- Jan 21 Sam Langford, Canadian boxer (World Coloured Heavyweight Champion x 5 1910-18), dies at 72
- Jan 23 Billy Evans, American Baseball HOF umpire (American League 1906-27; at age 22, youngest umpire in MLB history), dies from a stroke at 71
- Feb 3 Johnny Claes, Belgian racing driver (b. 1916)
- Feb 5 Savielly Tartakower, Austrian Polish French chess player, dies at 74
Connie Mack (1862-1956)
Feb 8 American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher, manager and owner (World Series 1910, 11, 13, 29, 30; most managerial wins, losses and games managed in MLB history; Philadelphia A's), dies at 93
- Mar 31 Ralph DePalma, Italian-American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1915; American AAA National Dirt Track C'ship 1908-11), dies of cancer at 73
- Apr 19 Lionel Crabb "Buster", British Royal Navy diver (WWII), disappears presumed dead on a job for M16 at 47
- May 18 Maurice Tate, English cricket all-rounder (39 Tests, 155 wickets, 1 x 100, 5 x 50), dies at 60
- May 26 Al Simmons, American Baseball HOF outfielder (career BA .334; 3 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1929, 30; AL batting champion 1930, 31; Philadelphia A's), dies of a heart attack at 54
- Jun 17 Bob Sweikert, American racing driver (b. 1926)
- Jun 29 Max Emmerich, American athlete and gymnast (Olympic gold, triathlon 1904), dies at 77
- Jul 10 Joe Giard, American baseball player (b. 1898)
- Jul 16 Brian Norton, South African tennis player (Wimbledon 1921 runner-up), dies at 56
- Jul 20 Ken Burn, Australian cricketer (Tasmanian rep on 1890 Ashes tour, 2 Tests), dies at 93
- Jul 27 Mick Commaille, South African cricketer and soccer rep (12 Tests for South Africa 1910-28), dies at 73
- Aug 13 Harry Donnan, Australian cricketer (5 Tests for Australia 1891-96), dies at 91
- Sep 7 C. B. Fry, English cricket batsman (26 Tests, 2 x 100s; Sussex, Hampshire), dies at 84
- Sep 16 Shorty Ray, American football player and supervisor of NFL officials, dies at 71
Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956)
Sep 27 American all-round athlete (10 LPGA majors, Olympic gold medals 80m hurdles, javelin 1932), dies of colon cancer at 45
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