The older I get, the more I realize how naive I was believing that the people who entertained me would always be around. Of course, they would. Death was never on the radar. People who made me laugh would always be there to elicit chuckles. People whose songs I sang (very off-key) would always be around to write new ones. Same with authors and screenwriters. And of course, the people on TV and in the movies would always be making new ones.
Nope.
Death constantly reminds us that it is an inescapable part of life.
Every time we reported a passing this year at Reel 360 News, it affected us. Some more than others. But there was always a conversation about them. The team held our own private memorial. Sometimes a brief text would suffice. Other times, the death was worthy of a call.
The conversation always began with a “How?” and then coursed its way into a reflection of our own mortality.
If it was a musician, we said, “Oh they probably partied really hard, they did it to themselves.” If it was someone in their 90s, we said, “Well, they led a long life.” If it was someone who died of cancer or a heart attack, then we started thinking, “Maybe it’s time to put the Cinnabon down and get to the doctor for a physical.”
And if the person who died was your age, we immediately dropped to our ailing knees and started praying to God, the Universe, or whoever is out there listening.
The year started off with the death of director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show). That was followed by the passing of an icon, Sidney Poitier. Rocker, Meat Loaf, then left us. I’m humming Bat Out of Hell. We were saddened by the death of special effects trailblazer, Douglas Trumbull. And how the hell did we lose comedian Bob Saget?
Actress Anne Heche died tragically in a car crash. And speaking of tragedy, there were way too many rappers who died by a bullet including Takeoff, PnB Rock, Trouble, Archie Eversole and Snootie Wild.
What will we do without Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath? How will we laugh without Gilbert Gottfried? How will we dance and smile without tWitch?
We will. We will go on. That’s what life is all about. We learn to embrace the time the deceased spent with us and the gifts they gave us.
So thank you for the songs. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the inspiration. And thank you for you.
At Reel 360 News, we don’t mourn their passing. Instead, we celebrate who they were and still are, as their contributions will live on in our hearts and memories. Each one below is truly Resting in Power and resting in a little place in our hearts:
Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Sidney Poitier (Feb. 20, 1927 – Jan. 6, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Bob Saget (May 17, 1956 – Jan. 9, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Yvette Mimieux (January 8, 1942 – January 18, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Meat Loaf (Sept. 27, 1947 – Jan. 20, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Louie Anderson (March 24, 1953 – Jan. 21, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Douglas Trumbull (April 8, 1942 – February 9, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Ivan Reitman (October 27, 1946 – February 12, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
William Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Taylor Hawkins (Feb. 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Lindsay Pearlman (October 5, 1978 – February 18, 2022) 
Alan Ladd, Jr. (October 22, 1937 – March 2, 2022 CREDIT: Paul Smith / Featureflash 
Jeffrey Darling (March 28, 2022) 
Estelle Harris (April 22, 1928 – April 3, 2022) 
Gilbert Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Naomi Judd (Jan. 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Fred Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Tom Murphy (May 31, 1925 – May 25, 2022 Courtesy The Walt Disney Company) 
Ray Liotta (Dec. 18, 1954 – May 26, 2022CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Joe Turkel (July 15, 1927 – June 27, 2022) 
E. Gunnar Mortenson (November 10, 1982 – July 4, 2022 Courtesy ICG) 
James Caan (March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Ivana Trump (Feb. 20, 1949 – July 14, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
David Warner (July 29, 1941 – July 24, 2022 
Paul Sorvino (April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Nichelle Nichols (December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Olivia Newton John (Sept. 26, 1948 – Aug. 8, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Anne Heche (May 25, 1969 – Aug. 12, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Wolfgang Petersen (March 14, 1941 – August 12, 2022) 
Peer Straub (March 2, 1943 – September 4, 2022) 
Queen Elizabeth II (April 21, 1926 – Sept. 8, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Coolio (Aug.1, 1963 – Sept. 28, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Loretta Lynn (April 14, 1932 – Oct. 4, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Louise Fletcher (July 22, 1934 – September 23, 2022) 
Dan Wieden (March 6, 1945 – September 30, 2022 CREDIT: Wieden + Kennedy) 
(November 14, 1946 – October 2, 2022) 
Angela Lansbury (Oct. 16, 1925 – Oct. 11, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Robbie Coltrane (March 30, 1950 – Oct. 14, 2022) 
Kymberly Herrin (October 2, 1957 – October 28, 2022) 
Leslie Jordan (April 29, 1955 – Oct. 24, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Aaron Carter (Dec. 7, 1987 – Nov. 5, 2022 CREDIT Shutterstock) 
Kevin Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
George Lois (June 26, 1931 – November 18, 2022) 
Irene Cara (March 18, 1959 – Nov. 25, 2022) 
Bob McGrath (June 13, 1932 – December 4, 2022) 
Kirstie Alley (Jan. 12, 1951 – Dec. 5, 2022 CREDIT: Shutterstock) 
Richard Miller (1942 – December 8, 2022 Courtesy LucasFilm) 
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss (Sept. 29, 1982 – Dec. 13, 2022 CREDIT Shutterstock) 
Sonya Eddy (June 17, 1967 – December 19, 2022) 
Barbara Walters at THE HISTORY BOYS Opening Night, The Broadhurst Theatre, New York, NY, April 23, 2006
If you’d like to read many of their full obituaries, CLICK HERE.
REELated:
As Olivia Newton-John sang in Grease, we are hopelessly devoted to them. Happy New Year from the Reel 360 News team.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
