- Jan 2 Jean de Gribaldy, French road cyclist & team director (Frimatic - Viva, Miko, Sem - France Loire), dies at 64
- Jan 4 Jack Martin, cricketer (Eng pace bowler, 1-111 & 0-18 in Test), dies
- Jan 5 Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian-born Canadian cross-country skier (b. 1875)
- Jan 8 Nana Joshi, Indian cricket wicket-keeper (12 tests, 27 dismissals, 1 x 50; Maharashtra CC), dies at 60
- Jan 10 Håkan Malmrot, Swedish swimmer (Olympic gold 200m & 400m breaststroke 1920), dies at 86
- Jan 20 Tom Dollery, cricketer (4 Tests for Eng 1947-50), dies
- Jan 27 Allison Danzig, American sports writer (tennis specialist), dies at 88
- Feb 2 Carlos Castilho, Brazilian soccer goalkeeper (25 caps; Fluminense FC 697 games) and manager (Santos FC, SE Palmeiras), dies by suicide at 59
- Feb 5 E. Michael Burke, sports executive (President New York Yankees, New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden), dies at 70
- Feb 9 Larry French, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1940; Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs; Brooklyn Dodgers), dies at 79
- Feb 13 Milford "Curly" Page, New Zealand cricket batsman and captain (14 Tests, 1 x 100, 2x 50, 5 wickets) and rugby union halfback (Canterbury RU), dies at 84
Bobby Locke (1917-1987)
Mar 9 South African golfer (British Open 1949-50, 52, 57), dies of meningitis at 69
Henri Cochet (1901-1987)
Apr 1 French tennis player (French Open 1926, 28, 30, 32; Wimbledon 1927, 29; US Open 1928), dies at 85
- Apr 3 Tom Sestak, American football player (b. 1936)
- May 1 Bobo Holloman, American baseball pitcher (no-hitter on MLB debut 1953; St. Louis Browns), dies of a heart attack at 64
- May 3 Dicky Fuller, cricketer (one Test for WI 1935, one run, 0-12), dies
- May 13 Ron Saggers, Australian cricket wicket-keeper (effective NSW & Aussie late 40's), dies at 69
Ralph Guldahl (1911-1987)
Jun 11 American golfer (US Masters 1939, US Open 1937-38), dies at 75
- Jun 14 Les Favell, Australian cricketer (757 runs for Australia), dies at 57
- Jun 15 J A K Cochrane, cricketer (Test for South Africa 1931), dies
- Jun 16 John Mikaelsson, Swedish race walker (Olympic gold 10k 1948, 52), dies at 73
- Jun 17 Dick Howser, American baseball shortstop (MLB All Star All-Star 1961, 61²; KC A's) and manager (World Series 1977, 78 NY Yankees; KC Royals 1985), dies of brain cancer at 51
- Jun 24 Hines Johnson, West Indian cricket fast bowler (3 Tests; first WI fast bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test), dies at 76
- Jun 26 Glen Hall, South African cricketer (Test for South Africa 1965), commits suicide at 49
- Jun 30 Jackie Fields, American featherweight boxer (2x World Welterweight Champion, Olympic gold 1924), dies at 79
- Jun 30 Thor Thorvaldsen, Norwegian yachtsman (Olympic gold dragon class 1948, 52), dies at 78
- Jul 11 Avi Ran, Israeli footballer (b. 1963)
- Jul 11 Thomas F Waddell, founder (Gay Olympics), dies of AIDS at 50
- Jul 15 Jack O'Hagan, cricketer and composer (Our Don Bradman), dies at 88
- Jul 17 Kristjan Palusalu, Estonian wrestler (Olympic gold Greco-Roman, freestyle heavyweight 1936), dies at 79
- Jul 22 A G Kripal Singh, cricketer (14 Tests for India), dies
- Jul 27 Travis Jackson, American Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop (World Series 1933; MLB All Star 1934; NY Giants), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 83
- Jul 29 Arthur Chipperfield, cricketer (14 Tests for Australia), dies
- Aug 23 Didier Pironi, French auto racer who won 24 Hours of Le Mans 1978; winner 3 x Formula 1 GP, dies in power boat accident at 35
- Aug 24 Malcolm Kirk "King Kong Kirk", English professional wrestler, dies of a heart attack in the ring at 51
- Aug 26 John Goddard, West Indian cricket all-rounder and captain (27 Tests @ 30.67; 33 wickets; Barbados), dies at 68
- Sep 5 Bill Bowes, English cricketer (Bodyline bowler, 68 wkts for England), dies at 79
- Oct 17 Roderich Menzel, Czech tennis player (French Open singles 1938 runner-up; US Open mixed doubles 1935 runner-up), dies at 80
- Oct 19 Hermann Lang, German race car driver (b. 1909)
- Oct 27 Vijay Merchant, Indian cricket batsman (10 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 154; Bombay CC), dies at 76
- Nov 16 Jim Brewer, American baseball relief pitcher (World Series 1965; MLB All Star 1973; LA Dodgers), dies of injuries suffered in car accident at 50
Jacques Anquetil (1934-1987)
Nov 18 French road cyclist (Tour de France 1957, 61-64; first 5-time winner), dies of stomach cancer at 53
- Nov 27 Babe Herman, American baseball right fielder (.324 career average; hit for cycle record x 3; Brooklyn Robins), dies at 84
- Dec 1 Punch Imlach, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame coach and general manager (Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres), dies of a heart attack at 69
- Dec 8 José Casanova, Peruvian soccer midfielder (10 caps; Alianza Lima), dies in Alianza Lima air disaster at 23
- Dec 8 José González, Peruvian soccer goalkeeper (20 caps; Alianza Lima), dies in Alianza Lima air disaster at 33
- Dec 8 Marcos Calderón, Peruvian soccer coach (Peru 1975-79; Copa América 1975), dies in Alianza Lima air disaster at 59
- Dec 22 Henry Cotton, English golfer (British Open 1934, 1937, 1948), dies at 80
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