Those We Lost in 2016

Many Americans will be relieved to see 2016 disappear at midnight tonight. Regardless of your political beliefs, we had to deal with one of the most contentious and exhausting elections in history (the aftermath has been much better either), international events seemed to get worse (Syria, Brexit, etc.), domestic and international terrorism continued (Orlando, Nice, Brussels), and we collectively mourned the deaths of some of our most iconic celebrities.

Locally, we had the added weight of two significant trials – Dylann Roof and Michael Slager – one of which ended in a mistrial.

Besides losing the aforementioned celebrities (see list below), the Charleston area also had some devastating losses:

• Pat Conroy – The author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini died in March. He was a longtime resident of the Lowcountry.
• Tony the Peanut Man – The Lowcountry legend passed away in November at the age of 63. He was a fixture at Charleston RiverDogs’ home games where he sold boiled peanuts to fans while singing catchy jingles.
• Eric Devlin Brantley – In April, the popular and well-known bartender was murdered outside of The Sparrow in Park Circle. His death shocked and saddened the community.  Four people were charged in connection with Brantley’s murder.
• Whitney Jordan – On July 28th, Jordan, who was a chef at The Alley, died from injuries sustained in what police believe was a hit-and-run. The beloved 24-year-old’s death was felt throughout the city’s food and beverage community and beyond. The case remains unsolved.

Of course, many other residents passed away this year, and although they may not have shown up in the headlines, they will be missed just as much.

Some notable celebrity deaths from 2016:

• Muhammad Ali
• Prince
• David Bowie
• Carrie Fisher
• Debbie Reynolds
• George Michael
• John Glenn
• Gene Wilder
• Nancy Reagan
• Janet Reno
• Arnold Palmer
• Gordie Howe
• Antonin Scalia
• Alan Thicke
• Florence Henderson
• Garry Shandling
• Harper Lee
• Patty Duke
• Doris Roberts
• Leonard Cohen
• Merle Haggard
• Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor)
• Glenn Frey
• Sharon Jones
• Pat Summitt
• Craig Sager
• Rob Ford
• Gwen Ifill
• Morley Safer
• Alan Rickman
• Anton Yelchin
• Zsa Zsa Gabor

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