- May 1 Al Jamison, American football offensive lineman (AFL All Star 1961, 62; AFL C'ship 1960, 61; Houston Oilers), dies at 83
Bobby Unser (1934-2021)
May 2 American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1968, 1975, 1981; USAC C'ship 1968, 1974), dies at 87
- May 3 Rafael Albrecht, Argentine soccer defender (39 caps; San Lorenzo, Club León), dies from COVID-19 at 79
- May 4 Alan McLoughlin, Irish soccer midfielder (42 caps Rep of Ireland; Swindon Town, Portsmouth), dies from cancer at 54
- May 4 Bertil Johansson, Swedish soccer striker (5 caps; IFK Göteborg 267 games) and manager (IFK Göteborg), dies at 86
- May 4 Margaret Forsyth, New Zealand netball goal attack (NZ 1979-87; World Cup gold 1979, 87) and coach (Waikato BOP Magic), dies from cancer at 59
- May 4 Ray Miller, American baseball manager (Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles), dies at 76
- May 5 Del Crandall, American baseball catcher (11 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1957; 4 × Gold Glove Award; Boston/Milwaukee Braves) and manager (Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners), dies at 91
- May 6 Carlos Timoteo Griguol, Argentine soccer midfielder (Atlanta, Rosario Central) and manager (Ferro Carril Oeste, Real Betis, River Plate), dies from COVID-19 at 84
- May 7 Martín Pando, Argentine soccer forward (11 caps; Argentinos Juniors, River Plate), dies at 86
- May 8 Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian soccer centre-back (77 caps; CSKA Sofia, Saint-Étienne), dies from cancer at 62
- May 10 Néstor Montelongo, Uruguayan soccer utility (36 caps; Montevideo Wanderers, Peñarol, Nacional, Racing), dies at 66
- May 12 Higinio Vélez, Cuban baseball manager (Olympic gold 2004; Santiago de Cuba, Cuban National Series 1999–2001), dies from COVID-19 at 73
- May 12 Jerry Burns, American football coach (University of Iowa 1961-65; Minnesota Vikings 1986-91), dies at 94
- May 13 Nelson Marcenaro, Uruguayan soccer defender (8 caps; Mundialito 1980; Progreso, Portuguesa, Peñarol, Emelec), dies from a heart attack at 68
- May 14 Olga Domuladzhanova, Russian boxer (World amateur heavyweight gold 2001), dies from COVID-19 at 52
- May 14 Torkild Brakstad, Norwegian soccer defender (3 caps; Molde) and coach (Molde, Tromsø, Rosenborg), dies at 75
- May 15 Fred Martinelli, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Ashland University 1959-93), dies at 92
- May 16 Rildo da Costa Menezes, Brazilian soccer defender (38 caps; Santos, CEUB, New York Cosmos), dies at 79
- May 17 Héctor Silva, Argentine rugby union number 8 (24 caps; Los Tilos) and coach (Argentina 1985-87), dies from COVID-19 at 76
- May 17 Joe Mercer, English thoroughbred race horse jockey (British flat racing Champion Jockey 1979), dies at 86
- May 18 Arthur Hills, American golf course designer (designed and renovated more than 200 new courses), dies at 91
- May 18 Rennie Stennett, Panamanian baseball infielder (World Series 1979; SF Giants; one of 3 players to collect 7 hits in a MLB game), dies from cancer at 70
- May 19 Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men's 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), dies from stroke complications at 74
- May 20 Sándor Puhl, Hungarian soccer referee (1994 FIFA World Cup Final; 1997 UEFA Champions League Final; IFFHS World's Best Referee 1994-97), dies at 65
- May 23 Bob Fulton, Australian rugby league five eighth (35 Tests; Manly, Warrington, Easts; RL "Immortal") and coach (39 Tests Australia; Manly, Easts), dies from cancer at 73
- May 23 Max Mosley, British auto racer and lawyer (President Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile [FIA] 1993-2009), dies from cancer at 81
- May 23 Ron Hill, British athlete (Boston Marathon, 1970; Commonwealth Games marathon gold, 1970), dies at 82
- May 24 Dmitry Mindiashvili, Soviet and Russian wrestling coach (coach Olympic champions Ivan Yariguin 1972, 76 and Buvaisar Satiev (1992, 96, 2004), dies from pneumonia at 87
- May 25 J. D. Roberts, American College Football Hall of Fame guard (University of Oklahoma; Outland Trophy 1953) and coach (New Orleans Saints), dies at 88
- May 26 Tarcisio Burgnich, Italian soccer defender (66 caps; Internazionale 358 games) and manager (Como, Genoa), dies at 82
- May 28 Mark Eaton, American basketball center (NBA All-Star 1989; NBA Defensive Player of the Year 1985, 89; Utah Jazz), dies after a bicycle accident at 64
- May 29 Keith Mullings, American boxer (WBC and lineal light middleweight titles 1998), dies at 53
- May 30 Frank Navarro, American college football coach (Williams College, Columbia University, Princeton University), dies at 91
- May 30 Jason Dupasquier, Swiss motorcycle racer, dies of injuries incurred in Italian motorcycle Grand Prix at 19
- May 31 Colin Appleton, English soccer midfielder (Leicester City 277 games) and manager (Hull City, Swansea City, Exeter City), dies at 85
- May 31 Leon Burtnett, American college football coach (Purdue University 1982-86; Big Ten Coach of the Year 1984), dies at 78
- May 31 Mike Marshall, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1974, 75; NL Cy Young Award 1974; Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves), dies at 78
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions