Remembering Celebrities Who Died in 2020
By Ryan McGinley, Entertainment Editor
This year, more than most, has been a year of loss and heartbreak. Families everywhere have lost loved ones and dealt with loss in unimaginable ways. Amid all the madness of 2020, we lost some of the most influential people our world has ever known, from inspiring athletes like Kobe Bryant and Diego Maradona, to outstanding hosts like Regis Philbin and Alex Trebek. We sadly said goodbye to the talented acting skills of Naya Rivera and Chadwick Boseman, and honor the legacies of the political trailblazers that were John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. With these losses, we are left with heavy hearts, but we are proud to have known these beautiful souls and to have watched them pave the way for us.
Image courtesy of Woub Public Media
Kobe Bryant and Diego Maradona
As an athlete, you can’t walk onto a field or a court without knowing the names Kobe Bryant and Diego Maradona. Both of them were powerful legends of their games. Maradona was one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Playing for Argentina, he played in four World Cups and earned himself a title as one of the greats. Kobe Bryant will go down in history as one of the best basketball players ever seen. As a five time NBA Champion, Kobe led the Los Angeles Lakers to victory as one of their most valuable players. Proving their worth, these talented athletes worked their ways up in professional leagues and proved critics wrong. Maradona became not only Diego’s last name but the name of a trick move in soccer. Boys and girls everywhere shout “Kobe!” when they throw a ball that they know is going to go through the net. The loss of these inspiring players highlighted all that they did to change the games and the lives of others. Their careers will live on in infamy.
Image courtesy of Britannica
Diego Maradona
Regis Philbin and Alex Trebek
Regis Philbin and Alex Trebek are household names. Even if you didn’t grow up watching their shows, Philbin and Trebek were known by people everywhere. Regis Philbin was an actor and talk show host, known best by the younger generation for his time on Live! With Kelly and Regis. Philbin had a talk show with Kelly Rippa where they interviewed celebrities, played games, and made everyone’s mornings a little brighter.
Alex Trebek was the iconic face of the game show Jeopardy! After 37 seasons of testing the intelligence of contestants all over America, he died this year, leaving behind a legacy of great entertainment and poise. With careers like no other, Philbin and Trebek enhanced the world of television and the lives of those who watched.
Image courtesy of USA Today
Regis Philbin
Image courtesy of People
Alex Trebek
Image courtesy of Biography Newsletter
Chadwick Boseman
John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg
John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were two of the most important people of their generations. Groundbreaking in their ideas and their tactics to fight for what they believed in, these political innovators moved mountains. John Lewis was a civil rights activist from the time he was born until the day he died. He marched and spoke alongside Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement, leading rallies and protests, fighting for his voice to be heard. In 1986, he earned the congressional seat in Georgia where he held position and influence until he died this year. As an eloquent speaker and a natural born fighter for justice, Lewis was a fan of what he called, “Good Trouble.” With his political influence and his determination, he turned the tide for many black Americans and pushed towards equality in ways that were never seen before.
A trailblazer in the same sense, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a force to be reckoned with. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a Supreme Court Justice for 27 years, contributing many accomplishments for humanity, especially women’s rights. She studied law at Cornell, Harvard, and Columbia, where she began her journey as one of the most influential political leaders in history. She fought for her cases with dignity and passion, fully believing and hoping that change was possible. Ginsburg was given the name “Notorious R.B.G.,” as many knew her for her steps toward human rights justice. Open to learning and transforming law to fight for all people, Lewis and Ginsburg were two of the most significant political leaders of our generation. With determination and grit, these two went up against all odds and fought for their respective rights and the citizens that they were defending. Their presence in politics and in life will be forever missed. May their legacies and achievements live on always.
Image courtesy of Biography Newsletter
Naya Rivera and Chadwick Boseman
One of the greatest things in life is television. Movies and TV shows touch our hearts and bring us out of stark reality, much to the credit of the great actors and actresses that make these stories come to life; Naya Rivera and Chadwick Boseman were two of the best. Known best for her role as Santana on the TV show Glee, Naya Rivera was a fierce actress. Her role as Santana, a Latina and lesbian, made her a pioneer in the way that she advocated for the Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities. Her role and her work pushed towards diversity and representation.
Chadwick Boseman was a pioneer in the world of film as well, known most for his role in Black Panther and at 42, he was an outstanding actor and an even better trailblazer. He highlighted the importance of giving powerful roles to black actors and shedding light on untold stories, like that of Jackie Robinson. As a leading role in television, he showed people everywhere that black representation matters and changed the mindsets of many. Both of these actors were able to make their mark and show that people from all walks of life can be successful and just as important as everyone else.
Naya Rivera
Image courtesy of AP News
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The people that we have lost this year, famous or not, will live on in our hearts for centuries to come. Without the people that came before us and led the way, we would not have the choices and the opportunities that we have today. With open hearts, we can learn to take the legacies of these lost legends and push the envelope even farther than they did. We will remember that we are following their example and always be grateful for the work they did to get us where we are now. We thank them for all they have done and we send our love to all those we have lost in this challenging year.