Notable Atlanta Figures We Lost in 2026 - Page 3

Atlanta has already said goodbye to a striking range of public figures in 2026 — leaders who shaped the city’s news, politics, sports, education, arts, public health and civic life. From the Braves dugout to Congress, from college classrooms to corporate boardrooms, their work left marks that reached far beyond their own fields.

Bobby Cox, 84

Few figures are more closely tied to Atlanta sports than Bobby Cox. The Hall of Fame manager led the Braves to 14 straight division titles and the 1995 World Series championship, helping define one of the greatest sustained runs in baseball history. He also served as the club’s general manager and became a beloved symbol of the Braves’ golden era. For generations of Atlanta fans, Cox was the steady face of winning baseball.

Ted Turner, 87

Ted Turner was one of the most transformative figures in modern Atlanta history. The CNN founder helped turn Atlanta into a global media capital and built an empire that included TBS, TNT and the Atlanta Braves. His ownership of the Braves helped raise the team’s national profile, while his larger-than-life public persona made him one of the city’s most recognizable power brokers. Turner’s influence reached business, sports, philanthropy and the city’s international identity.

Erroll Davis Jr., 81

Erroll Davis Jr. was remembered as a leader across both education and corporate life. He served as superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools and, later, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, overseeing a major public higher education network that touches metro Atlanta and the state as a whole. He also had a significant career in business and politics, serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. His leadership helped shape educational policy and governance at a high level.

Rep. David Scott, 80

David Scott, a 12-term congressman with deep Atlanta-area roots, spent more than five decades in elected office. Before Congress, he served in the Georgia House and Senate, where he became a powerful force in state politics. In Washington, he became the first Black man to chair the House Agriculture Committee and was known as an advocate for farmers, historically Black colleges and universities, and community job and health fairs. His long career made him a familiar and durable presence in metro Atlanta political life.

Janice White Sikes Rogers, 73

Janice White Sikes Rogers played an important role in how Atlanta preserves and tells Black history. Her work helped shape public memory and historical preservation in a city where civil rights history and Black cultural life are central to its identity. She was known for helping protect and interpret stories that might otherwise have been overlooked. Her legacy is tied to Atlanta’s continuing effort to honor its past with care and accuracy.

Bernard LaFayette Jr., 85

Bernard LaFayette Jr. was a major civil rights figure whose work resonated strongly in Atlanta, a city deeply bound to the movement’s legacy. He helped lead the student sit-ins that desegregated lunch counters in Nashville and later became a strategist in the Southern voting rights movement. His name carries weight in Atlanta because of the city’s role as a center of civil rights memory, scholarship and activism. LaFayette stood among the movement veterans whose lives helped define that history.

DJ Young Slade, 27

DJ Young Slade (Nathan Smith) made his mark as a rising DJ and producer and was the son of Atlanta hip-hop icon Lil Jon. Known for his talent, passion, and kindness, DJ Young Slade performed across the city and contributed to Atlanta’s vibrant music scene, including appearances on national platforms like MTV’s “Family Legacy.” His sudden passing in February was mourned across the local creative community, underscoring the impact of young, Black talent on the city’s evolving cultural landscape.

Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles, 88

Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles was a respected Spelman College professor whose work connected scholarship, literature and activism. At one of Atlanta’s most important academic institutions, she helped shape students and public thought through teaching and writing. Her presence mattered not only on campus but also in wider conversations about race, gender and Black intellectual life. She was part of the tradition that has made Spelman a powerful force in Atlanta and beyond.