2018 seems to be a year when an amazing cross section of people died. We thought we would take this opportunity to share a special edition of our blog with you. We compiled a list of people who made a contribution to the way we live, and we consider important to our country.
Public Servants
Former President George Herbert Walker Bush built an oil empire, revitalized the Texas Republican party, gave rise to a political dynasty, and forever changed the Lone Star State. Wherever he went, as America’s president or before it, George Herbert Walker Bush usually carried a felt-tipped pen and a supply of note-cards. On these he wrote letters. Some were thank-yous; others a clumsy, but courteous, attempt to get his views across to other people; yet others just a “good to see you” kind of thing. Bush died at age 94.
Former first lady Barbara Pierce Bush died at her Houston home April 17, after a long struggle with congestive heart failure and pulmonary disease. The down-to-earth matriarch, who could trace her ancestry to the Mayflower and saw both her husband and son win the White House, was 92.
John McCain, the military hero who had a long career as a "maverick" Republican senator, died Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018 at age 81. He was for many Americans an authentic national hero. The son and grandson of admirals, he was a pilot who, shot down over North Vietnam, inspired his fellow prisoners by his courage. McCain’s political career includes the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and a candidate for President twice.
Entertainment
Actor Burt Reynolds died on Sept. 6, 2018. The 82-year-old actor, who was a huge box office attraction in the 1970s, died at a hospital in Florida.
Neil Simon a master of comedy whose laugh-filled hits such as "The Odd Couple," "Barefoot in the Park" and his "Brighton Beach" trilogy dominated Broadway for decades, died on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. He was 91.
Actress Margot Kidder, who starred as Lois Lane in the “Superman” film franchise of the late 1970s and early 1980s, died Sunday, May 13, 2918, at her home there. She was 69.
Penny Marshall, actress, director and producer, died December 17, 2018 at her home in Hollywood Hills, CA. In the 1970s she rose to fame in the television sitcoms "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley".
Jerry Van Dyke, brother of Dick, died in Arkansas on January 6, 2018 at 86.
Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," died on Aug. 16, after battling pancreatic cancer. Franklin, well known for hits including "Respect" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" that proclaimed female empowerment, was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1987. Franklin was an 18-time Grammy Award winner, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom during George W. Bush's presidency. She was 76.
Athletes
Rusty Staub, who became a huge hit with baseball fans in two countries during an All-Star career that spanned 23 major league seasons, died Thursday, March 29, 2018, in Florida. He was 73.
British athlete Roger Bannister, the first man ever to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile, died peacefully on March 3, 2018. He was 88.
Science
Astronaut John Young, who walked on the moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, died on January 5, 2018. He was 87.
Alan Bean, who was the fourth person to walk on the moon, passed away on May 26, 2018, aged 86.
Professor Stephen Hawking, whose brilliant mind ranged across time and space though his body was paralyzed by disease, died on March 14, 2018.
Business
Fashion designer Kate Spade was internationally known for creating a popular line of sleek handbags in the early 1990s and founding Kate Spade New York, which has more than 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the United States and more than 175 shops internationally. She was 55.
Jon Huntsman, a billionaire chemical industrialist and one of the world’s most generous philanthropists, died on February 2 at the age of 80. As his health failed him, Huntsman sought to reinforce the cancer institute that hugs the hills on the University of Utah campus and hand control of his charitable and business endeavors to his children.
Amway co-founder and Orlando Magic Senior Chairman Richard M. DeVos died September 6, 2018, at his home in Ada, Michigan. He was 92. Rich was known globally for his business achievements, community leadership, and giving.
Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates. Allen was a major sports fan and a philanthropist who donated billions of dollars for various causes including homelessness and environmental issues. Allen died on October 15.
Dean and Draper
Thank you for indulging us in our look back at some of the people who left us in 2018. Where we make a difference is in helping you find the right insurance. We welcome your questions.
Wishing you a New Year filled with health and prosperity.
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Sources: USA Today, Rolling Stone, Legacy.com