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In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first Black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. One of the last surviving stars from Hollywood's Golden Age, he died of cardiopulmonary failure, with Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer listed as underlying causes.
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Famous for his roles in action, western, and war films, Charles Bronson's health declined in his later years. While pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease were mentioned as possible causes of death, his death certificate lists respiratory failure, metastatic lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and congestive cardiomyopathy as the official causes.
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Civil rights activist Rosa Parks was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004. She passed away the following year in her Detroit apartment.
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The legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984, three years after his retirement. He raised global awareness about the condition and played a key role in establishing the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.
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With a career spanning five decades, country singer Glen Campbell sold over 45 million records worldwide. He passed away from Alzheimer's disease six years after publicly announcing his diagnosis.
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Bob Barker hosted 'The Price Is Right' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running game show in North American TV history. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975. Barker passed away at age 99 from Alzheimer's disease in 2023.
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Best known for his iconic role as "Lieutenant Columbo" on the series 'Columbo', Peter Falk passed away from pneumonia, complicated by Alzheimer's disease.
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Shortly after Robin Williams' death in 2014, his widow revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease shortly before he passed. She believed this diagnosis contributed to his suicide. However, an autopsy later revealed that Williams had actually been suffering from Lewy body dementia, a different neurodegenerative disease.
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Renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous sufferers of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Diagnosed at age 21, he defied the odds, living to be 76. His case was unusual, as ALS typically appears later in life—after age 40 in men and after 70 in women.
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The late stand-up comedian and actor Richard Lewis was diagnosed with PD in 2021. He publicly stated that his Parkinson’s was progressing slowly. He passed away from a heart attack in 2024.
Take a look at famous people who sadly passed away from neurodegenerative diseases.
From actors and musicians to athletes and leaders, these individuals faced illnesses like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS, leaving a mark on the world even as they battled these tough conditions.