- May 6 Gaston Reiff, Belgian athlete (Olympic gold 5,000m 1948), dies at 71
- May 8 Gul Mohammad, Pakistani cricket batsman (9 Tests [8 India, 1 Pakistan], HS 34, 2 wickets; Baroda), dies at 70
- May 12 Joe Burke, American baseball executive (president KC Royals 1981-92), dies from lymphatic cancer at 68
- May 14 Lyle Alzado, NFL defensive linesman (LA Raiders) and actor (Oceans of Fire, Hangfire), dies of cancer at 43
- May 15 Jovy Marcelo, Filipino race car driver, killed during a practice run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 27
- May 17 Warren Neal Boxer, dies of AIDS at 34
- May 25 Danny Biasone, American founder of the Syracuse Nationals (persuaded NBA to use 24 second clock), dies at 83
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions