Dallas lost many great figures in 2024, including a number of high-profile and beloved names in the restaurant and music industries, from chefs to musicians to beloved restaurateurs.

Here are some of the folks who passed away this year, in chronological order:

Joshua Bonee, Dallas chef and culinary visionary
Joshua Bonee, one of Dallas' most gifted chefs, died on January 9; he was 36. Bonee was a native of Tennessee who came to Dallas to work for Stephan Pyles' Flora Street Café. He took time off to combat Guillan-Barre Syndrome (and in fact, Dallas chefs banded together to do a fundraiser for him called "For The Love of Josh"), and returned to the industry to help open concepts such as Lucky's Hot Chicken, 42 BBQ Smokehouse + Market in Richardson, LimeHoney at the Shire, Columbian Country Club, and Teriyaki 4 U in Carrollton. Bonee was universally well liked and was a devoted pet owner of his long-haired Doxie, who even had his own dedicated Instagram page.

Toni Chapman Brinker, nonprofit founder and famous spouse
Dallas nonprofit founder Toni Chapman Brinker, who was married to famously wealthy men including business magnate T. Boone Pickens and restaurateur Norman Brinker, died on April 7; she was 74. According to a friend of the family, she'd been battling lung cancer.

Jim Baron, Dallas restaurateur and co-founder of Blue Mesa Grill
Longtime Dallas restaurateur Jim Baron, who founded acclaimed concepts such as the Blue Mesa Grill chain with his wife Liz Baron, passed away on May 20, after a long fight with cancer; he was 76. The couple, who helped usher in a unique and fresh Southwestern-style variant on Mexican food in Dallas, were a major force in the restaurant scene since starting their company in 1988, founding other ground-breaking concepts such as TNT/Tacos and Tequila. Prior to opening Blue Mesa, he spent eight years as an executive with Taco Bell and El Torito Restaurants, Inc.

Kinky Friedman, eccentric Texas musician and satirist
Richard “Kinky” Friedman — the provocative and flamboyant Texas satirist who mounted a spirited campaign for governor in 2006 — died on June 27; he was 79. Friedman died at his longtime home at Echo Hill Ranch in Medina; he had Parkinson’s disease. Known for his outsized persona, pithy one-liners, black cowboy hat, and cigar, Friedman ran for governor against Republican incumbent Rick Perry in 2006. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for agriculture commissioner in 2010 and in 2014.

Michael Corcoran, acclaimed Texas music writer and critic
Texas music writer Michael "Corky" Corcoran, who wrote about music for publications as well as publishing books, was found dead on July 1. He was 68. A sharp and witty writer, Corcoran had bylines in many major magazines including National Lampoon, Creem, and Rolling Stone, and served as a music critic for both the Dallas Morning News and the Austin American Statesman, earning awards such as Cox Newspapers' “Writer of the Year” in 1996, and the Austin Music Award for best music critic in 2018. Books published included Ghost Notes: Pioneering Spirts of Texas Music, and All Over the Map: True Heroes of Texas Music.

Zac Crain, Dallas writer
Zac Crain, a longtime Dallas writer who worked for publications such as the Dallas Observer and D magazine, died on July 16; he was 50. Crain fell ill and was found at his residence after he did not respond to calls or texts from friends and family members.

Al Biernat, beloved Dallas restaurateur
Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69. Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas. His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Mark Ridlen, Dallas musician and DJ
A bright and colorful light in Dallas' music scene went out: Mark Ridlen, DJ and musician, passed away on November 17, following a bout with cancer; he was 65. From his appearance in Ron Howard’s 1978 directorial debut, Cotton Candy, to his groups Quad Pi, Lithium X-mas, and a plethora of side projects with scores of DFW musicians, to his full-time job as a professional DJ under the moniker "DJ Mr. Rid," Ridlen had been a steady staple on the local creative scene. He was also a pop culture savant with a comprehensive knowledge of music, who balanced a low-key charm with a vibrant sense of style

Pete Schenkel, Dallas businessman and former Schepps Dairy owner
Dallas businessman Pete Schenkel, a philanthropist and former owner of Dallas-based Schepps Dairy, passed away at his Highland Park home on his birthday, November 27, while in hospice care; he was 89. Born and raised in South Dallas where he worked on his father's dairy farm, Schenkel worked his way up from a Schepps Dairy deliverer to become an owner of the company in 1987. He went on to serve as President and owner of Southern Foods, which later sold to Suiza Foods and became Dean Foods, for which he also served as president and board member. Schenkel was also involved in Dallas politics from the '80s to the '00s, both with sought-after endorsements as well as working on campaigns for mayoral candidates such as Jack Evans and Ron Natinsky.

Lester Melnick, founder of legendary Dallas women's clothing store chain
Lester Melnick, who owned an eponymous clothing store chain in Dallas for many decades, passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2024; he was 99. Melnick opened his first Lester Melnick women's clothing store in the Preston Royal Shopping Center at 5959 Royal Ln. in 1962, where it became one of THE places to shop. He went on to open 12 stores total, before closing in 2003. Melnick also designed the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniforms as well the "Hockaday plaid" uniforms worn by students at The Hockaday School, the prestigious private school where students were so thrilled by the incorporation of the color green into the previous plain black & white that the school celebrated.