- Jan 14 Bill Hewitt, American Pro Football HOF end (4 × First-team All-Pro; Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles; one last players to not wear a helmet), dies in a car crash at 37
Josh Gibson (1911-1947)
Jan 20 American Baseball HOF catcher (Negro World Series 1943, 44; 12 × NL All-Star; Triple Crown 1936, 37; batting average .466 1943), dies of a brain tumor at 35
- Jan 23 Roy Park, Australian cricketer (prolific Victorian bat & official), dies at 54
- Jan 29 Fred Barratt, English cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 5 wickets; Nottinghamshire CCC), dies at 52
- Feb 27 Francis MacKinnon, English cricket batsman (1 Test; Kent CCC) and 35th Chief of MacKinnon clan, dies at 98
- Mar 9 Stanley Jackson, English cricketer (20 Tests for England 1893-1905), dies at 76
- Mar 19 William Starling Burgess, American yacht designer (America's Cup yachts "Enterprise", "Rainbow", "Ranger") and aviation pioneer, dies at 68
- Mar 27 Charles Smith, cricketer (batted for South Africa in 1902-03), dies
- Mar 28 Johnny Evers, American Baseball HOF 2nd baseman (World Series 1907, 08 Chicago Orphans/Cubs; WS & NL MVP 1914 Boston Braves) and manager (Chicago Cubs/WS), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 65
- Mar 28 Rudolph Simonsen, Danish composer (Olympic Arts bronze, 1928 - Symphony No. 2 (Hellas)), and educator (Royal Danish Academy, 1916-47), dies at 57
- Apr 2 Joe Hardstaff Sr., English cricket batsman (5 Tests; 3 x 50; Nottinghamshire CCC) and umpire (21 Tests), dies at 64
- Apr 18 Benny Leonard, American boxer (world lightweight title 1917-25), dies from a heart attack at 51
- Apr 19 Charles Bidwill, American Pro Football HOF team owner (Chicago Cardinals 1933-46), dies of pneumonia at 51
- May 5 Ty LaForest, Canadian baseball player, dies at 30
- May 18 Hal Chase, American MLB baseball player and manager, dies at 64
- May 27 Ed Konetchy, American MLB player, dies at 61
- Jun 6 Norman Reid, cricketer (Test S Af v Aust 1921-22, 11 & 6, 2-63), dies
- Jul 13 Warwick Armstrong, cricketer (50 Tests 1901-21, 2863 runs), dies at 68
- Jul 30 George Challenor, West Indian cricketer (played in 1st WI Test side 1928), dies at 59
- Aug 3 Vic Willis, American Baseball HOF pitcher (no-hitter 1899; World Series 1909; MLB ERA leader 1899 & strikeout leader 1902; Boston Beaneaters, Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 71
- Oct 12 Nelson Betancourt, Trinidad and Tobago cricket wicket-keeper (WI Test 1930), dies at 42
- Nov 1 Man o' War, American thoroughbred racehorse (Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes 1920), dies from a heart attack at 30