Notable Deaths 2015

Filed Under: Local, New York News, News, Photos

Natalie ColeSinger Natalie Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat "King'' Cole, died Dec. 31, 2015. She was 65. (Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for SeriousFun Children's Network)

Wayne RogersWayne Rogers, who played Trapper John McIntyre on “M*A*S*H,” died on Thursday, Dec. 31. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Ansan Valley Rock FestivalLemmy Kilmister, founder and frontman of Motörhead, died on Monday, Dec. 28. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Meadowlark LemonGeorge "Meadowlark" Lemon, the Harlem Globetrotters' star known as the "clown prince", died on Dec. 27, 2015. in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 83. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)

Scott WeilandScott Weiland, the former frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop. He was 48. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Fred ThompsonFormer U.S. Sen. and Republican presidential-primary hopeful Fred Thompson, who also starred on "Law & Order," died on Nov. 1, 2015. He was 73. (Andrea Melendez/AFP/Getty Images)

Yogi BerraThe Hall of Fame catcher renowned as much for his dizzying malapropisms as his unmatched 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees died Sept. 23, 2015. He was 90. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Jackie Collins Author Jackie Collins died on Sept, 19, 2015 of breast cancer. She was 77. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)

Wes CravenWes Craven died after a battle with brain cancer on Aug. 30, 2015. He was 76. (credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Moses MaloneMoses Malone, a three-time NBA MVP and one of basketball’s most ferocious rebounders, died Sept. 13, 2015. He was 60. (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE/Getty Images)

Al ArbourAl Arbour, the bespectacled gentleman of a coach who molded a young and talented New York Islanders franchise into an NHL dynasty that won four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s, died on Aug. 28, 2015. He was 82. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Yvonne CraigAmerican ballet dancer and actress Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl from the TV series 'Batman', 1967. Craig died on Aug. 18, 2015 at age 78. (Photo by Len Trievnor/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Roddy PiperWrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, born Roderick Toombs, passed away at the age of 61 on July 31, 2015. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Roger ReesRoger Rees, a Welsh actor known for his stage work and appearances in television staples such as "Cheers," died on July 10, 2015. He was 71.(Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)

Dick Van PattenActor Dick Van Patten, best known as the beloved father in the hit 80s sitcom "Eight Is Enough," passed away of complications from diabetes on June 23, 2015. He was 86. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Christopher LeeSir Christopher Lee, the English actor who emerged as a British horror movie icon in the 1950s with his memorable portrayal of Count Dracula and later appeared in the blockbuster “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings” films, died on June 7, 2015. He was 93. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/Getty Images)

B.B.-KingB.B. King died peacefully at his home in Las Vegas on May 14, 2015. He was 89. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Ben E. KingBen E. King died of natural causes in Teaneck, New Jersey on April 30, 2015. He was 76. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Cardinal Edward EganCardinal Edward Egan, former Archbishop of New York, died on March 5, 2015. He was 82. (Photo by Charles Norfleet/Getty Images)

Leonard NimoyActor Leonard Nimoy, most famous for playing Spock on "Star Trek," died on Feb. 27, 2015 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 83. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Bob SimonLongtime "60 Minutes'' correspondent Bob Simon, who covered riots, Academy Award-nominated movies and wars and was held captive for more than a month in Iraq two decades ago, was killed in a car crash on Feb. 11, 2015. He was 73. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

Dean SmithDean Smith, the longtime University of North Carolina basketball coach who retired in 1997 as college basketball's all-time winningest coach, died Feb. 7, 2015. He was 83. (credit: Getty Images)

Ann MaraAnn Mara, co-owner of the New York Giants and widow of the late Wellington Mara, died on Feb. 1, 2015. (credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)

King AbdullahSaudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who fought al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom, including by nudging open greater opportunities for women, died Jan. 23, 2015. He was 90. (Photo by Bertrand Langlois/AFP/Getty Images)

Greg PlittGreg Plitt, a fitness model and actor featured on the cover of numerous fitness magazines, was struck and killed by a train while filming on the tracks in Southern California Jan. 17, 2015. He was 37 . (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Donna DouglasDonna Douglas, who played the buxom tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," died Jan. 1, 2015. She was 82. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

Frank GiffordNFL Pro Football Hall of Famer and TV sports commentator Frank Gifford died Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015 at the age of 84. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)

Anne MearaActress and comedian Anne Meara, died on May 23, 2015. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

A.J. PeroTwisted Sister drummer Anthony Jude "A.J." Pero died of an apparent heart attack on March 20, 2015. He was 55.. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

Percy SledgePercy Sledge, the man behind the song "When A Man Loves A Woman," among many others, died on Apr. 14, 2015. (/file-credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Lesley GoreSinger-songwriter Lesley Gore died of cancer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan on Feb. 16, 2015. She was 68. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for The Women's Media Center)

Anthony MasonFormer New York Knicks power forward Anthony Mason died Feb. 28, 2015 after suffering a heart attack. He was 48. (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl LloydEarl Lloyd, the first black player in the NBA, died Feb. 26, 2015. He was 86. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

David CarrNew York Times Columnist David Carr died on Feb. 12, 2015. He was 58. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images)

Charlie SiffordCharlie Sifford, who only wanted a chance to play and broke the color barrier in golf as the first black PGA Tour member, died Feb. 3, 2015. He was 92. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Joe FranklinJoe Franklin, who hosted TV's "The Joe Franklin Show" and is often credited with developing the standard TV talk show format, sitting behind a desk while interviewing wanna-be celebrities, minor celebrities and the occasional bona fide celebrity, died Jan. 24, 2015, in New York. (credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Taylor NegronActor and comedian Taylor Negron, known for "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" and "The Last Boy Scout," died Jan. 10, 2015. He was 57. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Stuart ScottStuart Scott, the longtime “SportsCenter” anchor and ESPN personality known for his enthusiasm and ubiquity, died Jan. 4, 2015. He was 49. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Little Jimmy DickensGrand Ole Opry legend Little Jimmy Dickens known for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, and rhinestone-studded outfits died on Jan. 2,2015. He was 94.(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)

Rod Taylor Australian actor Rod Taylor, who appeared in more than 50 films, died on Jan. 7, 2015. He was 85. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

Mario CuomoMario Cuomo, a son of Italian immigrants who became an eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during his three terms as governor of New York but couldn't quite bring himself to run for president, died Jan. 1, 2015. He was 82. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

Bobbi Kristina BrownWhitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, died on July 26, 2015. Her death came 7 months after she was found face-down and unresponsive in a bathtub. She was 22. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)