The Lessons From Celebrities Who Died in 2024

When we look back on the year that has gone by, we often think about those who have passed away, including friends, family members, other loved ones, and even the noteworthy and famous. Just like our own loved ones, when a celebrity dies, we can feel profound grief and loss. But by sharing stories and knowing more about the life they led, we can find some life lessons and inspiration that may ease the pain and give meaning to their lives.

Below we share some of the unique stories of celebrities who died in 2024 and some of the things that may inspire others that contributed to their resiliency and success during their lives.

‘I Count My Blessing’

Teri Garr (1944-2024)

Teri Garr was trained as a dancer and began her career with Elvis Presley movies and uncredited dancing roles, but soon tired of playing go-go dancers and showgirls. Her first big TV role was on Star Trek and she later landed big parts in movies like Tootsie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and perhaps her most beloved role in Young Frankenstein. She discovered in the early 2000s that she had Multiple Sclerosis. Despite her battle with MS, she didn’t lose her sense of humor. In her memoir, she wrote, “I really do count my blessings. At least I used to. Now I get so tired I have a woman come once a week and count them for me.”

‘If you acknowledge a weak muscle and exercise it, it can define your life.’

James Earl Jones (1931-2024)

The beloved actor and voice of Darth Vader was so traumatized by his family’s move when he was a child that he developed a severe stutter that lasted until he was in high school. But a teacher’s challenge to him to read a poem in front of the class revealed a voice that is one of the most recognizable in entertainment history. His work on Broadway, in movies, in music, and television made him an honorary EGOT winner in 2011. He continued acting into his later years, but retired from the character of Darth Vader in 2022.

‘Let the Soul Catch Up with the Body’

Quincy Jones (1933-2024)

Quincy Jones lived 50 years after attending his own memorial concert after an aneurysm. He produced the most popular album of all time, dozens of soundtracks, and the We Are the World fundraising single and had no shortage of famous friends like Frank Sinatra and Pablo Picasso. His career began in his teens and spanned 75 years and he won 28 Grammys. He shared this advice in The Complete Quincy Jones: “Every day that you wake up and are still above the ground — that should be the only reason you need to be happy.”

‘Life is Fabulous’

Chita Rivera (1933-2024)

Rivera was most famous for her role in West Side Story but appeared in more than 20 Broadway musicals. Because she could sing, dance, and act, she was considered “Broadway’s first great triple threat.” She continued to dance even after a taxi accident shattered one leg. She said in 2015 at age 82 she had no plans to retire, “That’s up to God. But in the meantime, life is fabulous and I’m lucky enough to have lived a long time while surrounded by the greatest creative people. I have too much to dance and sing about yet, and too many people to entertain.”

'There to Make People Happy’

Richard Simmons (1948-2024)

In an interview before his death, the “Clown Prince of Fitness” made famous by his bubbly, effervescent personality said “I’ll always be fooling around. When the curtain goes up, I’m there to make people happy.” He had kept a low profile for about a decade before his death but said he continued to communicate with fans and was working on a documentary and Broadway show before his death at age 76. In the interview, he revealed his gratitude and humility.

‘I Don’t Tolerate Fools’

Maggie Smith (1934-2024)

Some may remember Maggie Smith best from the Harry Potter franchise while others in her work on Downton Abbey. But Smith, 89, had a career that spanned more than 60 years. She was often asked about the parallels of her personality and some of her most famous roles to which she replied, "It's true I don't tolerate fools, but then they don't tolerate me, so I am spiky," she once said. "Maybe that's why I'm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies."

Embrace ‘Joie de Vivre’

Dr. Ruth Westheimer (1928- 2024)

After decades of frank, and often funny, sex advice, Dr. Ruth Westheimer died at age 96. She had been sent to Switzerland to escape the Nazis and became an orphan, an experience which shaped the rest of her life. But despite losing her parents, she found joy, which she shared in a TedTalk. In it, she encouraged everyone to embrace joy. “Take every single aspect of life — significant others, falling in love, having sex, anything that comes your way — with both hands and make the best of it.”

These are just some of the many prominent people we’ve lost this year. But their stories are still with us, just as our stories about our loved ones can keep them close to our hearts.