A year like no other began with the shock death of basketball star and Oscar-winner Kobe Bryant before a pandemic upended life as we knew it.
Here are some of the high-profile figures who said their final goodbyes over the last 12 months:
13. Little Richard
Rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Little Richard, who blazed a trail in popular music that paved the way for the Beatles, David Bowie and many more, died aged 87 after being diagnosed with bone cancer. Tributes flooded in following his death and Sir Paul McCartney said: “I owe a lot of what I do to Little Richard and his style; and he knew it.”
14. Michael Angelis
Angelis, best known as the long-term narrator of Thomas The Tank Engine series Thomas And Friends, died at the age of 76. Among those paying tribute was comedian Matt Lucas, who described Angelis as “one of the greatest TV actors I’ve ever seen”.
15. Joel Schumacher
Hollywood director Schumacher, whose films included classics St Elmo’s Fire and The Lost Boys, as well as the much-derided Batman & Robin, died at the age of 80 after a year-long battle with cancer. Among those paying tribute was Corey Feldman, who told how Schumacher tried to stop him doing drugs on the set of The Lost Boys.
16. Sir Ian Holm
Sir Ian, whose distinguished career on stage and screen included films Chariots Of Fire and The Lord Of The Rings, died at the age of 88. The actress Samantha Morton, Sir Ian’s daughter-in-law, described him as “inspiring, funny, generous”.
17. Dame Vera Lynn
The Forces Sweetheart, a national treasure, died at the age of 103. In the final months of her life, Dame Vera witnessed We’ll Meet Again, the track she is best known for, become a rallying cry to help the country through lockdown.
18. Sir Alan Parker
Hollywood mourned British filmmaker Sir Alan following his death at the age of 76 and praised his varied output, which included Bugsy Malone, Fame, Midnight Express and Mississippi Burning. Antonio Banderas starred in Evita and described Sir Alan as a “great director”.