This past year has seen many notable deaths, from authors like Harper Lee and Elie Wiesel to American icons John Glenn and Muhammad Ali. Just when we were ready to leave 2016 behind us, we lost actress Carrie Fisher on December 27, 2016 and a day later her mother , actress Debbie Reynolds passed away.

Carrie Fisher, who is famous for being Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, was sixty years old at the time of her death. Four days prior, Fisher suffered a massive heart attack aboard a plane en route to Los Angeles from London, England. Just this month, the newest Star Wars movie, Rogue One, had been released to theatres, and Fisher had made a cameo appearance in it. Other movies she has acted in include The Blues Brothers and The ‘Burbs, and she has also written multiple books, most recently being The Princess Diarist which was released just this year. Many fans of the Star Wars series have been deeply saddened by her death, and widespread support for her has come out on various social media sites.

Debbie Reynolds, mother of Carrie Fisher, died on December 28, 2016, a day after her her daughter died. The cause of death has been listed as a possible stroke, but the timing of it makes it very eerie. Many are saying she died of a broken heart, or that she wanted to be with her daughter. Reynolds, a very famous actress and singer from the 50’s and 60’s, had featured in famous musicals such as ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and had received many awards for her performances. Another famous movie she was in is the 1998 film Halloweentown. She also voiced many of our favorite characters in cartoons, such as Kim Possible and Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web.  Reynolds was eighty four years old when she died.

Death is always tragic and seeing two iconic actors pass away has affected many during the holidays. The year 2016 has seen many celebrities pass away, and we have lost two more beloved people before year’s end.