8. Mariam Mukhtar
It takes a huge amount of courage for any man to be a fighter pilot but the real-life Pakistani superhero Mariam Mukhtar breaks the stereotype!
At the tender age of 23, she became the first Pakistani female fighter pilot to die in the line of duty.
7. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Image Copyright: WWE
Despite being one of the most villainous characters in professional wrestling, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper had the ability to grab the fans in the palm of his hands. Having notable feuds with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Adrian Adonis, and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Piper was exciting to watch in the ring.
At the age of 61, Piper died in his sleep because of cardiopulmonary arrest and WWE lost one hell of an entertainer. On an interesting note, the deceased wrestler predicted that he was “not going to make 65” because of his poor health.
6. Phil Taylor
Image Courtesy: thenortheasttoday.com
The English heavy metal band Motörhead is a group of talented musicians who have rocked the Earth to its core since 1976. Though it had a variety of drummers, Phil Taylor was perhaps the best one. Falling ill because of liver failure, the musician died at age 61.
Better known as “Philthy Animal” Taylor, the musician was a bombastic drummer and the only one to return to the band. After serving as the drummer of Motörhead for nine years from 1975 to 1984, Taylor eventually made a comeback for another five years from 1987 to 1992.
5. Michael C. Gross
Image Source: Joe Lester/Corbis
As an artist and designer, Michael C. Gross has several works to his name and the most notable of them is the instantly recognizable Ghostbusters logo. Perhaps the most iconic symbol in movie history, the very glance of the Ghostbusters logo makes everyone remember Bill Murray and his team of paranormal exterminators.
Unfortunately, the people working backstage do not get enough recognition so Gross founded his very own design company named Pellegrini, Kaestle, & Gross, Inc. With the expansion, Gross became the personal designer for The Beatles star John Lennon.
Not only that, the designer got the chance to become a consultant to the Muppets. Apart from being a reputed designer, Gross served as a producer of executive producer for many movies such as Heavy Metal, Twins, Legal Eagles, Dave, Kindergarten Cop, Ghostbusters, and Ghostbusters II.
4. Oliver Sacks
Image Source: nypl.org
Believing that the brain was the “most incredible thing in the universe” Oliver Sacks dedicated his life to studying it. Receiving his medical degree from The Queen’s College, Oxford in 1960, the neurologist is also an author of best-selling novels most of them based upon case studies of patients with neurological disorders.
Called “one of the great clinical writers of the twentieth century” by New York Times, Sacks definitely left a mark in his profession. At the age of 82, the neurologist died after a long hard-fought battle with liver cancer. Sacks stated this in one of his essays before his death:
“I feel grateful that I have been granted nine years of good health and productivity since the original diagnosis, but now I am face to face with dying.”
3. Jackie Collins
Image Source: jackiecollins.com
Arguably one of the greatest romance novelists of her generation, Jackie Collins will forever be remembered as an inspiration in the art of love and affection. The writer has 32 novels to her name and all of them appeared on The New York Times best-sellers list.
With more than 500 million copies of her books sold and translated into 40 languages, Collins tragically died at the age of 77 after six years of struggling with breast cancer.
2. Christopher Lee
Image Source: telegraph.co.uk
Undoubtedly one of the greatest English actors of all time, Christopher Lee is a name familiar to every movie fanatic. With a career that almost reached 70 years, Lee is best known for appearing as the wicked Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Apart from being an actor (one of the most popular movie stars we lost in 2015 in fact), Lee was also an author, singer, and a World War II veteran. Known for other iconic roles such as Count Dracula and Count Dooku, acting was not the man’s profession but his passion. Died at the age of 93 due to respiratory problems and heart failure, but the actor’s legacy will live on forever.
1. Lenny B. Robinson
An unlikely addition to the list, Lenny B. Robinson brought the legend of Batman to life but instead of fighting crime, he visited sick children in the hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dubbed the Baltimore Batman and even having his own Batmobile, Robinson’s philanthropic antics were supported by many celebrities and even the official Batman Facebook page.
The real-life Batman died tragically when a Toyota Camry struck him and his Batmobile while Robinson was busy checking the engine. Pronounced dead on the scene, the ill children lost their superheroes and the world lost a very unique philanthropist who had a heart of gold.
Honorable Mention: Lemmy Kilmister
For decades, the band Motörhead proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the music genre of heavy metal. With lead singer Lemmy Kilmister, the band gathered a gigantic following during its 40-year reign of rock and roll.
Lemmy’s health issues finally got to him when he died of an “extremely aggressive cancer” just four days after his 70th birthday. Once diagnosed with the disease, the rockstar ironically stated,
“If I died tomorrow, I couldn’t complain. It’s been good.”
A metalhead, amazing guitarist, and one hell of a songwriter, Lemmy will forever be missed.
Hope all the celebrities we lost in 2015 rest in peace! You can share your feelings about them in the comments below!
