November 1st is the day we stop at graves, light candles and return in memory to those who are no longer with us. Over the past year we said goodbye to many people we knew from screens, stages, pitches, pulpits and the internet: artists, creators, athletes and people who were simply part of our everyday lives. On All Saints’ Day we remember them all in one place.
This collective farewell is based on our articles published throughout 2026. Each of these people deserves a moment of reflection.
Polish film, theatre and entertainment
2026 was an especially painful year for the Polish stage. In February, at the age of 86, Edward Linde-Lubaszenko passed away. An outstanding actor and teacher, he was farewelled on Instagram by his son Olaf with the words “Goodbye, Dad”. A few days later, on February 13, Bożena Dykiel (77) died, one of the most recognisable and best-loved Polish actresses. In May we said goodbye to Stanisława Celińska (79), a legend of film, theatre and song, an artist with a unique voice.
Great theatre actors also passed away: Janusz Michałowski (89), a distinctive face of Television Theatre, and Andrzej Beya-Zaborski (75), who died after a long illness. In the autumn, Jan Frycz (72), one of the most accomplished Polish actors, whose death was announced by the National Theatre, bid the world farewell, as did Tomasz Fogiel (73), a soloist of the Musical Theatre in Gdynia.
Stars of the world screen
We said goodbye to figures who accompanied us in cinema and on television for decades. At the age of 86, Sir Patrick Stewart died, Captain Picard from “Star Trek” and Professor X from “X-Men”. Tom Skerritt (93) also passed away, known as Captain Dallas from “Alien” and Viper from “Top Gun”, as did Chuck Norris (86), an action cinema icon for several generations.
From the younger generation of actors, we said goodbye to Eric Dane (53), known from “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria”, who lost his battle with ALS, Hayden Panettiere (36) and RJ Mitte (34), the son of Walter White from “Breaking Bad”. Eric Bauza (46), an Emmy-winning voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, also died, as did model Presley Gerber (27), son of Cindy Crawford, and Israeli producer Dana Eden (52), co-creator of the series “Tehran”.
Music
In July, at the age of 75, Bonnie Tyler died, the singer whose “Total Eclipse of the Heart” is known around the world. A few weeks later we said goodbye to Dolly Parton (80), an icon of country music and American pop culture, who passed away at her home in Nashville.
Creators whose works we all know
In June, Claude Guillemot (69) died in a private plane crash in France. He was one of the founding Guillemot brothers of Ubisoft and co-creator of the iconic “Assassin’s Creed” and “Far Cry” series. Elliot Graham (50), one of Hollywood’s most important film editors and an Oscar nominee for “Milk”, also passed away.
Sport
Polish sport said goodbye to Jacek Magiera (49), assistant coach of the Polish national team, who collapsed during training, and Józef Lipień (77), Olympic vice-champion from Moscow and world champion in wrestling. Jay Silva (45), one of the best-liked Polish MMA fighters, also died, as did Puerto Rican boxing legend Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gómez (69), a three-time world champion. The world of ski jumping was plunged into mourning after the death of just 16-year-old Nathan Gehin, who died in a car accident in France.
Internet, media and pop culture
We said goodbye to faces and voices we knew from the web and television. Stachu Jones (83), real name Stanisław Jan Michna, an icon of the Polish internet, has died, as has Waldemar Krysiak, a blogger and commentator known as “Myślozbir”. Aga In America (Emily Kirchner, 34), an influencer who lost her battle with an aggressive cancer, passed away, as did Adrian Szymaniak (39), known from the programme “Ślub od pierwszego wejrzenia” (“Married at First Sight”), who died after fighting a brain glioma.
We also said goodbye to young YouTuber Nikodem Czyżewski, known as “Narcyz” (23), Ukrainian comedian Wenia Wenedczuk (32), and Aleksandra Wierzbicka (41), a long-time producer associated with TVN and Eurosport.
From the world of business and the internet, Leonid Radvinsky (43) passed away, a Ukrainian-American billionaire and majority owner of the OnlyFans platform, who died in March after a long, concealed battle with cancer.
Public life and science
In April, at just 36 years old, Łukasz Litewka, a member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, died in a cycling accident. We also said goodbye to Pierre Joliot (94), French biologist and grandson of Marie Skłodowska-Curie, whose death was reported by the French Academy of Sciences.
Church figures
2026 was also a year of farewells for the Church. Archbishop Józef Michalik (85), emeritus metropolitan of Przemyśl and long-serving chairman of the Episcopate, passed away, as did Bishop Paweł Socha (91), one of the longest-serving Polish bishops. We also said goodbye to Father Antoni Balcerzak (68), a Salesian known from TV Trwam, and Angelo Gugel (90), valet to three popes. Poles remember Sister Anastazja Pustelnik with particular warmth, a nun whose recipes featured in millions of Polish homes.
Gone too soon
The hardest farewells are to the youngest. In 2026 we lost Maja Gadowska, a 13-year-old beneficiary of the Cancer Fighters Foundation, who, despite a serious illness, fulfilled her dreams to the very end and became an inspiration to thousands of people. Her courage will stay with us for a long time.
Each of these people left behind something that endures: a role, a song, a book, a goal, a prayer, a recipe, or simply good memories. On All Saints’ Day, let us light a candle for all of them. May they rest in peace.
