Celebrity Deaths – R

by Michael RichComment — Updated August 3, 2023
Celebrity Death - Donna Reed
Donna Reed
1977
Gilda Radner
Gilda Radner
1989
Harry Reasoner
Harry Reasoner
1991
John Russell
John Russell
1991
John Ritter
John Ritter
2003
John Russell
Fred Rogers
2003
John Ritter
Tony Randall
2004
Ronald Reagan
President
Ronald Reagan
2004
Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
2004
Prince Rainer
Prince Rainier III
2005
William Rehnquist
William Rehnquist
2005
Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
2006
Patsy Ramsey
Patsy Ramsey
2006
Patsy Ramsey
Tim Russert
2008
Â
Candy Rich
Candace Rich
2008
Natasha Richardson died
Natasha Richardson
2009
Pernell Roberts died
Pernell Roberts
2010
Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Redgrave
2010
Jane Russell
Jane Russell
2011
Cliff Robertson
Cliff Robertson
2011
Andy Rooney
Andy Rooney
2011
Sally Ride
Sally Ride
2012
Dale Robertson
Dale Robertson
2013
Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
2014
James Rebhorn
James Rebhorn
2014
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
2014
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers
2014
Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
2016
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
2016
Doris Roberts - celebrity death
Doris Roberts
2016
Debbie Reynolds died in 2016
Debbie Reynolds
2016
Don Rickles 2017
Don Rickles
2017
Sean Rich death 2019
Sean Rich
2019
Little Richard died 2020
Little Richard
2020
Entertainment legend Carl Reiner celebrity death 2020
Carl Reiner
2020

Eddie Rabbitt b. 1941. d. 1998 (lung cancer)
Singer – Every Which Way But Loose, I Love a Rainy Night

Yitzak Rabin b. 1922 d. 1995 (assassinated)
Israeli Prime Minister

Gilda Radner (Wilder) b. 1946 d. 1989 (ovarian cancer)
Actress/comedian – SNL, married to Gene Wilder

Prince Rainier III b. 1923 d. April 6, 2005 (heart, lung and kidney failure)
Monaco monarch who married Grace Kelly in 1956

John Raitt b. 1917 d. February 20, 2005 (complications from pneumonia)
Musical theatre – Carousel, Oklahoma, Pajama Game; father of Bonnie Raitt

Dack Rambo b. 1941 d. 1994 (AIDS)
Actor – Jeff Sonnet on Guns of Will Sonnett; twin of Dirk

Dirk Rambo b. 1941 d.1967 (fire)
Twin of Dack

Harold Ramis b. 1944 d. Feb. 24, 2014 ( vasculitis)
Actor – Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes

Patsy Ramsey b. 1956 d. June 24, 2006 (ovarian cancer)
Mother of slain child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey

Ayn Rand b. 1905 d. 1982
Writer/Philosopher – Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged

Sally Rand b. 1903 d. 1979 (heart failure)
Fan dancer, actress

Sue Randall b. 1935. d. 1984
Actress – Miss Landers on Leave It To Beaver

Tony Randall b. 1920 d. May 17, 2004 (complications from a prolonged illness)
Actor – Felix Unger on The Odd Couple

Boots Randolph b. 1927 d. 2007 (brain hemorrhage)
Musician – 1963 saxophone hit “Yakety Sax”

Basil Rathbone b. 1892 d. 1967
Actor – Sherlock Holmes

Thurl Ravenscroft b. 1914 d. May 22, 2005 (prostate cancer)
Actor – Voice of Tony the Tiger

Lou Rawls b. 1935 d. January 6, 2006 (lung cancer)
Singer – Lady Love

Aldo Ray b. 1926 d. 1991
Actor

James Earl Ray b. 1928 d. 1998 (liver failure)
Confessed assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. He quickly recanted his confession

Johnnie Ray b. 1927 d. 1990 (liver failure)
Singer – Cry

Martha Raye b. 1916 d. 1994
Comedian

Gene Rayburn b. 1917. d. 1999 (heart disease) Game show host -The Match Game

Sam Rayburn b. 1882 d. 1961 (cancer)
US Speaker of The House

Maureen Reagan b. 1941 d. August 8, 2001 (cancer)
Activist – daughter of President Ronald Reagan

Nancy Reagan b. 1921 d. March 6, 2016 (in her sleep)
First Lady of the U.S.(1981-1989) Husband, 40th President Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan b. February 6, 1911 d. June 5, 2004 (pneumonia)
President of the United States 1981-1989

Harry Reasoner b. 1923. d. 1991 (heart attack)
Journalist and host of 60 Minutes

James Rebhorn b. 1948 d. 2014 (skin cancer)
Secretary of Defense Albert Nimzicki in “Independence Day”

Otis Redding b. 1941 d. 1967 (plane crash)
Musician – Sittin on the Dock of the Bay

Orville Redenbacher b. 1907 d. 1995
Popcorn Pioneer

Lynn Redgrave b. 1943 d. 2010 (breast cancer)
Actress – Oscar nominated for “Georgey Girl” also did Weight Watchers commercials

Alan Reed b. 1920 d. 1977
Actor – Voice of Fred Flintstone

Donna Reed b. 1921 d. 1986 (pancreatic cancer)
Actress – The Donna Reed Show

Herb Reed b. 1928 d. 2012 (heart disease)
Muscian/ Singer – Founded The Platters (1953) and was last surviving original member

Jerry Reed b. 1937 d. 2008 (emphysema)
Country Musician, Actor/ co-starred in Smokey and the Bandit

Lou Reed b. 1942 d. 2013 (complications from a liver transplant)
Musician – 1960’s group “The Velvet Underground” also solo hit “Walk on the Wild Side”

Oliver Reed b. 1938 d. 1999 (heart attack)
Actor – Bill Sykes in Oliver!

Robert Reed b. 1932 d. 1992 (AIDS)
Actor – Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch

Roger Rees b. 1944 d. 2015 (stomach cancer)
Robin Colcord in Cheers and Lord John Marbury in The West Wing

Harold Henry “Pee Wee” Reese b. 1918 d. 1999 (cancer)
Baseball Player – The Brooklyn Dodgers

Christopher Reeve b. September 25, 1952 d. October 10, 2004 (complications of infection)
Actor/advocate – Superman and advocate for stem cell research

Dana Reeve b. 1961 d. March 6, 2006 (lung cancer)
Widow of actor Christopher Reeve

George Reeves b. 1914 d. 1959 (suicide? – gunshot wound to the head with a 9mm Luger pistol)
Actor – Superman

Steve Reeves b. 1926 d. 2000 (complications from lymphoma)
Actor and Body Builder – Mr. Universe

Donald Regan b. 1919 d. June 10, 2003
Secretary of the Treasury and Chief of Staff under Pres. Ronald Reagan

William Rehnquist b. 1924 d. September 3, 2005 (thyroid cancer)
Associate Justice United States Supreme Court 1972-2005, Chief Justice 1986-2005

Charles Nelson Reilly b. 1931 d. 2007 (pneumonia)
Actor – many game shows, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir

Hugh Reilly b. 1915 d. 1998 (emphysema)
Actor – Paul Martin on Lassie

Carl Reiner b. 1922 d. 2020
Creator, producer, writer, and actor on “The Dick Van Dyke Show

Estelle Reiner b.1914 d. 2008 (natural causes)
Actress/ also Mother of Rob and wife to Carl Reiner

Lee Remick, b. 1935 d. 1991 (cancer)
Actress – The Omen

Duncan Renaldo b. 1904 d. 1980 (lung cancer)
Actor – The Cisco Kid

Brad Renfro b. 1982 d. January 15, 2008
Actor – Mark Shay in The Client

Michael Rennie b. 1909 d. 1971
Actor – Klaatu in Day the Earth Stood Still

Janet Reno – b.1938 d. 2016 (Parkinson’s Disease)
Attorney General of the United States 1993-2001 nominated by President Bill Clinton

Oscar de la Renta b. 1932 d. 2014 (cancer)
Fashion Designer – dressed Jacqueline Kennedy, Ann Hathaway, Amy Adams, Sarah Jessica Parker and many more

Judith Resnick b. 1950 d. 1986
Space shuttle Challenger astronaut

Tommy Rettig b. 1941 d. 1996 (heart attack)
Actor – Jeff on Lassie

Paul Revere b. 1939 d. 2014 (cancer)
Musician – front man and organist for Paul Revere and The Raiders

Charles Revson b. 1906 d. 1975
Revlon Founder

Alejandro Rey b. 1930 d. 1987 (cancer)
Actor

Debbie Reynolds b. 1932 d. 2016 (stroke)
Actress – Kathy Selden in “Singin’ in the Rain”, Mother of Carrie Fisher (died the day after her daughter)

Madlyn Rhue b. 1935 d. December 16, 2003 (pneumonia and multiple sclerosis)
Actress – “Bracken’s World” as Marjorie Grant

Mack Rice b. 1933 d. 2016 (Alzheimer’s disease)
Song writer – “Mustang Sally” & “Respect Yourself”

Buddy Rich b. 1917 d. 1987
Drummer

Candace Rich b. 1950 d. May 20, 2008
Writer, author, webmaster, beloved Sister – created FiftiesWeb.com and others

Sean Rich b. 1980 d. June 25, 2019
Fisherman/outdoorsman/beloved Son – jack of all trades, he contributed to the lives of everyone he met

Little Richard b. 1932 d. May 09, 2020 (bone cancer)
Singer/song writer – “Tutti Frutti” (1955), “Long Tall Sally” (1956), rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1986)

Ann Richards b. 1933 d. September 13, 2006 ( esophageal cancer)
Governor of Texas 1991 – 1995

Elliot Richardson b. 1920 d. 1999 (brain hemorrhage)
Attorney General of US who refused to fire Archibald Cox so Nixon fired him

J. P “Big Bopper” Richardson, Jr. b. 1930. d. February 3, 1959 (plane crash)
Singer – Chantilly Lace

Natasha Richardson b. 1963 d. March 18, 2009 (brain damage due to a sking accident)
Tony Award winning Actress – from an acting dynasty family

Sir Ralph David Richardson b. 1902. d. 1983 (stroke)
Actor – Alexander Gromeko in Dr. Zhivago

Eddie Vernon Rickenbacker b. 1890 d. 1973 (heart failure)
America’s “Ace of Aces”

Don Rickles b. 1926 d. 2017 (kidney failure)
Comedian/Actor – comedic style was “King of the insults”, starred in C.P.O. Sharkey (1976-78)

Alan Rickman b. 1946 d. 2016 (cancer)
Hans Gruber in “Die Hard” (1988) and Severus Snape in Harry Potter

Nelson Riddle b. 1921 d. 1985 (cardiac and kidney failure)
Composer and orchestra leader

Sally Ride b. 1951 d. 2012 (pancreatic cancer)
Physicist/Astronaut – 1st woman in space 1983 on Challenger

Bobby Riggs b. 1918 d. 1995 (prostate cancer)
Tennis player – famous match with Billy Jean King

Jack Riley b. 1935 d. 2016 (pneumonia)
Actor – Elliot Carlin on “The Bob Newhart Show”

Michael Ritchie b. 1938 d. April 16, 2001 (complications of prostate cancer)
Director – Fletch, Downhill Racer

John Ritter b. 1948 d. September 11, 2003 (aortic dissection – heart)
Actor – “Three’s Company” – son of Tex Ritter (below)

Tex Ritter b. 1905 d. 1974
Western Actor

Joan Rivers b. 1933 d. Sept. 4, 2014 (complications from throat surgery)
Comedian/Writer/TV Host – best known for her self deprecating humor and celebrity bashing

Phil Rizzuto b. 1917 d. August 13, 2007 (pneumonia)
New York Yankee shortstop and Baseball Hall of Famer

Harold Robbins b. 1916 d. 1997 (heart failure)
Writer – The Carpetbaggers

Jerome Robbins b. 1918 d. 1998 (stroke)
Choreographer – West Side Story

Doris Roberts b. 1925 d. 2016
Actress – Marie Barone on “Everybody Loves Raymond” (1996–2005)

Oral Roberts b. 1918 d. 2009 (natural causes)
Christian Minister, author, televangelist and founder of Oral Roberts University

Pernell Roberts b. 1928 d. 2010 (pancreatic cancer)
Actor – portrayed Adam Cartwright on “Bonanza” ’59-’65 and Dr John McIntyre on “Trapper John”

Cliff Robertson b. 1923 d. 2011 (natural)
played young Lt. Jack Kennedy in “PT-109”

Dale Robertson b. 1923 d. 2013 (lung cancer)
Actor – Tales of Wells Fargo (1957-’62), Death Valley Days (1969-’72)

Edward G. Robinson b. 1893 d. 1973 (cancer)
Actor best known for portraying a gangster in numerous roles

Jason Robards b. 1922 d. December 26, 2000 (metastasized lung cancer)
Actor – Dashiell Hammett in Julia

Gail Robbins b. 1931 d. April 12, 2011(colon cancer)
Musician with The Highwaymen, “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” also father to Tim Robbins

Eddie Robinson b. 1919 d. April 3, 2007 (Alzheimer’s disease)
Head football coach for 56 years at Grambling State University

Jackie Robinson b. 1919 d. 1972
Baseball Hall of Famer, 1962

Max Robinson b. 1939 d. 1988 (AIDS)
Journalist – First full-time black evening news anchor, ABC

Sugar Ray Robinson b. 1921 d. 1989
Boxer

Vickie Sue Robinson d. 2000 b. 1955
Singer (disco) – Turn theBeat Around

Alex Rocco b. 1926 d. 2015 (cancer)
Actor – Moe Greene in The Godfather

Laurance Rockefeller b. 1910 d. July 7, 2004 (pulmonary fibrosis)
Billionarie philanthropist

Nelson Rockefeller b. 1908 d. 1979 (heart attack)
US Vice President and Governor of New York

Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller b. 1948 d. July 16, 2006 (blood disorder)
Arkansas politician, billionaire great-grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller

Norman Rockwell b.1894 d. 1978
Artist

Gene Roddenberry b. 1921 d. 1991 (heart attack)
Producer/writer – Star Trek

Peter Rodino b. 1909 d. May 7, 2005
House Judiciary Committee chairman who directed the impeachment investigation of Nixon

Richard Rodgers b. 1902 d. 1979
Composer 1/2 of Rodgers and Hammerstein

Bobby Rogers b. 1940 d. 2013
Singer / songwriter – original member of The Miracles (1956 – ’11)

Fred Rogers b. 1928 d. February 27, 2003 (stomach cancer)
Television’s “Mister Rogers”

Ginger Rogers b. 1911 d. 1995 (diabetic coma)
Dancer/Entertainer

Kenny Rogers b 1938 d. 2020
C&W singer/songwriter/actor – sang with The First Edition – “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” (1969) and solo won a Grammy Award for “The Gambler”

Roy Rogers, (Leonard Franklin Slye) b. 1911 d. 1998 (congestive heart failure)
Cowboy Actor/Singer/Entertainer – “King of Cowboys”

William P. Rogers b. 1909 d. January 2, 2001
Eisnehower’s Attorney General (1957–1961) and Nixon’s Secretary of State

Esther Rolle b. 1920 d. 1998 (diabetes)
Actress – Florida Evans on “Good Times

Howard Rollins b. 1950 d. 1996 (lymphoma)
Actor – Virgil Tibbs in TV version of In the Heat of The Night

Ruth Roman b. 1923 d. 1999
Actress

Cesar Romero b. 1907 d. 1994
Actor – Joker on TV’s Batman plus many other roles

George Romney b. 1907 d. 1995 (heart attack)
Chairman of American Motors, Governor of Michigan, Secretary of HUD (1969-1972)

Andy Rooney b. 1919 d. 2011 (complications from minor surgery)
Writer – commentary on 60 Minutes news show for 33 years (’78-’11)

Mickey Rooney b. 1920, d. 2014
Actor, performed on stage and in films from 1920 till 2014, Boys Town (1938)

Teddy Rooney b. 1950 d. 2016 (a long illness)
Actor/Musician – son of Mickey Rooney and Martha Vickers

David Rose b. 1909 d. 1990
Composer – “The Stripper” and music of TV themes

Judd Rose b. 1955 d. 2000 (brain cancer)
Journalist

Ethel Rosenberg b. 1915 d. June 19, 1953 (executed)
Convicted Spy

Julius Rosenberg b. 1918 d. June 19, 1953 (executed)
Convicted Spy

Steve Rossi b. 1932 d, June 22, 2014 (cancer)
Singer / Comedian – the straight man half of the comedy duo “Allen & Rossi” with Marty Allen

Judith Rossner b. 1935 d. August 9, 2005
Author – Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Carl T. Rowan b. 1925 d. 2000
Journalist/columnist

Dan Rowan b. 1922 d. 1987 (lymphatic cancer)
Comedian – Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In

Billy Joe Royal b. 1942 d. 2015
Singer – Down in the Boondocks (1965)

Mike Royko b. 1932 d.1997 (brain aneurysm and strokes)
Columnist

Pete Rozelle b. 1926 d. 1996 (brain cancer)
NFL commissioner from 1960-1989

Jerry Rubin b. 1938 d. 1994 (killed while jaywalking)
Activist – One of the Chicago Seven

Jack Ruby b. 1911 d. 1967
Shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald

Wilma Rudolph b. 1940 d. 1994
Olympic athlete – 3 Golds in 1960 for track and field

Jimmy Ruffin b. 1936 d. 2014
Singer – recorded “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”

Louis Rukeyser b. 1933 d. May 2, 2006 (multiple myeloma)
Journalist – Wall $treet Week With Louis Rukeyser

Janice Rule b.1931 d. October 17, 2003 (cerebral hemorrhage)
Actress – Bell, Book and Candle

Dean Rusk b. 1909 d. 1994
US Secretary of State from 1961-1969 under JFK and LBJ

Jane Russell b. 1921 d. 2011 (respiratory Failure)
Legendary Actress – “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “the Road” movies with Bob Hope

John Russell b. 1921 d. 1991
Actor – Marshal Dan Troop on the Lawman

Leon Russell b. 1942 d. 2016
Musician / Songwriter – “A Song for You”, “Tight Rope” and “This Masquerade”

Nipsey Russell b. 1924 d. October 2, 2005 (cancer)
Poet laureate of television – Hollywood Squares, The $50,000 Pyramid, and Match Game

Rosalind Russell b. 1908 d. 1976 (cancer)
Actress – Auntie Mame

Irene Ryan b.1902 d. 1973 (stroke)
Actress – Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies

Tim Russert b. 1950 d. 2008 (heart attack) Political Commentatory and host of NBC’s Meet the Press

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