- Jan 2 Bob Catterall, South African cricket batsman (24 Tests, 3 x 100s, HS 120; Transvaal, Natal), dies at 60
- Jan 8 Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe, American baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers), dies at 50
- Jan 26 Morris Nichols, English cricketer (41 wkts in 14 Tests for Eng 1930-39), dies at 60
- Feb 9 Grigory Levenfish, Russian International chess grandmaster, dies at 70
- Feb 9 Oscar Egg, Swiss track and road bicycle racer (3 x world hour record), dies at 70
- Feb 15 Dudley Richards, American figure skater (U.S. Pairs champion, 1961), dies in a plane crash at 29
- Feb 15 Laurence Owen, American figure skater (U.S. and North American champion), dies in a plane crash at 16
Maribel Vinson (1911-1961)
Feb 15 American figure skater (9 time US National Champion) and coach, dies in a plane crash at 49
- Feb 15 Maribel Yerxa Owen, American figure skater (U.S. Pairs champion, 1961), dies in a plane crash at 20
- Feb 16 (Charles) "Dazzy" Vance, American Baseball HOF pitcher (7 x NL strike-out leader; World Series 1934 St Louis Cardinals; NL MVP & Triple Crown of Pitching,1924 Brooklyn Robins), dies at 69
- Feb 23 Wilf Ferguson, West Indian cricket leg spinner (34 wickets for West Indies), dies at 43
- Feb 27 Platt Adams, American field athlete (Olympic gold standing high jump 1912), dies at 75
- Mar 14 Akiba Rubinstein, Polish chess player (openings theorist), dies at 80
- Mar 23 A.C. "Jack" Russell, English cricket batsman (10 Tests, 5 x 100s; Essex CCC), dies at 73
- May 2 J C White, English cricket spin bowler (15 Tests, 49 wickets; 10-76 Somerset v Worcestershire 1921), dies at 70
- Jun 13 Ben A. Jones, American horse trainer (US Champion trainer by earnings 1941, 43, 44, 52; Kentucky Derby x 6 including Citation, Whirlaway), dies at 78
- Jun 15 Giulio Cabianca, Italian racing driver (b. 1923)
- Jun 15 Tommy Scott, West Indian cricket spin bowler (8 Tests, 22 wickets; Jamaica), dies at 68
- Jun 18 Eddie Gaedel, American baseball pinch-hitter (shortest player in MLB history 3' 7"; St. Louis Browns), dies after mugging at 36
Ty Cobb (1886-1961)
Jul 17 American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (AL MVP 1911; Triple Crown 1909; 12 × AL batting champion; Detroit Tigers) and manager (Detroit Tigers 1921-26), dies of cancer at 74
Beals Wright (1879-1961)
Aug 23 American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1905; doubles 1904-06), dies at 81
- Aug 28 Tom Connolly, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL-record 8 x World Series), dies at 90
- Sep 10 Wolfgang von Trips, German auto racer (29 x F1 GP, 2 wins), dies in 1961 Italian Grand Prix (with 15 spectators) at 33
- Sep 16 A P F Chapman, cricketer (26 Tests for England), dies
- Sep 16 Percy Chapman, English cricket batsman (26 Tests, captain 1926-31, 1 x 100; Kent CCC), dies after a fall at 61
- Oct 2 Reggie Spooner, English cricket batsman (10 Tests; dual cricket/rugby union international), dies at 80
- Oct 26 Edgar Mayne, Australian cricketer (4 Tests for Australia around WWI), dies at 79
- Nov 18 Clarence "Bud" Pinkston, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, silver 3m springboard 1920), dies at 61
- Nov 25 Hubert Van Innis, Belgian archer (6 x Olympic gold, 3 x silver 1900, 20), dies at 95
- Dec 3 Pat O'Hara Wood, Australian tennis player (Australasian C'ship 1920, 23), dies at 70
- Dec 15 William "Dummy" Hoy, American baseball outfielder (most accomplished deaf player in MLB history; NL stolen base leader 1888; Washington Senators, Cincinnati Reds), dies at 99
- Dec 26 Charlie Frank, cricketer (S Af Test centurion v Aust 1921-22), dies
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