The US started to buckle under the coronavirus pandemic last February. Since then, the virus has raged across the globe, rapidly gaining momentum, taking lives, and destroying livelihoods. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the coronavirus has claimed half a million American lives to date. These deaths included quite a few beloved public figures from various fields. Here are five celebrities who succumbed to Covid-19 and left the nation gutted.
Dawn Wells, Actress
Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on the hit show Gilligan’s Island from 1946-67, died of Covid-19 related causes on December 29, 2020. The veteran actress was 82. Wells also played roles on Bonanza, The Love Boat, Gilligan’s Planet, Growing Pains, and Roseanne.
Charley Pride, Country singer
Country music legend Charley Pride, known for hits like “Kiss an angel good morning” led the way for Black musicians in country music. In 2000, he became the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Pride died on December 12, 2020, in Texas from complications caused by the coronavirus. He was 86.
Carol Sutton, Actress
Carol Sutton died from Covid-19 complications on December 10, 2020, at the age of 76. The veteran actress was a household name on the New Orleans stage but had also made her mark on screen in roles like Nurse Pam (Steel Magnolias, 1989). More recently, she had appeared on the critically acclaimed television series True Detective and HBO’s Lovecraft Country.
Arnie Robinson Jr, Olympic Gold Medalist
Arnie Robinson Jr. tested positive for the coronavirus in the middle of November and finally succumbed to it on December 1, 2020. He was 72. Robinson Jr was an Olympic Hall of Famer and his death was confirmed by the US Track & Field.
Tommy Lister, Professional Wrestler, and Actor
Fans know Lister from his roles on The Dark Knight and Friday. However, Lister also had two stints as a professional wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and the World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Lister succumbed to Covid-19 symptoms on December 10, 2020, though he had not tested positive for the coronavirus before he died.
Image Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com