Luminaries lost
From sports legends and popular entertainers to avid politicians and inspiring entrepreneurs, the world said goodbye to many remarkable luminaries this year.
These iconic personalities founded currencies, led sports teams to victory, changed the face of brands and portrayed beloved characters on the big screen.
CNBC remembers a small selection of the many notable names who left us in 2015.
— By CNBC's Ritika Shah.
Posted 30 Dec., 2015
The New York Times, The Associated Press, Reuters, and NBC News contributed to this report.
Mario Cuomo, 82
The former three-term New York governor was known for being a defender of liberalism.
Cuomo challenged Republican President Ronald Reagan at the height of his presidency, leading New York through the turbulent '80s and '90s.
Cuomo passed away on Jan. 1.
Read More Mario Cuomo, New York Governor and Liberal Beacon, Dies at 82
Melvin Gordon, 95
The Tootsie Roll Industries chairman and CEO birthed the well-known Mr. Owl character associated with Tootsie Pop products.
Over the course of his leadership, Gordon grew the candy company's brands to include DOTS, Charms, Junior Mints, Sugar Daddy and Charleston Chew.
Gordon passed away on Jan. 21 after a brief illness.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 90
The Saudi Arabian king died of pneumonia on Jan. 23 after spending nearly a month in the hospital. He was succeeded by his brother, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, as the new ruler of the world's top oil exporter.
In an official statement, President Barack Obama said part of King Abdullah's legacy is "the closeness and the strength of the partnership between our two countries."
Read More Saudi King Abdullah dies
John Whitehead, 92
Whitehead was not only known for being the former senior partner and co-chairman of Goldman Sachs but also deputy secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, a chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a member of the board of the New York Stock Exchange.
He was credited for his part in making Goldman Sachs a top-tier Wall Street firm and leading the investment bank's international expansion.
Whitehead passed away on Feb. 7.
Read More Former Goldman Sachs chief dies at 92
Don Keough, 88
The former president and COO of Coca-Cola was best known for turning around his disastrous business decision to create a new Coke formula.
Warren Buffett once said that Don Keough's life could be summed up in three words: Everybody loved him.
Keough died on Feb. 24.
Read MoreDon Keough dies at 88
Robert Benmosche, 70
The American International Group CEO was remembered for turning around the company after bad bets on derivatives nearly sank the insurer during the financial crisis. During Benmosche's tenure, AIG was able to pay back its government bailout and return to profitability.
Benmosche died on Feb. 27. He had been undergoing lung cancer treatment since 2010.
Read More Former AIG CEO and President Robert Benmosche dies
Leonard Nimoy, 83
The actor, most famous for playing Mr. Spock in "Star Trek," became a folk hero for his beloved portrayal of the pointy-eared alien character.
Nimoy passed away on Feb. 27 after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for a year.
Lee Kuan Yew, 91
Singapore's founding father was best known for his efforts to turn the port city into a global metropolis.
Yew was the first prime minister of Singapore and governed the nation for three decades.
He did not live to see Singapore's 50th independence anniversary, passing just a few months prior on March 22.
Dave Goldberg, 47
The SurveyMonkey CEO died on May 1 after falling off of a treadmill and hitting his head at a gym in a private Mexican villa.
In a Facebook post, Goldberg's wife and COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg said, "Dave was my rock. When I got upset, he stayed calm. When I was worried, he said it would be OK. When I wasn't sure what to do, he figured it out."
Read More Sandberg pays tribute to husband: 'Dave was my rock'
B.B. King, 89
The musician known as the "King of Blues" sold millions of records worldwide and influenced a whole generation of musicians and guitarists.
King was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over the course of his lifetime. King also won his 15th Grammy award in 2009.
The blues legend passed away in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas on May 14.
Read More B.B. King dies at age 89
Ed Gilligan, 55
The American Express president started his career at the company as an intern 35 years ago, climbing the corporate ladder to become vice chairman in 2007 and president in 2013.
Gilligan became ill on a flight to New York on the morning of May 29 and passed away later that day.
Jimmy Lee, 62
The JPMorgan vice chairman led the company's investment banking division and was known for his work on the syndicated loan market.
Lee oversaw major mergers and acquisitions during his tenure as well as two of the largest U.S. IPOs ever: General Motors and Alibaba.
He passed away unexpectedly on June 17.
Read More JPMorgan Vice Chairman Jimmy Lee dies
Ralph Roberts, 95
The Comcast founder and former chairman bought a small cable system in the '60s and grew it into the country's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers.
In an interview, Roberts had said, "I just think I'm an example of what you can do in America starting with very little, and if you have a good determination, and you're honest about what you do, you can be successful."
Roberts died on June 18.
Disclosure: Comcast is the owner of NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC and CNBC.com.
Read More Comcast founder Ralph Roberts dies at 95
Burt Shavitz, 80
The Burt behind Burt's Bees co-founded the natural cosmetics company before it was sold to Clorox for $925 million.
Shavitz made a living by selling honey before he met his business partner, who began creating products from his beeswax.
Shavitz passed away in his Maine home on July 5. An image of his face continues to adorn the company's products.
Read More Burt's Bees co-founder dead at 80
Fred DeLuca, 67
The Subway co-founder and CEO opened the privately held chain a half century ago with a business partner when he was a teenager.
The chain has since expanded to the nation's largest by units and third largest by sales.
DeLuca had been battling leukemia for two years prior to his death on Sept. 14.
Yogi Berra, 90
The MLB Hall of Famer played for the New York Yankees between 1946 and 1963 before becoming the team's coach. Later, Berra moved across town to join the Mets.
In his later years, Berra was known for his community service and charity work.
The baseball icon passed away on Sept. 23.
Read More Yogi Berra, Yankees Icon and MLB Hall of Famer, Dies at 90
Richard Rainwater, 71
The legendary deal-maker and philanthropist investor passed away on Sept. 27 while battling a rare neurological disease. Rainwater had been fighting progressive supranuclear palsy since 2009 and had funneled millions of dollars toward finding a cure.
Rainwater (at left in photo) was known for facilitating billionaire investor Sid Bass' acquisition of a major stake in Disney and partnering with former President George W. Bush in the purchase of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
Read MoreRichard Rainwater dead at age 71
Geoffrey Howe, 88
The former U.K. Treasury Chief helped implement free-market policies, lowered income tax rates, and lifted currency exchange controls during his tenure.
While unpopular, public spending was cut and gasoline taxes were introduced under Howe's leadership.
Prime Minister David Cameron called Howe "the quiet hero of the first Thatcher government." Cameron said Howe had shown "huge courage and resolve" in helping save the struggling British economy by reducing borrowing, cutting tax rates and taming inflation.
Howe died of a probable heart attack on Oct. 9.
Helmut Schmidt, 96
The former West German chancellor was remembered as one of the founding fathers of the euro. Schmidt also served as the country's finance minister from 1972 to 1974 after which he took on the role of chancellor at the height of the Cold War.
Schmidt steered West Germany through global currency crises caused by a weak dollar and the first oil price explosion during his tenure as finance minister and balanced close ties with the U.S. as chancellor.
Schmidt passed away on Nov. 10.
Read More
George "Meadowlark" Lemon, 83
The former Harlem Globetrotter played for the exhibition basketball team between the 1950s and 1970s. Lemon spent 24 seasons with the Globetrotters; he came to be known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball."
In a press release, the team said he played in 7,500 consecutive games, which is the equivalent of more than 92 seasons
The basketball star passed away on Sunday.