Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 1989

Bill Terry (1898-1989)

Jan 9 American Baseball HOF first baseman (MLB All-Star 1933–35; World Series 1933; NL batting champion 1930; NY Giants) and manager (NY Giants 1932-41), dies at 90

Jan 15 Wilf Slack, English cricketer, dies while playing cricket in Gambia at 34
Jan 21 Carl Furillo, American baseball outfielder (NL Batting Champ 1953; MLB All-Star 1952, 53; World Series 1955, 59; Brooklyn/LA Dodgers), dies from leukemia at 66
Jan 22 Willie Wells, American Baseball HOF shortstop (10 NgL All Star; 2 × Cuban League MVP; Chicago American Giants, Newark Eagles), dies at 82
Jan 24 George Knudson, Canadian golfer (8 PGA Tour titles; Masters 1969 runner-up), dies of lung cancer at 51
Jan 29 Halina Konopacka, Polish discus thrower (Olympic gold 1928), dies at 88
Feb 2 Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (Olympic gold men's singles 1972; World C'ships gold 1971, 72, 73), dies from cancer of the lymph nodes at 38
Feb 3 Glenna Collett-Vare, American golfer (6-time US Amateur champion), dies at 85
Feb 6 Nuno Oliveira, Portuguese equestrian, horse trainer, dressage instructor, author ('baroque' or 'classical' style), dies at 63
Feb 10 Dan Kelly, Canadian-born NHL sportscaster ("He shoots, he scores!"), dies of cancer at 52,
Feb 17 Lefty Gomez, American Baseball HOF pitcher (7 × MLB All-Star; 5 × World Series; Triple Crown 1934, 37; NY Yankees), dies of congestive heart failure at 80
Feb 21 Alex Thépot, French footballer (b. 1906)
Mar 18 Piet Kruiver, Dutch soccer player, dies at 51
Apr 6 Elizabeth Becker-Pinkston, American platform diver (Olympic gold 1924 and 1928), dies at 86

Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989)

Apr 12 American boxer (world welterweight champion 1946-51; middleweight champion 1951-52, 55, 58), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 67

Apr 14 Lance Pierre, West Indian cricketer (Test WI v Engl 1948, DNB, 7 overs 0-28), dies at 67
Apr 16 John "Jocko" Conlan, American Baseball HOF umpire (National League 1941-65), dies after heart surgery at 89
Apr 20 H.B. "Toby" Halicki, American filmmaker, stunt driver, and actor (Gone In 60 Seconds), killed by felled telephone pole while filming a stunt at 48
Apr 24 Franz Binder, Austrian soccer striker and manager (19 caps Austria, 9 caps Germany; Rapid Vienna), dies at 77
May 5 Frank Easton, cricket wicket-keeper (NSW 1933-39), dies
May 6 Earl Blaik, American College Football coach (NCAA C'ship 1944–46; AFCA Coach of the Year 1946; Army) and executive (AD Army 1948–59, dies at 92
May 14 Joe Primeau, Canadian Hockey HOF center (Stanley Cup, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy 1931–32; Toronto Maple Leafs) and coach (Stanley Cup 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 83
May 26 Don Revie, English soccer forward (6 caps; Leicester City, Hull City, Manchester City, Sunderland, Leeds) and manager (Leeds, England, UAE), dies from MND at 61
May 30 Zinka Milanov (née Kunc), Croatian soprano (Ljubljana Opera 1927-34; NY Metropolitan Opera, 1937-66), dies of a stroke at 83
Jun 2 Dick Mayer, American golfer (US Open 1957), dies from alcoholism complications at 64
Jun 2 Ted à Beckett, Australian cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 3 wickets; Victoria), dies at 81
Jun 3 John McCauley, American NHL official, dies at 44
Jun 7 Chico Landi, Brazilian auto racer (6 x F1 GP; first Brazilian to driver in a F1 GP, and to score points; Mil Milhas Brasil 1960), dies at 81
Jun 7 Percy Stuart, Suriname/Dutch sports journalist, dies
Jun 11 Jack McMahon, American basketball guard and coach (player Rochester Royal, St. Louis Hawks; coach Cincinnati Royals, San Diego Rockets, Pittsburgh Condors), dies at 60
Jun 15 (William) "Judy" Johnson, American Baseball HOF third baseman (NgL World Series 1925 Hilldale AC; NgL All-Star 1933, 1936 Pittsburgh Crawfords), dies at 89
Jun 17 John Matuszak, American NFL defensive end, 1973-82 (Oakland Raiders and 3 other teams), and actor (Caveman; The Goonies), dies of an accidental propoxyphene overdose at 38
Jun 19 Ad van Emmenes, Dutch soccer reporter, dies at 91
Jun 21 Lee Calhoun, American athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1956, 60), dies at 56
Jul 15 Laurie Cunningham, English soccer left winger (6 caps; Orient, West Bromwich Albion, Real Madrid, Marseille, Rayo Vallecano), dies in a car crash at 33
Jul 18 Donnie Moore, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1985 California Angels), dies by suicide at 35
Jul 23 Claude Harmon, American golfer (US Masters 1948), dies of heart failure at 73
Aug 12 Samuel Okwaraji, Nigerian footballer (b. 1964)
Aug 13 Tim Richmond, American race car driver (won 13 NASCAR races), dies of AIDS at 34
Aug 18 Imry Németh, Hungarian athlete (Olympic gold hammer throw 1948, bronze 1952; WR 1959 59.88m), dies at 72
Aug 30 Joe Collins, American baseball first baseman (World Series 1949–53, 56; New York Yankees), dies at 66
Sep 1 A. Bartlett Giamatti, American MLB Commissioner (1989) and President of Yale University (1978-86), dies of a heart attack at 51
Sep 3 Gaetano Scirea, Italian soccer defender (78 caps, FIFA World Cup 1982; Juventus 377 games), dies in a car accident at 36
Sep 3 Rip Sewell, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1943–46; NL wins leader 1943; Pittsburgh Pirates 1938–49), dies at 82
Sep 10 Jeff Stollmeyer, West Indian cricket batsman (32 Tests 4 x 100, HS 160; Trinidad & Tobago) and executive (President WI Board of Control 1974-81), dies from wounds suffered in home invasion at 68
Sep 14 Eddie McLeod, New Zealand cricketer (one Test for NZ), dies at 88
Sep 15 Harry Cave, New Zealand cricketer (New Zealand captain 1955-56), dies at 66
Sep 19 Willie Steele, American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1948), dies at 66
Sep 20 Richie Ginther, American racing driver, dies from a heart attack at 59
Sep 29 August A. "Gussie" Busch Jr., American brewing magnate (chairman Anheuser-Busch 1946-75) and baseball executive (owner St. Louis Cardinals 1953-89), dies at 90
Oct 3 Hans Deutgen, Swedish archer (World C'ship gold individual 1947, 48, 49, 50; team 1948), dies at 72
Oct 3 Norman Yardley, English cricket batsman and captain (20 Tests; Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1948), dies of a stroke at 74

Secretariat (1970-1989)

Oct 4 American thoroughbred race horse (Triple Crown, 1973), euthanized while suffering from laminitis at 19

Oct 22 Tony Manero, American golfer (US Open 1936), dies at 84
Oct 26 Andy Roberts, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (7 Tests, 1 x 50, 4 wickets; Northern Districts, Waikato, Hamilton & Bay of Plenty), dies at 42
Oct 28 Darel Dieringer, American auto racer (181 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races for 7 wins and 79 top 10 finishes), dies at 63
Nov 13 Victor Davis, Canadian swimmer (b. 1964)
Nov 22 Vijay Rajindernath, Indian cricketer wicket keeper, dies at 61
Nov 25 Ratu Sir George Cakobau, Fiji cricketer/Gov-General, dies
Nov 29 Sir G O "Gubby" Allen, English cricket all-rounder (25 Tests; refused to bowl 'Bodyline' tactics 1932), dies of complications after stomach surgery at 87
Dec 3 Fernando Martín, Spanish basketball center (first Spaniard in NBA 1986, Portland Trail Blazers; FIBA Club World Cup 1981, Real Madrid), dies in a car accident at 27
Dec 16 Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Argentine racing driver (b. 1913)

Billy Martin (1928-1989)

Dec 25 American baseball 2nd baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees), killed in a car accident at 61

Doug Harvey (1924-1989)

Dec 26 Canadian Hockey HOF defenseman (Stanley Cup 1953, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 Montreal Canadiens; James Norris Trophy x 7; 10 x NHL First All Star), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 65