January always pretends it’s a reset. Clean calendar. Fresh start. Then it does what January always does and reminds you that time doesn’t care about symbolism. Here are the people we lost in the opening days of 2026. Some were household names. Some were household influences. All of them left work behind that still shows up when you’re not even looking for it.
Diane Crump (May 18, 1948 – January 1, 2026)
Born in Milford, Connecticut, Diane Crump became the first licensed woman to ride in a U.S. pari-mutuel race on February 7, 1969, at Hialeah Park. A year later, she rode Fathom in the Kentucky Derby and finished 15th. That finish line mattered less than the fact that she crossed it at all.
Crump racked up 228 career wins before retiring in 1998, then moved into training and therapy programs. Churchill Downs president Mike Anderson called her “an iconic trailblazer who admirably fulfilled her childhood dreams.” She was 77.
Sidney Kibrick (July 2, 1928 – January 2, 2026)
Sidney Henry Kibrick will always be Woim to anyone who grew up on Our Gang shorts.
Born in Minneapolis, he got spotted by an agent at five while out watching a movie. Acting paid the bills, but he treated it like a job. By 11, he walked away, studied at the University of Southern California, and built a career in real estate.
He stayed close to George “Spanky” McFarland, showed up for reunions, and outlived every regular member of the gang. He died in Los Angeles at 97.
Eva Schloss (1929 – January 3, 2026)
Eva Schloss survived things most people can’t put into sentences. Born in Vienna, she fled Nazi Austria, hid in Amsterdam, was betrayed, survived Auschwitz-Birkenau, and lost her father and brother before she turned 16.
Later, she studied art, married Zvi Schloss, raised three daughters, and became Anne Frank’s posthumous stepsister after her mother married Otto Frank in 1953. For years she stayed quiet. Then she spoke everywhere. Schools. Forums. Public halls.
King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “privileged and proud to have known her.” She died in London at 96.
Michael Reagan (March 18, 1945 – January 4, 2026)
Michael Reagan grew up adopted by Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman. Acting came first. Falcon Crest happened. But radio stuck. The Michael Reagan Show ran nationwide. He wrote about family and faith, spoke often at the Reagan Presidential Library, and guarded his father’s legacy with focus.
Fred Ryan called him a “steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy” who “used his voice to champion freedom, personal responsibility, and the principles that defined his father’s presidency.” Scott Walker remembered him as “a wonderful inspiration.”
He died in Los Angeles after cancer. He was 80.
Bob Pulford (March 31, 1936 – January 5, 2026)
Bob Pulford squeezed five decades of NHL life into one résumé and still had energy left to steady franchises. Born in Newton Robinson, Ontario, raised in Weston, he joined the Maple Leafs at 21 and lifted four Stanley Cups by 31.
After 1,079 games and 643 points, he helped organize players as the NHLPA’s first president, coached the Kings, then spent over 30 years guiding the Chicago Blackhawks.
Gary Bettman said Pulford “left an indelible mark on the game.” He died at 89.
Jawann Oldham (July 4, 1957 – January 5, 2026)
Jawann Oldham stood 7 feet tall and turned Cleveland High School into a problem for everyone else. Back-to-back state titles in the mid-1970s earned that squad the Seattle Times’ “Team of the Century” title. His jersey got retired in 2011.
Drafted No. 41 in 1980, he played 10 NBA seasons for eight teams across 329 games, then took basketball overseas, helping build leagues in Asia.
He died at 68. He leaves behind his daughter, Jasmine.
Elle Simone Scott (November 28, 1976 – January 5, 2026)
Elle Simone Scott didn’t tiptoe into food media. Born LaShawnda Sherise Simone Scott in Detroit, she started as a social worker before the 2008 recession wiped out her job, car, and home.
She pivoted. Cruise ship kitchens. New York City. Culinary school. In 2016, she became the first Black woman on America’s Test Kitchen. That same year, she was diagnosed with stage-1 ovarian cancer and chose honesty over silence.
Carla Hall called her “a force and a trailblazer.” Scott died at 49.
Jim McBride (April 28, 1947 – January 6, 2026)
Jim McBride wrote country songs that didn’t beg for attention. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, he grew up on the Grand Ole Opry, graduated Lee High School in 1965, then chased songwriting until it chased him back.
After Conway Twitty cut an early song, McBride moved to Nashville in 1980. Then Alan Jackson collaborations hit hard. Chattahoochee. Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow. Five No. 1s followed.
Jerry Salley said McBride was “instrumental in helping write America’s Country Music Songbook.” He died at 78.
Glenn Hall (October 3, 1931 – January 7, 2026)
Between 1955 and 1963, Glenn Henry Hall started 502 straight NHL games. He won the Calder Trophy in 1956, a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1961, and the Conn Smythe in 1968 even though the St. Louis Blues lost the Final.
Gary Bettman called him “sturdy, dependable, and a spectacular talent in net.” Hall died at 94.
T.K. Carter (December 18, 1956 – January 9, 2026)
Born in New York City and raised in Southern California, Thomas Kent “T.K.” Carter did stand-up at 12, Neil Simon plays in high school, and kept grinding. Horror fans remember him as Nauls in The Thing. Sitcom viewers remember him on Punky Brewster.
He died at 69.
Hans Herrmann (February 23, 1928 – January 9, 2026)
Hans Herrmann delivered Porsche its first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970, then retired because he promised his wife he would.
Born in Stuttgart and trained as a pastry chef, he raced for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, earned a Formula One podium in the 1950s, and became known for calm under pressure when pressure was lethal.
Thomas Laudenbach said, “The passing of Hans Herrmann has deeply affected us all. He was one of Porsche AG’s most successful factory racing drivers.” Marcus Breitschwerdt added that his charisma made him beloved by fans and fellow drivers.
He died at 97.
Jim Hartung (June 7, 1960 – January 10, 2026)
Jim Hartung built a gymnastics life from backyard equipment his father made. He turned Nebraska into a powerhouse, earning 22 All-America honors and seven NCAA titles, including back-to-back all-around championships in 1981 and 1982.
He missed the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott, then helped lead the U.S. men to team all-around gold in 1984. Still the only time that’s happened.
Hartung later judged internationally and coached at the University of Nebraska for 19 seasons. He died of a heart attack at home in Lincoln. He was 65.
Bob Weir (October 16, 1947 – January 10, 2026)
Bob Weir was the glue in the Grateful Dead. They had songs that wandered without getting lost. Sugar Magnolia. Truckin’. Dead & Company shows as recently as August 2025.
He died at 78 after cancer complicated by lung issues.
Margo Price said, “Bob was a sage- a profoundly wise, musical guru… Bobby vibrated with magic.”
Erich von Däniken (April 14, 1935 – January 10, 2026)
Erich von Däniken made millions ask questions scholars didn’t want to answer. Chariots of the Gods? sold worldwide, shaped decades of UFO culture, and earned nonstop criticism from academia.
He trained as a cook, managed hotels, served prison time for early financial crimes, then built a writing career that sold over 70 million books. He also designed Mystery Park in Interlaken.
He died in Unterseen, Switzerland, at 90.
Dave Giusti (November 27, 1939 – January 11, 2026)
Dave Giusti reinvented himself. Starter to elite reliever. Born in Seneca Falls, New York, he starred at Syracuse University, debuted in MLB in 1962, then found his stride with the Pirates.
In 1971, he led the National League with 30 saves and helped Pittsburgh win the World Series. He finished with 100 wins, 145 saves, and 1,103 strikeouts.
He died at 86.
Claudette Colvin (September 5, 1939 – January 13, 2026)
Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat on March 2, 1955. Nine months before Rosa Parks. She was arrested. She stood firm.
She became a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the case that ended bus segregation in Montgomery. In a 2009 NPR interview, she said, “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn’t get up.”
She later worked decades as a nurse’s aide in New York. She died at 86.
Sal Buscema (1936 – January 24, 2026)
Sal Buscema drew Marvel into deadlines and history. Spider-Man. Hulk. Avengers.
He died at 89.
Sly Dunbar (1952 – January 26, 2026)
Sly Dunbar built rhythms people still live inside. As half of Sly and Robbie, he reshaped reggae, dub, and pop.
He died at 73.
Yvonne Lime (1935 – January 23, 2026)
Yvonne Lime acted early, then co-founded Childhelp to fight child abuse.
She died at 90.
John Brodie (1935 – January 23, 2026)
John Brodie won NFL MVP in 1970, quarterbacked the 49ers, then moved into broadcasting and senior golf.
He died at 90 in Solana Beach, California.
Kevin Johnson (1970 – January 21, 2026)
Kevin Lamar Johnson played defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles and won an ArenaBowl with the Orlando Predators. He died at 55 in Los Angeles. His death was reported as a homicide.
Virginia Oliver (1920 – January 21, 2026)
Virginia “Ginny” Oliver worked as a lobster trapper into her hundreds. Maine called her the Lobster Lady.
She died at 105.
Dr. William H. Foege (1936 – January 24, 2026)
Dr. William Foege helped eradicate smallpox and later served as CDC director. He died at 89 from congestive heart failure at his home in Atlanta.
Francis Buchholz (1954 – 2026)
Francis Buchholz played bass for Scorpions.
He died at 71.
Manolo Villaverde (1936 – 2026)
Manolo Villaverde starred in ¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.?, making Cuban-American life visible on TV when it rarely was.
He died at 89.
Phil Goyette (1933 – 2026)
Phil Goyette won four Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens.
He died at 92.
Roger Allers (1949 – 2026)
Roger Allers co-directed The Lion King. Childhoods everywhere felt that.
He died at 76.
Stephen “Cat” Coore (1956 – 2026)
Cat Coore co-founded Third World and helped reggae stretch without breaking.
He died at 69.
Ralph Towner (March 1, 1940 – January 18, 2026)
Ralph Towner co-founded Oregon, recorded for ECM, and blended jazz, classical, and folk into something personal. Astronauts named lunar craters after his compositions. That’s not a normal career arc.
He died in Rome at 85.
Valentino Garavani
Valentino Garavani, better known simply as Valentino, the Italian couturier whose disciplined elegance and signature “Valentino red” helped define postwar glamour, died January 19, 2026, at his home in Rome. He was 93.
John Forté
John Forté, the Grammy-nominated recording artist and producer celebrated for his work with Fugees and Refugee Camp All-Stars, died January 12, 2026, at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts. He was 50.
Scott Adams
Scott Adams, 68, died Tuesday after metastatic cancer. He built “Dilbert,” then torched it with Trump-era blogs and a livestream calling Black people a “hate group.” Want a takeaway? Keep your brand louder than your politics, fact-check your feed, and log off sooner. “There’s only one direction this goes now.”
