Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 1997

Curt Flood (1938-1997)

Jan 20 American baseball player (St Louis Cards), dies of throat cancer at 59

Jan 22 Ian Munro, British medical journalist, humanitarian and cricketer, dies at 73
Jan 25 Jim Boyd, American boxer (Olympic gold light-heavyweight 1956), dies at 66
Jan 27 David Townsend, English cricket batsman (3 Tests, HS 36; Durham CCC), dies at 84
Feb 1 Ed Danowski, American football quarterback & halfback (NFL Championship 1934, 38; New York Giants; Pro Bowl 1938), dies at 85
Feb 2 Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (grandmaster 1952), dies at 83
Feb 19 Stan Pearson, English soccer inside forward (8 caps; Manchester United, Bury, Chester), dies at 76
Feb 20 Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist, dies of a heart attack while trying to save a distressed swimmer in Miami Beach at 36
Mar 6 Ed Furgol, American golfer (US Open 1954), dies at 79
Mar 13 Leo O'Brien, Australian cricket batsman (5 Tests; Victoria), dies at 89
Mar 20 Tony Zale, American boxer (World Middleweight Champion 1940-47, 48), dies at 83
Apr 3 Sergei Filatov, Soviet equestrian dressage (Olympic gold 1960), dies at 70
Apr 6 Jack Kent Cooke, Canadian entrepreneur, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins), dies at 84
Apr 7 Luis Aloma, Cuban baseball player, dies at 73
Apr 7 Sam Parks Jr., American golfer (US Open 1935), dies at 87
Apr 13 Foffie Williams, West Indian cricket all-rounder (4 Tests; 9 wickets, 1 x 50; Barbados), dies at 83
Apr 13 Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler, dies at age 94
Apr 23 Dennis Compton, England cricket batsman and footballer (5,807 Test runs, Arsenal 1950 FA Cup), dies at 78
Apr 30 Henry Picard, American golfer (Masters 1938, PGA 1939), dies at 90
May 3 Sébastien Enjolras, French racing driver, killed in a practice crash at 21
May 9 Bob Devaney, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (National C'ship, University of Nebraska 1970, 71; University of Wyoming; career record 136–30–7), dies at 82
May 16 Horace "Bones" McKinney, American basketball forward, coach and broadcaster (Washington Capitols, Wake Forest), dies at 78
May 25 Jay Hebert, American golfer (PGA Championship 1960), dies at 74
May 26 Erik Pausin, Austrian figure skater (Olympic silver pairs 1936; World C'ship silver x 5 [with sister Ilse Pausin]), dies at 77

Helen Jacobs (1908-1997)

Jun 2 American tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles titles, US Open 1932-35), dies of heart failure at 88

Jun 3 Dennis James, American wrestling announcer and TV host (PDQ), dies at 79
Jun 3 John Holt, West Indian cricket batsman (17 Tests, 1066 runs at 36.75; 2 x 100s), dies at 73
Jun 20 John Akii-bua, Ugandan athlete (Olympic gold 400m hurdles 1972), dies at 49

Don Hutson (1913-1997)

Jun 26 American College-Pro Football HOF end (Uni of Alabama; NFL MVP 1941, 42; 8 × First-team All-Pro, 4 × NFL All-Star; Green Bay Packers), dies at 84

Jun 30 Larry O'Day, Australian wrestler, dies of cancer at 53
Jul 6 Brun Smith, New Zealand cricket batsman (4 Tests @ 47.40), dies at 75
Jul 7 Jerry Doggett, American sportscaster, 1956-87 (Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers), dies at 80
Jul 20 Clifford McWatt, West Indian cricket wicketkeeper (6 Tests, 10 dismissals; British Guiana), dies in a car crash at 75
Jul 23 Chūhei Nambu, Japanese athlete (Olympic gold triple jump 1932; only person to have held WRs in both long jump & triple jump), dies at 93
Jul 24 Brian Glover, British actor and wrestler (Alien 3, Kes), dies of a brain tumor at 63
Jul 24 Frank Parker, American tennis player (4-time Grand Slam singles winner), dies at 81

Ben Hogan (1912-1997)

Jul 25 American golfer (9-time major title winner; US masters 1951, 53), dies of a stroke at 84

Aug 13 Emil 'Bus' Mosbacher, American yachtsman (America's Cup 1962 [Weatherly], 1967 [Intrepid]), dies at 75
Aug 16 Yanick Dupre, Canadian NHL left wing, dies of Leukemia at 24
Sep 2 Rudolf Bing, Austrian-born opera impresario (NY Metropolitan Opera manager, 1950-72), dies of complication of Alzheimer's disease and respiratory failure at 95
Sep 7 Bill Strannigan, American all-round athlete and basketball coach (Uni of Wyoming), dies at 78

Richie Ashburn (1927-1997)

Sep 9 American Baseball Hall of Fame infielder (6 × MLB All-Star; NL batting champion 1955, 58; Philadelphia Phillies) and sportscaster (Phillies TV 1963-71), dies of a heart attack at 70

Sep 23 Abe Gibron, head coach (Chicago Bears), dies at 72
Oct 5 Dave Marr, American golfer (PGA Championship 1965), and broadcaster, dies of stomach cancer at 63
Oct 6 Johnny Vander Meer, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1938-39, 42-43; World Series 1940; Cincinnati Reds), dies of an abdominal aneurysm at 82
Oct 8 Robin Lee, American figure skater, dies at 77
Oct 21 Dolph Camilli, Bkln Dodger/MVP (1941), dies at 90
Nov 2 Roy McMillan, American baseball infielder, coach and manager (MLB All Star 1956-57; Gold Glove 1957-59; Cincinnati Reds), dies of heart failure at 68
Nov 9 Helenio Herrera, French football player and coach (b. 1910)
Nov 11 Rodney Milburn, American athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1972), dies in a work accident at 49

Eddie Arcaro (1916-1997)

Nov 14 American Racing Hall of Fame jockey (Triple Crown 1941 Whirlaway, 1948 Citation), dies of liver cancer at 81

Nov 16 Headley Keith, South African cricket batsman (8 Tests @ 21.19; Natal), dies at 70
Nov 18 Joyce Wethered, British golfer (English Ladies' champion 1920–24), dies at 96
Nov 20 Dick Littlefield, American MLB pitcher, dies at 71
Nov 27 Buck Leonard, American Baseball HOF first baseman (Negro League World Series 1943, 44, 48 Homestead Grays; 13 x NL All Star), dies from stroke complications at 90
Nov 29 Heikki Savolainen, Finnish pommel horse gymnast (Olympic medalist, 1928-52, including gold, 1948), and medical doctor, dies at 90
Dec 2 Steve Hamilton, American baseball pitcher (New York Yankees) and basketball forward (Minneapolis Lakers), dies of cancer at 63
Dec 6 Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (WR 100m freestyle, 1:04.06 1933-56; Olympic gold 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies at 79
Dec 7 Billy Bremner, Scottish footballer (Leeds United), dies at 54 from a suspected heart attack
Dec 13 Harry Glaß, German ski jumper (Olympic bronze 1956), dies at 67
Dec 20 Dick Spooner, English cricket wicket-keeper (7 Tests; 12 dismissals), dies at 77
Dec 21 Bruce Woodcock, English boxer, European Heavyweight Champion, dies at 76
Dec 23 Keith Bentley, English international racing cyclist, dies at 72
Dec 29 Pat Clarke, British cyclist, dies at 82