Kevin Smith
Director Kevin Smith is pictured on March 24, 2010 in New York. Getty Images

“Clerks” star Lisa Spoonauer died Saturday in New Jersey at the age of 44. A cause of death was not immediately known. Director Kevin Smith mourned the actress in a lengthy Instagram post Tuesday.

“Devastated to report that #LisaSpoonauer, who played Caitlin in #clerks, has passed away,” he wrote in part of his post. “In 1992, I went looking for Lisa without knowing either who she was or the integral role she'd play in my life.”

He finished: “My heart goes out to Tom, Mia and Lisa's family. Thank you for dreaming my dream with me. You changed my life, Lisa.”

READ: Kevin Smith Shares Heartwarming Message As 'Clerks' Actress Dies At 44

Sadly, Spoonauer wasn’t the only celebrity to die in 2017. A list of celebrities who died in 2017 has been comprised below:

Erin Moran: “Happy Days” star Erin Moran died after a battle with Stage 4 cancer. She was 56 years old. Former co-star Scott Baio found himself in hot water when he erroneously claimed Moran died from a heroin overdose. He later apologized.

Roger Ailes: The embattled media executive was 77 years old when he died. The summer before his death, he faced a slew of sexual harassment allegations. He resigned as CEO of Fox News in January. At the time of his death, he had an estimated net worth of $100 million.

Big Black: The “Rob & Big” star, whose birth name was Christopher Boykin, died from heart failure at the age of 45. Doctors were thinking about putting him on a heart transplant list. His ex-wife, Shannon Turley, took to Twitter to break the news, saying: “I'm heartbroken to tell you of Black's passing. He's everything to me and Isis and we will miss him.”

Cortez Kennedy: The Hall of Famer and former Seattle Seahawks player died at the age of 48. His cause of death was not immediately known, but doctors didn’t suspect foul play. “Cortez Kennedy has been a pillar of the Seahawks franchise since joining the team as a rookie in 1990,” the Seahawks said about the player. “Tez was the heart and soul of the Seahawks through the 1990s and endeared himself to 12s all across the Pacific Northwest as a player who played with a selfless and relentless approach to the game.”

Nicky Hayden: The motorcycle champion died after getting into a bicycle accident while training in Italy. He was 35 years old. The athlete, nicknamed the “Kentucky Kid,” was slated to marry fiancée Jackie Marin. “It is with great sadness that Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has to announce that Nicky Hayden has succumbed to injuries suffered during an incident while riding his bicycle last Wednesday,” a statement from his sponsor, Red Bull Honda World Superbike, said. “Nicky passed away at 19:09 CEST this evening at Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, Italy. His fiancée Jackie, mother Rose and brother Tommy were at his side.”

Sir Roger Moore: The British actor played James Bond, the debonair spy, more than any other actor. He was arguably the quintessential 007. The star died at the age of 89 after a “brief but brave” battle with cancer. “The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone,” a statement from his children said.

Roger Moore
English actor Roger Moore, downs a Martini, July 17, 1968. He portrayed the role of James Bond seven times. He died after a "short but brave battle with cancer" at the age of 89. Getty Images

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