It's a larger loss for their friends and family than for society as a whole. I didn't know these people personally, I only knew them from Film and Television. Still there are people who truely felt the loss.
Rodney Glen King- L.A. Riots
Nora Ephron- When Harry Met Sally Writer
Don Louis Agrati- "Robbi" My Three Sons
Andrew Samuel "Andy" Griffith- Any Griffith/Matlock
Ermes Effron Borgnino- McHale's Navy/Marty
Sage Moonblood Stallone- Rocky V
And of course the lost love between Tom Cruise and Kattie Holmes.
I'm sure there were other Hollywood break ups, but none matched the star quality of this one. It's not some much of a morality issue at stake, but a religeous one. Still in the eyes of a judge, is more apt.
I don't go looking for this stuff. I'm usually sitting at home watching TV when it hits me in the face. I doubt I would ever run into people like this on the street and certainly don;t go out looking to meet them. If it should happen, they'll never know it. ABout the most famous person I ever ran into to was Dan Hampton of the 1985 Suprbowl Shuffling Bears. He was in the can at a Paul McCartney concert I was in the stall next to him. I said hello and a group clammored around him. As I was leaving, he washed his hands. That made the entire encounter for me.