Remembering those we lost in 2015

Mario M. Cuomo, 82

Three-term governor of New York who delivered a passionate keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention that chose Walter Mondale as its presidential nominee. JAN. 1.

Donna Douglas, 82

Played the buxom tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies” and seemed to prefer her critters to any beau. JAN. 1.

Little Jimmy Dickens, 94

Diminutive singer-songwriter and oldest cast member of the Grand Ole Opry, who performed there almost continuously since 1948. JAN. 2.

Edward W. Brooke III, 95

First African-American elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, winning as a Republican in overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts. JAN. 3.

Stuart Scott, 49

Longtime “SportsCenter” anchor and ESPN personality known for his enthusiasm, hip-hop style and use of catchphrases such as “Straight Butter” and “Boo-Yah.” JAN. 4.

Rod Taylor, 84

Australian-born actor who starred in more than 50 films, including Alfred Hitchcock's “The Birds” and the science-fiction classic “The Time Machine.” JAN. 7.

Andrae Crouch, 72

Legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work was featured in Michael Jackson's “Man in the Mirror” and Madonna's “Like a Prayer” and movies such as “The Lion King.” JAN. 8.

Elena Obraztsova, 75

A mezzo-soprano who survived the siege of Leningrad and became one of the Soviet Union's greatest opera singers. JAN. 12.

Jean Lindenmann, 90

A codiscoverer of interferon, the powerful antiviral substance used to treat some cancers as well as hepatitis C and multiple sclerosis. JAN. 15.

Jennings Womack, 80

Westmoreland County business leader credited with being a guiding force in the establishment of Excela Health. JAN. 16.

King Abdullah, 90

Saudi Arabian king, powerful U.S. ally who fought against al-Qaida. JAN. 23

Ernie Banks, 83

A power-hitting first baseman who played 19 seasons with the perennially bottom-dwelling Chicago Cubs. JAN. 23.

Rod McKuen, 81

Oscar nominated poet whose music, verse and spoken-word recordings in the 1960s and ‘70s made him one of the best-selling poets in history. JAN. 29.

Dean Smith, 83

Coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels who captured two national titles and an Olympic gold medal in 1976. He entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. FEB. 7.

Irving Louis Bloom, 80

Colorful Greensburg attorney known for lacing his appearances in court with Shakespearean and Biblical quotes. A keen punster renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Civil War. FEB. 11.

Gary Glick, 84

The Steelers first overall selection in the 1956 NFL Draft, the safety from Colorado State played four seasons with the Steelers, before playing with the Redskins, Baltimore Colts and Chargers. FEB. 11.

John E. Murray Jr., 82

Duquesne University's 11th president from 1988 through 2001 and the author of 26 books, he was the university's first lay president. FEB. 11.

Philip Levine, 87

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who created intimate portraits of blue-collar life and served as the country's poet laureate in 2011-2012. FEB. 14

Lesley Gore, 68

Discovered by Quincy Jones as a teenager and signed to a recording contract, she topped the charts in 1963 at age 16 with “It's My Party,” following that with “Judy's Turn to Cry,” and “You Don't Own Me.” FEB. 16.

Clark Terry, 94

Legendary jazz trumpeter mentored Miles Davis and Quincy Jones and played in the orchestras of both Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Feb. 21.

Robert “Wolfman” Belfour, 74

Born to sharecropper parents on a farm in Holy Springs, Miss., he began playing guitar in the “one-chord style” that's Hill Country blues in the 1940s and earned the nickname “Wolfman” because of his husky voice. FEB. 25.

Earl Lloyd, 86

A West Virginia State graduate, he was the first black player in the NBA, making his pro debut in 1950 for the Washington Capitols. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 as a contributor for breaking the NBA's racial barrier. FEB. 26.

Leonard Nimoy, 83

Actor known and loved by generations of “Star Trek” fans as the pointy-eared, purely logical science officer Mr. Spock. FEB. 27.

Sam Simon, 59

A co-creator of “The Simpsons” who made a midlife career shift into philanthropy, channeling much of his personal fortune into social causes including animal welfare. MARCH 8.

Gary Ross Dahl, 78

Author of “Advertising for Dummies” and creator of the popular 1970s fad the Pet Rock, smooth stones packed in a cardboard box that came with an instruction pamphlet . MARCH 23.

Misao Okawa, 117

The world's oldest person who died a few weeks after celebrating her 117th birthday. APRIL 1.

Cynthia Lennon, 75

Former wife of Beatle John Lennon and mother of Julian Lennon. APRIL 1.

Sarah Brady, 73

Became gun control activist after husband, James S. Brady, the White House press secretary, was shot and left partly paralyzed in the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. APRIL 3.

James Best, 88

Prolific character actor best known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on “The Dukes of Hazzard.” APRIL 6.

Lauren Hill , 19

Freshman basketball player at Mount St. Joseph University who touched the nation with her desire to play basketball while battling an inoperable brain tumor. Co-founder of a foundation that helped raise $1.5 million for cancer research. APRIL 10.

Percy Sledge, 74

A part-time singer and hospital orderly who soared to fame with the 1966 classic, “When a Man Loves a Woman.” APRIL 14.

Jonathan Crombie, 48

Canadian actor well known for his role as Gilbert Blythe in CBC Television's “Anne of Green Gables.” APRIL 15.

Mary Doyle Keefe, 92

Model for Norman Rockwell's iconic 1943 Rosie the Riveter painting that symbolized the millions of American women who went to work on the home front during World War II. APRIL 21.

“Chizmo Charles” Anderson, 86

Known as “Pittsburgh's Senior Statesman of the Blues,” he delighted audiences for more than 50 years and inspired a new generation of performers. APRIL 22.

Jack Ely, 71

Singer known for “Louie Louie,” the low-budget recording that became one the most famous songs of the 20th century. APRIL 27.

Guy Carawan, 87

Folk singer and social-justice advocate credited with turning the African-American spiritual “We Shall Overcome” into a unifying anthem of the 1960s civil rights movement. MAY 2.

B.B. King, 89

Fifteen-time Grammy winning blues legend credited with influencing a slew of British and American guitarists from Eric Clapton to Jimmy Page to the late Mike Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert Collins, Albert King and Jimi Hendrix. MAY 14.

Anne Meara, 85

Comedian who launched a standup career with husband Jerry Stiller in the 1950s and found success as an actress in films, on TV and the stage. MAY 23.

John Forbes Nash Jr., 86

Mathematical genius whose struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001 movie “A Beautiful Mind” with Russell Crowe. May 23.

John M. Petersen, 86

Philanthropist and retired insurance executive whose largesse helped pay for the Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh. He and his wife, Gertrude, donated $10 million toward the $119 million events center that opened in 2002. MAY 30.

Beau Biden, 46

Son of Vice President Joe Biden, who followed his father into politics and was twice elected attorney general of Delaware. MAY 30.

Clarence “Bevo” Francis, 82

Scored 113 points for Rio Grande College in a 1954 game and considered one of college basketball's great scorers. JUNE 3.

Vincent Bugliosi, 80

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney who prosecuted Charles Manson and his female followers and became a bestselling author. JUNE 6.

Christopher Lee, 93

Actor who played screen villains from Dracula to the wicked wizard Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy in a career that included more than 250 films JUNE 7.

Mervin Field, 94

Founder of the authoritative Field Poll, a mainstay of California and national politics for decades. JUNE 8.

Douglas Danforth, 92

Retired chairman and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Corp., later the CEO and chairman of the Pirates. Credited with keeping the team in Pittsburgh when it was up for sale in the mid 1980s. JUNE 9.

Ornette Coleman, 85

Visionary saxophonist who pioneered “free jazz” and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for his album “Sound Grammar.” JUNE 11.

Monica Lewis, 93

Actress, singer and voice of the Chiquita Banana cartoon character whose film credits include 1951's “The Strip” with Mickey Rooney and “Excuse My Dust.” JUNE 12.

Kirk Kerkorian, 98

An eighth-grade dropout who became a billionaire building Las Vegas' biggest hotels and buying and selling MGM at a profit three times. JUNE 15.

Don Featherstone, 79

Sculptor and inventor of the iconic pink flamingo that took over the front yards of America in the late 1950s and early 1960s. JUNE 22.

James Horner, 61

Film composer who won two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and three Grammy awards for his work on the 1997 film “Titanic.” JUNE 22.

Dick Van Patten, 86

Best known for his role as Tom Bradford on the television sitcom “Eight Is Enough,” he had starring roles on the long-running television series “Mama” and “Young Dr. Malone.” JUNE 23.

Jack Carter, 93

Comedian in the style of Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam who hosted the early television variety program “Cavalcade of Stars” then his own show, “The Jack Carter Show.” JUNE 28.

Amanda Peterson, 43

Best known for her role in the 1987 romantic comedy “Can't Buy Me Love” opposite Patrick Dempsey, she began her film career when she was 9 in the 1982 adaptation of the play “Annie,” directed by John Huston and appeared in numerous movies and TV shows. JULY 3.

Omar Sharif, 83

Egyptian actor and expert at contract bridge, who became an international star in film's such as “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Doctor Zhivago.” JULY 10.

Claudi Alexander, 56

NASA scientist who concluded the agency's highly successful Galileo mission to Jupiter. JULY 11.

Satoru Iwata, 55

Nintendo president who supervised development of the Wii console and the global expansion of the Pokémon and Super Mario franchises. JULY 11.

Bill Arnsparger, 88

Miami Dolphin's defensive coordinator who was the architect of four Dolphins Super Bowl defenses. JULY 17.

Alex Rocco, 79

Longtime character actor best known for his role as casino owner Moe Greene in “The Godfather,” who had the famous line, “Do you know who I am?” JULY 18.

Theodore Bikel, 91

Actor, folk singer and political activist who helped found the Newport Folk Festival in 1961. JULY 21.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22

American reality television and media personality, singer, actress and daughter of singers Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. JULY 26.

Dick Maugg, 83

Best known for his role as the silent sidekick in a series of homey advertisements for Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers. JULY 28.

Lynn Anderson, 67

American country music singer mostly known for her 1970 megahit (I Never Promised You A) “ Rose Garden.” JULY 30.

Richard S. Schweiker, 89

Liberal Republican picked by Ronald Reagan to be his running mate in unsuccessful 1976 campaign and later served in his Cabinet. Elected to the U.S. House in 1960 and the U.S. Senate in 1968, Schweiker was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. JULY 31.

Elsie Hillman, 89

Philanthropist and former Republican national committeewoman who, despite immense wealth, loved simple things live Kentucky Fried Chicken and costume jewelry. AUG. 4.

George Cole , 90

British actor best known for playing Arthur Daley on “Minder,” a long-running British television drama. AUG. 5

Frank Gifford, 84

An NFL Hall of Famer and veteran sports broadcaster, he played for the New York Giants his entire career, moving to the broadcast booth for CBS after his playing days were over then becoming co-host of Monday Night Football. AUG. 9.

Buddy Baker, 74.

Nicknamed “Leadfoot,” the former Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee, was known for his record-setting speed during a 34-year Winston Cup career. AUG. 10.

Julian Bond, 75

Civil rights activist elected to four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives and six terms in the Georgia State Senate. AUG. 15.

Emma Didlake, 110

Believed to be the nation's oldest veteran, the wife and mother of five was 38 when she signed up in 1943 for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, serving about seven months stateside during the war, as a private and driver. AUG. 16.

Yvonne Craig, 78

Actress who played Batgirl on the 1960s TV series “Batman” and the Orion Marta in the episode “Whom Gods Destroy” on the original series of “Star Trek.” AUG. 17.

James “Red” Duke, 86

Trauma surgeon who attended to Texas Gov. John Connally on the day of the Kennedy assassination before going on to become a popular television doctor. AUG. 25.

Darryl Dawkins, 58

NBA player known for thunderous dunks that broke backboards, he was the first player ever drafted directly from high school to the NBA. AUG. 27.

Wes Craven, 76

Film director whose “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream” movies helped redefine the horror genre. AUG. 30.

Dean Jones, 84

Actor who starred in such classic Disney films as “That Darn Cat!,” and “The Love Bug” and the 1962 television sitcom, “Ensign O'Toole.” SEPT. 1.

Judy Carne, 76

A star of the comedy show “Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In” who popularized the “Sock it to Me” phrase. SEPT. 3.

Jean Darling, 93

Actor who appeared in 46 silent films and six “talkies” as a member of the “Our Gang” cast. SEPT. 4.

Merv Adelson, 85

Film and television producer whose company Lorimar made “The Waltons” and “Dallas.” SEPT. 8.

Frederick “Fred” DeLuca, 67

Co-founder of the Subway chain of sandwich restaurants, who started the company of more than 40,000 franchised locations in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1965 with a $1,000 loan from a friend. SEPT. 13.

Jackie Collins, 77

Best-selling novelist and younger sister of actress Joan Collins. SEPT. 19.

Yogi Berra, 90

Baseball great who played for the New York Yankees for most of his career and the Mets for a single year, then later coaching and managing both teams. SEPT. 22.

Grace Lee Boggs, 100

Child of Chinese immigrants who spent her life supporting causes from civil rights and labor to women's rights and environmental justice. OCT. 5.

Jerry Parr, 85

Secret Service agent credited with saving President Ronald Reagan's life during a 1981 assassination attempt. OCT. 9.

Ken Taylor, 81

Canada's ambassador to Iran who sheltered Americans at his residence and the home of his deputy, John Sheardown, for three months during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Some of his exploits in Iran became the subject of the 2012 Hollywood film, “Argo.” OCT. 15.

Maureen O'Hara, 95

Irish-born actress paired with Hollywood's leading men in swashbucklers such as “Sinbad the Sailor” and “The Black Swan,” she went on to further fame starring in the Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street.” OCT. 24.

Marty Ingels, 79

Comedian, actor and talent agent who was married to actress Shirley Jones for nearly 40 years. OCT. 21.

Thomas Toivi Blatt, 88

Among a small number of Jews to survive a mass escape from the Nazi death camp of Sobibor in 1943 and who decades later was a witness at the trial of the alleged camp guard John Demjanjuk. OCT. 31.

George Barris, 89

Creator of television's original Batmobile, along with custom vehicles for “The Munsters” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.” NOV. 5.

Chris G. Copetas, 82

Former First Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny County who mentored many young attorneys during his more than 25 years in the office and also served as vice chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Nov. 13.

William H. “Bill” Knoell, 91

Former CEO and chairman of Cyclops Industries Inc., member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and member of the board of trustees of Carnegie Mellon University. NOV. 16.

Milton Pitts Crenchaw, 96

One of the first African Americans to be trained by the federal government as a civilian licensed pilot, who went on to train hundreds of cadet pilots at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in the 1940s. Nov. 17.

John Knauss, 90

Noted oceanographer whose research and advocacy helped raise alarms about the delicate state of the world's oceans. NOV. 19.

Jack Larson, 87

Actor who played the eager cub reporter Jimmy Olsen on TV's “Adventures of Superman.” SEPT 20.

Sandy Berger, 70

Former national security adviser who helped craft President Bill Clinton's foreign policy and got in trouble over destroying classified documents. DEC. 2.

Scott Weiland, 48

Singer and songwriter who fronted Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. DEC. 3.

Robert Loggia, 85

Actor nominated for a supporting actor Academy Award for “Jagged Edge” in 1986 who danced with Tom Hanks along piano keys on the floor of a toy store in the comedy “Big.” DEC. 4.

Peter Block, 82 Along with former Pennsylvania state senator Jack McGregor, was instrumental in bringing professional hockey to Pittsburgh. He served as the Pens first vice president and chief operating officer during the team's inaugural season, 1967-68. Dec. 13.

Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, 70 Respected and revered as a rock master and innovator, from his time with the seminal psychedelic band Hawkwind in the early 1970s to his four decades in Motorhead. Dec. 28

Wayne Rogers, 82 Actor whose Trapper John McIntyre alongside Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce brought mischief, martinis and meatball surgery to the masses in the 1970s every week on “M.A.S.H.” Dec. 31

Natalie Cole, 65 Grammy-winning daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, who carved out her own considerable success with R&B hits like “Our Love” and “This Will Be” before triumphantly intertwining their legacies to make his “Unforgettable” their signature hit through technological wizardry Dec. 31