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Movers and Shakers We Lost This Decade

George H W Bush Maya Angelou are among the well known

Former President George Bush, author and activist Maya Angelou and astronaut and former Senator John Glenn Getty/Alamy

Cokie Roberts journalist 75

Heidi Gutman (Dec. 27, 1943 — Sept. 17, 2019) The journalist and political commentator — and daughter of Hale Boggs and Lindy Boggs, who each served in the U.S. Congress — won three Emmy awards during her long career with National Public Radio and ABC News. She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2008 the Library of Congress dubbed her a Living Legend.

Toni Morrison novelist 88

Leonardo Cendamo / Getty Images (Feb. 18, 1931 — Aug. 5, 2019) The winner of the Nobel Prize and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved (1987) — among other great works — was beloved herself. “Time is no match for Toni Morrison,” said Barack Obama, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. He called her “a national treasure.” Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

John Paul Stevens Supreme Court justice 99

William Thomas Cain / Stringer / Getty Images (April 20, 1920 — July 16, 2019) The high court justice served for almost 35 years before retiring in June 2010 at age 90. President Gerald Ford nominated Stevens in 1975, and Stevens began his work that December, when he was 55. Although he was chosen by a Republican president, Stevens often agreed with the liberal side of the bench on issues such as the death penalty, affirmative action and Bush v. Gore.

George H W Bush U S president 94

Cynthia Johnson / Getty Images (June 12, 1924 — Nov. 30, 2018) The 41st president was a decorated World War II Navy pilot, U.S. congressman, director of the CIA, ambassador to China and two-term vice president for President Ronald Reagan. In later years, he embraced active aging, celebrating several birthdays by skydiving, and spent time with his large family, including oldest son and 43rd President George W. Bush.

John McCain U S senator 81

Win McNamee / Getty Images (Aug. 29, 1936 — Aug. 25, 2018) A 1958 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from 1967 until his release in 1973. McCain was elected from Arizona to the U.S. House in 1982 and the Senate in 1986. During the 2000s he ran twice unsuccessfully for president, earning the Republican nomination in 2008. Known as a maverick, McCain got back to work as a senator, a job he continued — even through brain cancer — until the day he died.

Barbara Bush first lady 92

Scott Olson (June 8, 1925 — April 17, 2018) First lady Barbara Bush and her husband, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, were married longer than any previous presidential couple — 73 years. (Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have since passed that mark.) She also was the mother of the 43rd president, George W. Bush, and a Florida governor, Jeb Bush. While serving as first lady, she founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe

Dick Gregory civil rights activist and comedian 84

Timothy Hiatt / Getty Images (Oct. 12, 1932 — Aug. 19, 2017) America’s first black nightclub comic star, Dick Gregory made his first television appearance on the late-night show Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957-62). He was a friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and risked his life alongside him. His wit packed political influence, as did his books, civil rights activism and hunger strikes for justice. Entertainment Access curated AARP entertainment articles, essays, videos, films and more See more Entertainment offers >

John Glenn astronaut 95

Bettmann / Getty Images (July 18, 1921 – Dec. 8, 2016) This pioneer made history on Feb. 20, 1962, when he commanded the one-man Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth. He retired from the astronaut corps in 1964. He was elected to a U.S. Senate seat representing Ohio 10 years later and served until 1999. In October 1998, at age 77, he became the oldest person to fly in space on the space shuttle Discovery mission STS-95.

Elie Wiesel writer professor and political activist 87

AFP / Getty Images (Sept. 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) Author of 57 books, Wiesel is most renowned for his 1960 book Night, a sobering recollection of his and his father’s experiences in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. In 1986, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for speaking out against violence, repression and racism; he was also a founding board member of the New York Human Rights Foundation.

Nancy Reagan former first lady 94

Dirck Halstead / Liaison / Getty Images (July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) When she met Ronald Reagan as a young actress in the 1950s, she could hardly have imagined she’d one day join him in the White House. She was an elegant presence as first lady and later, following her husband’s diagnosis, a strong advocate for Alzheimer’s disease research.

Harper Lee novelist 89

Donald Uhrbrock / The LIFE Images Collection / Getty Images (April 28, 1926 – Feb. 19, 2016) The Alabama-born writer penned To Kill a Mockingbird, one of America’s most treasured novels (and inspiration for one of its most treasured films, starring Gregory Peck). Published in 1960, the book deals with racial inequalities in the Deep South during a rape trial. It earned Lee a Pulitzer Prize the following year. Her follow-up, Go Set a Watchman, was written in the mid-1950s before Mockingbird — but wasn’t published until 2015.

Julian Bond civil rights leader 75

Dudley M. Brooks/ The The Washington Post via Getty Images (Jan. 14, 1940 – Aug. 15, 2015) The legendary activist spent decades working for equal rights, including as leader of the NAACP and a Georgia state senator. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which Bond cofounded, declared on its website that the country had lost “one of its most passionate and eloquent voices for the cause of justice.”

Ruby Dee actress 91

Anthony Barboza / Getty Images (Oct. 27, 1922 — June 11, 2014) The actress and her husband, actor Ossie Davis, were also civil rights activists. Friends of Martin Luther King Jr., they both spoke at the 1963 March on Washington. She starred in movies such as A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Do the Right Thing (1989) and American Gangster (2007).

Maya Angelou poet 86

E. Neitzel / Wireimage / Getty Images (April 4, 1928 — May 28, 2014) Angelou used her powerful voice as a poet, activist and author. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), about her troubled youth in segregated Arkansas, is now a literary classic. Michelle Obama called her “one of the greatest spirits our world has ever known.”

Nelson Mandela activist and South African president 95

Thomas Imo (July 18, 1918 — Dec. 5, 2013) The leader of nonviolent defiance against racist policies in South Africa spent 27 years in prison before becoming the country’s first black president in 1994. His efforts to dismantle South Africa’s apartheid gained him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He remained a source of inspiration for generations to come.

Margaret Thatcher prime minister 87

Richard Baker / Corbis Historical (Oct. 13, 1925 — April 8, 2013) Although her conservative policies were largely unpopular in Britain, Thatcher was the country’s longest-serving prime minister of modern times and the first woman ever elected to the top position.

Tom Clancy author 66

Joe McNally / Getty Images (April 12, 1947 – Oct. 1, 2013) Poor eyesight kept him out of Vietnam, but the gung-ho Cold Warrior gave the U.S. military starring roles in books such as The Hunt for Red October (1984) and Red Storm Rising (1988). Famed for his insidery plots, Clancy once called it “spooky” that “I’ve made up stuff that’s turned out to be real.”

Neil Armstrong astronaut 82

Bettmann / Getty Images (Aug. 5, 1930 – Aug. 25, 2012) The first man to walk on the moon made a giant leap for mankind as the commander of Apollo 11 in 1969. Previous to his time at NASA, Armstrong served as a Navy fighter pilot during the Korean War.

Sally Ride astronaut 61

Bettmann / Getty Images (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) Sally Ride was the first American woman in space in 1983 and also the youngest American to travel out of our atmosphere at age 32 — “definitely an E ticket,” she said. She joined the NASA astronaut program by beating out 1,000 other applicants for the spot. She later became director of the California Space Institute at the University of California, San Diego.

Rodney King activist 47

ROBERT SULLIVAN (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012) A construction worker turned activist, King was violently beaten by Los Angeles police officers after a high-speed car chase. The incident was caught on camera and seen around the world. After the officers involved were acquitted of charges against them, outrage sparked the L.A. riots of 1992.

Maurice Sendak author and illustrator 83

Spencer Platt / Getty Images (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) Fueling the imaginations of children around the world with his evocative, often-dark tales and illustrations, Sendak is best known for his revered picture book Where the Wild Things Are (1963), about the imaginings of a young boy, Max, sent to bed without his supper. He also collaborated on works for the stage.

Steve Jobs tech leader 56

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images (Feb. 24, 1955 – Oct. 5, 2011) Tinkering with electronics in his family’s garage was the seed that brought Jobs success as cofounder of one of the top tech companies on the planet. His guidance at Apple is credited with contributing to the development of wildly influential — world-changing, arguably — technologies and devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

Betty Ford first lady 93

Bob Riha Jr / WireImage / Getty Images

Elizabeth Edwards political adviser and activist 61

Nancy Ostertag / Getty Images (July 3, 1949 – Dec. 7, 2010) Edwards was a close adviser to the presidential bids of her then-husband, Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.). While undergoing treatment for cancer herself, she remained a staunch activist for healthcare reform. Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Restaurants offers > See more Travel Planning offers > See more Flowers & Gifts offers > See more Groceries offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS