Fans say hardest celebrity death to get over is Robin Williams, who would have turned 71 today

Very few people could make us laugh like Robin Williams. The pain of losing the talented actor and comedian never quite goes away. He died by suicide at age 63 in 2014 while suffering from Lewy body dementia. The "Dead Poet's Society" actor would have turned 71 on July 21, 2022. The academy award-winning actor's greatest gift has been his ability to connect with people. Be it through his work or in person, Robin Williams was a jack of all trades, master-of-them-all kind of person. Ranging from stand-up comedy, voice acting, dramatic acting or comedic roles, Robin Williams stood out and left a mark on you. A recent Twitter thread highlighted how much fans still miss Robin Williams. When one user posted, "The death of which celebrity made you the saddest? For me, I'm still sad at the tragic loss of John Denver."—a majority of the people replying to the thread named Robin Williams as the actor they missed the most.

Williams started his career performing at The Other Cafe, a comedy club in San Francisco, where he did standup in the mid-70s. He was known for his humanity and charitable work as much as for his comedy and acting career. His speech on homelessness and the importance of the state's role in supporting them shows what an incredible human being he is. "What we've been doing for the last four years is basically putting a band-aid on a very gaping wound. But this is, this program has incredible possibilities to deal with basically keeping people in their homes," he said while testifying before the Senate on the issue of homelessness in the '90s. "The problem cannot be denied anymore, we cannot be a kinder, blinder nation," said Williams.

"I do believe this can work in an incredible way, from a grassroots level, that the money can get to that and prevent, truly prevent, homelessness, that's where it lies. You can't keep picking people up, you have to stop them from falling." Robin Williams had a knack for breaking the tension with comedy and he certainly did that when he was in the Senate. "I know it's a little scary having a comic in front of you, it's kind of like having a porcupine in a hemophilic ward. I present just my simple soul and hope you do continue this in a bipartisan way," he concluded.

"Robin Williams is the type of person who really understands there are a lot of people who are really, really struggling," said Fran Yeatts, executive director of West Seattle Food Bank. He raised close to $50,000 for a food bank in Seattle between 2004-2008, according to USA Today. He performed stand-up comedy at the Showbox nightclub in Seattle, and without telling anyone, donated all proceeds to the food bank. "I was just astounded," said Yeatts, before adding that he did the same with a show in 2007 and 2008. Never once did he ask for any recognition said Yeatts. 

Very few knew about the issues Robin Williams was going through himself. He had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) after his death. His wife Susan described the disease as a "terrorist inside my husband's brain. "Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it. Can you imagine the pain he felt as he experienced himself disintegrating?" she said, hoping to raise awareness of the disease, reported PEOPLE "And not from something he would ever know the name of or understand? Neither he nor anyone could stop it — no amount of intelligence or love could hold it back." 

He was loved by his peers just as much as his fans. After his passing, Sarah Michelle Gellar, his co-star from "The Crazy Ones," posted a passage by Ralph Waldo Emerson to pay tribute to the actor. "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the beauty in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded." You succeeded Robin Williams," she wrote. 

As we reported, it was this week that America launched 988, a mental health emergency helpline. Robin Williams' son Zak, a mental health advocate, spoke about the importance of seeking help and timely intervention in an Op-ed along with Seth Moulton, a Congressman, for TIME magazine. "America is about to take a big step toward better health care," they wrote. Zak said he became a mental health advocate after it helped him heal from the trauma he experienced after his dad died by suicide. "One thing we’ve learned is that simply talking about mental health is the most important first step we can all take," he wrote. "One of the many myths about mental health is the idea that talking about something like depression makes it worse, but research shows the opposite. The majority of people who do call a lifeline were significantly more likely to feel relieved and more hopeful after speaking with someone."

If you are thinking about suicide or require mental health support, please call 988 to get help.