In Memoriam 2015: Saying Goodbye to Celebrities that Died Last Year

A new year means new beginnings and looking ahead into the future, but it also means a year of loss and death has just past. 2015 saw plenty of celebrities die for a number of reasons, with each leaving behind legacies, memories, family and loved ones as we welcome 2016. Check out a list of some of the celebrities that are now dead in a special in memoriam below and say goodbye again to these stars.

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Stuart Scott passed away on Jan. 4, 2015 after a long battle with cancer. The ESPN TV personality helped mold generations of sports fans with catchphrases, award-winning coverage and straight-up style. His battle with cancer topped off his legacy as a TV icon. He died at the age of 49.

Actor Kyle Jean-Baptiste died at the age of 21 on Aug. 29, 2015 after falling four stories from his mother's fire escape in Brooklyn, NY. Though he wasn't a household name, the young actor's Broadway debut was an historic one to say the least. He was the youngest actor to take on the role of Jean Valjean in the Broadway classic Les Misérables -which, again, was his debut role on the stage. Jean-Baptiste was also the first African-American to portray Valjean.

When Sam Simon, co-creator of the hit Fox animated TV series The Simpsons, was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, he decided to leave his job and dedicate the rest of his time alive to charity. He donated his fortune to animal rights organizations before dying at the age of 59 in March of last year.

Actor Christopher Lee died in June of 2015 at the age of 93, leaving behind an incredible career of iconic films. Known for his earlier work in horror movie classics, portraying Dracula in a number of films, Lee is most recognized for his portrayal of Sarumon in director Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. He was also an accomplished recording artist in the metal genre!

WWE legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, real name Roderick George Toombs, died of a cardiac arrest on July 31, 2015. He was 61 years old. You can check out a tribute video from the wrestling organization right here:

Director Wes Craven, known as one of the pioneering filmmakers of '70s and '80s horror films and the resurgence in the '90s with the Scream franchise, died in August due to brain cancer. His films include the Nightmare on Elm Street series as well as The Hills Have Eyes, Last House on the Left and more.

New York Giants and NFL legend Frank Gifford passed away this year one week before his 85^th birthday due to natural causes. The Hall of Fame football player became a noted TV personality and worked well into his later years.

Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy also died this year, at the age of 83. After being hospitalized in February, he died from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to MStars News.

Let us know what celebrity deaths affected you the most in the comments section below.