Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2005

Max Schmeling (1905-2005)

Feb 2 German boxer (world heavyweight champion 1930-32), dies at 99

Feb 4 Peter Heine, South African cricketer (solid South African fast bowler in 1950's), dies at 76
Feb 7 Bob Turner, Canadian Hockey HOF defenseman (Stanley Cup 1956, 57, 58, 59, 60 Montreal Canadiens; 6 x NHL All Star), dies at 71
Feb 12 Rafael Vidal, Venezuelan athlete, dies in a car accident at 41
Feb 13 Maurice Trintignant, French race car driver (Le Mans, 1954). and vintner, dies at 87
Feb 13 Nelson Briles, American MLB player (St Louis Cardinals), dies at 61
Feb 17 Omar Sívori, Argentine soccer forward and manager (19 caps Argentina, 9 caps Italy; Juventus), dies of pancreatic cancer at 69
Feb 22 Reggie Roby, American football punter (3 × Pro Bowl; All-Pro 1984, 94; NFL 1980s All-Decade Team; Miami Dolphins), dies from a heart attack at 43
Feb 26 Ian Colquhoun, New Zealand cricket wicket-keeper (2 Tests, 4 dismissals), dies at 80
Feb 27 Allan Rae, Jamaican cricketer (prolific WI opening batsman 1948-53), dies at 82
Mar 5 David Sheppard, British Church of England clergyman (Bishop of Liverpool, 1975-97) and cricketer (England batsman, 1950-63, 22 tests), dies of cancer at 75
Mar 9 Glenn Davis, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1946; National C'ship 1944, 45, 46; Army; NFL: LA Rams), dies of prostate cancer at 80
Mar 9 István Nyers, Hungarian footballer, dies at 80
Mar 16 Dick Radatz, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1963, 64; AL saves leader 1962, 64; Boston Red Sox), dies after falling down a flight of stairs at 67
Mar 26 Marius Russo, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1941; World Series 1941, 43; New York Yankees), dies at 90
Mar 27 Bob Casey, American baseball announcer (b. 1925)
Mar 30 Milton Green, American athlete (WR 45-yard high hurdles 5.8s 1935; WR 60m high hurdles 7.5s 1936), dies at 91
Mar 31 Charles Palmer, English cricket batsman (1 Test; Leicestershire CCC, Worcestershire CCC) and administrator (President MCC 1978–79, chairman Test and County Cricket Board 1983-85), dies at 85
Apr 3 Jef Eygel, Belgian basketball player (b. 1933)
Apr 4 Edward Bronfman, Canadian businessman (co-owner of Montreal Canadiens, 1971-78), dies of colon cancer at 77
Apr 6 Geoff Millman, English cricket wicket-keeper (6 Tests; Bedfordshire CCC, Nottinghamshire CCC), dies at 70
Apr 7 Bob Kennedy, American MLB baseball player (Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians), manager (Chicago Cubs, Oakland A's), and executive, dies at 84
Apr 7 Cliff Allison, British racing driver (b. 1932)
Apr 8 Eddie Miksis, American baseball player, dies at 78
Apr 9 Jerrel Wilson, American NFL punter (Pro Bowl 1970-72; Super Bowl 1970; KC Chiefs), dies of cancer at 63
Apr 10 Al Lucas, American football player (b. 1978)
Apr 11 Lucien Laurent, French footballer (scored the first ever FIFA World Cup goal), dies at 97
Apr 13 Don Blasingame, American baseball player, dies at 73
Apr 15 Ken Funston, South African cricket batsman (18 Tests, top score 92), dies at 79
Apr 18 Sam Mills, American football player, dies at 46
Apr 21 Gerry Marshall, British auto racer (625 x overall and class saloon wins), dies from heart failure at 63
Apr 23 Earl Wilson, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1959-70, (Boston Red Sox (no-hitter 1962), Detroit Tigers (AL wins co-leader, 1967), dies from a heart attack at 70
Apr 25 John Love, Zimbabwean auto racer (British Saloon Car C'ship 1962; 6 x South African F1 C'ship 1964-69), dies at 80
Apr 27 Red Horner, Canadian Hockey HOF defenceman (Stanley Cup 1932 Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 95
Apr 28 Chris Candido, American wrestler, dies at 33
May 5 Ted Atkinson, American jockey (US Champion 1944, 46), dies of a stroke at 88
May 7 Otilino Tenorio, Ecuadorian soccer forward (13 caps; Emelec), dies in a car accident at 25
May 7 Tristan Egolf, American writer (Lord of The Barnyard; Skirt and the Fiddle), takes his own life at 33
May 8 Nicolás Vuyovich, Argentine racing driver, dies at 23
May 26 Chico Carrasquel, Venezuelan baseball player (b. 1928)

Fazal Mahmood (1927-2005)

May 30 Pakistan cricket fast bowler (34 Tests, 139 wickets), dies at 78

George Mikan (1924-2005)

Jun 1 American Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1951-54; NBL MVP 1948; Minneapolis Lakers), dies of diabetes complications at 80

Jun 2 Gunder Gundersen, Norwegian Nordic combined skier and sports official (b. 1930)
Jun 11 Audrey Brown, British 4 X 100m runner (Olympic silver 1936), dies at 92
Jun 12 Scott Young, Canadian sportswriter, novelist, and journalist (b. 1918)
Jun 18 Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (prolific batsman of 30's & 40's), dies at 90
Jul 1 Gus Bodnar, Canadian NHL center (NHL record 3 assists in 21 seconds 1952), dies at 82
Jul 4 Hank Stram, American Pro Football Hall of Fame coach (KC Chiefs Super Bowl 1970), dies of diabetes complications at 82
Jul 5 Baloo Gupte, Indian cricket leg spin bowler (3 Tests, 3 wickets; Bombay, Bengal, Railways), dies at 70
Jul 9 Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1914)
Jul 9 Yevgeny Grishin, Russian speed skater (4 Olympic gold 1956, 60), dies at 74
Jul 11 Jesús Iglesias, Argentine professional racing driver (b. 1922)
Jul 13 Mickey Owen, American baseball catcher (4 × MLB All-Star 1941–44 Brooklyn Dodgers), dies at 89
Jul 25 Eddie Crook Jr., American boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1960), dies at 76
Jul 26 Gilles Marotte, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1945)
Aug 5 Jim O'Hora, American football coach (b. 1915)
Aug 5 Polina Astakhova, Soviet-Ukrainian gymnast (5 Olympic gold 1956, 60, 64), dies at 68
Aug 5 Roy Scott, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (1 Test, 1 wicket; Canterbury), dies at 88
Aug 8 Gene Mauch, American baseball player (b. 1925)
Aug 14 Coo Coo Marlin, American NASCAR race car driver, dies at 73
Aug 18 Christopher Bauman, American wrestler (b. 1982)
Aug 21 David Ironside, South African cricketer (South African swing bowler in 3 Tests v NZ 1953-54), dies at 80
Aug 27 Seán Purcell, Gaelic footballer (b. 1929)
Sep 8 Noel Cantwell, Irish cricketer and footballer (b. 1932)
Sep 11 Chris Schenkel, American sportscaster (Monday Night Fights), dies at 82
Sep 13 Toni Fritsch, Austrian soccer forward (9 caps; Rapid Vienna) and American football kicker (Super Bowl 1971 Dallas Cowboys; Pro Bowl 1979), dies of heart failure at 60
Sep 18 Marv Grissom, American baseball pitcher, coach (MLB All Star 1954, NY, SF Giants), dies at 87
Sep 18 Michael Park, British Rally co-driver (b. 1966)
Sep 25 George Archer, American golfer (US Masters 1969), dies of Burkitt's lymphoma at 65
Oct 9 Tom Cheek, American sportscaster (Voice of the Toronto Blue Jays), dies at 66
Oct 15 Jason Collier, American basketball player, dies of an enlarged heart at 28
Oct 18 Bill King, American sports broadcaster (b. 1927)
Oct 18 Johnny Haynes, English soccer forward (56 caps; Fulham 594 games), dies of a brain haemorrhage at 71
Oct 28 Bob Broeg, American sportswriter (St. Louis Cardinals for St. Louis Post-Dispatch; National Sportscasters and Sportswriters HOF), dies at 87

Al López (1908-2005)

Oct 30 American Baseball HOF catcher (MLB All-Star 1934, 41; Brooklyn Dodgers; Boston Bees, Pittsburgh Pirates) and manager (AL Manager of the Year 1959 Chicago WS; Cleveland Indians), dies at 97

Nov 2 Ferruccio Valcareggi, Italian soccer midfielder and manager (Bologna; Atalanta, Italy 1974 World Cup), dies at 86
Nov 15 Preston Robert Tisch, American businessman (co-founder of Loews Corp), and NFL co-owner (NY Giants, 1991-2002), dies from brain cancer at 79
Nov 22 Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (youngest to ride winner of English Grand National on Battleship 1938), dies at 84
Nov 23 Frank Gatski, American football player (b. 1919)
Nov 25 George Best, Northern Irish footballer (Manchester United, Northern Ireland), dies at age 59 after suffering multiple organ failures
Nov 29 David di Tommaso, French footballer (b. 1979)
Nov 29 Victor Pellot, Puerto Rican baseball infielder (6 x MLB All Star; 7 x Gold Glove; Cleveland, Minnesota), dies from cancer at 78
Dec 6 Charly Gaul, Luxembourg cyclist (b. 1932)
Dec 7 Bud Carson, American football player and coach (b. 1931)
Dec 15 Darrell Russell, American football defensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1998, 99; First-Team All-Pro 1998; Oakland Raiders), dies in a car crash at 29
Dec 15 Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (3 PGA Tour titles), dies of heart failure at 90
Dec 17 Jacques Fouroux, French rugby union scrum-half and captain (27 Tests; US Cognac, La Voulte, FC Auch) and coach (France 1981–1990), dies of a heart attack at 58
Dec 21 Elrod Hendricks, American baseball player and coach (b. 1940)
Dec 23 Lajos Baróti, Hungarian soccer defender (2 caps; Szegedi AK, Győri ETO) and manager (Hungary 1957-66, 75-78), dies at 91
Dec 23 Norman D. Vaughan, American polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905)