Athletes Who Died in 1983

  • Jan 9 Stan Spence, American baseball center fielder (MLB All-Star 1942, 44, 46, 47; Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns), dies from emphysema at 67
  • Jan 17 Bill Bonthron, American athlete (world 1,500m record 3:48.8 1934), dies at 70
  • Jan 20 Garrincha, Brazilian footballer, dies at 49
  • Jan 23 Fred Bakewell, English cricket batsman (6 Tests, top score 107; Northamptonshire), dies at 74

Paul "Bear" Bryant (1913-1983)

Jan 26 American college football coach (Alabama), dies at 69

  • Feb 2 Bryan Valentine, British cricket batsman (7 Tests, 2 x 100; Kent CCC, Cambridge University CC), dies at 75
  • Feb 3 Tullio Campagnolo, Italian racing cyclist and inventor (quick release skewer patent; founder bicycle component company Campagnolo), dies at 81
  • Feb 14 Lina Radke, German 800m runner (Olympic gold 1928), dies at 79
  • Feb 22 Romain Maes, Belgian road cyclist (Tour de France 1935), dies at 69
  • Mar 12 Ki Aldrich, American College Football Hall of Fame linebacker (TCU; Pro Bowl 1939, 42; Chicago Cardinals, Washington Redskins), dies at 66
  • Mar 13 Louison Bobet, French cyclist (Tour de France 1953-55), dies of cancer at 58
  • Mar 18 Franco Giorgetti, Italian cyclist (Olympic gold 1920), dies at 80
  • Mar 25 Bob Waterfield, American football quarterback (NFL MVP 1945; First-team All-Pro 1945, 46, 49; Pro Bowl 1950, 51; Cleveland/LA Rams), dies at 62
  • Apr 4 Bernard Vukas, Croatian soccer forward (59 caps, Yugoslavia; Hajduk Split; Olympic silver 1948, 52), dies at 55
  • Apr 12 Carl Morton, American baseball pitcher (NL Rookie of the Year 1970; Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves), dies of a heart attack at 39
  • Apr 13 Gerry Hitchens, English footballer, dies at 48
  • Apr 14 Nina Dumbadze, Russian discus thrower (Olympic bronze 1952), dies at 64
  • Apr 17 Dutch Leonard, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1940, 43, 44, 45, 51; Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs), dies of congestive heart failure at 74
  • Apr 18 Alan Melville, South African cricket batsman (11 Tests, 4 x 100, HS 189; Natal, Oxford University CC, Sussex CCC, Transvaal), dies at 72
  • Apr 23 Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1932) and actor (Tarzan the Fearless, Flash Gordon), dies of a heart attack at 75
  • Apr 24 Rolf Stommelen, German auto racer (24 Hours of Daytona 1968, 78, 80, 82; 61 x F1 GP), dies in a racing accident at 39
  • Apr 28 Ron James, Australian cricketer (NSW's Sheffield Shield captain 1949-50), dies at 62
  • Apr 30 Joel H. Hildebrand, American chemist and educator (research led to new treatments for divers with the 'bends' through the use of helium and oxygen breathing mixtures), dies at 101
  • May 2 Norm Van Brocklin, American Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL MVP 1960; First-team All-Pro 1960; 9 × Pro Bowl; LA Rams, Philadelphia Eagles) and coach (Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons), dies from a heart attack at 57
  • May 5 Olin Dutra, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1932, US Open 1934), dies at 82
  • May 20 Clair Bee, American College Basketball and Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Long Island University undefeated 1936, 39; National Invitation Tournament 1939, 41), dies at 87
  • May 25 Black Jack Stewart, Canadian NHL hockey player (b. 1917)

Jack Dempsey (1895-1983)

May 31 American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1919-26), dies of heart failure at 86

  • Jun 25 Oddbjørn Hagen, Norwegian nordic skier (Olympic gold cross country individual 1936; World C'ship gold 1934, 35), dies at 75
  • Jul 1 Erich Juskowiak, German footballer, dies at 56
  • Jul 7 Vic Wertz, American MLB player, dies during surgery at 58
  • Jul 14 Jack MacBryan, English cricket batsman (1 Test; Cambridge University CC, Somerset CCC) and field hockey player (Olympic gold GB & Ireland 1920), dies at 90
  • Jul 27 Mufasir-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer (left-arm quick bowler 1965), dies at 38
  • Jul 28 Alec Marks, Australian cricketer (good NSW batsman 1928-37), dies at 72
  • Aug 12 (Henry) Giff Vivian, New Zealand cricket batsman (7 Tests @ 42.1, top score 100), dies at 70
  • Aug 16 Earl Averill, American Baseball HOF outfielder (6 × MLB All-Star 1933–1938; Cleveland Indians), dies at 81
  • Sep 1 Lennox Brown, South African cricket leg spinner (3 wickets at 63 for South Africa), dies at 72
  • Sep 7 Henry Promnitz, South African cricketer (5-58 on debut for South Africa 1927-28), dies at 79
  • Sep 8 Antonin Magne, French cyclist (won Tour de France 1931, 34), dies at 79
  • Sep 12 Sabin Carr, American athlete (Olympic gold pole vault 1928; WR 4.27m 1927), dies at 79
  • Oct 16 Kelso, American racehorse (b. 1957)
  • Oct 18 Vijay Manjrekar, Indian cricket batsman (55 Tests, 7 x 100, HS 189no; Bombay, Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra), dies at 52
  • Oct 18 Willie Jones, American baseball third baseman (MLB All Star 1950, 51; Philadelphia Phillies), dies from cancer at 58
  • Oct 26 Mike Michalske, American football NFL guard (NY Yankees, Green Bay Packers), dies at 80

George Halas (1895-1983)

Oct 31 American Pro Football HOF coach (NFL C'ship 1921, 32, 33, 40, 41, 43, 46, 63; NFL Coach of the Year 1963, 65 Chicago Bears) and executive (owner Chicago Bears 1921-83), dies of pancreatic cancer at 88

Betty Nuthall (1911-1983)

Nov 8 English tennis player (US National Championship, 1930), dies of a coronary arrest at 72

  • Nov 15 Dai Rees, Scottish golfer (British Open runner-up 1953-54, 61), dies of car accident injuries at 70
  • Nov 18 Hilton Smith, American Baseball HOF pitcher (6 x NgL All Star; Monroe Monarchs, Kansas City Monarchs), dies at 76

George Headley (1909-1983)

Nov 30 West Indies cricket batsman (22 Tests; 2,190 runs @ 60.83; 10 x 100; Jamaica), dies at 74

  • Dec 2 Atholl Mckinnon, South African cricket spin bowler (8 Tests, 26 wickets), dies from a heart attack at 51
  • Dec 3 Al Watrous, American golfer (British Open 1926 runner-up), dies at 84
  • Dec 4 Bruce Drake, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (University of Oklahoma 1938-55, 200-181), dies at 77
  • Dec 17 Erik Christensen, NHL player

Jimmy Demaret (1910-1983)

Dec 28 American golfer (US Masters 1940, 47, 50), dies of a heart attack at 73