Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2016

Feb 17 Tony Phillips, American MLB player (Oakland Athletics), dies at 56
Feb 25 Tony Burton, American actor (Rocky films) and boxer, dies at 78
Feb 26 Andy Bathgate, professional ice hockey player (New York Rangers, 1958 NHL MVP), dies at 83

Martin Crowe (1962-2016)

Mar 3 New Zealand cricketer and batsman, dies of cancer at 53

Mar 9 Bill Wade, American NFL quarterback (Pro Bowl 1958, 63; LA Rams, Chicago Bears), dies at 85
Mar 11 Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper (Olympic gold 1960), dies at 79
Mar 23 Joe Garagiola, American MLB catcher (4 teams, 1946-54), sportscaster, and TV host (Today Show), dies at 90

Johan Cruyff (1947-2016)

Mar 24 Dutch soccer player and coach (Ajax/Barcelona), dies at 68

Mar 24 Kevin Turner, American football fullback (Philadelphia Eagles) and plaintiff against NFL (concussion case), dies of ALS at 46
Apr 3 Cesare Maldini, Italian footballer, 1954-67 (AC Milan and 2 other teams), and manager, 1967-1999 (6 teams), dies at 84
Apr 16 Charlie Hodge, French Canadian goalkeeper (Montreal Canadians), dies at 82
Apr 19 Milt Pappas, American baseball pitcher, (3-time MLB All Star), dies at 76
Apr 24 Tommy Kono, American weightlifter (Olympic gold 67.5kg 1952, 82.5kg 1956; silver 75kg 1960; World C'ship gold x 6), dies at 85
May 7 Chris Mitchell, Scottish footballer, commits suicide at 27
May 9 John Warr, English cricket fast-medium bowler (2 Tests, 1 wicket; Middlesex CCC, University of Cambridge CC) and executive (president MCC 1987-88), dies at 88
May 11 Jim Pothecary, South African cricket medium pace bowler (3 Tests, 9 wickets; Western Province), dies at 82
May 21 Jim Ray Hart, American baseball player (Giants), dies at 74
May 30 Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1974, 75; Philadelphia Flyers; NHL All Star 1977, 78), dies of meningitis at 66

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016)

Jun 3 American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1964-7 74-8), dies of respiratory illness at 74

Jun 6 Viktor Korchnoi, Russian-born chess grandmaster, dies at 85

Gordie Howe (1928-2016)

Jun 10 Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (23-time NHL All Star; NHL: Detroit Red Wings; WHA: Houston Aeros), dies of a stroke at 88

Jun 12 Donald Carr, English cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 1 x 50, 2 wickets; Derbyshire CCC) and official (secretary Test and County Cricket Board 1976-86), dies at 89
Jun 20 Frank Chapot, American equestrian (Olympic silver 1960, 1972), dies at 84
Jun 25 Jim Hickman, American baseball utility (MLB All Star 1970 Chicago Cubs; 1st NY Met to hit for cycle), dies at 79
Jun 28 Buddy Ryan, American football coach (Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals), dies from cancer and stroke complications at 85
Jun 28 Pat Summitt, American Basketball HOF coach (8 × NCAA Division I tournament; 18 × NCAA Regional—Final Four; University of Tennessee), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 61

Nate Thurmond (1941-2016)

Jul 16 American Basketball Hall of Fame forward (7-time NBA All Star), dies of leukemia at 74

Jul 31 Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler (31 tournament c'ships; Kyushu Tournament 1981-88), dies from pancreatic cancer at 61
Aug 2 Forbes Carlile, Australian athlete and influential swimming coach, dies at 95
Aug 3 Chris Amon, New Zealand Formula 1 racer, dies at 73

Hanif Mohammad (1934-2016)

Aug 11 Pakistani cricket batsman (55 Tests; longest Test innings in history at 16 hours, 337 v WI 1958; 12 x 100), dies at 81

Aug 19 Nina Ponomaryova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR discus 1952, 60; bronze 1956), dies at 87
Aug 30 Věra Čáslavská, Czech gymnast (7 Olympic gold 1964, 68), dies of pancreatic cancer at 74
Sep 1 Len Maddocks, Australian cricket wicket-keeper (7 Tests, 19 dismissals; Victoria, Tasmania), dies at 90
Sep 7 Cary Blanchard, American NFL kicker (Indianapolis Colts), dies of a heart attack at 47
Sep 7 Ken Higgs, English cricket fast bowler (15 Tests, 71 wickets, 1 x 50; Lancashire CCC, Leicestershire CCC), dies at 79
Sep 7 Norbert Schemansky, American weightlifter (Olympic gold heavyweight 1952, silver 1948, bronze 1960, 64), dies at 92

Arnold Palmer (1929-2016)

Sep 25 American golfer (7 major titles; US Masters 1958, 60, 62, 64), dies of heart failure at 87

Sep 25 José Fernández, Cuban-American MLB player (Miami Marlins), dies in a boat accident at 24
Sep 27 Randy Duncan Jr., American College Football HOF quarterback (University of Iowa; #1 pick 1959 NFL Draft by GB Packers), dies from brain cancer at 79
Sep 28 Max Walker, Australian cricket fast bowler (34 Tests, 138 wickets) and broadcaster (Nine Network), dies at 68
Oct 6 Mick Harvey, Australian cricketer (in Newcastle Brother of Neil Test umpire), dies at 95
Oct 7 Johnny Gleeson, Australian cricket spin bowler (29 Tests, 93 wickets, BB 5/61; NSW CA), dies at 78
Oct 9 Aaron Pryor, American welterweight boxing champion, dies of heart disease at 60
Oct 15 Barbara Romack, American golfer (US Curtis Cup team 1954, 56, 58), dies at 83
Oct 21 Manfred Krug, German actor (Boxer), dies at 79
Oct 25 Carlos Alberto Torres, Brazilian footballer, Captain of winning World Cup team (1970), dies at 72
Nov 12 Dawn Coe-Jones, Canadian golfer (3 LPGA wins), dies of cancer at 56
Nov 13 Enzo Maiorca, Italian free diver who set 17 world records, dies at 85
Nov 14 Gardnar Mulloy, American tennis player (5 x Grand Slam doubles champion; Davis Cup 1946, 48, 49), dies of a stroke at 102
Nov 23 Peggy Kirk, American golfer, (Titleholders Championship 1949), dies at 95
Nov 23 Ralph Branca, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1947–49; pitched “Shot Heard Round the World”), dies at 90
Nov 25 Trevor Goddard, South African cricketer (South African opening batsman and opening bowler), dies at 85
Dec 2 Sammy Lee, American diver (Olympic Gold 10m platform 1948, 52), dies from pneumonia at 96
Dec 4 Margaret Whitton, American actress (Good & Evil, Major League), dies of cancer at 67
Dec 5 Rashaan Salaam, American College Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1994, U of Colorado; NFL: Chicago Bears), dies at 42
Dec 7 Paul Elvstrøm, Danish yachtsman (4 Olympic gold, Finn class 1948, 52, 56, 60), dies at 88
Dec 11 Sid O'Linn, South African cricketer (soccer for South Africa 1947, cricket 1960), dies at 89
Dec 12 Walter Swinburn, English jockey (Epsom Derby 1981, 86, 95; Irish Derby 1983, 86; Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 1983), dies after falling from a window at 55
Dec 14 Garrett K. Gomez, American jockey (US Champion Jockey by earnings 2006-09; Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey 2007-08), dies of a drug overdose at 44
Dec 22 Miruts Yifter 'Yifter the Shifter', Ethiopian runner (Olympic golds 1980), dies at 72
Dec 29 Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player, dies at 78
Dec 29 Ferdi Kübler, Swiss cyclist (Tour de France 1950, Points classification 1954; World C'ship gold Elite Men's Road Race 1951), dies at 97