18. He Died At Only 52
Tragically, despite the popularity of his show and his desire to host a children’s nature show, Bob Ross’ life was cut short by cancer at the young age of only 52. Only two years after his second wife’s untimely death from cancer in 1992, Ross developed lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, which spread quickly and forced him to retire from The Joy of Painting in 1994. He died on July 4, 1995.