Celebs You Didn’t Know Passed Away: #13 Is Shocking

It’s a sad fact of life; people die. Even larger-than-life stars succumb at some point. Some slip away peacefully in their old age, while others are taken too young through illness, accidents, substance abuse and other tragic circumstances. There tends to be a lot of media focus when a beloved celebrity meets their maker – Paul Walker and David Bowie, for example, dominated the news feeds in the weeks after their passing. However, others quietly slip away without much fanfare. If you blinked, you might have missed the newsflash. Here are a handful of famous faces that passed away a little under the radar, some through shocking causes.

1. James Avery

Who could forget the stern, no-nonsense yet lovable Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? He kept Will Smith’s onscreen character in line from 1990 to 1996 with that deep, booming voice. He made some guest appearances on shows like CSI, The Closer, That ’70s Show and Grey’s Anatomy over the years, but he is most remembered as rich Uncle Phil. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 68 on New Years Eve, 2013 after undergoing open heart surgery.