Complex sentence: French was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in December 2012, and upon his death on 27 October 2015, was referred to by his "Observer" successor Mark Kermode as "an inspiration to an entire generation of film critics".
Split into simpler sentences: French was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in December 2012. Upon his death on 27 October 2015, was referred to by his "Observer" successor Mark Kermode as "an inspiration to an entire generation of film critics".