TV Stars Who Died In 2016

The One Day at a Time star died Jan. 6 at the age of 86, following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Harrington was best known for playing building superintendent Schneider for nine seasons on CBS's 1975-84 hit sitcom, winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the role.

The ESPN sportscaster passed away Jan. 13 after a brief illness; he was 88 years old. Simpson was ESPN's first play-by-play announcer, joining the fledgling sports network in 1979 to cover college and pro football, basketball and baseball.

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams star died Jan. 15 after a months-long battle with cancer at the age of 74. Haggerty played mountain man James "Grizzly" Adams on the late-'70s NBC series; he also guest-starred on CHiPs and Charlie's Angels.

The star of Barney Miller and Fish died Jan. 26; he was 94 years old. Vigoda played hemorrhoid-stricken NYPD detective Phil Fish on Miller and then got his own spinoff, Fish, earning three Emmy nominations for the role.

The Petticoat Junction star passed away Jan. 28 at the age of 75. Minor played Betty Jo's pilot husband Steve Elliott on the '60s CBS sitcom, and also appeared on My Three Sons and The Beverly Hillbillies.

The BMX champion and The Challenge host died Feb. 4 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; he was 41 years old. Mirra won a total of 17 X Games medals as a competitive BMX biker, and hosted two seasons of the MTV competition The Challenge.

The Punky Brewster star died Feb. 15 at the age of 98. Along with playing Punky Brewster's foster dad Henry on the '80s NBC kids' show, Gaynes starred in the Police Academy movies and had regular roles on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd and General Hospital.

The Mob Wives star known as "Big Ang" passed away Feb. 18 following a long battle with cancer; she was 55 years old. Raiola was a boisterous fan favorite on the VH1 reality series, appearing as a regular cast member for five seasons.

The Oscar-winning actor died Feb. 26 at the age of 91. Along with his film work in Cool Hand Luke (for which he won an Oscar), the Airport franchise and the Naked Gun series, Kennedy played oil tycoon Carter McKay on the later seasons of the CBS mega-hit Dallas.

The Emmy-winning L.A. Law star passed away March 17; he was 67 years old. Drake played disabled office messenger Benny Stulwicz on the NBC legal drama, winning back-to-back Emmys in 1988 and 1989 for the role. He also played villainous mobster Robert Durant in the 1990 film Darkman and a 1995 sequel.

The Rockford Files star passed away March 18 following a heart attack; he was 84 years old. Santos played Jim Rockford's friend and LAPD sergeant Dennis Becker for six seasons on NBC's detective series. He also had recurring roles on Hardcastle and McCormick, Magnum P.I. and The Sopranos.

The Sesame Street actor died March 22 of lung cancer at the age of 80. Along with playing friendly store owner Mr. Handford from 1990 to 1998 (a role which won him eight Emmys), Smyrl wrote for Benson and was a writer/actor on The Cosby Show, playing contractor Sam Lucas.

The Emmy-winning actor died March 23 at the age of 71. His best-known TV roles were as basketball coach Ken Reeves on The White Shadow, Jordan's father Max on Crossing Jordan and Kabletown boss Hank Hooper on 30 Rock. Howard was also president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2009 until his death.

The beloved actor and comedian passed away March 24 after a massive heart attack; he was 66 years old. After a successful run in stand-up comedy and filling in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, Shandling co-created and starred in two innovative shows — Showtime's It's Garry Shandling's Show and HBO's The Larry Sanders Show — which pushed the boundaries for TV comedies. Shandling was nominated for 19 Emmys, winning one, and hosted the Emmy ceremony three times.

The creator of The Waltons died March 24 of cancer at the age of 92. Hamner wrote eight episodes of The Twilight Zone before creating the CBS family hit, based on his novel; he also provided the voice-over narration for the show. He went on to create the CBS primetime soap Falcon Crest, which ran for nine seasons.

The Benson star passed away March 28 following a stroke; he was 94 years old. Noble played Benson's employer, goofy governor Eugene Gatling, for seven seasons on the ABC sitcom.

The star of The Patty Duke Show died March 29 at the age of 69. After winning an Oscar for The Miracle Worker at age 16, Duke went on to star as "identical cousins" in her self-titled ABC sitcom from 1963 to 1966. She later won three Emmys, and made recent appearances on Fox's Glee and Disney's Liv and Maddie.

The star of Bravo's reality series Blood, Sweat & Heels passed away April 8 after a long battle with bile duct cancer; she was 36 years old. The former magazine editor shared her diagnosis and treatment on the show, and even celebrated the end of her radiation treatments in last year's Season 2 finale.

The Emmy-winning star of Everybody Loves Raymond died April 17 following a stroke; she was 90 years old. Roberts had memorable roles on Remington Steele and St. Elsewhere, but she was best known for playing Ray's overbearing mother Maria Barone on the hit CBS sitcom, winning four Emmys for the role.

The pro wrestler and reality-TV star died April 20 of a drug overdose at the age of 46. Chyna (real name: Joanie Laurer) was a WWE superstar in the late '90s and early 2000s, dominating the female side of the sport and even beating some male wrestlers. She also appeared on a number of VH1 reality shows, including The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.

The American Idol Season 2 finalist was killed in a car accident on May 6; he was 36 years old. Smith competed alongside Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard on the sophomore season of Fox's reality hit, ultimately finishing eighth.

The actress passed away May 8 from stomach cancer at the age of 63. She was a regular cast member on NBC's Go On (playing support group member Fausta) and Fox's Dads (as maid Edna). Castro also made recent appearances on Life in Pieces, The Grinder and Kroll Show.

The 60 Minutes correspondent died May 19 of pneumonia; he was 84 years old. Traveling across the globe as a war correspondent, Safer joined the CBS news program in 1970 and remained there for four and a half decades, winning a dozen Emmys, including a lifetime-achievement award.

The Mister Ed star passed away May 19 at the age of 96. Young starred as Wilbur, the human companion to the talking horse Mister Ed, on the 1960s sitcom. Young also won two Emmys as the star of his variety series The Alan Young Show and provided the voice of Scrooge McDuck in many Disney productions, including the '80s TV cartoon DuckTales.

The co-star of The Commish died June 6 after being hospitalized for pneumonia; she was 61 years old. Saldana starred opposite Michael Chiklis on the 1991-96 ABC cop dramedy, playing wife Rachel and earning a Golden Globe nomination in 1994.

The singer and finalist on The Voice was killed by a gunman on June 10 following a concert performance; she was 22 years old. Grimmie was a contestant on Season 6 of the NBC singing competition, landing on coach Adam Levine's team and ultimately finishing third.

The voice of Judy Jetson died June 12 at the age of 96. Waldo played George and Jane's teen daughter Judy on the ABC cartoon The Jetsons; she also provided voices for The Flintstones, Josie and the Pussycats and The Smurfs, and appeared on-camera in an episode of I Love Lucy.

The ALF performer passed away June 13 at the age of 76. A circus performer from Hungary who traveled with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the 33-inch-tall Meszaros was the person in the ALF costume when full-body shots were required on the '80s sitcom. He also appeared in episodes of H.R. Pufnstuf and Dear John.

The Waltons actress passed away June 14; she was 83 years old. Edwards played Ike's wife Corabeth for six years on the '70s CBS hit, and reprised the role in a number of TV movies. She also played Jean Smart's mother on Designing Women and appeared in episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Dick Van Dyke actress died June 14 after a battle with cancer; she was 87 years old. Guilbert played the Petries' neighbor Millie on the classic CBS sitcom, and later played Fran's grandma Yetta on The Nanny. She also appeared on everything from My Three Sons to Seinfeld, and recently played Birdy on HBO's Getting On.

The Popular star died June 17 of liver and kidney failure; he was 45 years old. Lester played Michael "Sugar Daddy" Bernardino on the WB teen comedy, and also played a bully on NBC's Freaks and Geeks. He might be best known, though, for playing Billy Bob in the 1999 football film Varsity Blues.

The actor was killed June 19 when he was pinned by his Jeep Grand Cherokee outside his home; he was 27 years old. Yelchin is best known for playing Chekhov in the rebooted Star Trek films; he also played Hank Azaria's teen son Byrd on Showtime's Huff and appeared in episodes of ER, Curb Your Enthusiasm and NYPD Blue.

TV's Lois Lane passed away July 3 at the age of 95. Neill starred opposite George Reeves' Superman for five seasons on the 1950s TV series The Adventures of Superman. She stayed connected to the Superman franchise throughout her career, playing Lois' mother Ella Lane on the '90s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

The prolific actor/director/producer died July 19 of complications from pneumonia; he was 81 years old. Marshall helped create a string of hits for ABC in the 1970s, including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy. He was also a prominent film director (Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries) and a memorable comic actor, with a recurring role on Murphy Brown as network exec Stan Lansing.

The Babylon 5 star passed away July 27 at the age of 60. Doyle played security officer Michael Garibaldi on the '90s sci-fi series, through the show's finale in 1998. Doyle also appeared on episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, JAG and NYPD Blue.

The St. Elsewhere star died Aug. 7 after a six-year battle with cancer; she was 63 years old. Lewis played Dr. Jacqueline Wade on the '80s NBC medical drama. She also had a recurring role as a judge on NBC's Homicide, created by Lewis' husband Tom Fontana.

The Family Matters and Dallas actor died Aug. 8; he was 75 years old. Jenner played Dr. Jerry Kenderson on the CBS primetime soap Dallas, then played Lt. Murtaugh on ABC's TGIF sitcom Family Matters. He also had a recurring role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Admiral Ross.

The ESPN sportscaster passed away Aug. 10 at the age of 61. Saunders joined ESPN in 1986 and worked there for three decades, hosting SportsCenter, NFL Primetime and the network's NBA and NHL coverage. He also hosted the network's sportswriter roundtable The Sports Reporters, starting in 2001.

The Emmy-winning actor died Aug. 14 of a heart attack; he was 93 years old. A favorite of TV producer David E. Kelley, Finkel played public defender Douglas Waumbach on Kelley's Picket Fences, winning an Emmy in 1994. He also had a regular role as history teacher Harvey Lipschultz on Kelley's Fox drama Boston Public.

PBS' long-running news roundtable signed off in August after 34 years, following the death of host John McLaughlin.

The Bob Newhart Show star passed away Aug. 19 of pneumonia at the age of 80. Riley had a four-decade career in show business, but is best known for playing neurotic patient Elliot Carlin alongside Bob Newhart on his hit CBS sitcom. Riley also appeared in episodes of M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Seinfeld and provided the voice of Tommy's father Stu Pickles on the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats.

The Law & Order actor died Aug. 23 at the age of 94. Hill played district attorney Adam Schiff for ten seasons on NBC's crime procedural, earning a pair of Emmy nominations. He also played team leader Dan Briggs on the first season of Mission: Impossible and appeared in episodes of Rawhide, The Fugitive and thirtysomething.

The legendary comedian passed away Aug. 29 of complications from Alzheimer's disease; he was 83 years old. Wilder is best known for starring in films like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, but he did make a number of appearances on the small screen, including a two-episode stint as Will's boss Mr. Stein on Will & Grace that earned him an Emmy award.

The Homicide: Life on the Street star died Sept. 1 of cancer at the age of 65. Polito played Detective Steve Crosetti in the first two seasons of NBC's acclaimed cop drama, and also had regular roles on Crime Story, Dream On, Raising the Bar and Modern Family. Plus, he was a favorite of the Coen brothers, appearing in five of their films.

The actress and transgender activist passed away Sept. 11 of cardiac arrest; she was 47 years old. The sister of Patricia, David and Rosanna Arquette, Alexis appeared in episodes of Friends, Roseanne and Xena: Warrior Princess and was a houseguest on VH1's The Surreal Life.

The Ax Men star was killed in a car accident Sept. 16; he was 45 years old. The owner/operator of Rygaard Logging, Gabe was a cast member on History's reality series, which follows a number of logging crews across the country, for eight seasons.

The NCIS showrunner passed away suddenly in his sleep on Sept. 28; he was 50 years old. Glasberg served as showrunner of CBS' top-rated drama for six seasons, writing 29 episodes; he also created the spinoff NCIS: New Orleans and wrote for Bones, Crossing Jordan and The Mentalist.

The creator of All My Children and One Life to Live died Sept. 28 at the age of 93. Nixon was a legend in the world of soap operas, creating two ABC daytime staples that each ran for more than four decades and always breaking ground with her cutting-edge storylines. Nixon also co-created Loving and won five Daytime Emmys.

The All My Children actor passed away Sept. 28 following a heart attack; he was 62 years old. Malloy had memorable roles on Guiding Light and The Edge of Night, but he was best known for playing Travis Montgomery on All My Children, starting in 1987. He also served as the announcer on As the World Turns.

The Martin star died Oct. 12 at the age of 52. Ford played Martin's famously bald and jobless best friend Tommy on all five seasons of the '90s Fox sitcom. He went on to play Lt. Malcolm Barker on New York Undercover and Nikki's ex-husband Mel on UPN's The Parkers.

The comedian and Uncle Buck star passed away Oct. 21 at the age of 60. A popular stand-up comic in the '80s, Meaney took on the John Candy role in ABC's 1990-91 remake of Uncle Buck. He also appeared in episodes of Ned and Stacey, 30 Rock and 2 Broke Girls.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star died Nov. 11 of leukemia; he was 83 years old. After a key role in The Magnificent Seven, Vaughn shot to fame as charming spy Napoleon Solo on the popular 1960s NBC series. He also had memorable turns on The A-Team and Law & Order and played Franklin D. Roosevelt in a 1982 HBO movie.

The Ryan's Hope creator passed away Nov. 11 at the age of 82. Along with creating the Emmy-winning ABC soap, Labine came up with some of General Hospital's most memorable storylines as head writer there in the mid-'90s. She also served as head writer for One Life to Live and Guiding Light.

The PBS Newshour anchor passed away Nov. 14 of breast cancer; she was 61 years old. A Peabody Award-winning journalist, Ifill co-anchored PBS NewsHour and moderated the long-running panel discussion Washington Week; she also moderated the vice-presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.

The Fawlty Towers star died Nov. 23 after a long battle with dementia; he was 86 years old. Sachs starred alongside John Cleese on the classic British sitcom, playing bumbling Spanish waiter Manuel. Sachs later found success as a voice-over actor and appeared on the long-running UK soap Coronation Street.

The Brady Bunch star died Nov. 24 of heart failure at the age of 82. Henderson famously played matriarch Carol Brady on ABC's family hit from 1969 to 1974, and in several TV reunions; she also appeared on The Love Boat, Roseanne and The King of Queens. Plus, she competed in Season 11 of Dancing With the Stars.

The Barney Miller and Firefly star died Nov. 25 of respiratory failure; he was 71 years old. Glass played Sergeant Ron Harris on Barney Miller for eight seasons, then went on to play shepherd Derrial Brook on Fox's sci-fi series Firefly. He also played Felix Unger in the short-lived remake The New Odd Couple.

The legendary TV executive passed away Nov. 28 at the age of 90. Tinker was chairman of NBC in the early '80s, revitalizing the network with hits like The Cosby Show, Cheers and Family Ties. He was also a producer of classic TV shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show (starring Tinker's then-wife, Mary Tyler Moore), Hill Street Blues and The Bob Newhart Show.

The Green Hornet star died Nov. 28 of kidney failure at the age of 82. Williams played the titular crime-fighter (and his alter-ego, playboy Britt Reid) on the ABC action series, with a pre-fame Bruce Lee as his trusty sidekick Kato. He also appeared on a two-part Batman crossover, along with episodes of The Rockford Files and The Streets of San Francisco.

The Game of Thrones actor passed away Dec. 6 at the age of 93. Vaughan played blind Night's Watch member Maester Aemon on the HBO fantasy hit for five seasons; he also appeared on a number of British TV shows, including Porridge, Citizen Smith and Chancer (co-starring with a young Clive Owen).

The Days of Our Lives star died Dec. 8 of complications from Alzheimer's disease; he was 87 years old. Since 1982, Mascolo played one of daytime TV's best-ever villains: crime boss Stefano DiMera. He also made appearances on TV shows like All in the Family and Lou Grant, and in films like Jaws 2 and Sharky's Machine.

The Growing Pains star passed away suddenly on Dec. 13 after collapsing while playing hockey with his son; he was 69 years old. Thicke was best known as therapist dad Jason Seaver on the '80s ABC sitcom; he also had memorable roles on How I Met Your Mother and Hope & Gloria. Plus, he was a prolific songwriter, penning the themes to TV shows like Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life.

The Bewitched star died Dec. 14 of heart failure at the age of 89. Fox played "witch doctor" Dr. Bombay on the '60s ABC comedy, and later reprised the role on the spinoff series Tabitha and the NBC soap Passions. He also played Colonel Crittendon on CBS' Hogan's Heroes.

The Turner Sports reporter passed away Dec. 15 after a long battle with leukemia; he was 65 years old. Known for his flamboyant, colorful suits, Sager was a NBA sideline reporter for TNT and TBS for more than three decades, interviewing players and coaches during and after games. He also covered college basketball, college football, major league baseball and the Goodwill Games.

The actress and socialite died Dec. 18 following a heart attack at the age of 99. Gabor was notorious for her extravagant lifestyle and many marriages (she had nine husbands), but she also appeared often on the small screen, including roles on Gilligan's Island, The Love Boat and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The M*A*S*H star died on Dec. 31, after a battle with lung cancer. Christopher was best known for playing Father Mulcahy for 11 seasons on the CBS sitcom, as well as the short-lived spinoff, After M*A*S*H.