Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2015

Ernie Banks (1931-2015)

Jan 23 American Baseball HOF shortstop, 1st baseman (14 x MLB All Star; NL MVP 1958, 59; Chicago Cubs), dies of a heart attack at 83

Jan 24 Toller Cranston, Canadian figure skater (Olympic bronze men's singles 1976; World C'ship bronze 1974) and painter, dies of a heart attack at 65
Jan 25 Bill Monbouquette, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1960, 60², 62, 63; no-hitter 1962 Boston Red Sox), dies of myeloid leukemia at 78
Jan 29 Kel Nagle, Australian golfer (British Open 1960), dies at 94
Jan 31 Udo Lattek, German football striker (VfL Osnabrück) and coach (Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona), dies from Parkinson's disease and dementia at 80

Charlie Sifford (1922-2015)

Feb 3 American golfer (first African-American to join PGA Tour, 2 titles), dies of a stroke at 92

Feb 6 Norm Drucker, American basketball referee (NBA Supervisor of Officials 1977–81; ABA Supervisor of the Officials 1969–73), dies at 94

Billy Casper (1931-2015)

Feb 7 American golfer (US Open 1959, 66; US Masters 1970), dies of a heart attack at 83

Feb 7 Dean Smith, American actor and relay runner (Olympic gold 1952), dies at 83
Feb 9 Claude Ruel, Canadian NHL coach (Stanley Cup 1968-69, Montreal Canadiens), dies at 76

Ed Sabol (1916-2015)

Feb 9 American filmmaker (NFL Films), dies at 98

Feb 11 Jerry Tarkanian, American collegiate basketball coach, 1961-2002 (California State, UNLV, Fresno State; career record: 784–202), dies at 84

Earl Lloyd (1928-2015)

Feb 26 1st African American basketball player in the NBA, dies at 86

Alex Johnson (1942-2015)

Feb 28 American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star, AL batting champion 1970, California Angels), dies from prostate cancer at 72

Feb 28 Anthony Mason, American NBA forward (NY Knicks, Charlotte Hornets), dies at 48 of a heart attack
Mar 1 Minnie Miñoso, Cuban Baseball HOF left-fielder (9 x MLB All Star; Gold Glove Award 1957, 59, 60; Chicago White Sox), dies of heart disease at 92
Mar 13 Al Rosen, American baseball third baseman (MLB All-Star 1952–55; World Series 1948; AL MVP 1953; Cleveland Indians) and executive (NL Executive of the Year 1989), dies at 91
Mar 17 Bob Appleyard, English cricketer (superb England off-spinner, brief career), dies at 90
Mar 20 Perro Aguayo, Jr., Mexican wrestler (CMLL), dies of cardiac arrest in the ring at 35
Mar 21 Chuck Bednarik, Pro/College Football HOF center/linebacker (Uni of Pennsylvania; NFL C'ship 1949, 60; 10 × First-team All-Pro; 8 × Pro Bowl; Philadelphia Eagles), dies of Alzheimer's disease and dementia at 89
Mar 23 Nick Peters, American Baseball Hall of Fame writer (Oakland Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Berkeley Gazette, San Francisco Chronicle), dies at 75
Apr 1 Eddie LeBaron, American NFL quarterback (Pro Bowl 1955, 57, 58, 62; Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys), dies at 85
Apr 4 Elmer Lach, Canadian Hockey HOF center (Stanley Cup 1944, 46, 53 Montreal Canadiens; Hart Trophy 1945; Art Ross Trophy 1948; 5 x NHL All Star), dies of a stroke at 97
Apr 6 Dollard St. Laurent, Canadian ice hockey player, dies at 85

Richie Benaud (1930-2015)

Apr 10 Australian cricket all-rounder and captain (62 Tests, 3 x 100s, 248 wickets; NSW CA) and broadcaster (9 Network, BBC), dies from skin cancer at 84

Apr 20 Bob St. Clair, American NFL football player, 1953-63 (San Francisco 49ers), known as "The Geek", dies at 84
Apr 27 Gene Fullmer, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1957; NBA [WBA] World Middleweight title 1959-62), dies at 83
Apr 29 Calvin Peete, American golfer (12 PGA Tour titles), dies of lung cancer at 71
May 1 Geoff Duke, English motorcycle racer (world 500cc champion 1951, 1953-55), dies at 92
May 1 Pete Brown, American golfer (first African-American to win on PGA Tour, Waco 1964), dies at 80
May 15 Bob Hopkins, American basketball forward and coach (Syracuse Nationals; Seattle SuperSonics), dies of heart and kidney failure at 80
May 15 Garo Yepremian, American NFL place kicker (Miami Dolphins), dies at 70
May 16 Dean Potter, American free climber and BASE jumper, dies in a wingsuit flying accident at Yosemite National Park, aged 43
May 22 Marques Haynes, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame guard (Harlem Globetrotters), dies at 88
May 27 Erik Carlsson, Swedish rally driver, dies at 86

Doris Hart (1925-2015)

May 29 American tennis player (6 x Grand Slam singles titles; 29 x GS doubles titles), dies at 89

May 29 Henry Carr, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x400m 1964) and football safety (NY Giants), dies at 72
May 30 Azmat Rana, Pakistan cricket batsman (1 Test, top score 49; 2 ODIs), dies at 63
Jun 3 Bevo Francis, American basketball forward (NCAA record for points scored in a game [113] 1954–2012), dies at 82
Jun 5 Alan Bond, Australian businessman and yachting syndicate owner (America's Cup 1983), dies from heart failure at 77
Jun 5 Jerry Collins, New Zealand rugby union flanker, #8 (48 caps; Wellington Hurricanes, Toulon, Ospreys, Narbonne), dies in a car crash at 34
Jun 7 Peter Petherick, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (6 Tests, 16 wickets, hat-trick on debut; Otago, Wellington), dies at 72
Jun 9 Fred Anton Maier, Norwegian speed skater (Olympic gold 5,000m 1968, bronze 1964; silver 10,000m 1964, 68; 11 x WRs), dies from cancer at 76
Jun 17 John David Crow, American College Football Hall of Fame back and tight end (Heisman Trophy 1957, Texas A & M; Pro Bowl 1959, 60, 62, 65; St. Louis Cardinals), dies at 79
Jun 17 Ron Clarke, Australian athlete (17 x WRs, 5,000m, 10,000m, 20,000m; 2, 3, 6, 10 miles) and politician (mayor Gold Coast), dies from kidney failure at 78
Jun 29 Josef Masopust, Czech soccer midfielder (63 caps Czechoslovakia; Dukla Prague 386 games) and manager (Czechoslovakia, Dukla Prague, Zbrojovka Brno, Hasselt, FK Pelikán Děčín), dies at 85
Jul 2 Charlie Sanders, American football player (Detroit Lions), dies at 68
Jul 8 Ken Stabler, American Pro Football HOF quarterback (4 x Pro Bowl; NFL MVP, First-team All-Pro 1974; Super Bowl 1976; Oakland Raiders), dies of colon cancer at 69
Jul 17 Jules Bianchi, French auto racer (Marussia Formula 1 Racing Team), dies from injuries during accident at 2014 Japanese F1 GP, at 25
Jul 19 Galina Prozumenshchikova, Ukrainian swimmer (Olympic gold USSR 200m breaststroke 1964; silver 100m breaststroke 1968, 72; bronze 200m breaststroke 1968, 72), dies after a long illness at 66
Jul 25 Bob Kauffman, American NBA basketball forward, 1968-75, 3X All-Star (Buffalo Braves and 3 other teams), and coach, 1977-78 (Detroit Pistons), dies of heart failure at 69
Jul 28 Clive Rice, South African cricket all-rounder (WSC 1978-79, ODI 1991; Nottinghamshire), dies from a brain tumour at 66
Jul 29 Peter O'Sullevan, British horse racing commentator 'the voice of racing', dies at 97
Jul 31 Billy Pierce, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star x 7; World Series 1945; AL wins leader 1957; MLB ERA leader 1955; AL strikeout leader; 1953; Chicago White Sox), dies from gallbladder cancer at 88
Aug 3 Mel Farr, American NFL running back (Pro Bowl 1967, 70; Detroit Lions), dies of a massive heart attack at 70

Louise Suggs (1923-2015)

Aug 6 American golfer and co-founder of LPGA (11 major titles, US Open 1949, 52), dies of natural causes at 91

Aug 9 Frank Gifford, American College-Pro Football HOF halfback (USC; 6 × First-team All-Pro, 8 × Pro Bowl; NY Giants) and broadcaster (ABC Monday Night Football), dies at 84
Aug 10 Buddy Baker, American auto racer (Daytona 500 1980; 19 x NASCAR Cup Series wins), dies at 74
Aug 11 Harald Nielsen, Danish soccer forward (14 caps; Olympic silver 1960; Frederikshavn fI, Bologna FC), dies at 73
Aug 14 Karen Stives, American equestrian rider (Olympic gold team, silver individual 1984), dies at 64
Aug 21 Jimmy Evert, American tennis coach (father of Chris Evert), dies at 91
Aug 22 Andy Mapple, English water skier (World Slalom C'ship 1981, 89, 95, 97, 99, 2001), dies at 52
Aug 22 Arthur Morris, Australian cricket batsman (46 Tests, 12 x 100, HS 206, BA 46.48; NSWCA), dies at 93
Aug 24 Justin Wilson, English auto racer (International Formula 3000 C'ship; Champ Car Series 4 wins), dies as a result of on track accident at 37
Aug 25 Ian Smith, South African cricket leg-spin bowler (9 Tests), dies at 90
Aug 27 Darryl Dawkins, American basketball center (Philadelphia 76ers, NJ Nets; NBA breaking a backboard rule), dies of a heart attack at 58

Al Arbour (1932-2015)

Aug 28 Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman, coach and executive (coach NY Islanders Stanley Cup 1980-83), dies of Parkinson's disease and dementia at 82

Sep 5 Patricia Canning Todd, American tennis player (French National C'ship singles 1947; French doubles & mixed doubles 1948; Wimbledon doubles 1947), dies at 93
Sep 8 Joaquín Andújar, Dominican baseball pitcher (4 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1982; Gold Glove Award 1984; Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals), dies at 62
Sep 13 Brian Close, English cricketer (played for England between 1949 & 1976), dies at 84

Moses Malone (1955-2015)

Sep 13 Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA MVP 1979, 82-83; NBA Finals MVP 1983; 12 x NBA All Star; Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers), dies of heart disease at 60

Bob Cleary (1936-2015)

Sep 16 American hockey HOF center (Olympic gold 1960; Harvard University), dies at 79

Sep 17 Peter Heatly, Scottish diver and Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, dies at 91

Yogi Berra (1925-2015)

Sep 22 American Baseball HOF catcher, coach and manager (18 x MLB All-Star; 13 x World Series; NY Yankees; AL MVP 1951, 54, 55), and Purple Heart recipient, dies at 90

Sep 26 Fred Ridgway, England cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 7 wickets, BB 4/83; Kent CCC, MCC), dies at 92
Sep 27 Frank Tyson, England Test cricket fast bowler/broadcaster (17 Tests, 76 wickets @ 18.56), dies at 85
Oct 2 Lindsay Kline, Australian cricketer (Australian chinaman bowler Hat-trick 1957), dies at 81
Oct 2 Steve Camacho, West Indian cricket batsman (11 Tests, 4 x 50; British Guiana) and executive (CEO WI Cricket Board), dies at 69
Oct 6 Sandra Spuzich, American golfer (US Open 1966), dies of leukemia at 78
Oct 11 Dean Chance, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1964, 67; Cy Young Award 1964; no-hitter 1967; LA / California Angels, Minnesota Twins), dies at 74
Oct 16 Mikhail Burtsev, Soviet sabre fencer (Olympic gold 1976, 1980), dies at 59
Oct 17 Howard Kendall, English footballer and football manager (Everton), dies at 69
Oct 23 Jimmy Roberts, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (NHL All Star 1965, 69, 70; Stanley Cup 1965, 66, 73, 76, 77; Montreal Canadiens), dies at 75
Oct 25 Basil Williams, West Indian cricket batsman (7 Tests, 2 x 100s; century on debut 1978), dies at 65
Oct 30 Mel Daniels, American professional basketball player (Hall of Fame 2012), dies at 71
Nov 2 Mike Davies, Welsh tennis player, entrepreneur and administrator (ED ATP; GM ITF; Grand Slam Cup creator), dies from mesothelioma at 79
Nov 3 Tom Graveney, England cricket batsman (79 Tests; top score 258; 732 first class games), dies of Parkinson's disease at 88
Nov 10 Pat Eddery, Irish jockey (11 x British flat racing Champion Jockey; 3 x Epsom Derby), dies from a heart attack at 63
Nov 12 Márton Fülöp, Hungarian footballer and goalkeeper, dies of cancer at 32
Nov 16 Bert Olmstead, Canadian Hockey HOF left wing (Stanley Cup, Montreal Canadiens 1953, 56, 57, 58; Toronto Maple Leafs 1962), dies from stroke complications at 89

Jonah Lomu (1975-2015)

Nov 18 New Zealand rugby union winger (youngest ever All Black, 63 internationals), dies of a heart attack linked to kidney disease at 40

Nov 18 Mal Whitfield, American track athlete (Olympic 3 gold, silver & bronze 1948, 52), dies at 91
Nov 21 Bob Foster, American boxer (world light-heavyweight champion 1968-74), dies at 76
Nov 21 Ken Johnson, American baseball pitcher (only pitcher to lose a complete game 9-inning no-hitter 1964), dies at 82
Nov 29 Joe Marston, Australian soccer defender (1954 FA Cup Final), dies at 89
Dec 1 Jim Loscutoff, American basketball forward (NBA champion: 1957, 59–64; Boston Celtics), dies from Parkinson's disease and pneumonia at 85
Dec 3 Eevi Huttunen, Finnish speed skater (8 World C'ship gold 1951-59), dies at 93
Dec 9 Gheorghe Gruia, Romanian handball player, dies at 75

Dolph Schayes (1928-2015)

Dec 10 American basketball Hall of Famer (Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, 1948-63) and coach (76ers, 1963-66; Buffalo Braves, 1970-72) and coach, dies of cancer at 87

Dec 11 John "Hot Rod" Williams, American NBA center/forward (Phoenix Suns), dies of cancer at 53
Dec 27 (Meadow) "Meadowlark" Lemon, American basketball star (Harlem Globetrotters, 1955-80, 1990, and 3 other teams), and clergyman, dies at 83
Dec 27 Stein Eriksen, Norwegian alpine skier (first Olympic giant slalom gold 1952), dies at 88
Dec 29 Elzbieta Krzesinska, Polish long jumper (Olympic gold 1956), dies at 76
Dec 29 Frank Malzone, American MLB player (Boston Red Sox), dies at 85
Dec 30 Doug Atkins, American College/Pro Football HOF defensive end (Uni of Tennessee; NFL C'ship 1954, 63; First-team All-Pro 1963; 8×Pro Bowl; Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, NO Saints), dies at 85
Dec 30 Howard Davis Jr., American boxer (Olympic gold lightweight 1976), dies from lung cancer at 59