Death is one of the most normal parts of life. However, it’s precious, fragile, and has an expiration date. It’s sad, but it’s just part of the deal. And that means that everyone we love and admire is living on borrowed time, as it were—from our family members to our favorite celebrities. And 2018 was full of reminders of that very thing, with legends and icons spanning the likes of Stan Lee and Aretha Franklin, Penny Marshall and Burt Reynolds passing away, having lived lives well spent.
But 2018, too, was a year full of the sort of untimely passings that leave the world stunned. While all death is certainly sad, these were the losses that came out of nowhere, felling people seemingly in their primes. These were people who provided the soundtracks to our lives or the wardrobe in our closets, people who we watched on TV and who, though we didn’t know personally, somehow felt like family. And they were people that we simply were not ready to say goodbye to just yet.
“Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26,” read his family’s statement. “He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans. Thank you for your prayers. Please respect our privacy. There are no further details as to the cause of his death at this time.”
As fans and friends continued to pay tribute to the rapper in various ways, Miller’s family was forced to condemn unsanctioned memorial events in October, as they made clear that the Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life tribute show, which was held at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 31 and featured performances from Travis Scott, John Mayer, SZA, Chance the Rapper and more, was the only event sanctioned by the family.
Over just a few days in early June, both the fashion and culinary worlds were rocked to the core by the losses of luminaries in their respective worlds who’d both tragically made the decision to take their own lives. On June 5, fashion designer Kate Spade was found in her Manhattan apartment by her housekeeper, unconscious and unresponsive. Pronounced dead on the scene by EMS, the designer had apparently hung herself while her husband Andy Spade was also at home. A family statement, made available to The New York Times after the 55-year-old was revealed to have died, read, “We are all devastated by today’s tragedy. We loved Kate dearly and will miss her terribly. We would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time.”
No more than three days after Spade’s shocking suicide, the world was rocked once more by the revelation that culinary giant and travel host extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain had also taken his own life. CNN reported that the Parts Unknown host had hanged himself in a hotel room near Strasbourg, France where he was readying an episode of his food and travels how that had aired on the cable news network since 2013.
“It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” a spokesperson for the network said in a statement at the time. “His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.”
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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