A Tribute To Those We Lost In 2022: Queen Elizabeth II, Sidney Poitier & More

New York Daily News: By David Matthews – The Queen of England and a queen of country music; movie mobsters and barrier breakers; sports superstars and Broadway legends — 2022 saw the deaths of many history makers. Here are excerpts from the article published on December 28, 2022, on some of the most significant figures to leave us this year.

Queen Elizabeth II

The British monarch sat on the throne for more than 70 years before her death on Sept. 8 at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was succeeded by her son, King Charles III. Her funeral was held at Westminster Abbey church in London after a 10-day mourning period.

Bill Russell

The 11-time NBA champion and five-time MVP Boston Celtic died July 31 at the age of 88 in Washington state. Widely considered one of the best basketball players of all time, the league quickly moved to retire his iconic #6 jersey. He was also the first black head coach in NBA history.

James Caan

One of the defining actors of his generation, Caan starred in a number of now-classics. during Highlights of his decades-long career include “The Godfather,” for which he received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, “Misery” and “Elf.” The Bronx-born and Queens-raised Caan died July 6 at the age of 82.

Sidney Poitier

Oscar-winner Poitier died Jan. 6 at the age of 94 in Beverly Hills. “In The Heat of The Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “The Defiant Ones” were among his many noteworthy and groundbreaking roles. He was the first black actor to win an Oscar for best actor.

Ray Liotta

The “Something Wild” and “Goodfellas” star was also one of Hollywood’s go-to supporting actors, with well-regarded turns in “Field of Dreams” and “Cop Land,” among others. The Newark-born actor was 67 when he died on May 26 in the Dominican Republic. His final film, “Cocaine Bear” will be released on February 24, 2023.

Angela Lansbury

The British actress died Oct. 11 at the age of 96. She starred in “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Mame” and many other films throughout her career. Lansbury appeared in the original production of “Sweeney Todd” on Broadway and portrayed Jessica Fletcher on “Murder, She Wrote” for 12 seasons.

Olivia Newton-John

The “Physical” singer and star of “Grease” and “Xanadu” died at the age of 73 on Aug. 8 at her California home. One of the best-selling artists of all time, Newton-John sold over 100 million records. She also won four Grammy awards.

Loretta Lynn

One of country music’s biggest stars, known for hits like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”, Lynn died at the age of 90 on Oct. 4 in Tennessee. She won three Grammy awards during her decades-long career, including one for her partnership with Conway Twitty.

Christine McVie

As one of the members of Fleetwood Mac, the English singer wrote or co-wrote some of the group’s biggest hits, including “Don’t Stop,” “Everywhere” and “Little Lies.” She won two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. McVie died Nov. 30 at the age of 79 after a brief illness.