- Jan 1 Ceferino Garcia, Filipino boxer (World Middleweight champion 1939-40), dies at 74
Mauri Rose (1906-1981)
Jan 1 American auto racer and three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1941, 1947-48), dies at 74
- Jan 17 Loukas Panourgias, Greek footballer (b. 1899)
- Feb 5 Barend Barendse, Dutch sports reporter and actor (Zeskamp, Oebele), dies at 73
- Feb 13 Jack Crapp, English cricketer (7 Tests for England 1948-49, 319 runs), dies at 68
- Mar 2 Tony Gulotta, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1927 3rd), dies at 78
- Mar 6 George Geary, English cricket fast bowler (14 Tests, 46 wickets), dies at 87
- Mar 7 Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling, German tennis player (Wimbledon 1931, 1936 runner-up), dies at 72
- Mar 14 Ken Barrington, English cricketer (82 Tests for England, 6806 runs), dies of a heart attack at 50
- Mar 17 Paul Dean, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals), dies at 68
- Mar 19 Frank Lane, American MLB executive (GM Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, KC Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers), dies at 85
- Mar 23 Mike Hailwood, MBE GM, British motorcycle road racer (World C'ships: 250cc – 1961, 66, 67; 350cc – 1966, 67; 500cc –1962, 63, 64, 65; 76 Grand Prix wins), dies in a car accident at 40
- Mar 26 Tim Wall, Australian cricket fast bowler (18 Tests, 56 wickets, BB 5/14; South Australia), dies from Parkinson's disease at 76
- Mar 30 Noel Harford, New Zealand cricket batsman (8 Tests, 2 x 50; Manawatu, Hawke's Bay, Franklin), dies at 50
- Apr 2 Delfo Cabrera, Argentine distance runner (Olympic gold marathon 1948), dies in a car accident at 62
Joe Louis (1914-1981)
Apr 12 American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1937-49), dies of cardiac arrest at 66
- Apr 16 Effa Manley, American Baseball HOF executive (co-owner NgL Newark Eagles), dies from a heart attack at 84
- Apr 16 Eric Hollies, English cricket spin bowler (13 Tests, 44 wickets; dismissed Donald Bradman for 0 in his final Test innings), dies at 68
- Apr 21 Harry Lee, cricketer (scored 18 & 1 in only Test for England), dies
- Apr 28 Cliff Battles, American College/Pro Football HOF halfback (West Virginia Wesleyan College; 3 x First-Team All-Pro; NFL rushing yards leader 1932, 37; Boston Braves/Redskins, Washington Redskins), dies at 70
- Apr 28 Mickey Walker, American boxer (World Welterweight Champion 1922-26; World Middleweight Champion 1926-29), dies at 79
- May 8 Maurice Fernandes, West Indian cricket batsman (2 Tests, HS 22; British Guiana), dies at 83
- May 9 Nip Pellew, Australian cricketer (10 Tests 484 runs at 37), dies at 87
- May 30 Don Ashby, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1955)
- Jun 3 Eric Dalton, South African cricket batsman (15 Tests, top score 117), dies at 74
Terry Fox (1958-1981)
Jun 28 Canadian one-legged distance runner (Marathon of Hope, 1980), dies of cancer at 22
- Aug 2 Stefanie Clausen, Danish diver (Olympic gold 10m platform 1920), dies at 81
- Aug 14 lDudley Nourse, South African cricket batsman and captain (34 Tests, 9 x 100s, HS 231; Nata), dies at 70
- Aug 15 Pappy Waldorf, American College Football Hall of Fame tackle and coach (Northwestern, California), dies at 78
- Aug 27 Valery Kharlamov, Soviet ice hockey player (b. 1948)
- Aug 28 Béla Guttmann, Hungarian soccer midfielder (4 caps; MTK Hungária, Hakoah Wien) and coach (Benfica, AC Milan, FC Porto; Hungary, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay, Portugal), dies at 82
- Aug 28 Paul Anspach, Belgian fencer (Olympic gold individual epée, team epée 1912), dies at 99
- Sep 9 Phiroz Palia, Indian cricket batsman (2 Tests; United Provinces), dies at 71
- Sep 29 Bill Shankly, Scottish football manager (Liverpool, 1959-74), dies of a heart attack at 68
- Oct 2 Fidel LaBarba, American boxer (Olympic gold flyweight 1924; world flyweight title 1927), dies of heart failure at 76
- Oct 4 Freddie Lindstrom, American Baseball Hall of Fame utility (New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 75
- Oct 15 Philip Fotheringham-Parker, British racing driver (b. 1907)
- Oct 30 Lew Jenkins, American boxer (World Lightweight Champion 1940-41), dies at 64
- Nov 14 Robert Bradford, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1941)
- Nov 22 Jack Fingleton, Australian cricket batsman (18 Tests, 1,189 runs @ 42.46, 5 x 100s), dies at 73
- Nov 25 Morris Kirksey, American 4 X 100m (Olympic gold 1920), dies at 86
- Nov 26 Max Euwe, Dutch World Chess Champion (1935-37), dies at 80
- Dec 2 Hershy Kay, American composer (Olympic Hymn, A Chorus Line), dies at 62
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