Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 1986

Jan 1 Bruce Norris, American Hockey Hall of Fame executive (owner Detroit Red Wings 1952-82), dies at 61
Jan 1 Marty Friedman, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard and coach (tied World C'ship series, New York Whirlwinds 1921), dies at 96

Bill Veeck (1914-1986)

Jan 2 American Baseball HOF executive (owner Chicago WS, Cleveland Indians [World Series 1948], St. Louis Browns), dies of lung cancer at 71

Jan 5 Ilmari Salminen, Finnish athlete (Olympic gold 10,000m 1936), dies at 83
Jan 15 James H "Jim" Crowley, US football player (Notre Dame), dies at 83
Jan 20 Franz Kemser, German 4 man bobsled (Olympic gold 1952), dies at 75
Jan 25 Dennis Smith, New Zealand cricket fast bowler (1 Test; lone wicket off first ball; Otago, Canterbury), dies at 73

Red Ruffing (1904-1986)

Feb 17 American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (6 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1932, 36–39, 41; NY Yankees), dies from stroke related problems at 80

Jacques Plante (1929-1986)

Feb 27 Canadian Ice Hockey goalie who was the first to wear a goaltender mask, dies of stomach cancer at 57

Mar 5 Teddy Hoad, West Indies cricket batsman, captain (4 Tests, Barbados), dies at 90
Mar 6 István Pelle, Hungarian gymnast (Olympic gold pommel horse & floor exercise 1932), dies at 78
Apr 5 Colin McCool, Australian cricket all-rounder (14 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 104no, 36 wickets, BB 5/41; NSW, Queensland, Somerset CCC), dies at 69
Apr 6 Raimundo Orsi, Argentine-born Italian soccer winger (13 caps Argentina, 35 Italy; Independiente, Juventus), dies at 84
Apr 17 Paul Costello, American rower (Olympic gold double sculls 1920, 24, 28), dies at 86
Apr 23 Jim Laker, English cricket spin bowler (46 Tests; 193 wickets; world best 19-90 4th Test v Australia 1956), dies from complications of gall bladder surgery at 64
Apr 24 Bill Edrich, English cricket all-rounder (39 Tests, 6 x 100, HS 219no, 41 wickets; MCC, Middlesex CCC), dies following a fall at 70
May 2 Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally driver (3 x World Rally C'ship round wins for Talbot, Opel, Porsche, Lancia), dies in a rally accident at 29

Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986)

May 9 Tibetan climber who was the 1st to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953 with Edmund Hillary, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 71

May 11 Fritz Pollard, early African American NFL star and coach, dies at 92
May 15 Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
May 17 Lyudmila Pakhomova, Russian ice dancer (World C'ship gold x 6; Olympic gold USSR 1976; with Alexandr Gorshkov), dies from leukemia at 39
Jun 2 Aurel Joliat, Canadian ice hockey player, dies at 84 (b. 1901)
Jun 13 Jim Ferrier, Australian golfer (PGA C'ship 1947), dies at 71
Jun 15 Keki Tarapore, Indian cricketer (Test for India 1948), killed by motor-scooter at 75
Jun 17 Kate Smith, American singer ("God Bless America"; "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain"), radio star, and NHL Philadelphia Flyers good luck charm, dies of respiratory arrest at 78
Jun 19 Len Bias, American basketball player (Boston Celtics pick for 1986 draft), dies of a cocaine-induced seizure at 22
Jun 26 Laurie Fishlock, cricketer (4 Tests for England), dies
Jun 27 Don Rogers, of Cleveland Browns, dies of cocaine poisoning
Jun 27 George Nepia, New Zealand rugby player, dies at 81
Jun 29 Jack Christiansen, American NFL football player. 1951-58 (Detroit Lions - 3 x Champion, 5 X Pro Bowl), NFL and college coach (San Francisco 49ers, Stanford University), dies after surgical complications at 57
Jul 2 Peanuts Lowrey, American baseball player, dies at 68
Jul 15 Billy Haughton, American harness driver and trainer (Hambletonian x 4; Little Brown Jug x 5; Messenger Stakes x 7), dies from head injuries in fall at Yonkers Raceway at 62
Jul 18 Stanley Rous, British soccer official (6th President FIFA 1961-74), dies at 91
Jul 24 Laurie Nash, Australian cricket fast-bowler (2 Tests, 10 wickets) and VFL player and coach (South Melbourne), dies at 76
Jul 25 Ted Lyons, American Baseball HOF pitcher (MLB All-Star 1939; AL wins leader 1925, 27; AL ERA leader 1942; no-hitter 1926; Chicago White Sox) and manager (Chicago WS 1926-28), dies at 85
Jul 28 Cliff Melton, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1942; NL saves leader 1937; NY Giants), dies at 74
Jul 28 Syd Curnow, South African cricket batsman (7 Tests, HS 47; Transvaal), dies at 78
Aug 3 Rupert de Smidt, South African cricketer (Western Province 1911-13), dies at 102
Aug 10 Don McRae, New Zealand cricket medium pace bowler (1 Test; Canterbury CA) and soccer goalkeeper (1 cap; Nomads United FC), dies at 71

Chuck McKinley (1941-1986)

Aug 11 American tennis player (1963 Wimbledon), dies of a brain tumor at 45

Aug 30 Ellis Achong, West Indian cricket spin bowler (6 Tests, 8 wickets; Trinidad; 1st of Chinese descent to play a Test match), dies at 82

Hank Greenberg (1911-1986)

Sep 4 American Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman (5 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1935, 45; AL MVP 1935, 40; Detroit Tigers), dies of cancer at 75

Oct 3 Vince DiMaggio, American baseball center fielder (MLB All Star 1943-44; Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 74
Oct 5 Mike Burgmann, Australian racing driver (b. 1947)
Oct 8 Walter Burkemo, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1953), dies at 67
Oct 11 Norm Cash, American baseball 1st baseman (5 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1968; AL batting champion 1961; Detroit Tigers), dies from drowning at 51
Oct 26 Jackson Scholz, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1920, 200m 1924), dies at 89
Nov 10 Francis "King" Clancy, Canadian NHL ice hockey defenseman, 1921-36, 3X Stanley Cup (Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs), referee (1938-49), coach, 1953-56 (Toronto), executive, and trophy namesake, dies of septic shock at 84
Nov 10 Gordon Richards, British jockey (26 x British flat racing Champion Jockey; 4,870 race wins), dies of a heart attack at 82
Nov 22 Dinny Pails, Australian tennis player (Australian C'ship 1947), dies at 65
Dec 1 Bobby Layne, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL champion 1952-53, 57; 6 x Pro Bowl; Detroit Lions), dies of cardiac arrest at 59
Dec 20 Joe DeSa, American baseball player (b. 1959)