Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2008

Edmund Hillary (1919-2008)

Jan 11 New Zealand explorer and mountaineer who was 1st to scale Mount Everest with Tenzing Norgay, dies from a heart attack at 88

Jan 13 Johnny Podres, American baseball player (b. 1932)

Bobby Fischer (1943-2008)

Jan 17 American chess player (world champion 1972-75), dies of renal failure at 64

Jan 17 Ernie Holmes, American football player (b. 1948)
Jan 18 Georgia Frontiere, American businesswoman (co-owner Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams 1979–2008), dies at 80
Jan 19 Don Wittman, Canadian sportscaster for CBC (b. 1936)
Feb 6 Tony Rolt, English auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1953; British Empire Trophy 1939), dies at 89
Feb 23 Paul Frère, Belgian race car driver and motorsport journalist (b. 1917)
Feb 27 Myron Cope, American sports broadcaster (b. 1929)
Feb 29 Jerry Groom, American College Football HOF center (Notre Dame; NFL Pro Bowl 1954; Chicago Cardinals), dies at 78
Mar 3 Norman O'Neill, Australian cricket batsman (42 Tests @ 45.55, 6 x 100s; NSW CA), dies at 71
Mar 14 Taslim Arif, Pakistan cricket wicket-keeper (6 Tests; top score 210no v Aust 1980), dies of lung infection at 53
Mar 15 Ken Reardon, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman and executive (Stanley Cup 1946; NHL All-Star 1946-50; Montreal Canadiens), dies at 86
Mar 16 Bill Brown, Australian cricket batsman (22 Tests, 4 x 100, HS 206no; NSWCA, Queensland), dies at 95
Mar 20 Eric Ashton, English rugby league footballer (b. 1935)
Mar 21 Merv Wallace, New Zealand cricket batsman and captain (13 Tests, 5 x 50; Auckland), dies at 91
Mar 25 Ben Carnevale, American basketball coach (b. 1915)
Mar 27 Jean-Marie Balestre, French president of motor sport's FIA, dies at 86
Mar 31 Bill Keightley, American college basketball equipment manager known as "Mr. Wildcat" (University of Kentucky, 1962-2008), dies at 81
Apr 3 Hrvoje Ćustić, Croatian football player (b. 1983)
Apr 12 Cecilia Colledge, British figure skater (World C'ship gold ladies singles 1937; Olympic silver 1936; first female to land a two rotation jump), dies at 87
Apr 14 Tommy Holmes, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1945, 48; NL HR leader 1945; Boston Braves) and manager (Boston Braves), dies at 91
Apr 22 Cameron Argetsinger, American auto racing executive (created Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course; F1 US Grand Prix 1961-80), dies from a stroke at 87
Apr 22 Dora Ratjen, German man who posed as a female high jumper (Olympic 4th 1936), dies at 89
Apr 22 Ed Chynoweth, Canadian ice hockey executive, dies at 66
May 1 Buzzie Bavasi, American MLB executive (Brooklyn & LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, California Angels), dies at 93
May 8 François Sterchele, Belgian football player (b. 1982)
May 9 Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league footballer and coach, dies at 79
May 11 Bruno Neves, Portuguese cyclist, dies in competition at 26
May 15 Ray Wilson, English footballer (1966 World Cup team), dies at 83
May 15 Robert Dunlop, Northern Irish motorcycle racer, younger brother of Joey Dunlop, dies after a crash at 47
May 15 Tommy Burns, Scottish soccer midfielder (8 caps; Celtic, Kilmarnock) and manager (Scotland, Celtic, Kilmarnock, Reading), dies of melanoma at 51
May 30 Boris Shakhlin, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold, 1956, 1960, 1964; World Champion, 1958; European Champion, 1955), dies at 76
Jun 7 Jim McKay, American sportscaster (ABC's Wide World of Sports; American Sportscasters Association HOF), dies at 86
Jun 11 Miroslav Dvořák, Czech ice hockey defenseman (World C'ship gold 1976, 77; Olympic silver 1976; Philadelphia Flyers, TJ Motor České Budějovice), dies from throat cancer at 56
Jun 11 Ove Andersson, Swedish rally driver (b. 1938)
Jun 12 Derek Tapscott, Welsh footballer (b. 1932)
Jun 16 Tom Compernolle, Belgian athlete (b. 1975)
Jun 19 Bennie Swain, American basketball player (b. 1930)
Jun 21 Scott Kalitta, American drag racer (b. 1962)
Jun 22 Jane McGrath, British-Australian cancer support campaigner (wife of Australian Test cricketer Glenn McGrath), dies from cancer at 42
Jun 24 Viktor Kuzkin, Soviet ice hockey player (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72), dies at 67
Jul 1 John Pont, American college football coach (Miami, Yale, Northwestern, Indiana), dies at 80
Jul 4 Terrence Kiel, American Football Player (b. 1980)
Jul 5 Hasan Doğan, 37th president of the Turkish Football Federation (b. 1956)
Jul 10 Mike Souchak, American golfer (15 PGA Tour titles; Ryder Cup 1959, 61), dies of a heart attack at 81
Jul 12 Bobby Murcer, American baseball outfielder (5-time MLB All Star), dies of brain cancer at 62
Jul 15 Gyorgy Kolonics, Hungarian canoeist, Olympics medalist. (b. 1972)
Jul 19 Eddie Fuller, South African cricket fast bowler (7 Tests, 22 wickets, BB 5/66; Western Province, Cumbria CCC), dies at 76
Aug 1 Ashok Mankad, Indian cricket batsman (22 Tests, 6 x 50; Bombay), dies at 61
Aug 8 Frank Cornish, American NFL center/guard, 1990-95 (San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and 3 other teams), dies of heart disease at 40
Aug 8 Orville Moody, American golfer (US Open 1969), dies of multiple myeloma at 74
Aug 13 Dino Toso, Italian Dutch Formula-1 engineer, dies of cancer at 39
Aug 13 Roy Prosser, Australian rugby union prop (25 caps; Northern Suburbs), dies at 66
Aug 15 James Orthwein, American businessman (owner of the New England Patriots), dies at 84
Aug 15 Vic Toweel, South African boxer (undisputed world bantamweight champion), dies at 79
Aug 16 Elena Leuṣtean, Romanian gymnast and Olympic medalist (b. 1935)
Aug 20 Gene Upshaw, American NFL guard (Oakland Radiers) and NFLPA leader, dies at 63
Aug 25 Kevin Duckworth, American basketball center (NBA All-Star 1989, 91; Portland Trail Blazers), dies of heart failure at 44
Aug 28 Phil Hill, American auto racer (F1 world champion 1961; 24 Hours of Le Mans 1958, 61, 62), dies at 81
Aug 30 Tommy Bolt, American golfer (US Open 1958), dies at 92
Sep 6 Sören Nordin, Swedish harness racing driver and trainer (b. 1917)
Sep 7 Don Haskins, American College Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Texas El Paso 1961-99; NCAA Tournament 1966), dies at 78
Sep 8 Evan Tanner, American mixed martial arts fighter and UFC Champion, dies of heat exposure in the California desert at 37
Sep 24 Mickey Vernon, American baseball first baseman (7 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1960; AL batting champion 1946, 53), dies at 90

Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Sep 26 American actor (Hud, Hombre, Hustler), auto racer and team owner (Newman/Haas Racing) and charity food company founder (Newman's Own), dies of lung cancer at 83

Sep 28 Andrzej Badeński, Polish athlete (400 metres)
Oct 3 Zulfiqar Ahmed, Pakistani cricket pace bowler (9 Tests, 20 wickets; Punjab, Bahawalpur), dies at 81
Oct 9 Albert Hall, American hammer throw athlete, dies at 74
Oct 10 Sid Hudson, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1941, 42; Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox), dies at 93
Oct 13 Alexei Cherepanov, Russian hockey player (b. 1989)
Oct 15 Chris Mims, American NFL defensive end, 1992-99 (San Diego Chargers; Washington Redskins), dies of cardiomegaly (enlarge heart) at 38
Oct 15 Tom Tresh, American baseball utility (MLB All-Star 1962, 63; AL Rookie of Year & World Series 1962 NY Yankees), dies from a heart attack at 70
Oct 19 Doreen Wilber, American archer (Olympic gold individual 1972), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 78
Oct 20 Gene Hickerson, American football Hall of Famer (b. 1935)
Nov 3 Alan Ford, American swimmer (world 100m freestyle record 55.4; Olympic silver 1948), dies of emphysema at 84
Nov 7 Hedley Howarth, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (30 Tests, 86 wickets; Auckland CA), dies of cancer at 64
Nov 9 Preacher Roe, American baseball pitcher (5 × MLB All-Star Brooklyn Dodgers; NL strikeout leader 1945 Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 92
Nov 11 Herb Score, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1955, 56; Cleveland Indians) and announcer (Cleveland Indians 1964-97), dies at 75
Nov 15 Glen Brand, American wrestler (Olympic gold middleweight 1948), dies at 85
Nov 17 Pete Newell, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Uni of San Francisco, Michigan State Uni; NCAA men's C'ship 1959, Cal Berkeley; Olympic gold 1960), dies at 93
Nov 19 Carole Caldwell Graebner, American tennis player (US Open doubles 1965, Australian Open doubles 1966), dies of cancer at 65
Nov 27 Paul Hibbert, Australian cricketer (one Test Aust v India 1977, scored 13 & 2), dies at 56
Dec 2 (Edward) "Ted" Rogers, Canadian entrepreneur (Rogers Communications), MLB team owner (Toronto Blue Jays), and philanthropist, dies of congestive heart failure at 75
Dec 9 Ibrahim Dossey, Ghanaian football player (b. 1972)
Dec 13 John Drake, New Zealand rugby union footballer (b. 1959)
Dec 17 Dave Smith, American baseball player (b. 1955)

Sammy Baugh (1914-2008)

Dec 17 American College/Pro Football quarterback (TCU; NFL C'ship 1937, 42; 4 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; 4 × NFL passing yards leader; Washington Redskins), dies at 94