Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 1985

Eddie Shore (1902-1985)

Mar 16 Canadian ice hockey player and NHL hall of famer (Boston Bruins), dies of a lung infection at 82

Mar 17 Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer (Indian all-rounder, 31 Tests 1947-58), dies at 59
Mar 29 Gerhard Stöck, German athlete (Olympic gold javelin, bronze shot put 1936), dies at 73
Apr 5 Tyrell Johnson, West Indian cricketer (WI left-arm quickie, one Test 1939), dies at 68
Apr 11 Bunny Ahearne, British ice hockey promoter, dies at 84
May 6 Pete Desjardins, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, 3m springboard 1928), dies at 78
May 18 Harald Andersson, Swedish discus thrower (world record 52.42m 1934), dies at 78
May 29 39 people die in a confrontation at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium when Juventus and Italian fans are crushed against a wall escaping a breach by Liverpool fans
Jun 10 Bob Prince, American sportscaster (Monday Night Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates), dies of cancer at 68
Jun 15 Andy Stanfield, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x100m relay 1952, silver 200m 1956; WR 200m: 20.60 1952), dies at 57
Jun 15 Len Hopwood, cricketer (took 0-155 in two Tests Eng v Aust 1934), dies
Jun 15 Percy Fender, English cricket all-rounder (13 Tests, 29 wickets, BB 5/90, HS 60; Sussex CCC, Surrey CCC, MCC), dies at 92
Jun 22 Pat Hales, English tennis player (US C'ships women's singles 1955 runner-up; French C'ship doubles 1955, 60 & Wimbledon doubles 1955 runner-up), dies at 56
Jun 28 Jimmy Thomson, Scottish golfer (US Open 1935, PGA C'ship 1936 runner-up), dies at 76
Jul 2 David Purley, British Formula 1 driver (b. 1945)
Jul 3 Cooney Weiland, Canadian ice hockey coach (Stanley Cup 1941 Boston Bruins; Harvard Uni) and NHL forward (Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings), dies at 80
Jul 3 Frank J. Selke, Canadian Hockey HOF executive (9 x Stanley Cup Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens), dies at 92
Jul 22 Matti Järvinen, Finnish javelin thrower (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 76
Jul 23 Johnny Wardle, English cricketer (b. 1923)
Jul 27 'Smoky' Joe Wood, American baseball pitcher/outfielder (World Series 1912, 15, 20; MLB wins leader 34–5 1912; pitched no-hitter 1911; Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians), dies at 95
Jul 31 Murray Chapple, New Zealand cricket batsman (14 Tests, 3 x 50; Canterbury, Central Districts), dies at 55
Aug 2 Sandy Bell, South African cricket fast bowler (16 Tests, 48 wickets, BB 6/99; Western Province, Rhodesia), dies at 79
Aug 9 Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league fullback (37 Tests; NSW 27 games; South Sydney; RL "Immortal") and coach (Australia 29 Tests, South Sydney), dies at 58
Aug 12 Manfred Winkelhock, German race car driver (b. 1951)
Aug 15 Joe Carveth, Canadian ice hockey right wing (NHL All Star 1950; Stanley Cup 1943, 50 Detroit Red Wings; Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens), dies at 67
Aug 22 Ginty Lush, Australian cricketer (NSW quickie of 30's), dies at 71
Sep 1 Stefan Bellof, German race car driver (b. 1957)
Sep 2 Abe Lenstra, Dutch soccer striker (47 caps; SC Heerenveen 395 games, SC Enschede, Enschedese Boys), dies at 64
Sep 7 Frank "Bruiser" Kinard, American College-Pro Football HOF tackle (Ole Miss; 6 × First-team All-Pro; 5 × NFL All-Star; Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers, Fleet City, NY Yankees), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 70
Sep 9 Rod Funseth, American golfer (US Masters runner-up 1978), dies from cancer at 52 [1]
Sep 10 Jock Stein, Scottish soccer manager (Dunfermline Athletic, Hibernian, Scotland [1965, 78-85], Celtic, Leeds United), dies from a pulmonary edema at 62
Oct 13 Jack Wilson, Australian cricket spin bowler (1 Test; 43 wickets on England Tour 1956), dies at 64
Oct 24 Richie Evans, American auto racer (9 x NASCAR Modified Champion 1973, 78-85), dies in practice accident at 44
Oct 26 Bob Scheffing, American baseball catcher (Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds), manager (Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers) and executive (GM NY Mets 1970-74), dies at 72
Oct 31 Anton Christoforidis, Greek boxer (NBA light heavyweight title 1941), dies of a heart attack at 68
Oct 31 Nikos Engonopoulos, Greek surrealist painter and poet (Do Not Distract the Driver), dies of a heart attack at 78
Nov 1 Arnold Pihlak, Estonian soccer forward (44 caps; FK Austria Wien), dies at 83
Nov 2 Fred Enke, American College basketball coach (University of Arizona 1925–1961, record 522–344), dies at 88
Nov 8 Masten Gregory, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1961, 65 [Jochen Rindt]), dies at 53
Nov 8 Nicolas Frantz, Luxembourgish road cyclist (Tour de France 1927-28), dies at 86
Nov 11 Pelle Lindbergh, Swedish NHL goaltender, 1981-86, Vezina Award winner (Philadelphia Flyers), dies after drunk driving collision between his Porsche and wall at 26
Nov 19 Lall Singh, Indian cricketer (Test for India 1932), dies at 75
Nov 21 Ramnath Kenny, Indian cricketer (5 Tests for India 1958-60), dies at 55
Nov 24 Maurice Podoloff, American attorney, professional sports administrator (AHL President, 1936-52; NBA President, 1946-63), and namesake of NBA regular season MVP Award, dies at 95
Nov 25 Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (b. 1926)
Nov 28 Johnny "Blood" McNally, American Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback and coach (NFL champion 1929-31, 36; Green Bay Packers), dies from a stroke at 82
Dec 6 Burleigh Grimes, American Baseball HOF pitcher (World Series 1931 St. Louis Cardinals; NL wins leader 1921, 28; NL strikeout leader 1921 Brooklyn Robins, Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 92
Dec 14 Charlie Bachman, American College Football Hall of Fame guard and coach (Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan State), dies at 93