Human Cost of Cancer: Remember Notable People Lost in 2012 - Slideshow

Larry Hagman

Larry Hagman, who brought the iconic characters NASA astronaut Major Tony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie and the nefarious oil baron J.R. Ewing in Dallas into our living rooms for decades, died Nov. 23, 2012 of complications related to cancer. He was 81 years old. Yuri Vartanov/PhotoSpin

Arlen Specter

Former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter represented his home state of Pennsylvania for 30 years — longer than anyone in the state’s history. Specter, called “one of the few true wildcards of Washington politics” had been in the public eye since serving as a member of the Warren Commission, investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He died after a long battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on Oct. 14, 2012 at the age of 82. Laschon Robert Paul/PhotoSpin

Andy Williams

Veteran crooner Andy Williams became a household name in the 1960s with his hit song Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. From 1962-71, he hosted NBC’s The Andy Williams Show. Most recently, Williams continued to perform at his Moon River theatre in Branson, Mo. Over his 75-year career, Williams earned 17 Gold and 3 Platinum albums, which led to then-President Ronald Reagan proclaiming him “a national treasure.” He died Sept. 25, 2012 after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 84 years old. Marie Sprunger/PhotoSpin

Mel Stuart

Emmy-winning producer and director Mel Stuart, who’s best known for his penetrating historical documentaries and the 1971 fantastical kid’s movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, lost his battle with cancer Aug. 9, 2012. Stuart was 83 years old. Nicemonkey/PhotoSpin

David Rakoff

David Rakoff was an award-winning humorist whose cynical outlook on culture and his knack for wry, self-deprecating story-telling earned him a spot on the Chicago Public Radio program This American Life . He died Aug. 9, 2012 at the age of 47. While he was being treated for cancer, no cause of death was specified. Iaroslav Borysovskyi/PhotoSpin

Lupe Ontiveros

Actress Lupe Ontiveros who co-starred in the movies Selena and As Good As It Gets, died July 26, 2012 of liver cancer. The 69-year-old Ontiveros was also a major voice in the Latino community's ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS. Elenaphotos21/PhotoSpin

Sherman Hemsley

Sherman Hemsley, the 74-year-old actor, was best-known for his role as the brash, yet loveable George Jefferson on the 70s sitcoms The Jeffersons and All in the Family. He died July 24, 2012 of a rare complication of lung cancer. VV Voennyy/PhotoSpin

Sally Ride

Sally Ride, an NASA astronaut who became the first woman in space in 1983, died July 23, 2012 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61 years old. After serving on several space missions and a brief stint as a professor of physics at University of California San Diego, she established Sally Ride Science, an organization dedicated to encouraging girls to pursue science education careers. Jean-Luc Cochonneau/PhotoSpin

Don Grady

Don Grady, an original Mouseketeer and oldest son Robby Douglas on TV’s My Three Sons, died June 27, 2012 after a long battle with cancer. He was 68 years old. A musical prodigy from a young age, Grady appeared with a band, the Greefs, in the TV series, and played drums for the Yellow Balloon, a group that had a minor hit with a self-titled song in 1967. Grady is also credited with writing the theme for The Phil Donahue Show, music for the Blake Edwards movie Switch, and the popular Las Vegas show EFX. JP Chretien/PhotoSpin

Nora Ephron

Film writer, producer and director Nora Ephron whose work included Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail and When Harry met Sally, died June 26, 2012 after a long battle with leukemia. Ephron was 71 years old. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin

Yvette Wilson

Actress Yvette Wilson, best known for her role as Andell Wilkerson on the hit 90s sit-com Moesha and later its spinoff, The Parkers, died on June 14, 2012 from complications due to cervical cancer. She was 48 years old. Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Thinkstock

Richard Dawson

Game show host and English-born actor Richard Dawson 79, died June 2, 2012 due to complications of esophageal cancer. Dawson hosted Family Feud from 1976-85 where he infamously earned the name “The Kissing Bandit” for giving female contestants cheek pecks. He also starred in the 1960-70s sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. Achim Prill/PhotoSpin

Kathryn Joosten

Kathryn Joosten was a two-time Emmy-winning actress who played the grouchy Karen McCluskey on ABC's Desperate Housewives . She had also played recurring roles on Joan of Arcadia and West Wing. Joosten died June 2, 2012 after an 11-year battle with lung cancer. She was 72 years old. Michael E. Shake/PhotoSpin

Vidal Sassoon

Legendary hairdresser Vidal Sassoon, credited with creating the wash-and-wear “Bauhaus-inspired” wedge bob hair style, died May 9, 2012 at his Bel Air, Los Angeles home of leukemia. He was 84 years old. Sassoon was said to have “changed the world with a pair of scissors.” Design Pics/PhotoSpin

Adam Yauch

Adam Yauch, known by his stage name MCA, was part of the groundbreaking hip hop trio, The Beastie Boys. He died May 4, 2012 after a three-year battle with salivary gland cancer. Yauch was 47 years old. Achim Prill/PhotoSpin

Levon Helm

Levon Helm, the Grammy-winning singer and drummer of the rock group The Band, died April 19, 2012 at age 71 after a long battle with throat cancer. Although his cancer had reduced his trademark voice to a whisper, he was recently named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin

Gary Carter

Baseball’s Gary Carter, the slugging catcher who helped propel the New York Mets to their dramatic 1986 World Series Championship, died Feb. 15, 2012 from brain cancer. Carter, nicknamed Kid, was 57 years old. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin

Ben Gazzara

Emmy-award winning actor and director Ben Gazzara appeared in 38 films, perhaps most notably in Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze. Gazzara died of pancreatic cancer on Feb. 3, 2012 at the age of 81. LifeStock Productions/PhotoSpin

Joe Paterno

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, age 85, died of small cell lung cancer on Jan. 22, 2012. Paterno, formerly a beloved coach who had won more games than any coach in major college football, was embroiled in a highly-publicized child sex abuse scandal at the time of his death. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin

Etta James

Four-time Grammy-winning artist Etta James, whose soulful and sultry voice propelled her into stardom in 1961, died of leukemia complications on Jan. 20, 2012 in Riverside, Calif., at the age of 73. James was a young gospel singer when her 51-year professional vocal career began. While she is referred to as a rhythm and blues singer, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame. Lembit Ansperi/PhotoSpin

Lynette's article

For more on this subject, read Lynette Summerill's article The Human Cost of Cancer: Remembering Notable People Lost in 2012. Gkuna/PhotoSpin

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!