millions of lives with his poems to a movie. There are 94+ pages of his work to choose from. Not one is the same. Lord, help those who are ignorant of a true artist. So sad.
Bhumibol Adulyadej (October 13)

Bhumibol Adulyadej was the ninth monarch of Thailand and ruled under the title Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty. He was born on December 5, 1927, and began his reign on June 9, 1946. At the time of his death on October 13, 2016, he had ruled for 70 years and 126 days.... read more

His death really made the saddest time for millions of Thai people.
Alexis Arquette (September 11)

Alexis Arquette (July 28, 1969 - September 11, 2016) was an American actress and transgender activist. She was a member of the Arquette acting family, which includes siblings David, Rosanna, Richmond, and Patricia. Her film credits include roles in The Wedding Singer and Pulp Fiction.
Chyna (April 20)

Chyna was an American professional wrestler, glamour model, pornographic film actress, and bodybuilder. She was best known for her time in WWE during the late 1990s and early 2000s, where she broke barriers as the first woman to compete in the Royal Rumble and win the Intercontinental Championship. Chyna... read more
Kenny Baker (August 13)

Kenneth George "Kenny" Baker was an English actor and musician. He is best known for portraying the character R2-D2 in the Star Wars science fiction movie franchise. Baker appeared in the role from the original 1977 film through Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015.
Abdul Sattar Edhi (July 8)

Abdul Sattar Edhi, born on January 1, 1928, and passed away on July 8, 2016, was a Pakistani humanitarian and social activist. He founded the Edhi Foundation, which became Pakistan's largest and most organized social welfare system. He was often referred to as the "Angel of Mercy" and is remembered as... read more

Abdul Sattar Edhi was a one-of-a-kind person. He started from rock bottom and created one of the largest social welfare programs in the world, dedicated to aiding many people in Pakistan who were orphaned, abused, beaten, or in serious need of help.
Despite the success of his organization, he chose to live modestly, residing in a small room with only two sets of clothes and wearing the same sandals for 25 years. It's a shame the international community didn't recognize him as much as he deserved.
His death sent shockwaves throughout Pakistan. He was beloved, and even the few foreigners who knew him expressed their respects. He was an amazing, caring, and selfless man who dedicated his entire life to humanitarianism. He single-handedly saved millions from poverty, illness, and orphaning.
Though he wasn't interested, he is still a worthy candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize. Thank you, Edhi, for your services to a country in need. You will be remembered for your efforts and achievements, and your legacy will continue with the Edhi Foundation.
Rest in peace, Abdul Sattar Edhi (1928 - 2016).
C. Martin Croker (September 17)

C. Martin Croker was one of the greats who made Adult Swim the empire it is now. From Space Ghost to Aqua Teen, and even being Toonami's Moltar, may his oven be forever lit.
Nick Menza (May 21)

Nick Menza (1964-2016) was a professional drummer who gained fame through his work with Megadeth. He played with the band from 1989 to 1998 and briefly returned in 2004. Menza recorded drums on four of Megadeth's major albums: Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, and Cryptic Writings... read more

Hearing some of Megadeth's works now makes me sentimental, considering Nick Menza played on some of their greatest albums (*ahem* Rust in Peace). Worst of all, there were negotiations regarding Menza rejoining Megadeth.
He's now in Heaven, headbanging with Jeff Hanneman, Cliff Burton, Chuck Schuldiner, Lemmy, and various others.
Joe Alaskey (February 3)

Best known for voicing Lou Pickles on Rugrats and various Looney Tunes characters, including Daffy Duck and Marvin the Martian. He passed away due to cancer.