(CNN) A caretaker for baseball legend Ernie Banks coerced him into signing a new will before his death, leaving all his assets to her, the Hall of Famer's family says.

The renowned Chicago Cub died of a heart attack last month at age 83. His death certificate cites dementia as a significant contributing factor to his death, CNN affiliate WGN reported.

Banks family attorney Mark Bogen said Banks' agent, Regina Rice, had the octogenarian sign a new will three months before his death.

Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, whose passionate keynote address at the 1984 Democratic political convention vaulted him onto the national political scene, died on January 1. He was 82.

Country music star Little Jimmy Dickens , a fixture at the Grand Ole Opry for decades, died January 2 after having a stroke on Christmas, according to the Opry's website. He was 94.

Australian-born actor Rod Taylor , who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "The Birds," died on January 7 in Los Angeles. He was 84.

Actor and comedian Taylor Negron died after a long battle with cancer, according to his family on January 10. He was 57.

The death of punk music producer Kim Fowley was announced on January 15. He was 75. Fowley worked with a wide range of artists, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Modern Lovers, Blue Cheer, Kiss and Helen Reddy. But he will be likely be remembered most for helping form the Runaways.

Hip-hop artist A$AP Yams , one of the founding members of A$AP Mob, died at the age of 26, the group's Facebook page said on January 18. It wasn't immediately clear how he had died.

Longtime New York City radio and television personality Joe Franklin died January 24 at the age of 88.

Australian writer Colleen McCullough , who wrote the best-selling novel "The Thorn Birds," died on January 29. She was 77.

Basketball coach Dean Smith, who led the University of North Carolina from 1961 to 1997 and won two national championships over his illustrious career, died February 7 at the age of 83, according to the university's official athletics website.

"60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon died Wednesday, February 11, in a car accident in New York, CBS News reported. He was 73.

New York Times media columnist David Carr died suddenly after collapsing in the newspaper's newsroom on Thursday, February 12. He was 58.

Voice-over performer Gary Owens died Friday, February 13, at the age of 80. Owens, a former radio disc jockey, was known as the voice of Space Ghost, Batman and many other characters. He gained nationwide fame in the late 1960s as the straight-laced announcer on TV's frenetic "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

Former U.S. poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Levine , whose work reflected the voice and soul of 20th-century blue-collar America, died Saturday, February 14, at his home in Fresno, California. He was 87.

Mexican telenovela actress Lorena Rojas died February 17 at her Miami home. The 44-year-old had been battling cancer since 2008.

"Parks and Recreation" executive producer Harris Wittels died of a possible overdose, police said February 19. He was 30.

Actor Ben Woolf died February 23 at the age of 34. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that he had been hit by a car's side mirror several days earlier in Hollywood.

Character actor Daniel von Bargen , seen here in the 1995 film "Lord of Illusions," was better-known for playing George Costanza's inept boss Mr. Kruger on "Seinfeld" and a hard-nosed military commander on "Malcolm in the Middle." Von Bargen died March 1 at the age of 64.

Best-selling British fantasy author Terry Pratchett died at the age of 66, his website said March 12. Pratchett wrote more than 70 books, including those in his "Discworld" series. He had been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease in 2007.

For more than two decades, bassist Mike Porcaro was a rock star with the band Toto, playing venues around the world. Porcaro died after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, on March 15. He was 59.

Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew died on March 23, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's office. He was 91. Lee, credited for transforming the colonial trading post into a prosperous financial center, was admitted to a hospital in February with severe pneumonia.

Nobel literature laureate Gunter Grass , best known for his novel "The Tin Drum," has died, his publisher said April 13. He was 87.

Actor Jonathan Crombie , who co-starred in the "Anne of Green Gables" TV movies, died April 15 at age 48. Crombie died from complications of a brain hemorrhage, "Anne of Green Gables" producer Kevin Sullivan said.

R&B singer Johnny Kemp , best known for the 1988 party anthem "Just Got Paid," died April 16 in Jamaica. He is believed to have drowned at a beach in Montego Bay, the Jamaica Constabulatory Force said in a press release.

Singer Ben E. King , whose classic hit "Stand by Me" became an enduring testament of love and devotion for generations of listeners, died on April 30. He was 76.

Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya , who was considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century, died on May 2. She was 89.

Former House Speaker Jim Wright died May 6 at a nursing home in Fort Worth, Texas. The Texas Democrat's congressional career spanned more than three decades. He was 92.

Blues legend B.B. King , who helped bring blues from the margins to the mainstream, died May 14 in Las Vegas, according to his daughter Patty King. Two weeks earlier, it was announced that King was in home hospice care after suffering from dehydration. He was 89.

Hip-hop artist Lionel Pickens, known by the stage name of Chinx , died May 17 after being shot, according to the New York Police Department. He was 31.

The body of extreme-sports legend Dean Potter was found in Yosemite National Park during a helicopter search May 17, park spokesman Scott Gediman said. Friends had reported Potter and another athlete, Graham Hunt, missing, and it is believed that the pair BASE jumped from Taft Point, a scenic overhang in the park. Potter was 43, and Hunt was 29.

Comedy great Anne Meara , wife of Jerry Stiller and mother of Ben Stiller, died on May 23, according to a statement from her family. She was 85.

Comedian and actor Reynaldo Rey died on May 28 of complications from a stroke, according to his manager. He was 75.

Actress Betsy Palmer died May 29 of natural causes at a hospice care center near her home in Danbury, Connecticut, according to her manager Brad Lemack. She was 88.

Singer Ronnie Gilbert , a member of the influential 1950s folk group the Weavers, died June 6. She was 88.

Indie rapper Pumpkinhead died June 9, according to friends. He was 39. The cause of death was not made public.

Academy Award-winning composer James Horner , perhaps best known for scoring "Titanic," died June 22 after the small plane he was piloting crashed in central California. He was 61.

Bassist Chris Squire , founding member of British rock band Yes, died June 27 in Phoenix, his bandmates confirmed. Squire, 67, announced in May that he was sitting out the band's upcoming tour dates to undergo treatment for leukemia.

Hall of Fame football player Charlie Sanders died on July 2, eight months after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 68. Sanders spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions, emerging as one of the best tight ends of his era.

Actress Diana Douglas Webster , the first wife of Kirk Douglas and mother of Michael Douglas, died July 3 at age 92.

Egyptian actor Omar Sharif , who co-starred with Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia," died Friday, July 10, after suffering a heart attack in Cairo, according to his agent, Steve Kenis. Sharif, who also starred in "Doctor Zhivago" and "Funny Girl," was 83.

Mexican singer Joan Sebastian , a beloved performer on the airwaves and in Mexican rodeos, died July 13 at the age of 64, son Jose Manuel Figueroa told CNN en Español.

Actor George Coe , an original member of "Saturday Night Live's" Not Ready for Prime Time Players who also appeared in such films as "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "The Stepford Wives," died on July 18. He was 86.

Novelist E.L. Doctorow, whose books were almost always about the past but often stirred comparisons to the present, died on July 21. He was 84.

Former professional wrestler and actor Roddy Piper died on July 31, his agent Jay Schachter told CNN. Piper was 61.

Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi , whose flamboyant creations adorned first ladies, movie stars and socialites, died August 4 of cardiac arrest. He was 85.

British actor George Cole , who was best known in the United Kingdom for his role in the TV show "Minder," died August 5 at age 90.

Rapper Sean Price , half of the group Heltah Skeltah and a member of Boot Camp Clik, died August 8, record label Duck Down Music confirmed. He was 43. The cause of his death is not currently known, a statement said.

Former NFL star and longtime sportscaster Frank Gifford died August 9 at his Connecticut home, his family said. He was 84.

Lifelong civil rights leader and former NAACP chairman Julian Bond died on August 15, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was 75.

The country's oldest known living veteran, Emma Didlake , died August 16, just one month after being honored by President Barack Obama in Washington. Didlake was 110 years old.

IndyCar racer Justin Wilson died August 24 after being injured in a crash during a race in Pennsylvania. He was 37.

Civil rights matriarch Amelia Boynton Robinson , second from right, died on August 26. She suffered a stroke and had been hospitalized in Montgomery, Alabama. She was in her 100s.

Longtime NBA center Darryl Dawkins , perhaps best known for his emphatic slam dunks, died August 27 at the age of 58.

Actor Kyle Jean-Baptiste , who made history as the first African-American to play the lead role in a Broadway production of "Les Miserables," died August 28 in New York. He was 21. Marc Thibodeau, a spokesman for the production, said Jean-Baptiste fell from a fire escape.

Acclaimed author and neurologist Oliver Sacks , who wrote about his battle with cancer, died August 30, his longtime collaborator, Kate Edgar, confirmed. He was 82.

"Iron Chef" alum and restaurateur Kerry Simon , the quintessential celebrity chef who opened restaurants around the world, died September 11 at age 60, multiple sources confirmed.

Three-time NBA MVP Moses Malone died on September 13 at the age of 60. Malone was the first player in NBA history to be drafted out of high school. He played for 21 seasons and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 NBA title.

Best-selling author Jackie Collins died of breast cancer on September 19, according to her publicist Melody Korenbrot. She was 77.

New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra , who helped the team win 10 World Series titles, died September 22, the Yogi Berra Museum said. He was 90.

Famed chef Paul Prudhomme died October 8 at age 75, according to the New Orleans restaurant he owned, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.

Actor Al Molinaro , best known for his role as Big Al Delvecchio in the sitcom "Happy Days," died October 30 in Glendale, California, his son Michael Molinaro said. He was 96.

New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint died November 9 at the age of 77, his son said. Artists in nearly every major genre recorded Toussaint's songs or collaborated with him, including the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Herb Alpert, Glen Campbell, Robert Palmer and Elvis Costello.

Former baseball pitcher Tommy Hanson , one of the sport's top draft prospects in 2006, died November 9, the team said. He was 29. An incident report from the Coweta County Sheriff's Office stated that Hanson had suffered an overdose, but added that "the cause and manner of death is still being looked at" and that "there is no indication or suspicion of foul play."

The family of actor Nathaniel Marston announced November 11 that he had died after being seriously injured in an October 30 car crash in Reno, Nevada. The 40-year-old's resume included "One Life to Live" and "As the World Turns."

Film star and TV actress Marjorie Lord , who rose to fame in the Golden Age of Hollywood and on the TV show "Make Room for Daddy," died on November 28, according to daughter Anne Archer. She was 97.

Actor Robert Loggia was known for film roles in "Scarface," "Jagged Edge," "Big" and "Prizzi's Honor." He died December 4 at age 85.

Former Major League Baseball outfielder Dave Henderson died Sunday, December 27, not long after having a kidney transplant. He was 57.

Legendary Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister died Monday, December 28 after a short battle with cancer, his bandmates announced. He was 70.

"Our family thought that Ms. Rice was helping our father and watching over him while he was in Chicago," son Joey Banks said in a statement from the attorney. "However, we have learned that she had him sign a power of attorney, a health care directive and a will giving everything to Ms. Rice."

Another son, Jerry Banks, said he believes Rice coerced his father when he was ill.

He said that before his father's sudden death, "we spoke often to Ms. Rice because she made it difficult for us to speak directly to him.

"However, she purposefully never told us that while our father was ill, he signed documents giving her total control," Jerry Banks said.

Bogan said the family didn't know of the new will until after Banks' funeral.

"We will vigorously fight and contest this will," the family attorney said.

Caretaker: Banks trusted me

Rice issued her own statement, saying she was carrying out Banks' wishes.

"Ernie was an intricate part of my life for over twelve (12) years. Ernie trusted me to carry out his wishes, some during his lifetime and others after his life. He made me promise to adhere to his wishes and I am determined to do just that," Rice said.

"It is understandable that Ernie's family is concerned at this very sad time. However, the record and those closest to Ernie will dispel any iota of concern regarding my relationship with Ernie and his trust in me to carrying out his wishes," she said.

"I will not participate in any verbal jousting with Ernie's family or do anything to bring negativity to the legacy of such a dear and honorable and extremely positive man. Ernie would have hated that."

JUST WATCHED Ernie Banks gave Obama Jackie Robinson's bat Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Ernie Banks gave Obama Jackie Robinson's bat 04:08

From Negro Leagues to Presidential Medal of Freedom

Banks started his career in the Negro Leagues, making $7 a day. He later joined the big leagues and became "one of the greatest players of all time," Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said.

"Words cannot express how important Ernie Banks will always be to the Chicago Cubs, the city of Chicago and Major League Baseball," Ricketts said after Banks' death.

"He was a pioneer in the major leagues. And more importantly, he was the warmest and most sincere person I've ever known."

Six years after his last at-bat, Banks was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. And in 2013, Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor.