ONE LAST GOODBYE

Associated Press

Here is a roll call of some of the people who died in 2015 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available).

JANUARY

Mario Cuomo, 82. Son of Italian immigrants who became an eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during his three terms as governor of New York. Jan. 1.

Donna Douglas, 82. She played the buxom tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Jan. 1. Pancreatic cancer.

Edward W. Brooke, 95. Former U.S. senator from Massachusetts who, as a liberal Republican, became the first black in U.S. history to win popular election to the Senate. Jan. 3.

Anita Ekberg, 83. Swedish-born actress and sex symbol of the 1950s and ’60s who was immortalized bathing in the Trevi fountain in “La Dolce Vita.” Jan. 11.

Tony Verna, 81. Television director and producer who invented instant replay for live sports. Jan. 18.

Melvin Gordon, 95. Longtime Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. chairman and CEO, who helped turn the enduring popularity of the humble Tootsie Roll into a candy empire. Jan. 20.

King Abdullah, 90. The Saudi monarch was a powerful U.S. ally who fought against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom, including by nudging open greater opportunities for women. Jan. 23.

Ernie Banks, 83. Hall of Fame slugger and two-time MVP who never lost his boundless enthusiasm for baseball despite years of playing on losing Chicago Cubs teams. Jan. 23.

Otto Carius, 92. World War II German panzer ace credited with destroying more than 150 enemy tanks, mostly on the Eastern Front. Jan. 24.

Rod McKuen, 81. Husky-voiced “King of Kitsch” whose avalanche of music, verse and spoken-word recordings in the 1960s and ’70s overwhelmed critical mockery and made him an Oscar-nominated songwriter and one of the best-selling poets in history. Jan. 29.

Carl Djerassi, 91. Chemist widely considered the father of the birth control pill. Jan. 30.

FEBRUARY

Ann Mara, 85. Matriarch of the NFL’s New York Giants for the past 60 years. Feb. 1.

Dean Smith, 83. Coaching innovator who won two national championships at North Carolina, an Olympic gold medal in 1976 and induction into basketball’s Hall of Fame more than a decade before he left the bench. Feb. 7.

Jerry Tarkanian, 84. Hall of Fame coach who built a basketball dynasty at UNLV but was defined more by his decades-long battle with the NCAA. Feb. 11.

Bob Simon, 73. Longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent who covered riots, Academy Award-nominated movies and wars and was held captive for more than a month in Iraq two decades ago. Feb. 11. Car crash.

Gary Owens, 80. Droll, mellifluous-voiced announcer on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and a familiar part of radio, TV and movies for more than six decades. Feb. 12.

Michele Ferrero, 89. World’s richest candy maker whose Nutella chocolate and hazlenut spread helped raise generations of Europeans and defined Italian sweets. Feb. 14.

Louis Jourdan, 93. Dashingly handsome Frenchman who starred in “Gigi,” “Can-Can,” “Three Coins in the Fountain” and other American movies. Feb. 14.

Lesley Gore, 68. She topped the charts in 1963 at age 16 with her epic song of teenage angst, “It’s My Party,” and followed it up with the hit “Judy’s Turn to Cry” and the feminist anthem “You Don’t Own Me.” Feb. 16. Lung cancer.

Leonard Nimoy, 83. Actor loved by generations of “Star Trek” fans as Mr. Spock, the pointy-eared, purely logical science officer. Feb. 27.

MARCH

Minnie Minoso, 90. He hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat when he became major league baseball’s first black player in Chicago in 1951. March 1.

Rev. Willie Barrow, 90. Frontline civil-rights fighter for decades and a mentor to younger generations of activists. March 12.

Chuck Bednarik, 89. Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the last great two-way NFL players. March 21.

Gary Ross Dahl, 78. Creator of the wildly popular 1970s fad the Pet Rock. March 23. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

APRIL

Cynthia Lennon, 75. First wife of the late Beatles singer-sonwriter-guitarist John Lennon. April 1. Cancer

Rev. Robert H. Schuller, 88. California televangelist and author who beamed his upbeat messages on faith and redemption to millions of followers from his landmark Crystal Cathedral only to see his empire crumble in his waning years. April 2.

Sarah Kemp Brady, 73. She became an activist for gun control after her husband was shot in the head in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. April 3.

Robert Burns Jr., 64. Former drummer and a founding member of the Southern hard-rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. April 3. Vehicle crash.

Richard Dysart, 86. Veteran stage and screen actor who played senior partner Leland McKenzie in the long-running TV courtroom drama “L.A. Law.” April 5.

James Best, 88. Prolific character actor best known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on “The Dukes of Hazzard.” April 6. Complications of pneumonia.

Jean-Louis Cremieux-Brilhac, 98. A Jewish member of the French Resistance in charge of propaganda during World War II. April 8.

Percy Sledge, 74. He recorded the classic 1966 soul ballad “When a Man Loves a Woman.” April 14.

Cardinal Francis George, 78. Vigorous defender of Roman Catholic orthodoxy who played a key role in the church’s response to the clergy sex-abuse scandal and led the U.S. bishops’ fight against provisions of Obamacare. April 17.

A. Alfred Taubman, 91. Self-made Michigan billionaire whose philanthropy and business success – including weaving the enclosed shopping mall into American culture – was clouded by a criminal conviction late in his career. April 17.

Mary Doyle Keefe, 92. The model for Norman Rockwell’s 1943 Rosie the Riveter painting that symbolized the millions of American women who went to work on the home front during World War II. April 21.

Suzanne Crough Condray, 52. Youngest daughter on the hit 1970s television show “The Partridge Family.” April 27.

Jack Ely, 71. Singer known for “Louie Louie,” the low-budget recording that became one the most famous songs of the 20th century. April 28.

Jean Nidetch, 91. New York housewife who tackled her own obesity, then shared her guiding principles with others in meetings that became known as Weight Watchers, the most widely known company of its kind. April 29.

Ben E. King, 76. Unforgettable lead singer for the Drifters and solo star whose plaintive baritone graced such pop and rhythm and blues classics as “Stand by Me,” “There Goes My Baby” and “Spanish Harlem.” April 30.

Frank Olivo, 66. He was the fill-in Santa whose downfield jaunt at a Philadelphia Eagles game in 1968 lives on in sports history for the hail of snowballs and shower of boos that rained down on him. April 30.

MAY

Michael Blake, 69. Writer whose novel “Dances With Wolves” became a major hit movie and earned him an Academy Award for the screenplay. May 2.

Oscar Carl Holderer, 95. He was the last-known surviving member of the German engineering team that came to the United States after World War II and designed the rocket that took astronauts to the moon. May 5.

B.B. King, 89. His scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname King of the Blues. May 14.

Elisabeth Bing, 100. Lamaze International co-founder who popularized what was known as natural childbirth and helped change how women and doctors approached the delivery room. May 15.

Marques Haynes, 89. Legendary Harlem Globetrotters showman often called the greatest dribbler in basketball history. May 22.

John Forbes Nash Jr., 86. Mathematical genius whose struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001 movie “A Beautiful Mind.” May 23. Killed along with his wife, Alicia Nash, in a car crash.

Anne Meara, 85. Actress and comedian whose comic work with husband Jerry Stiller helped launch a 60-year career in film and TV. May 23.

Doris Hart, 89. Tennis great who won each Grand Slam tournament at least once, and once won three Wimbledon titles in a single day. May 29.

Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, 46. The son of Vice President Joe Biden and two-time Delaware attorney general. May 30.

JUNE

Vincent Bugliosi, 80. Prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a best-selling author. June 6.

Christopher Lee, 93. Actor who brought dramatic gravitas and aristocratic bearing to screen villains from Dracula to the wicked wizard Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. June 7.

Vincent Musetto, 74. Veteran newspaperman who wrote one of the industry’s most famous headlines: “Headless Body in Topless Bar.” June 9.

Virgil Runnels, 69. Former professional wrestler known to his fans as Dusty Rhodes. June 11.

Blaze Starr, 83. “Knockout” burlesque icon and stripper who drew tourists to post-World War II Baltimore, lent glamour to New Orleans and became known far and wide for her affair with a colorful mid-century Louisiana governor. June 15.

Kirk Kerkorian, 98. Billionaire eighth-grade dropout who built Las Vegas’ biggest hotels, tried to take over Chrysler and bought and sold MGM at a profit three times. June 15.

Donald Featherstone, 79. Creator of the pink plastic lawn flamingo, perhaps the ultimate example of American lawn kitsch. June 22.

Dick Van Patten, 86. Genial, round-faced comic actor who premiered on Broadway as a child, starred on television in its infancy and then, in middle age, found lasting fame as the patriarch on TV’s “Eight is Enough.” June 23. Complications from diabetes.

Patrick Macnee, 93. British-born actor best known as dapper secret agent John Steed in the long-running 1960s TV series “The Avengers.” June 25.

JULY

Burt Shavitz, 80. Reclusive beekeeper who co-founded Burt’s Bees, and whose face and wild beard appeared on labels for the natural cosmetics. July 5.

Ken Stabler, 69. He led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl victory and was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1974. July 8. Complications from colon cancer.

Saud al-Faisal, 75. Saudi prince who was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister with 40 years in the post until his retirement earlier in the year. July 9.

Omar Sharif, 83. Egyptian-born actor with the dark, soulful eyes who soared to international stardom in movie epics “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Doctor Zhivago.” July 10. Heart attack.

Roger Rees, 71. Lanky Tony Award-winning Welsh-born actor and director who made his mark onstage as Nicholas Nickleby and later played English multi-millionaire Robin Colcord on the TV show “Cheers.” July 10.

Tom Moore, 86. “Archie” cartoonist who brought to life the escapades of a freckled-face, red-haired character. July 20.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22. Daughter of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, she was raised in the shadow of fame and shattered by the loss of her mother. July 26. Died in hospice care six months after she was found face-down in bathtub.

Lynn Anderson, 67. Her strong voice carried her to the top of the charts with “[I Never Promised You a] Rose Garden.” July 30. Cardiac arrest.

Howard Jones, 104. He pioneered in vitro fertilization in the United States. July 31.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper, 61. Kilt-wearing trash-talker who headlined the first WrestleMania and later found movie stardom. July 31.

Richard S. Schweiker, 89. Former Pennsylvania senator who was a liberal Republican, named as the prospective vice presidential running mate of Ronald Reagan in the latter’s unsuccessful 1976 campaign and later served in Reagan’s Cabinet. July 31.

AUGUST

Frederick R. “Fritz” Payne, 104. World War II fighter ace who left his mark on aviation and wartime history by shooting down six Japanese warplanes during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Aug. 6.

Frank Gifford, 84. Pro Football Hall of Famer who led the New York Giants to a league championship in 1956 and later teamed up with Howard Cosell and Don Meredith in the “Monday Night Football” booth. Aug. 9.

Julian Bond, 75. Civil-rights pioneer and longtime board chairman of the NAACP. Aug. 15.

Yvonne Craig, 78. She played the sexy, crime-fighting Batgirl in the 1960s TV hit “Batman.” Aug. 17. Complications from breast cancer.

Paul Royle, 101. Australian pilot who took part in a mass breakout from a German prisoner of war camp during World War II that is remembered as The Great Escape. Aug. 23.

Darryl Dawkins, 58. His board-shattering dunks earned him the moniker “Chocolate Thunder” and helped pave the way for breakaway rims. Aug. 27. Heart attack.

Wes Craven, 76. Prolific writer-director who startled audiences with iconic suburban slashers like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream.” Aug. 30.

SEPTEMBER

Judy Carne, 76. A star of TV’s “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” she popularized the laugh line “Sock it to Me” on the hit comedy show. Sept. 3.

Martin Milner, 83. His wholesome good looks helped make him the star of two hugely popular 1960s TV series, “Route 66” and “Adam-12.” Sept. 6.

Dick “Dickie” Moore, 89. Saucer-eyed child star of the 1930s who appeared in “Our Gang” comedies, gave Shirley Temple her first screen kiss and was featured in many major Hollywood productions. Sept. 7.

Moses Malone, 60. Three-time NBA MVP and one of basketball’s most ferocious rebounders. Sept. 13.

Fred DeLuca, 67. Co-founder of Subway, who turned a sandwich shop he started as a teenager into one of the world’s largest fast-food chains. Sept. 14.

Jackie Collins, 77. Best-selling author of dozens of novels including “Hollywood Wives” that dramatized the lifestyles of the rich and the treacherous. Sept. 19. Breast cancer.

Yogi Berra, 90. Hall of Fame catcher renowned for his dizzying malapropisms and his record 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees. Sept. 22.

Frankie Ford, 76. Rock ’n’ roll and rhythm and blues singer whose 1959 hit “Sea Cruise” brought him fame when he was 19. Sept. 28.

OCTOBER

Paul Prudhomme, 75. Cajun who popularized spicy Louisiana cuisine and became one of the first American restaurant chefs to achieve worldwide fame. Oct. 8.

Ken Taylor, 81. Canada’s ambassador to Iran who sheltered Americans at his residence during the 1979 hostage crisis. Oct. 15.

Richard “Dick” Walters, 90. A leader in the effort to get the state of Vermont to pass aid-in-dying legislation and used the rules established under the law to end his own life. Oct. 16.

Cory Wells, 74. A founding member of the popular 1970s band Three Dog Night and lead singer on such hits as “Never Been to Spain” and “Mama Told Me [Not to Come].” Oct. 20.

Maureen O’Hara, 95. Flame-haired Irish movie star who appeared in classics ranging from the grim “How Green Was My Valley” to the uplifting “Miracle on 34th Street” and bantered unforgettably with John Wayne in several films. Oct. 24.

Flip Saunders, 60. He rose from the backwaters of basketball’s minor leagues to become one of the most powerful men in the NBA as coach, team president and part owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Oct. 25. Cancer.

Al Molinaro, 96. Lovable character actor with the hangdog face who was known to millions of TV viewers for playing Murray the cop on “The Odd Couple” and malt-shop owner Al Delvecchio on “Happy Days.” Oct. 30.

Thomas Toivi Blatt, 88. He was among a small number of Jews to survive a mass escape from the Nazi death camp of Sobibor in 1943 and who decades later served as a prominent witness at the trial of an alleged camp guard. Oct. 31.

NOVEMBER

Fred Thompson, 73. Former U.S. senator was a folksy Tennessee lawyer whose career led him from politics to Hollywood and back again. Nov. 1.

Gunnar Hansen, 68. He played the iconic villain Leatherface in the original “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” film. Nov. 7. Pancreatic cancer.

Helmut Schmidt, 96. Former chancellor who guided West Germany through economic turbulence and Cold War tension in the 1970s and early 1980s. Nov. 10.

Allen Toussaint, 77. Legendary New Orleans musician and composer who penned such classics as “Working in a Coal Mine” and “Lady Marmalade.” Nov. 10. Heart attack.

Adele Morales Mailer, 90. Actress and artist who studied under Lee Strasberg and Hans Hoffman, but found unwanted fame as the stabbing victim of her then-husband Norman Mailer. Nov. 22. Pneumonia.

DECEMBER

Scott Weiland, 48. The former frontman for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. Dec. 3.

Robert Loggia, 85. He was an actor known for gravelly voiced gangsters from “Scarface” to “The Sopranos” but who was most endearing as Tom Hanks’ kid-at-heart toy-company boss in “Big.” Dec. 4.

William Guest, 74. Member of Gladys Knight and the Pips. Dec. 24

George Clayton Johnson, 86. Wrote the first episode of the original “Star Trek” television series and created the story for the first “Oceans 11” film and the movie “Logan’s Run.” Dec. 24.

Haskell Wexler, 93. Two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer and prominent social activist whose innovative approach to film helped him win Academy Awards for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and the Woody Guthrie biopic “Bound for Glory.” Dec. 27.

Meadowlark Lemon, 83. The “clown prince” of basketball’s barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters, whose blend of hook shots and humor brought joy to millions of fans around the world. Dec. 27.

Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, 70. The Motorhead frontman whose outsized persona made him a hero for generations of hard-rockers and metal-heads. Dec. 28.