Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 1963

Rogers Hornsby (1896-1963)

Jan 5 American Baseball Hall of Fame 2nd baseman (NL MVP 1925, 29; 7 x NL batting champion; 3 x .400+ seasons; St. Louis Cardinals, Browns) and manager (Cardinals, Browns, Cubs), dies of a heart ailment at 66

Jan 18 Johnny Moyes, Australian journalist and cricket commentator, dies at 70
Jan 25 Wilson Kettle, of Newfoundland, dies at 102, leaving 582 living descendants
Jan 28 Gustave Garrigou, French cyclist (Tour de France 1911), dies at 78
Jan 30 Sir Pelham Warner, English cricket batsman, tour manager and administrator (15 Tests; MCC chairman of selectors), dies at 89
Feb 7 Arthur Carr, English cricket batsman and captain (11 Tests, 1 x 50; Nottinghamshire CCC), dies at 69
Feb 7 Learco Guerra, Italian road racing cyclist, dies at 60
Feb 11 Karl Frederick, American pistol shooter (Olympic gold 1920), dies at 82
Feb 27 William Auchterlonie, Scottish golfer (British Open 1893), dies at 90
Feb 28 Eppa Rixey Jr., American Baseball HOF pitcher (NL wins leader 1922; 266 career wins; Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds), dies at 71
Mar 1 Irish Meusel, American baseball left fielder (World Series 1921, 22; NL RBI leader 1923; Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants), dies at 69
Mar 8 John Hartley, cricketer (bowl avg 115 in 2 Tests for Eng 1906), dies
Mar 11 Mahomed Nissar, Indian cricketer (6 Tests for India 1932-36, 25 wkts), dies at 52
Mar 13 Austin Dobson, British racing driver (b. 1912)
Mar 22 Cilly Aussem, German tennis player (French C'ships, Wimbledon 1931), dies of liver failure at 54
Mar 25 Davey Moore, American boxer (world featherweight champion 1959-63), dies of injuries sustained in title bout against Sugar Ramos at 29
May 2 Jack Crawford, English cricket all-rounder (12 Tests; Surrey, South Australia, Otago), dies at 76
May 10 Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, American NFL football defensive lineman, 1953-62 (Baltimore Colts, and two other teams), and professional wrestler, dies of a heroin overdose at 31
May 12 Robert Kerr, Canadian runner (1908 Olympics), dies at 80

Ernie Davis (1939-1963)

May 18 American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (1st African-American to win Heisman Trophy 1961, Syracuse), dies of leukemia at 23

Jun 2 Century Milstead, American College Football Hall of Fame tackle (Yale; NFL C'ship 1927, NY Giants), dies at 62
Jun 5 Donat Raymond, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame builder (head Canadian Arena Company, Montreal Forum rebuilt in 1968) and politician, dies at 83
Jun 10 Anita King, American stunt driver (1st woman to drive across the US unaccompanied) and actress (Tender Loving Care), dies of a heart attack at 74
Jun 10 Jack Root, Czech-American boxer (First world light heavyweight champion 1903), dies from a heart attack at 87
Jun 24 Jud Wilson, American Baseball HOF infielder (NgL World Series 1943, 44; Baltimore Black Sox, Homestead Grays, Philadelphia Stars), dies at 67
Jun 28 John 'Home Run' Baker, American Baseball HOF third baseman (World Series 1910, 11, 13; AL HR leader 1911–14; AL RBI leader 1912, 13; Philadelphia A's), dies at 77
Jul 10 Teddy Wakelam, English sports broadcaster (BBC) and rugby union player (captain Harlequin RFC), dies at 70
Jul 18 Alfred Cooper, South African cricket batsman (1 Test; Transvaal), dies at 69
Jul 27 George "Hooks" Dauss, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1912-26 (Detroit Tigers), dies at 73
Jul 29 Dave Smith, Australian cricket batsman (2 Tests, HS 24no; Victoria), dies at 78
Aug 21 John Gunn, English cricket medium pace bowler (6 Tests, 18 wickets, BB 5/76; Nottinghamshire CCC), dies at 87
Sep 12 Ben Sealey, West Indian cricketer (one Test WI v England 1933), dies at 64
Sep 27 Andy Coakley, American baseball pitcher (Philadelphia A's, Cincinnati Reds) and coach (Williams College 1911–13, Columbia University 1915–18), dies at 80
Oct 2 Herb Joesting, College Football Hall of Fame halfback/fullback (Uni of Minnesota; Chicago Bears), dies from heart failure at 58
Oct 3 Bobby McDermott, American Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame guard and coach (2 × NBL Coach of the Year 1944-45, Fort Wayne Pistons), dies at 49
Oct 15 Horton Smith. American golfer (US Masters 1934, 36), dies of Hodgkin's disease at 55
Nov 15 Linus McAtee, American Hall of Fame jockey (Preakness Stakes 1916; Kentucky Derby 1927, 29; US Champion Jockey by earnings 1928), dies at 65

Jack Hobbs (1882-1963)

Dec 21 English cricket batsman (61 Tests, 5,410 runs @ 56.94, 15 x 100s; leading 1st-class run-scorer [61,760] and century-maker [199]; Surry), dies at 81