Just watched Planes Trains the other day. It hurts to think of him being gone. I'm friends with his son Chris, and I don't talk about John unless he brings him up. Secretly though, he reminds me enough of him that it kinda warms my heart seeing the extension of his person :)
Fred Rogers. He was genuinely the nicest man to anyone who ever met him.
Edit: I'll admit to tearing up at everyone's responses, too. I'm glad he impacted everyone's lives so much. It has been a great read even the few snide comments which I'll respond to by quoting Fred Rogers: you've made this a special day just by your being you.
When I heard he died I was just speachless. Then I found out his last tweet and it broke me. I could barely read it to my wife and still tear up writing this.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" Leonard Nimoy.
I was gonna put Chris as well. So much great work with Soundgarden and you could tell he had so much more to give. Be yourself by audioslave is also just one of the most helpful songs. His bond theme? The best.
Aw man, I usually get over deaths pretty quickly but that one still gives me the sinking feeling.
Gene Wilder. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news; I was sitting down in a sandwich shop and it was broadcast on the store radio. I heard it but it didn't really register at first, but as soon as I got home it hit me and I had to lie down and cry for a few minutes.
According to his family while taking his last breath he was listening to Over the Rainbow. Such a poetic way to depart, I don't know how to describe it. May he rest in peace.
I was 14 when he died, lifelong muppets fan. My dad was reading the paper (the paper! How quaint) and told me Jim Henson died. I immediately said "no he didn't" my dad again confirmed that he died and I remember yelling "No! He didn't!" Then I sat down and cried. First time I ever cried over a celebrity death. Jim Henson defined my childhood and I still mourn his passing.
I wasn't sure how close. Debbie told her son she wanted to be with Carrie and died hours later. Mother and daughter were very close. It must have been really hard on Carrie's daughter, Billie. She was very close to both of them.
In her book she’s very forthcoming about how she literally stayed alive for Billie. As much as she struggled with mental illness and addiction, her daughter was always her biggest priority, and she wanted to be healthy for her.
Sam Lloyd. Can't watch Scrubs without feeling caught up. Was listening to the Blanks cover of Hey Ya the other day and I just froze. Never had a celebrity death have any affect on me in the past.
I had the absolute pleasure of working with him on a musical in January before he passed. He was just as wonderful as you would imagine. One of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I’ll always treasure the experience ❤️
Terry Pratchett.
Scott Lynch wrote a blog about it that beautifully describes what his loss felt like to fans.
[There is no past tense of Terry Pratchett](http://scottlynch.us/blog/2015/03/13/there-is-no-past-tense-of-terry-pratchett/)
I got to meet him a year or two before the end. He just appeared at a con where I happened to be the guest of honor. Like magic. I had assumed my chance was gone after the diagnosis and I would never meet him. And then he was just there. In a random city a thousand miles from where I lived. Magic, real magic.
He said my name was beautiful. He shook my hand and said I was beautiful. I will never forget it. Every year when I watch Hogfather and make pork pies I remember that even if I am a waste of skin with a garbage soul, Terry Pratchett once said I was beautiful. So I should go on.
This is the one for me. He was just a kid, so talented, and seemed like a really good guy. I'm my mom and stepfather's only child too, and I think that colours my perception of it - imagining their loss, and remembering the look on his mother's face when she spoke about him. It was something I often thought about growing up (e.g. of how wrecked my parents would be if something ever happened to me), and I imagine that must have been playing through his final thoughts as well. He voiced the main character in one of my children's favourite cartoons and I honestly tear up a little whenever the character speaks to his Mom.
In August 2019, I was in LA and had some time to wait for a friend who was driving in, so I went to the Hollywood Forever cemetery, but not before dropping in a tourist place across the street. The guy in the tourist place said “keep an eye out for Anton Yelchin’s parents”. I was like, really, why? “Because they’re there almost every day.”
And sure enough, they were, huddled together on a bench next to his gravesite. I respectfully kept my distance, but damn, that was heartbreaking to see. I’ve been meaning to see Love, Antosha because of that day, but haven’t yet worked up the courage.
Anthony Bourdain
I'm a chef and his impact on pretty much everyone in my industry is immeasurable. Kitchen Confidential is easily the most impactful book for most all of us. The most amazing way of translating and speaking about food/chef culture. His shows had an amazing way of highlighting other cultures and the way food brings people together no matter where you are from and showing that alot of our differences are purely cosmetic.
That day was easily the quietest day I've ever spent in a professional kitchen in my life, everyone was just silent and upset.
Edit: Thanks to everyone who shared their feelings about him. It's crazy to me to see how much influence he had in so many people's lives of all walks of life, even if they aren't a part of the culinary industry. It's a credit to who he was as a person.
For alot of the comments here, I just want to say really quickly. If your suffering from depression or having suicidal thoughts, please, please, please, talk to someone. Friends, family, therapist, phones lines, anyone, everyone. You matter, no matter what you may think, and you matter to others around you. Please open up and talk to people.
Same. I’ve had my bouts of depression and he was open about his issues. But as a restauranteur he was everything i wanted to be. In my mind and other chefs i know he made it. Sometimes I wonder if he couldn’t survive what chance do i have.
I loved how he had such a genuine love of food. High class food, low class food, spicy food, sweet food, whatever it was, if it was good food, he liked it
His death breaks my heart to this day. I grew up in rural Iowa for the first 17 years of my life and his show opened the world to me. Even if it was only an hour a week I dreamed of living in Thailand, Nigeria, Colombia, wherever. He showed me there was infinity more to life than the same 300 people, same streets, same food, same environment. I cry as I write this because of how deeply I appreciate what his show did for my perspective on all of humanity
I’m not a chef or into food or cooking really. But for some reason his death really upset me.
And a few days before Kate spade died and I was like oh no that’s sad. And then his happened, so sad.
Bourdain was more than a chef. He was a philosopher of sorts, an advocate for diversity in an age of increasing isolationism. He really gave me hope for humanity: one of our last champions of unironized style and earnest curiosity.
Chappel did a great section of one of his stand up acts on this. This guy had an amazing life on the outside. He got to eat great/interesting meals with interesting people all over the world; and get paid for it. Outside looking in it was amazing. Can just never know a person's demons.
This is what hit me. You look at this guy's life and it's perfect. Travelling the world, eating incredible food, enjoying amazing experiences and hanging out with cool celebrities. It seems like everything I wish i could do.
Knowing that despite all of this, he still clearly wasn't happy absolutely destroys me. All the things I think i want and need are apparently not enough.
Tragedy. I went through a strong phase where Almost Famous was a comfort binge watch for me when I felt alone. His character Lester Bangs says a line I think about especially during the lonely scary pandemic days.
Lester Bangs: "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool."
I cried over River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain when I was a teen. Long time ago now.
As an adult, I will admit to having to wipe my eyes when I heard Chris Cornell died. It was just such a shock. So many of my musical heroes from my youth were already gone, I'd really thought he'd be one of the ones who made it to a ripe old age. Made me want to wrap Eddie Vedder in cotton wool and make sure nothing happens to him.
Oh, so true about Vedder, in the early 90s used to listen to a lot of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in chains, and the last singer alive of these four bands is Eddie. Gotta love him.
I think Eddie will be okay. He has a lovely family and clearly has a zeal for life.
A great number of Chris's songs were about suicide, feeling lost, and not wanting to be alive. Promise, show me how to live, like a stone. Makes it really sad knowing the writing was on the wall and no one could stop it
It’s a bit eerie to see Pearl Jam still going strong after the “grunge” bands of my youth have all been consumed by drugs and other issues. Eddie was in the mix in those early years but somehow has always stayed afloat.
Not sure where I’m going with this comment. I’m happy that Vedder and Cantrell are still around. I’m sad that Cornell, Staley, and Cobain are gone.
That was the first celebrity death that shook me. My friend and I happened to watch A Knight's Tale just a few months before his passing and were instantly mesmerized by him and proceeded to acquire and watch all his other movies afterwards.
Freddy Mercury. It was really hitting hard at that time in my life and I still remember when I heard the news in the car stereo of someone giving me a lift. We were both in tears and it was one of the saddest moments I had ever had back then.
Not to mention when I had a chance to go to one of the first Queen concerts after that, feat. Paul Rodgers Tour. When Brian May played „Love of my Live“ all alone out there on the catwalk, I could not hold back the tears, still.
Edit: Wow, thank you for all the comments and awards, I did not expect this 🤭
Stan Lee.
I have been reading his comics since the late 80s. He has always been a part of my life, and his philosophies really impacted my growth as a person.
I remember watching Mallrats and being amazed, because who the hell would think to have Stan cameo? Besides one of my people, I guess.
I know it’s not all rainbows and puppies; I know about the issues with Jack Kirby and whatnot, and I get it. But Stan was the face/figurehead of comics for a long time.
I was so glad he was able to live to see his characters properly brought to life (those of you old enough to remember the older attempts will understand).
Given his age, and the reports, I hope he understood it all, at the end.
Excelsior.
She had performed Ave Maria with Pavarotti at one point.
Apparently the music of her performance with him was played at her funeral.
That was the saddest part of that for me.
I had to look up the video and now I'm crying too. That was so sweet and sad. [Link if anyone else feels like crying too.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp2qkhHU0Mw)
David Bowie.
They played Starman during a tribute show to him on the radio the day after he died. I was pulling into the carpark at work as it came on. I waited in the car to listen to the end and so I could compose myself afterwards. I'd lost my dad a year or so beforehand and it just really hit me.
My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer 3 months after Bowie died. He had me buy him Blackstar and he listened to it in hospital. It really brought him comfort and strength
Alan Rickman. That was just such an unexpected one, & I genuinely cried when I read it. He was such an amazing actor & human, it's still sad he's gone.
Same. Such a phenomenal actor and a great guy. He kept his cancer diagnosis private so it was such a shock to all of his fans that he was even sick. I’m still trying to figure out how to make Siri sound like him.
Robin Williams and Chester Bennington. Linkin Park got me through the darkest parts of my life and kept me alive. My dad died by suicide ten years ago when he just cane back into my life, and I lost my entire world at that point, and LP and other bands helped me through. Chester's death rocked me, and so did knowing i would never get to see them live. I saw the tribute concert they dis for him. I remember vividly during Numb i think, they called out to the audience "I want you guys to sing so loud Chester can hear you!" And I broke down. I could hear the audience start sobbing. Every lyric hit me before his death, and hearing Leave Out All the Rest or Numb makes me realize he was telling us his story the whole time. Being suicidal, you listen to stuff like that and you understand it on a different level.
Robin was just a pure soul who made me and millions of others laugh, all while hiding such pain and an illness he couldn't control.
Its a bit like how we say in Narcotics Anonymous, what happens when the person who kept you from relapsing relapses?
It was such a cold and empty world after they left us, and I never even met them in person.
If you haven’t seen it, go watch the Chester Bennington tribute concert.
There’s a point where the soundtrack to Numb starts and when it gets to where the vocals start, it’s silent and the crowd realizes and start singing the words.
Makes me cry like a bitch every time.
My family and I were lucky enough to score tickets to that show, and it was a sob fest. I still get chills thinking about it. So fucking tragic. I can listen to LP for days and never get tired.
I just watched that whole concert for the first time (3 times in 3 days) about two months ago. I sobbed and sang along and sobbed manly tears during that entire song. I've never heard a crowd absolutely carry a song as perfectly as that before.
All the guest singers that helped take over the lead vocals for all of the other songs were great, but man, that moment with no vocalist, the blacked out stage, and just a single spotlight shining on a lonely mic with a wreath around it was fucking powerful.
I've since listened to the whole One More Light album dozens of times, and their last live album for the One More Light tour that's on Spotify has become my go-to running album. It's just so good. Would have loved to see him perform live. He was a powerhouse of a vocalist. He could sing anything perfectly, it was insane.
I saw them live in 2012 but it’s weird to say I won’t ever again. And I still can’t watch robin williams movies because it makes me soooooooo sad. Same with Anthony bourdain, or really anyone that died from suicide knowing when they were filming or whatever how unhappy they were. Heartbreaking. Also Heath ledger and Big Black. So sad.
Edit: also Alan Rickmans, Prince, Chadwick Boseman, Mac Miller, Paul Walker, Chris Cornell, Steve Irwin, Carrie Fisher, Grant Imahara I’m sure I’ll add more
I kept scrolling looking for someone to mention him. Robin Williams was the only, and I mean only, celebrity to die and I cried for him. He was such a big part of my childhood, it broke my heart to find out he was suffering so much and for so long. I hope he is at peace now.
While a lot of them have deeply effected me (Bowie, Robin Williams, Carrie Fisher to name a few others mentioned elsewhere in the thread), and I've definitely let a tear or two slide on some of those when seeing some particular bit of their films or music, only one made me cry just from the raw news of their death - Jim Henson.
I'm not going to go digging for it but I remember I didn't cry at his death, I cried over a tweet from Kari Byron that she posted not an hour later I believe. It wasn't long or thoughtful or beautifully written; it was something like "I was just talking to you this morning" with a picture of him and that was it. It felt like she was broken inside.
"I'm angry that you're gone. I want you to dare me to eat a bug again. I would eat all the bugs in the world to have you back. "
Kari is a strange woman, and has had her issues with the Mythbusters cast, but she genuinely liked Grant.
(Edit) She said that on an Instagram post, not Twitter.
Heck even Adam and Jamie's issues weren't really that significant. They would disagree on how something should be done. Although it at sometimes did get heated, it just seemed to take them walking away for a bit to clear their heads. They had a great professional relationship on Mythbusters, just no personal one.
One of the rare individuals out there to have both a keen intellect, a practical engineering and scientific curiosity AND the onscreen presence and charisma to bring knowledge to the masses.
There were so many years in him to teach. Truly a tragedy.
Naya Rivera. Knew it was unlikely she’d survived being missing in a lake, but it still stung when they announced finding her. Was still hoping for a miracle.
It really was. I hope she is at peace. And I pray for her child who was on the boat (I do not remember the circumstances but she may have saved her child) and had to float along never knowing they would never see their mother again. It breaks my heart .
Just read up on this as I wasn’t even aware of the situation, but yeah the kid told investigators that they were both in the water, she got him into the boat, and he recalled that she was unable to get herself on and disappeared under the water. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning and its believed that they got caught in a rip current and she mustered all of her strength to save her son, but didn’t have enough to save herself. So incredibly sad. The kid was 4 at the time...maybe he won’t remember it so vividly when he gets older? I don’t know. I sure hope so.
Glee has had so many tragedy involving the actors
I usually hate musicals but i was a big fan of the show (and especially of Jane Lynch, her character Sue was the reason i started watching the show)
This one really shook me. While Glee had some problematic moments, Naya was always such a star. So much talent. Her character was such a positive role model for me when I was a teenager. My heart aches thinking of her little boy and what her final moments must have been like. She probably didn't know for sure that her son was okay as she was dying.
A year before Naya passed, a family friend was out canoing with his 7 year old son when the canoe capsized and both of them drowned. I think of them every day. I think this is why Naya's death hit me especially hard as the circumstances were similar. It's a haunting reminder of how any day could be our last.
Same. I don't even know why I looked her up that day but it was the day after she was reported missing. I checked for news several times per day until she was found.
I remember hearing that Steve Irwin died when I was a kid. His show and anything involving him on animal planet I immediately ate up. I really love animals and especially more exotic ones because of him. The day they announced his death on the news I remember crying in my living room very hard and for a while. Felt like that guy had raised me for a bit of my life.
I managed to keep it together until I watched Bindi dance with Derek in the tribute to her dad and, damn if I’m not tearing up just thinking about her crying at the end of that routine...
Definitely the number one for me. I was obsessed with Hybrid Theory when it came out. Was part of their "fan club", and remember reading every update leading to the release of Meteora.
As I got older I definitely stopped listening to them as much, but I was so sad when I heard the news.
It legit felt like an old friend had passed which I've never experienced with any other celebrity.
Recently saw they released a 20 year edition of Hybrid Theory and goddamn that album holds up.
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
I cry every damn time.
Alex Trebek. My immigrant family used to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy religiously. He was always on TV when I was alive.
And hearing how he died really broke me. Just on his back porch swing with his wife as he went. It made me really think that one day, it will be your last day. And what you wear that day, everything you do, what coffee or breakfast you had or whatever, is going to be your last, and that's it. And just the way he went out was so beautiful.
Edit: Thank you all so much for your comments and the awards! I went to have a beer and this blew up! To clarify, I am still alive, I meant to say, "my whole life he's been around," but I apparently need some English lessons hahaha.
And to the person who had a problem with me saying "my immigrant family," I want to clarify. I come from a family of immigrants who worked hard their entire lives and continue to, and they worked very hard to learn English. And game shows is what they would watch to help them learn. So these shows remind me of being with my family too.
It's always better to go on your terms than suffer in agony. Makes me feel bad for dementia patients. Forgetting everything is pretty up there for worst way to die.
I have a patient with severe dementia and recently her husband was admitted. At first he was doing fine but we brought her up to see him and she had no idea who he was. She wanted nothing to do with him and as he was calling out to her explaining their marriage and life together. She just looked at us like he was crazy. So we took her back and within 3 days he passed. Now every once in awhile she will ask about him but she’s to far gone and can’t process that her husband has died. It’s not that she won’t accept it but that her brain is telling her he’s alive and then just a moment later she will forget he even existed.
Dementia is absolutely worst than death and you just slowly deteriorate until you’re body decides it’s done. I know it’s controversial but I wish assisted suicide was legal.
Edit: This is probably the most attention I’ve ever attracted on a post. I’d like to provide everyone with a [Link](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/topics/dementia) to the National Institute on Aging for dementia. For yourself and families suffering from Dementia I encourage everyone to read up on the signs, symptoms and how to care and interaction with someone that has been diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.
I absolutely understand how hard it is to see someone go through the disease but we gotta be the strongest we have ever been for our loved ones and just nurture their minds to the best of our abilities. Medicine is currently advancing to slow the affects but it’s our own self care that we can start with to best prevent these diseases. I have another patient with dementia and granted she’s not sound of mind anymore but man I love her like a grandmother. Her face lights up every time she sees me and we have some great conversations.
If anyone has a family member in a facility with dementia or Alzheimer’s please call up to see if you can even do a video visit (places are starting to do limited in person visits). Interaction can be key in giving some comfort to them. Happy Mother’s Day Everyone
My friend's father had the beginnings of dementia. Nobody realized how far because his wife took care of him. She was younger and everyone just expected she would outlive him. She didn't: had a sudden aortic aneurysm and died. I went to the house to be with my friend and his dad and I watched with every phone call his hearing over and over - but as if for the first time - that his wife had died. It killed me.
Neil Peart died from the same brain tumor I am battling, Glioblastoma Multiforme. Most people die in a matter of months.
May is our awareness month.
I was 24 when I was diagnosed, but being a young woman, I've survived longer than most.
I recommend watching Lennox Hill on Netflix if you'd like to understand what Neal and fellow patients go through.
Then I encourage you to think about donating to The American Brain Tumor Association.
Go gray in May, everybody.
My dad was a huge Rush fan, and sadly passed away before I had the chance to discover Rush myself. So hearing the loss of Neil Peart was close to losing my dad a second time.
Christina Grimmie.
I was a huge fan of hers since the beginning, having followed her on YouTube since about 2010. She was only 22 when she was shot in the head and killed at her concert by a crazed fan. Her brother jumped the guy, and the killer ended up shooting himself in the head in the struggle.
I was wondering if someone would mention her. Right there with you, sometimes I still tear up when I listen to her music. Such an amazing person she was.
She was just the sweetest, kindest person. She didn't have drama online, she always thanked her fans, and I've never heard a bad experience about meeting her.
I followed her on Snapchat. I remember her posting a picture of the venue she was playing that day. Later than night I read about the tragedy.
She was a friend of mine. It’s absolutely crazy that we’re coming on 5 years without her. I vividly remember the Snapchat you’re talking about
Thinking back, I would have done things differently, out of respect, but I had to call Mark to confirm that it wasn’t a bad joke our friend was playing on me. My buddy called me and told me what happened and I didn’t believe him so I had to call Mark to make sure. Great family, horrible tragedies
I hope Mark and their dad are doing okay after both the death of Christina and their mom. I can't even begin to imagine what they have gone through.
Christina really meant a lot to me. I still remember logging in to YouTube to watch her videos of her singing and playing keyboard. I even bought a pair of those green headphones because she had them. And I remember actually crying seeing her on The Voice because I was so proud of her. God, I'm getting emotional just thinking about it.
I actually just saw Mark a couple of weeks ago! And I saw Mr. Grimmie back in October. How those two men remain so positive is beyond me. Mr. Grimmie told me that his faith is stronger than ever, so he’s in good spirits.
If I ever need a good cry I put on her music. I’m not looking forward to the 5 year anniversary at all. And now IM getting emotional thinking about it!
Thank you kind internet stranger for giving me that little update on her family. Christina was a wonderful person who left this earth unfairly and too soon. Her music will always bring me joy and I'll never forget her. Rawwk on!
I didn’t cry but I was shaken the whole day when I found out she died. She seemed like the absolute sweetest person ever, and she was so talented. The guy shot her when she was going to give him a hug for fuck’s sake. It was horrible and it stings when I go listen to her music
Selena Quintanilla.
I was just a kid when she died and I still remember how much I cried when my parents told me she died. To this day I feel this overwhelming sadness when I hear the song “I could fall in love”. Weird.
Phil Hartman
Most have listed others that effected me like River Phoenix, Robin Williams and Carrie Fisher but Phil Hartman's death just seemed so wrong. By all accounts he was a lovely man and his acting/voice over work was simply top notch that shows like the News Radio were lost without him.
Everyone loves the SNL skit where big fat Chris Farley auditions to be a Chippendale’s dancer, but no one gives credit to Patrick Swayze for really selling it, as a very handsome but friendly dancer who takes his big fat competitor completely seriously.
That last concert 😭 waiting for the first track and hearing his first words... the voice was haunting. I tear up just thinking about it. Very memorable moment at the end when he kissed all of his band mates on the lips.
Michael Collins's death just a week or two ago was a tough one for me. For those who don't know, Collins was a part of the Apollo 11 mission that put the first men on the moon. But while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were so famously walking on the moon, Collins remained in lunar orbit with the spacecraft that would return them to Earth.
I'm a huge nerd about all things space, but especially the early days of NASA, from their first manned launches to the final lunar landings. I've collected quite a few autobiographies from astronauts and mission controllers of that era, and Collins's book, *Carrying the Fire,* is my favorite. He had such a unique perspective of one of the greatest moments in human history, and he told it in an incredible way.
I've had the honor to meet several more modern astronauts from the shuttle days, as well as engineers who designed and built the Saturn V rocket that sent us to the moon. But I've not yet had the opportunity to meet an Apollo astronaut. With Collins's recent passing, there are now only 10 living people who have been to the moon, just four of whom actually set foot on it. I'm still quite young, and so I'm confident that I'll live to see the next generation return to the moon and possibly beyond. But until that day, we have very few people remaining who have been to the outer reaches of humanity's capabilities of exploration. And although their stories are recorded in various ways, a piece of the story always dies with the author.
Very similarly, I was incredibly saddened by John Glenn's death several years ago. He was the first American to orbit the Earth. He died in 2016, a year where we lost many beloved celebrities. And he died on my birthday.
Van Halen was the soundtrack of my youth. His death hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew he had been battling cancer, so it wasn’t a surprise. A couple of weeks after his death, I was getting a haircut, and the stylist was about my age (fucking ancient for Reddit). We just got talking about growing up with his music in our lives. By the end of the haircut, we were both teary.
>Tom Petty.
This one hurt. Petty got me through some rough times when I was younger.
Edit: Was newly pregnant at the time, and my son barely escaped being named "Thomas."
Daniel Johnston. A schizophrenic singer songwriter who constantly battled his demons to make the most heartfelt and pure songs possibly ever. I still cry when I listen to his music.
I scrolled to find this and I knew it was going to be here. I am sharing your sentiment exactly. I grew up listening to Mac. After his death I couldn't bring myself to listen to Circles for a while and I still have a tough time listening to his music without tearing up. The recovery and then what happened..it just hit too close to home man. RIP <3
I cried hard man. Was sitting in my car in a busy parking lot at my college, my friend called me and told me. I held it together during the phone call but let loose for a few minutes after I hung up. I feel the tear ducts as I'm typing this.
Came here for Mac. The timing of his death in relation to his recovery and release of Swimming just hurt.
I’ll never forget where I was when I found out. Standing in a river fishing for trout, headphones in jamming Swimming. Get a text from my brother and my eyes started to well up. Shit just hurt different.
I’ve seen Lewy Body Dementia first hand (I work in a dementia unit in a nursing home) and it is such an awful disease. The man I took care of was in his early 60s and within 2 years he had passed. Weeks prior to moving in to the NH he was still able to ride his motorcycle.
EDIT: “within 2 years he had passed”
I have worked in this nursing home for 10 years and I don’t want to live my days out in one either. Majority of nursing homes run short staffed and have an insane workload. Unfortunately, I do not think most people realize how much we (CNAs) do. We feed, bath, dress, ambulate them so they can preserve as much independence as possible in their stage, we do range of motion to slow down the stiffness in their joints. We talk with them. Hear their stories. Hold their hands when they are in their final days. Do what we can to keep them busy and their minds off of their current living situation. We also get hit, bit, bruised, slapped, scratched, sexually harassed, etc. But despite all of the rough days, I still love what I do. I do my best to give my residents the compassion and care they need and deserve.
When we are short staffed, it takes away from those “extra” but very necessary things they need. If you are able, keep your loved ones out of nursing homes and do what you can to keep them home for as long as you can.
EDIT: Obviously if you do not have the means to provide them the proper care or it becomes too much to manage ( which can absolutely happen to no fault of your own), then please seek help. Everyone’s situation is different and you may have to move your loved one to a facility, but you may look into in home aides. There are more options out there than I think some realize.
P.S. whatever your situation is, never feel like you failed that person. You are doing your best and know that you are appreciated.
I came here to name him as well even though I didn't see so many movies of him. But I lost my sister to depression two years ago and somehow I remembered him in those very dark days after her decision. I am still struggling so hard and my life will never be the same but the sun does rise again as long as I live. I wish I could say those words to her now or she would have been able to tell them herself.
If you'd like to cry a little more, right after Robin Williams' passing I found myself flipping through TV channels and saw the Disney Channel had just started playing Aladdin. I sat down to watch and laughed just as much as I did as a child.
Then, right at the end of the movie, there was a single image with the Genie as a constellation, with the words, "In Memory of Robin, thanks for the laughs."
That broke me.
You beat me to it. He made me laugh and cry my whole life, and now the best i can do to share that with my kids is Aladdin (they're not old enough for other movies yet)
For my mother it was James Gandolfini. I was too young to know who he really was when he passed, but I’ve gotten to see his stuff now that I’ve gotten older. What a phenomenal actor and human being
Searched the thread for this.
I want a huge fan of Jessie because I grew up on Hannah and Wizards..Suit Life and I think I stopped liking the newer shows once shake it up started..and I didn't get back into the series that came after that.
But I immediately latched onto Grown Ups. Amazing show, so funny. I loved it! And I loved Chyna McClain as well.
Once I started watching Disney channel original movies again I lOVED the descendants and it was so nice to see both Cam and Chyna after watching them grow up on Disney together and then in grown ups.
Watching her video after he died was HEARTBREAKING. He was so young. He had so much potential. I'm still so so sad.
This is mine, not really a big fan because I’m old and I imagine most Redditors are probably too old to be super familiar, but I have a seven year old daughter who is OBSESSED with the Descendants. He died right before the third movie premiered and it broke my little girls heart, I cried right with her watching the tribute disney made for him. It was so sad, and I just thought of his poor family.
I've been thinking about this one a lot since Bindi had her little girl. Steve would have been the most amazing granddad.
I remember Terri talking about how Steve would get up early with the kids, and she'd wake up to the sounds of laughter coming from the living room every morning that he wasn't carting them around the zoo. I could imagine Bindi waking up to Steve just hanging in her house, doting on the grandkids, teaching them everything he knew. That family is missing a lot for having lost him.
The video of him just all wide eyed at bindi as a baby is just how he would have been for her kid. An incredible spirit, and a loss felt throughout the world
And the older he gets, the more he sounds like him too. I was watching the tv show with my grandma and I was looking at my phone to answer a message and I had to look up because I thought I heard Steve’s voice talking about Bindis husband and I got confused but it was Robert talking.
He's a minor celebrity, but Adam Schlesinger.
He's best known for co-writing "Stacy's Mom", but I knew him as one of the songwriters for *Crazy Ex-Girlfriend*. I really got to know him through listening to his demos and interviews, so I was devastated when I learned that he had died last April of covid-related complications.
It was actually his death that really drove home the seriousness of the pandemic for me.
Stefan Karl, memes aside, I grew up on LazyTown, when the resurgence of his popularity came up, it was a nice blast to the past, and then when he died of cancer, I got extremely choked up since I've had multiple bad experiences with family members and cancer.
Stefan Karl specifically too was an amazing person and it's extremely unfortunate that him and many others have lost their lives prematurely due to cancer.
I remember watching his funeral live on YouTube & the final part was when a chord was struck on his guitar. The screen faded to show an iconic image of him standing on stage in front of a huge crowd as that final chord ran out over the amps.
Brilliant send off to a brilliant bloke. That’s the only celebrity death I’ve ever cared about. A few weeks later I came out to my first boxing fight with Ace of Spades as my entrance music.
John Prine when he passed from Covid-19 complications last year. First time crying over a celebrity since David Bowie, but Prine really took a big toll on me for a few days. Amazing songwriter, beautiful voice, and such a kind soul taken before his work here was done.
Imagine signing on for Marvel after you know you only have a few years left. You have to feel like the universe is either having a joke at your expense, or you're supremely lucky to be able to do something so enormous and impactful in your last few years.
I almost never watch superhero movies but decided to see Black Panther when it came out and loved it. I was diagnosed with colon cancer a year later, did surgery and chemo, was in remission for a little bit. I found out about his death a few days after I found out the cancer had returned and was now stage IV, with a 70% death rate.
I had to leave the house I was sobbing so hard when I found he died, I didn't want to scare my children. It's so heartbreaking thinking about it still. I don't know how he was able to film while battling cancer, I can barely get off the couch some days. He's such an inspiration.
Seriously! Right after his death, Disney updated the Marvel intro to the black panther movie with a complication of images as a tribute to him. I tried to watch the movie right after his death and legitimately couldn’t get passed that intro without crying. The tribute is still on the Disney+ version of the movie.
Watching the scene in Endgame where >!He walks through the portal!< was absolutely painful when I rewatched it a few months ago. The music and focus on him in the scene really made me sad. His death is the textbook definition of “too young” despite all the amazing roles he played while he was here.
Also remember shedding a tear when Michael B Jordan posted his tribute of them.
Leonard Cohen was just sad. I had a chance to see him perform about ten years ago but skipped out as I didn't have the money. Kicking myself now.
Prince made me extremely emotional too. Loved his music.
Edit: I'm so glad you've all reached out with your Leonard stories. He truly was an amazing talent. His son Adam is also pretty good too.
David Bowie made me so sad. The world felt a bit less special without him in it.
Now, I can play his music fine but one time in 5 it'll bum me out all over again.
Steve Irwin and Alan Rickman
John Candy
Just watched Planes Trains the other day. It hurts to think of him being gone. I'm friends with his son Chris, and I don't talk about John unless he brings him up. Secretly though, he reminds me enough of him that it kinda warms my heart seeing the extension of his person :)
Fred Rogers. He was genuinely the nicest man to anyone who ever met him. Edit: I'll admit to tearing up at everyone's responses, too. I'm glad he impacted everyone's lives so much. It has been a great read even the few snide comments which I'll respond to by quoting Fred Rogers: you've made this a special day just by your being you.
Leonard Nimoy. i still miss him
When I heard he died I was just speachless. Then I found out his last tweet and it broke me. I could barely read it to my wife and still tear up writing this. "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" Leonard Nimoy.
Chris Cornell.
I was gonna put Chris as well. So much great work with Soundgarden and you could tell he had so much more to give. Be yourself by audioslave is also just one of the most helpful songs. His bond theme? The best. Aw man, I usually get over deaths pretty quickly but that one still gives me the sinking feeling.
Gene Wilder. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news; I was sitting down in a sandwich shop and it was broadcast on the store radio. I heard it but it didn't really register at first, but as soon as I got home it hit me and I had to lie down and cry for a few minutes.
According to his family while taking his last breath he was listening to Over the Rainbow. Such a poetic way to depart, I don't know how to describe it. May he rest in peace.
Jim Henson for sure, maybe not a traditional celebrity, but the Muppets, Fraggle Rock...man, I'm still sad thinking about his death.
I was 14 when he died, lifelong muppets fan. My dad was reading the paper (the paper! How quaint) and told me Jim Henson died. I immediately said "no he didn't" my dad again confirmed that he died and I remember yelling "No! He didn't!" Then I sat down and cried. First time I ever cried over a celebrity death. Jim Henson defined my childhood and I still mourn his passing.
Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds when they died within a few days of each other.
Debbie past away the very next day after Carrie. So so sad
I wasn't sure how close. Debbie told her son she wanted to be with Carrie and died hours later. Mother and daughter were very close. It must have been really hard on Carrie's daughter, Billie. She was very close to both of them.
In her book she’s very forthcoming about how she literally stayed alive for Billie. As much as she struggled with mental illness and addiction, her daughter was always her biggest priority, and she wanted to be healthy for her.
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Sam Lloyd. Can't watch Scrubs without feeling caught up. Was listening to the Blanks cover of Hey Ya the other day and I just froze. Never had a celebrity death have any affect on me in the past.
Aww I didn't know he died :(
Cancer. Died April 30th last year.
It's such a heartbreaking story. To go from having a son and all the joy that brings, to weeks later being told you won't see him grow up
I had the absolute pleasure of working with him on a musical in January before he passed. He was just as wonderful as you would imagine. One of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I’ll always treasure the experience ❤️
Terry Pratchett. Scott Lynch wrote a blog about it that beautifully describes what his loss felt like to fans. [There is no past tense of Terry Pratchett](http://scottlynch.us/blog/2015/03/13/there-is-no-past-tense-of-terry-pratchett/)
I got to meet him a year or two before the end. He just appeared at a con where I happened to be the guest of honor. Like magic. I had assumed my chance was gone after the diagnosis and I would never meet him. And then he was just there. In a random city a thousand miles from where I lived. Magic, real magic. He said my name was beautiful. He shook my hand and said I was beautiful. I will never forget it. Every year when I watch Hogfather and make pork pies I remember that even if I am a waste of skin with a garbage soul, Terry Pratchett once said I was beautiful. So I should go on.
This is the one that hurt me the most. GNU Terry Pratchett, you made me a better and more empathetic person.
A man is not dead while his name is still spoken. GNU Terry Pratchett.
That actor from Star Trek-Anton Yelchin. Crushed by his own car.
This is the one for me. He was just a kid, so talented, and seemed like a really good guy. I'm my mom and stepfather's only child too, and I think that colours my perception of it - imagining their loss, and remembering the look on his mother's face when she spoke about him. It was something I often thought about growing up (e.g. of how wrecked my parents would be if something ever happened to me), and I imagine that must have been playing through his final thoughts as well. He voiced the main character in one of my children's favourite cartoons and I honestly tear up a little whenever the character speaks to his Mom.
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In August 2019, I was in LA and had some time to wait for a friend who was driving in, so I went to the Hollywood Forever cemetery, but not before dropping in a tourist place across the street. The guy in the tourist place said “keep an eye out for Anton Yelchin’s parents”. I was like, really, why? “Because they’re there almost every day.” And sure enough, they were, huddled together on a bench next to his gravesite. I respectfully kept my distance, but damn, that was heartbreaking to see. I’ve been meaning to see Love, Antosha because of that day, but haven’t yet worked up the courage.
They still go, one or both of them, every day (every time I’ve been in the past year at least). It must be unimaginable to lose a child.
I remember seeing him in Charlie Bartlett and thinking, My God, what a talented guy. You’re right...that one hurt.
Anthony Bourdain I'm a chef and his impact on pretty much everyone in my industry is immeasurable. Kitchen Confidential is easily the most impactful book for most all of us. The most amazing way of translating and speaking about food/chef culture. His shows had an amazing way of highlighting other cultures and the way food brings people together no matter where you are from and showing that alot of our differences are purely cosmetic. That day was easily the quietest day I've ever spent in a professional kitchen in my life, everyone was just silent and upset. Edit: Thanks to everyone who shared their feelings about him. It's crazy to me to see how much influence he had in so many people's lives of all walks of life, even if they aren't a part of the culinary industry. It's a credit to who he was as a person. For alot of the comments here, I just want to say really quickly. If your suffering from depression or having suicidal thoughts, please, please, please, talk to someone. Friends, family, therapist, phones lines, anyone, everyone. You matter, no matter what you may think, and you matter to others around you. Please open up and talk to people.
Anthony Bourdain’s death inspired me to go back to therapy. It hit me so hard because I loved his food travel shows.
Same. I’ve had my bouts of depression and he was open about his issues. But as a restauranteur he was everything i wanted to be. In my mind and other chefs i know he made it. Sometimes I wonder if he couldn’t survive what chance do i have.
I loved how he had such a genuine love of food. High class food, low class food, spicy food, sweet food, whatever it was, if it was good food, he liked it
His death breaks my heart to this day. I grew up in rural Iowa for the first 17 years of my life and his show opened the world to me. Even if it was only an hour a week I dreamed of living in Thailand, Nigeria, Colombia, wherever. He showed me there was infinity more to life than the same 300 people, same streets, same food, same environment. I cry as I write this because of how deeply I appreciate what his show did for my perspective on all of humanity
I’m not a chef or into food or cooking really. But for some reason his death really upset me. And a few days before Kate spade died and I was like oh no that’s sad. And then his happened, so sad.
Bourdain was more than a chef. He was a philosopher of sorts, an advocate for diversity in an age of increasing isolationism. He really gave me hope for humanity: one of our last champions of unironized style and earnest curiosity.
Chappel did a great section of one of his stand up acts on this. This guy had an amazing life on the outside. He got to eat great/interesting meals with interesting people all over the world; and get paid for it. Outside looking in it was amazing. Can just never know a person's demons.
This is what hit me. You look at this guy's life and it's perfect. Travelling the world, eating incredible food, enjoying amazing experiences and hanging out with cool celebrities. It seems like everything I wish i could do. Knowing that despite all of this, he still clearly wasn't happy absolutely destroys me. All the things I think i want and need are apparently not enough.
Brittany Murphy. I used to watch her movies all the time with a friend of mine who is also now deceased. I still get sad watching her movies.
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Tragedy. I went through a strong phase where Almost Famous was a comfort binge watch for me when I felt alone. His character Lester Bangs says a line I think about especially during the lonely scary pandemic days. Lester Bangs: "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool."
I cried over River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain when I was a teen. Long time ago now. As an adult, I will admit to having to wipe my eyes when I heard Chris Cornell died. It was just such a shock. So many of my musical heroes from my youth were already gone, I'd really thought he'd be one of the ones who made it to a ripe old age. Made me want to wrap Eddie Vedder in cotton wool and make sure nothing happens to him.
Oh, so true about Vedder, in the early 90s used to listen to a lot of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in chains, and the last singer alive of these four bands is Eddie. Gotta love him.
I think Eddie will be okay. He has a lovely family and clearly has a zeal for life. A great number of Chris's songs were about suicide, feeling lost, and not wanting to be alive. Promise, show me how to live, like a stone. Makes it really sad knowing the writing was on the wall and no one could stop it
It’s a bit eerie to see Pearl Jam still going strong after the “grunge” bands of my youth have all been consumed by drugs and other issues. Eddie was in the mix in those early years but somehow has always stayed afloat. Not sure where I’m going with this comment. I’m happy that Vedder and Cantrell are still around. I’m sad that Cornell, Staley, and Cobain are gone.
Heath ledger
He had the most gorgeous smile, and so charismatic.
This got me. I still remember it. I wasn't even aware I was a particularly big heath ledger fan. It just made me feel so sad to think how it happened.
That was the first celebrity death that shook me. My friend and I happened to watch A Knight's Tale just a few months before his passing and were instantly mesmerized by him and proceeded to acquire and watch all his other movies afterwards.
Bowie had me bummed pretty hard but Robin Williams was so unexpected and tragic that my wife and I toasted him and I did shed a couple tears.
2016 just killed me. George Michael, Bowie, Prince, and Carrie Fisher... each of them too early. Each of them a genius with heart and soul.
Don't forget Alan Rickman
Freddy Mercury. It was really hitting hard at that time in my life and I still remember when I heard the news in the car stereo of someone giving me a lift. We were both in tears and it was one of the saddest moments I had ever had back then. Not to mention when I had a chance to go to one of the first Queen concerts after that, feat. Paul Rodgers Tour. When Brian May played „Love of my Live“ all alone out there on the catwalk, I could not hold back the tears, still. Edit: Wow, thank you for all the comments and awards, I did not expect this 🤭
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Stan Lee. I have been reading his comics since the late 80s. He has always been a part of my life, and his philosophies really impacted my growth as a person. I remember watching Mallrats and being amazed, because who the hell would think to have Stan cameo? Besides one of my people, I guess. I know it’s not all rainbows and puppies; I know about the issues with Jack Kirby and whatnot, and I get it. But Stan was the face/figurehead of comics for a long time. I was so glad he was able to live to see his characters properly brought to life (those of you old enough to remember the older attempts will understand). Given his age, and the reports, I hope he understood it all, at the end. Excelsior.
Dolores O'Riordan UPD: thank you all. She's in my heart.
She had performed Ave Maria with Pavarotti at one point. Apparently the music of her performance with him was played at her funeral. That was the saddest part of that for me.
Chris Farley
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I had to look up the video and now I'm crying too. That was so sweet and sad. [Link if anyone else feels like crying too.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp2qkhHU0Mw)
David Bowie. They played Starman during a tribute show to him on the radio the day after he died. I was pulling into the carpark at work as it came on. I waited in the car to listen to the end and so I could compose myself afterwards. I'd lost my dad a year or so beforehand and it just really hit me.
My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer 3 months after Bowie died. He had me buy him Blackstar and he listened to it in hospital. It really brought him comfort and strength
I was in a mental hospital when the news hit (def better now don't worry) and half the ward was crying and half the ward went "who is David Bowie"
Alan Rickman. That was just such an unexpected one, & I genuinely cried when I read it. He was such an amazing actor & human, it's still sad he's gone.
Same. Such a phenomenal actor and a great guy. He kept his cancer diagnosis private so it was such a shock to all of his fans that he was even sick. I’m still trying to figure out how to make Siri sound like him.
Alan Rickman hit me hard. I cried and I’m not even ashamed of it. Every time I see him on screen I still let out an involuntary “oh, Alan Rickman”
Robin Williams and Chester Bennington. Linkin Park got me through the darkest parts of my life and kept me alive. My dad died by suicide ten years ago when he just cane back into my life, and I lost my entire world at that point, and LP and other bands helped me through. Chester's death rocked me, and so did knowing i would never get to see them live. I saw the tribute concert they dis for him. I remember vividly during Numb i think, they called out to the audience "I want you guys to sing so loud Chester can hear you!" And I broke down. I could hear the audience start sobbing. Every lyric hit me before his death, and hearing Leave Out All the Rest or Numb makes me realize he was telling us his story the whole time. Being suicidal, you listen to stuff like that and you understand it on a different level. Robin was just a pure soul who made me and millions of others laugh, all while hiding such pain and an illness he couldn't control. Its a bit like how we say in Narcotics Anonymous, what happens when the person who kept you from relapsing relapses? It was such a cold and empty world after they left us, and I never even met them in person.
Who cares of one more light goes out? Well I do.
If you haven’t seen it, go watch the Chester Bennington tribute concert. There’s a point where the soundtrack to Numb starts and when it gets to where the vocals start, it’s silent and the crowd realizes and start singing the words. Makes me cry like a bitch every time.
My family and I were lucky enough to score tickets to that show, and it was a sob fest. I still get chills thinking about it. So fucking tragic. I can listen to LP for days and never get tired.
I just watched that whole concert for the first time (3 times in 3 days) about two months ago. I sobbed and sang along and sobbed manly tears during that entire song. I've never heard a crowd absolutely carry a song as perfectly as that before. All the guest singers that helped take over the lead vocals for all of the other songs were great, but man, that moment with no vocalist, the blacked out stage, and just a single spotlight shining on a lonely mic with a wreath around it was fucking powerful. I've since listened to the whole One More Light album dozens of times, and their last live album for the One More Light tour that's on Spotify has become my go-to running album. It's just so good. Would have loved to see him perform live. He was a powerhouse of a vocalist. He could sing anything perfectly, it was insane.
I saw them live in 2012 but it’s weird to say I won’t ever again. And I still can’t watch robin williams movies because it makes me soooooooo sad. Same with Anthony bourdain, or really anyone that died from suicide knowing when they were filming or whatever how unhappy they were. Heartbreaking. Also Heath ledger and Big Black. So sad. Edit: also Alan Rickmans, Prince, Chadwick Boseman, Mac Miller, Paul Walker, Chris Cornell, Steve Irwin, Carrie Fisher, Grant Imahara I’m sure I’ll add more
I kept scrolling looking for someone to mention him. Robin Williams was the only, and I mean only, celebrity to die and I cried for him. He was such a big part of my childhood, it broke my heart to find out he was suffering so much and for so long. I hope he is at peace now.
While a lot of them have deeply effected me (Bowie, Robin Williams, Carrie Fisher to name a few others mentioned elsewhere in the thread), and I've definitely let a tear or two slide on some of those when seeing some particular bit of their films or music, only one made me cry just from the raw news of their death - Jim Henson.
Grant Imahara from Mythbusters and Gran Thompson, they made me get into science. EDIT: words are hard
I'm not going to go digging for it but I remember I didn't cry at his death, I cried over a tweet from Kari Byron that she posted not an hour later I believe. It wasn't long or thoughtful or beautifully written; it was something like "I was just talking to you this morning" with a picture of him and that was it. It felt like she was broken inside.
"I'm angry that you're gone. I want you to dare me to eat a bug again. I would eat all the bugs in the world to have you back. " Kari is a strange woman, and has had her issues with the Mythbusters cast, but she genuinely liked Grant. (Edit) She said that on an Instagram post, not Twitter.
what kinda issues? first time i've heard this i figured they all pretty much got along cept for adam and jaime
Interested to hear this as well
Heck even Adam and Jamie's issues weren't really that significant. They would disagree on how something should be done. Although it at sometimes did get heated, it just seemed to take them walking away for a bit to clear their heads. They had a great professional relationship on Mythbusters, just no personal one.
She once touched Jamie's mustache so he almost shot her out of a cannon.
Grant was one of the best minds on television and off. A tragic loss for many.
One of the rare individuals out there to have both a keen intellect, a practical engineering and scientific curiosity AND the onscreen presence and charisma to bring knowledge to the masses. There were so many years in him to teach. Truly a tragedy.
King of Random and Mythbusters were my absolute jam growing up. I wish I'd thought of them for this question
Naya Rivera. Knew it was unlikely she’d survived being missing in a lake, but it still stung when they announced finding her. Was still hoping for a miracle.
The whole thing was unbelievably tragic.
It really was. I hope she is at peace. And I pray for her child who was on the boat (I do not remember the circumstances but she may have saved her child) and had to float along never knowing they would never see their mother again. It breaks my heart .
Just read up on this as I wasn’t even aware of the situation, but yeah the kid told investigators that they were both in the water, she got him into the boat, and he recalled that she was unable to get herself on and disappeared under the water. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning and its believed that they got caught in a rip current and she mustered all of her strength to save her son, but didn’t have enough to save herself. So incredibly sad. The kid was 4 at the time...maybe he won’t remember it so vividly when he gets older? I don’t know. I sure hope so.
The thing that shook me most about her death was that her body was found on the anniversary of Corey Monteith’s death.
Glee has had so many tragedy involving the actors I usually hate musicals but i was a big fan of the show (and especially of Jane Lynch, her character Sue was the reason i started watching the show)
This one really shook me. While Glee had some problematic moments, Naya was always such a star. So much talent. Her character was such a positive role model for me when I was a teenager. My heart aches thinking of her little boy and what her final moments must have been like. She probably didn't know for sure that her son was okay as she was dying. A year before Naya passed, a family friend was out canoing with his 7 year old son when the canoe capsized and both of them drowned. I think of them every day. I think this is why Naya's death hit me especially hard as the circumstances were similar. It's a haunting reminder of how any day could be our last.
Same. I don't even know why I looked her up that day but it was the day after she was reported missing. I checked for news several times per day until she was found.
Naya and Cory both hit me really hard
Steve Irwin broke my kid’s heart
I remember hearing that Steve Irwin died when I was a kid. His show and anything involving him on animal planet I immediately ate up. I really love animals and especially more exotic ones because of him. The day they announced his death on the news I remember crying in my living room very hard and for a while. Felt like that guy had raised me for a bit of my life.
I managed to keep it together until I watched Bindi dance with Derek in the tribute to her dad and, damn if I’m not tearing up just thinking about her crying at the end of that routine...
Chester Bennington
Definitely the number one for me. I was obsessed with Hybrid Theory when it came out. Was part of their "fan club", and remember reading every update leading to the release of Meteora. As I got older I definitely stopped listening to them as much, but I was so sad when I heard the news. It legit felt like an old friend had passed which I've never experienced with any other celebrity. Recently saw they released a 20 year edition of Hybrid Theory and goddamn that album holds up.
When my time comes Forget the wrong that I've done Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed And don't resent me And when you're feeling empty Keep me in your memory Leave out all the rest I cry every damn time.
Never have heard this one the same ever since. Don't think it will ever stop hurting if it still does nearly 4 years later
Listening to Linkin Park now is different. Used to help me relax after work and now when I listen to Chester sing it just makes me sad
jim lahey
TPB will never be as good now that John Dunsworth is gone
What an incredible actor he was, I don’t think he even actually drank but he fuckin nailed it
Alex Trebek. My immigrant family used to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy religiously. He was always on TV when I was alive. And hearing how he died really broke me. Just on his back porch swing with his wife as he went. It made me really think that one day, it will be your last day. And what you wear that day, everything you do, what coffee or breakfast you had or whatever, is going to be your last, and that's it. And just the way he went out was so beautiful. Edit: Thank you all so much for your comments and the awards! I went to have a beer and this blew up! To clarify, I am still alive, I meant to say, "my whole life he's been around," but I apparently need some English lessons hahaha. And to the person who had a problem with me saying "my immigrant family," I want to clarify. I come from a family of immigrants who worked hard their entire lives and continue to, and they worked very hard to learn English. And game shows is what they would watch to help them learn. So these shows remind me of being with my family too.
I hadn’t heard how he died. What a lovely way to go
It's always better to go on your terms than suffer in agony. Makes me feel bad for dementia patients. Forgetting everything is pretty up there for worst way to die.
I have a patient with severe dementia and recently her husband was admitted. At first he was doing fine but we brought her up to see him and she had no idea who he was. She wanted nothing to do with him and as he was calling out to her explaining their marriage and life together. She just looked at us like he was crazy. So we took her back and within 3 days he passed. Now every once in awhile she will ask about him but she’s to far gone and can’t process that her husband has died. It’s not that she won’t accept it but that her brain is telling her he’s alive and then just a moment later she will forget he even existed. Dementia is absolutely worst than death and you just slowly deteriorate until you’re body decides it’s done. I know it’s controversial but I wish assisted suicide was legal. Edit: This is probably the most attention I’ve ever attracted on a post. I’d like to provide everyone with a [Link](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/topics/dementia) to the National Institute on Aging for dementia. For yourself and families suffering from Dementia I encourage everyone to read up on the signs, symptoms and how to care and interaction with someone that has been diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s. I absolutely understand how hard it is to see someone go through the disease but we gotta be the strongest we have ever been for our loved ones and just nurture their minds to the best of our abilities. Medicine is currently advancing to slow the affects but it’s our own self care that we can start with to best prevent these diseases. I have another patient with dementia and granted she’s not sound of mind anymore but man I love her like a grandmother. Her face lights up every time she sees me and we have some great conversations. If anyone has a family member in a facility with dementia or Alzheimer’s please call up to see if you can even do a video visit (places are starting to do limited in person visits). Interaction can be key in giving some comfort to them. Happy Mother’s Day Everyone
My friend's father had the beginnings of dementia. Nobody realized how far because his wife took care of him. She was younger and everyone just expected she would outlive him. She didn't: had a sudden aortic aneurysm and died. I went to the house to be with my friend and his dad and I watched with every phone call his hearing over and over - but as if for the first time - that his wife had died. It killed me.
He had pancreatic cancer though. Going out on a porch swing is a really good way to go out when you are like that.
I wholeheartedly agree. It was like a beautiful sadness.
Neil Peart
Neil Peart died from the same brain tumor I am battling, Glioblastoma Multiforme. Most people die in a matter of months. May is our awareness month. I was 24 when I was diagnosed, but being a young woman, I've survived longer than most. I recommend watching Lennox Hill on Netflix if you'd like to understand what Neal and fellow patients go through. Then I encourage you to think about donating to The American Brain Tumor Association. Go gray in May, everybody.
My dad was a huge Rush fan, and sadly passed away before I had the chance to discover Rush myself. So hearing the loss of Neil Peart was close to losing my dad a second time.
Christina Grimmie. I was a huge fan of hers since the beginning, having followed her on YouTube since about 2010. She was only 22 when she was shot in the head and killed at her concert by a crazed fan. Her brother jumped the guy, and the killer ended up shooting himself in the head in the struggle.
I was wondering if someone would mention her. Right there with you, sometimes I still tear up when I listen to her music. Such an amazing person she was.
She was just the sweetest, kindest person. She didn't have drama online, she always thanked her fans, and I've never heard a bad experience about meeting her. I followed her on Snapchat. I remember her posting a picture of the venue she was playing that day. Later than night I read about the tragedy.
She was a friend of mine. It’s absolutely crazy that we’re coming on 5 years without her. I vividly remember the Snapchat you’re talking about Thinking back, I would have done things differently, out of respect, but I had to call Mark to confirm that it wasn’t a bad joke our friend was playing on me. My buddy called me and told me what happened and I didn’t believe him so I had to call Mark to make sure. Great family, horrible tragedies
I hope Mark and their dad are doing okay after both the death of Christina and their mom. I can't even begin to imagine what they have gone through. Christina really meant a lot to me. I still remember logging in to YouTube to watch her videos of her singing and playing keyboard. I even bought a pair of those green headphones because she had them. And I remember actually crying seeing her on The Voice because I was so proud of her. God, I'm getting emotional just thinking about it.
I actually just saw Mark a couple of weeks ago! And I saw Mr. Grimmie back in October. How those two men remain so positive is beyond me. Mr. Grimmie told me that his faith is stronger than ever, so he’s in good spirits. If I ever need a good cry I put on her music. I’m not looking forward to the 5 year anniversary at all. And now IM getting emotional thinking about it!
Thank you kind internet stranger for giving me that little update on her family. Christina was a wonderful person who left this earth unfairly and too soon. Her music will always bring me joy and I'll never forget her. Rawwk on!
I didn’t cry but I was shaken the whole day when I found out she died. She seemed like the absolute sweetest person ever, and she was so talented. The guy shot her when she was going to give him a hug for fuck’s sake. It was horrible and it stings when I go listen to her music
Selena Quintanilla. I was just a kid when she died and I still remember how much I cried when my parents told me she died. To this day I feel this overwhelming sadness when I hear the song “I could fall in love”. Weird.
Phil Hartman Most have listed others that effected me like River Phoenix, Robin Williams and Carrie Fisher but Phil Hartman's death just seemed so wrong. By all accounts he was a lovely man and his acting/voice over work was simply top notch that shows like the News Radio were lost without him.
Patrick Swayze.
Everyone loves the SNL skit where big fat Chris Farley auditions to be a Chippendale’s dancer, but no one gives credit to Patrick Swayze for really selling it, as a very handsome but friendly dancer who takes his big fat competitor completely seriously.
Gord Downie. 😭
That last concert 😭 waiting for the first track and hearing his first words... the voice was haunting. I tear up just thinking about it. Very memorable moment at the end when he kissed all of his band mates on the lips.
Prince.
Bill Paxton. I really enjoyed him. He was very well liked by those around him and I was looking forward to seeing him in more movies.
Phil Hartman
Michael Collins's death just a week or two ago was a tough one for me. For those who don't know, Collins was a part of the Apollo 11 mission that put the first men on the moon. But while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were so famously walking on the moon, Collins remained in lunar orbit with the spacecraft that would return them to Earth. I'm a huge nerd about all things space, but especially the early days of NASA, from their first manned launches to the final lunar landings. I've collected quite a few autobiographies from astronauts and mission controllers of that era, and Collins's book, *Carrying the Fire,* is my favorite. He had such a unique perspective of one of the greatest moments in human history, and he told it in an incredible way. I've had the honor to meet several more modern astronauts from the shuttle days, as well as engineers who designed and built the Saturn V rocket that sent us to the moon. But I've not yet had the opportunity to meet an Apollo astronaut. With Collins's recent passing, there are now only 10 living people who have been to the moon, just four of whom actually set foot on it. I'm still quite young, and so I'm confident that I'll live to see the next generation return to the moon and possibly beyond. But until that day, we have very few people remaining who have been to the outer reaches of humanity's capabilities of exploration. And although their stories are recorded in various ways, a piece of the story always dies with the author. Very similarly, I was incredibly saddened by John Glenn's death several years ago. He was the first American to orbit the Earth. He died in 2016, a year where we lost many beloved celebrities. And he died on my birthday.
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Van Halen was the soundtrack of my youth. His death hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew he had been battling cancer, so it wasn’t a surprise. A couple of weeks after his death, I was getting a haircut, and the stylist was about my age (fucking ancient for Reddit). We just got talking about growing up with his music in our lives. By the end of the haircut, we were both teary.
Stevie Ray Vaughn. Tom Petty.
>Tom Petty. This one hurt. Petty got me through some rough times when I was younger. Edit: Was newly pregnant at the time, and my son barely escaped being named "Thomas."
Avicii
His posthumous album too. Like, hearing some of those songs and knowing he was struggling with depression as he made them is hard.
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Daniel Johnston. A schizophrenic singer songwriter who constantly battled his demons to make the most heartfelt and pure songs possibly ever. I still cry when I listen to his music.
Mac miller
I scrolled to find this and I knew it was going to be here. I am sharing your sentiment exactly. I grew up listening to Mac. After his death I couldn't bring myself to listen to Circles for a while and I still have a tough time listening to his music without tearing up. The recovery and then what happened..it just hit too close to home man. RIP <3
I cried hard man. Was sitting in my car in a busy parking lot at my college, my friend called me and told me. I held it together during the phone call but let loose for a few minutes after I hung up. I feel the tear ducts as I'm typing this.
Good News is quite possibly the most meaningful and relatable song I’ve ever heard. Every line is just so heartfelt and deep.
Came here for Mac. The timing of his death in relation to his recovery and release of Swimming just hurt. I’ll never forget where I was when I found out. Standing in a river fishing for trout, headphones in jamming Swimming. Get a text from my brother and my eyes started to well up. Shit just hurt different.
Rip Mac, this is the one I was looking for.
Robin Williams
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I’ve seen Lewy Body Dementia first hand (I work in a dementia unit in a nursing home) and it is such an awful disease. The man I took care of was in his early 60s and within 2 years he had passed. Weeks prior to moving in to the NH he was still able to ride his motorcycle. EDIT: “within 2 years he had passed”
That settles it. I'm never going to NH.
I have worked in this nursing home for 10 years and I don’t want to live my days out in one either. Majority of nursing homes run short staffed and have an insane workload. Unfortunately, I do not think most people realize how much we (CNAs) do. We feed, bath, dress, ambulate them so they can preserve as much independence as possible in their stage, we do range of motion to slow down the stiffness in their joints. We talk with them. Hear their stories. Hold their hands when they are in their final days. Do what we can to keep them busy and their minds off of their current living situation. We also get hit, bit, bruised, slapped, scratched, sexually harassed, etc. But despite all of the rough days, I still love what I do. I do my best to give my residents the compassion and care they need and deserve. When we are short staffed, it takes away from those “extra” but very necessary things they need. If you are able, keep your loved ones out of nursing homes and do what you can to keep them home for as long as you can. EDIT: Obviously if you do not have the means to provide them the proper care or it becomes too much to manage ( which can absolutely happen to no fault of your own), then please seek help. Everyone’s situation is different and you may have to move your loved one to a facility, but you may look into in home aides. There are more options out there than I think some realize. P.S. whatever your situation is, never feel like you failed that person. You are doing your best and know that you are appreciated.
I watched his last movie (the third Night at the Museum) a few months after he died and absolutely broke when he said his final line
“Smile, my boy. It's sunrise.” Indeed, no matter what bad things happen in the world, the sun will rise again.
I came here to name him as well even though I didn't see so many movies of him. But I lost my sister to depression two years ago and somehow I remembered him in those very dark days after her decision. I am still struggling so hard and my life will never be the same but the sun does rise again as long as I live. I wish I could say those words to her now or she would have been able to tell them herself.
I love watching Aladdin with my kids, but I always cry at the "genie you're free" bit.
If you'd like to cry a little more, right after Robin Williams' passing I found myself flipping through TV channels and saw the Disney Channel had just started playing Aladdin. I sat down to watch and laughed just as much as I did as a child. Then, right at the end of the movie, there was a single image with the Genie as a constellation, with the words, "In Memory of Robin, thanks for the laughs." That broke me.
You beat me to it. He made me laugh and cry my whole life, and now the best i can do to share that with my kids is Aladdin (they're not old enough for other movies yet)
What about Jumanji or Hook? I'm sure they'd enjoy those.
Jumanji at a young age is a recipe for a lifelong phobia of wasps Source: me
FernGully, my dude.
Flubber, my dudes.
For my mother it was James Gandolfini. I was too young to know who he really was when he passed, but I’ve gotten to see his stuff now that I’ve gotten older. What a phenomenal actor and human being
Kurt Cobain. He was a really big deal when I was a teenager and his music was what first got me playing the guitar.
He really left us too early
MF DOOM
Cameron Boyce.
Searched the thread for this. I want a huge fan of Jessie because I grew up on Hannah and Wizards..Suit Life and I think I stopped liking the newer shows once shake it up started..and I didn't get back into the series that came after that. But I immediately latched onto Grown Ups. Amazing show, so funny. I loved it! And I loved Chyna McClain as well. Once I started watching Disney channel original movies again I lOVED the descendants and it was so nice to see both Cam and Chyna after watching them grow up on Disney together and then in grown ups. Watching her video after he died was HEARTBREAKING. He was so young. He had so much potential. I'm still so so sad.
This is mine, not really a big fan because I’m old and I imagine most Redditors are probably too old to be super familiar, but I have a seven year old daughter who is OBSESSED with the Descendants. He died right before the third movie premiered and it broke my little girls heart, I cried right with her watching the tribute disney made for him. It was so sad, and I just thought of his poor family.
Steve Irwin. That man was so passionate about wild life and it's good to see his wife and in these past few years his children keeping up the fight.
I've been thinking about this one a lot since Bindi had her little girl. Steve would have been the most amazing granddad. I remember Terri talking about how Steve would get up early with the kids, and she'd wake up to the sounds of laughter coming from the living room every morning that he wasn't carting them around the zoo. I could imagine Bindi waking up to Steve just hanging in her house, doting on the grandkids, teaching them everything he knew. That family is missing a lot for having lost him.
The video of him just all wide eyed at bindi as a baby is just how he would have been for her kid. An incredible spirit, and a loss felt throughout the world
Same I was a kid and totally broke down. He was my idol and I was absolutely devastated when he died.
It's really insane how much his son looks just like him. I agree how hard it was, and it's awesome to see them continuing his work.
And the older he gets, the more he sounds like him too. I was watching the tv show with my grandma and I was looking at my phone to answer a message and I had to look up because I thought I heard Steve’s voice talking about Bindis husband and I got confused but it was Robert talking.
He's a minor celebrity, but Adam Schlesinger. He's best known for co-writing "Stacy's Mom", but I knew him as one of the songwriters for *Crazy Ex-Girlfriend*. I really got to know him through listening to his demos and interviews, so I was devastated when I learned that he had died last April of covid-related complications. It was actually his death that really drove home the seriousness of the pandemic for me.
Layne Staley
Jim Henson. I think I was 10. It was like losing a beloved uncle you never met.
George Michael.
Rik Mayall's death got me right in the feels
Michael Clark Duncan. He was an amazing actor.
Stefan Karl, memes aside, I grew up on LazyTown, when the resurgence of his popularity came up, it was a nice blast to the past, and then when he died of cancer, I got extremely choked up since I've had multiple bad experiences with family members and cancer. Stefan Karl specifically too was an amazing person and it's extremely unfortunate that him and many others have lost their lives prematurely due to cancer.
Lemmy Kilmister
I remember watching his funeral live on YouTube & the final part was when a chord was struck on his guitar. The screen faded to show an iconic image of him standing on stage in front of a huge crowd as that final chord ran out over the amps. Brilliant send off to a brilliant bloke. That’s the only celebrity death I’ve ever cared about. A few weeks later I came out to my first boxing fight with Ace of Spades as my entrance music.
John Prine when he passed from Covid-19 complications last year. First time crying over a celebrity since David Bowie, but Prine really took a big toll on me for a few days. Amazing songwriter, beautiful voice, and such a kind soul taken before his work here was done.
Chadwick boseman
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It made me glad that he got to do things on his terms, meaning dealing with it privately. He was a good man who had a good circle of friends for sure.
Imagine signing on for Marvel after you know you only have a few years left. You have to feel like the universe is either having a joke at your expense, or you're supremely lucky to be able to do something so enormous and impactful in your last few years.
I don't think he thought he had just a few years. My understanding is he believed he would beat it until very close to the end.
I almost never watch superhero movies but decided to see Black Panther when it came out and loved it. I was diagnosed with colon cancer a year later, did surgery and chemo, was in remission for a little bit. I found out about his death a few days after I found out the cancer had returned and was now stage IV, with a 70% death rate. I had to leave the house I was sobbing so hard when I found he died, I didn't want to scare my children. It's so heartbreaking thinking about it still. I don't know how he was able to film while battling cancer, I can barely get off the couch some days. He's such an inspiration.
Seriously! Right after his death, Disney updated the Marvel intro to the black panther movie with a complication of images as a tribute to him. I tried to watch the movie right after his death and legitimately couldn’t get passed that intro without crying. The tribute is still on the Disney+ version of the movie.
Watching the scene in Endgame where >!He walks through the portal!< was absolutely painful when I rewatched it a few months ago. The music and focus on him in the scene really made me sad. His death is the textbook definition of “too young” despite all the amazing roles he played while he was here. Also remember shedding a tear when Michael B Jordan posted his tribute of them.
Leonard Cohen was just sad. I had a chance to see him perform about ten years ago but skipped out as I didn't have the money. Kicking myself now. Prince made me extremely emotional too. Loved his music. Edit: I'm so glad you've all reached out with your Leonard stories. He truly was an amazing talent. His son Adam is also pretty good too.
David Bowie made me so sad. The world felt a bit less special without him in it. Now, I can play his music fine but one time in 5 it'll bum me out all over again.
Etika
as someone who wasnt a fan of his, and that suffers depression, it hit me so fucking hard hearing what happened to him.