Oliver: Remembering some of the notable people we lost in 2023

One of the many ways of knowing that you’re growing older is starting to recognize a lot of the people listed in the “notable deaths” of a particular year.

2023 wasn’t a particularly good year for actors and actresses who appeared in many of the shows I used to watch when I was growing up.

A lot of people might immediately think of the untimely death of Matthew Perry, who was one of the stars of “Friends.” He was my favorite of the male leads on the show, mostly because I loved his low-key humor. I admired his openness about his struggles with addiction, and I’m heartbroken that they apparently were what led to his death.

The year also saw the deaths of Cindy Williams (“Laverne & Shirley”), Adam Rich (“Eight is Enough”), Charles Kimbrough (“Murphy Brown”), Richard Belzer “Law & Order”), Barbara Bosson (“Hill Street Blues”), Inga Swenson (“Benson”), Suzanne Somers (“Three’s Company”) and Richard Moll (“Night Court”).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two of the creative geniuses who gave us some of those memorable TV shows: Norman Lear (“All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude”) and Marty Krofft (“H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Donny and Marie”). As a kid, I appreciated Krofft’s work far more than Lear’s, I’m afraid to admit.

On the big screen, among those who died in 2023 was Melinda Dillon, who notably was Ralphie Parker’s mother in “A Christmas Story.” She also portrayed the mother of a child who was abducted by aliens in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Two classics in my book.

Other notable big-screen actors and actresses who died in 2023 were Julian Sands (“A Room With a View” and “Impromptu”), Alan Arkin (“Edward Scissorhands” and too many others to list), Paul Reubens (“Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”), Richard Roundtree (“Shaft”), Ryan O’Neal (“Love Story” and “What’s Up, Doc?”) and Burt Young (“Rocky”).

The music world also lost some of its giants in 2023. It’s hard to think of a world without Tina Turner or Tony Bennett in it. Or Jimmy Buffett, for that matter.

The death of Sinead O’Connor cut me to the quick. But I also mourn the loss of Jeff Beck, David Crosby (Crosby, Stills and Nash), Andy Rourke (The Smiths), Randy Meisner (The Eagles), Robbie Robertson (The Band), Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs), Gordon Lightfoot and George Winston.

Although I might not have been a big fan of Burt Bacharach when I was growing up, I certainly appreciate how talented he was. That, and he made a great album with one of my favorite artists, Elvis Costello, who thankfully is still with us.

As a Chicago sports fan, the death of Dick Butkus hit me like a tackle from the great Bears linebacker himself. As an actor, commentator and Bears Hall of Famer, he was everywhere, a constant feature on the Chicago sports scene.

The Blackhawks also lost one of their legends in Bobby Hull, also known as the Golden Jet. In 2017, he was named one of the top 100 NHL players of all time.

If my father were still alive, no doubt he would want me to mention three of the beauties who always caught his eye back in the day: Gina Lollobrigida, Raquel Welch and Stella Stevens.

Then there were the personalities who made the news but don’t really fit into a particular category. The death of Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley, was unsettling, if only for the fact that she’s my age. Bob Barker, the longtime host of “The Price Is Right” seemed to be someone who would be around forever, but at least he made it to 99.

In compiling this list, I came across the death of Ian Falconer, who was the illustrator-creator of the “Olivia” children’s book series. He definitely will be missed.

Finally, there were the larger-than-life women who touched my life in their own ways: Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and Rosalynn Carter, who was an amazing philanthropist and perhaps the first first lady that I remember from childhood.

This list isn’t meant to be comprehensive, but a snapshot of those we lost in 2023 who made an impact on me. No doubt my world will be different without them in it.

• Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.