Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2018

Feb 13 Tito Francona, American baseball utility (MLB All Star 1961), dies at 84
Feb 16 Hubert Doggart, English cricket batsman (2 Tests; Cambridge University CC, Sussex CCC) and executive (President MCC 1981–82), dies at 92
Feb 19 Yury Tyukalov, Soviet rower (Olympic 1952,56 Gold), dies at 87
Feb 24 Durward Knowles, Bahamas yachtsman (Olympic gold, Star class 1968), dies at 100
Mar 1 Anatoly Lein, Soviet-American chess player (Grandmaster 1968; World Chess Hall of Fame), dies at 86
Mar 2 Sammy Stewart, American MLB pitcher (World Series 1983; AL ERA leader 1981; Cleveland Indians), dies of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at 63

Roger Bannister (1929-2018)

Mar 3 English athlete (first sub-4-minute mile, 3:59.4 at Iffley Road Track, Oxford 1954), dies of Parkinson's disease at 88

Mar 4 Davide Astori, Italian soccer centre-back (14 caps; AC Milan, Cagliari, Fiorentina), dies from cardiac arrest at 31
Mar 9 Chris Gedney, American NFL tight end, 1993-2000 (Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals), takes his own life at 47
Mar 12 Ken Flach, American professional tennis player (4 Grand Slam titles, 2 mixed doubles), dies of pneumonia at 54
Mar 15 Edwin "Ed" Charles, American MLB third baseman (Miracle Mets-1969), dies following long illness at 84
Mar 20 Bobby Mitchell, American golfer (US Masters runner-up 1972), dies of a heart attack at 75
Mar 22 Wayne Huizenga, American businessman, CEO (Waste Management, Blockbuster), and sports team owner (Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Florida Marlins), dies of cancer at 80
Mar 24 Carl Scheib, American baseball pitcher (at the time [1943] youngest player in MLB history at 16; Philadelphia A’s), dies at 91
Mar 29 Rusty Staub, American baseball utility (6 x MLB All Star; Houston Colt .45s / Astros; Montreal Expos; NY Mets; Detroit Tigers) and broadcaster (Mets games 1986-95), dies from multiple organ failure at 73
Apr 4 Ray Wilkins, English soccer midfielder (84 caps; Chelsea, Manchester Utd, AC Milan, Rangers, QPR) and manager (QPR, Fulham, Jordan), dies of cardiac arrest, resulting in a fall at 61
Apr 5 Eric Bristow MBE ['The Crafty Cockney'], English darts player (BDO World Champion 1980-81, 84-86), dies of a heart attack at 60
Apr 14 Colin Bland, South African cricket batsman (21 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 144no; Eastern Province, Orange Free State), dies from colon cancer at 80
Apr 22 Dave Nelson, American baseball infielder (MLB All Star 1973 Washington Senators/Texas Rangers) and broadcaster (Milwaukee Brewers Fox Sports Wisconsin), dies of liver cancer at 73
Apr 23 Sachio Kinugasa, Japanese baseman nicknamed Tetsujin, meaning "Iron Man", dies of colon cancer at 71
May 1 Dennis Claridge, American football quarterback (NFL C'ship 1965, Green Bay Packers; Atlantic Falcons), dies at 76 from bladder cancer
May 2 Bill Torrey, Canadian ice hockey executive (New York Islanders, Florida Panthers), dies at 83
May 2 Cliff Watson, English rugby league front rower (30 Tests GB, 4 England; St Helens 373 games, Cronulla-Sutherland), dies of cancer at 78
May 3 Bob Prewitt, American college basketball coach (SMU Mustangs), dies at 93
May 3 Dan Grimm, American football player (Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons), dies of Parkinson's disease and dementia at 77
May 3 Joe Scannella, American football coach (Oakland Raiders, Montreal Alouettes, Cleveland Browns), dies at 89
May 3 Paolo Signorelli, Italian footballer (Trevigliese, Pro Patria, Atalanta), dies at 79
May 4 Larry Hunter, American college basketball coach (Wittenberg Tigers, Ohio Bobcats, Western Carolina Catamounts), dies at 68
May 6 Eric Geboers, Belgian motocross racer (5 x world champion; 39 x career Grand Prix wins), dies in a drowning accident at 55
May 8 James Scott, American boxer and felon, dies at 71
May 9 Omar Daoud, Libyan footballer, dies in a traffic collision at 35
May 10 Evgeni Vasiukov, Russian chess grandmaster (World Senior Champion 1995), dies at 85
May 12 Chuck Knox, American football coach (LA Rams, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks; AP NFL Coach of the Year 1973, 80, 84), dies of dementia at 86
May 14 Doug Ford, American golfer (PGA Championship 1955, US Masters 1957), dies at 95
May 16 Michael Slive, American college sports executive (Commissioner SEC 2002-15), dies of prostate cancer at 77

Billy Cannon (1937-2018)

May 20 American College Football Hall of Fame back and tight end (Heisman Trophy 1959, LSU; AFL C'ship 1960, 61, 67; AFL All-Star 1961, 69; Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders), dies at 80

Carol Mann (1941-2018)

May 20 American golfer (1964 Western Open, 1965 US Open), dies at 77

May 22 Dave Garcia, MLB manager (California Angels, Cleveland Indians), dies at 97
May 23 László Tábori, Hungarian middle/long distance runner (1,500m world record 1955), dies at 86
May 25 Bill Mallory, College Football coach (Miami, Colorado, Northern Illinois, Indiana), dies after brain surgery from a fall at 82
Jun 2 Bruce Kison, American MLB pitcher (World Series 1971, 79), dies at 68
Jun 4 Dwight Clark, American football wide receiver ("The Catch" 1981 Super Bowl SF 49ers; First team All-Pro 1982; 2 × Pro Bowl) and executive (SF 49ers, Cleveland Browns), dies of ALS at 61
Jun 6 Red Schoendienst, American Baseball HOF second baseman, manager, coach (10 x MLB All Star; 5 x World Series St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Braves), dies at 95

Maria Bueno (1939-2018)

Jun 8 Brazilian tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles titles), dies of mouth cancer at 78

Jun 9 Kenyatta Jones, American NFL and arena football player (New England Patriots and 3 other teams, dies of cardiac arrest at 39
Jun 13 Anne Donovan, Basketball Hall of Fame center and coach (Olympic gold 1984, 88; coach 2008), dies of heart failure at 56
Jun 13 Charles Vinci, American weightlifter (Olympic bantamweight gold 1956, 60), dies at 85
Jun 16 Donald Ritchie, Scottish ultra-runner (world record 100 miles 11:51:11 1979), dies of health complications at 73
Jun 18 Walter Bahr, American soccer midfielder (19 caps) and coach (Penn State), dies of complications broken hip at 91
Jun 19 Hubert Green, American golfer (US Open 1977, PGA 1985), dies of throat cancer at 71

Peter Thomson (1929-2018)

Jun 20 Australian golfer (British Open 1954, 55, 56, 58, 65; PGA Seniors' Championship 1984), dies of Parkinson's disease at 88

Jun 26 Phil Rodgers, American golfer (5 PGA Tour wins), dies of leukemia at 80
Jun 29 Irina Szewińska, Polish athlete, administrator (Olympic various sprint gold 1964, 68, 76), dies of cancer at 72
Jul 9 Hans Günter Winkler, German equestrian (Olympic gold Individual jumping 1956, team 1956, 60, 64, 72), dies at 91
Jul 11 Lindy Remigino, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m 1952), dies of prostate cancer at 87
Jul 12 Len Chappell, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1964 NY Knicks; All-American 1962 Wake Forest Uni), dies of stroke & pneumonia at 77
Jul 16 Manuel Ycaza, Panamanian jockey (Belmont Stakes 1964; Racing Hall of Fame), dies of pneumonia at 80
Jul 22 Rene Portland, American college basketball coach (Penn State 1980-2007), dies of cancer at 65
Jul 22 Tony Sparano, American football coach (Miami Dolphins 2008-11; Oakland Raiders 2014), dies of a heart attack at 56
Jul 24 John Murray, England cricket wicketkeeper (21 Tests; 55 dismissals, 1 x 100, HS 112; Middlesex CCC), dies at 83
Jul 24 Tony Cloninger, American MLB pitcher and coach (2 Grand Slams in one game), dies at 77
Jul 28 Bruce Lietzke, American golfer (13 PGA Tour wins; US Senior Open 2003), dies of brain cancer at 67
Jul 28 Ian Stanley, Australian golfer (British Senior Open 2001), dies of cancer at 69
Jul 31 Tony Bullimore, British yachtsman (1997 solo around-the-world yacht race, dramatic rescue), dies of cancer at 79 [1]

Stan Mikita (1940-2018)

Aug 7 Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (Stanley Cup 1961; Hart Memorial Trophy [MVP] 1967, 68; 6 x NHL First All-Star Team), dies of Lewy body dementia at 78

Aug 15 Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricket batsman and captain (37 Tests; top score 143; Bombay), dies at 77
Aug 16 Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold USSR Team, All-around 1988; World C'ship gold x 5), dies of pneumonia at 49
Aug 21 George Andrie, American football defensive end (Super Bowl 1971; First Team All Pro 1969; 5 x Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), dies from dementia at 78
Sep 6 Alan Oakman, English cricket all-rounder (2 Tests; Sussex CCC), dies at 88
Sep 6 Diane Leather, British athlete (first woman to run sub-5 minute mile), dies of a stroke at 85
Sep 7 Mickey Stratton, American National Softball HOF catcher (All World Team 1965; 5 x All American), dies at 80
Sep 11 Don Panoz, American pharmaceutical entrepreneur and motorsports impresario (ALMS - American Le Mans Series), dies at 83
Sep 11 Jim Houston, American College Football Hall of Fame linebacker (Ohio State; Pro Bowl 1964-65, 69-70; Cleveland Browns), dies of dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 80
Sep 28 Don Chargin, American boxing promoter (IBHOF; Bobby Chacon, Tony "The Tiger" Lopez, Loreto Garza), dies from brain cancer at 90
Oct 11 Doug Ellis, British entrepreneur (Chairman of Aston Villa), dies at 94

Paul Allen (1953-2018)

Oct 15 American business magnate (co-founder Microsoft, owner Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Seahawks), dies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 65

Oct 15 Shelley Hamlin, American golfer (US Open runner-up 1973), dies of breast cancer at 69
Oct 25 John A Ziegler Jr, American lawyer, and sports league executive (4th NHL president, 1977-92), dies at 84
Oct 29 Larry Snyder, American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey (US Champion Jockey by wins 1969; George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award 1989), dies from cancer at 76

Willie McCovey (1938-2018)

Oct 31 American Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman (6 x MLB All Star; NL MVP 1969; NL home run leader 1963, 68, 69; SF Giants), dies of an infection at 80

Nov 9 Ken Howell, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies), dies at 57

David Pearson (1934-2018)

Nov 12 American auto racer (NASCAR Cup Series C'ship 1966, 68, 69; NASCAR Rookie of the Year 1960; Daytona 500 1976), dies at 83

Nov 16 Flemming Nielsen, Danish soccer midfielder (26 caps, Olympic silver 1960; Atalanta, Morton FC), dies at 84
Nov 22 Willie Naulls, American basketball small forward (NBA C'ship 1964, 65, 66 Boston Celtics; 4 × NBA All-Star; NY Knicks), dies from respiratory failure at 84
Nov 24 David Defiagbon, Nigerian-Canadian boxer (Olympic silver 1996), dies at 48
Nov 29 Ruth Haring, American chess player and President of the US Chess Federation, dies at 63
Dec 29 Bill Watson, Australian cricketer (NSW & Australian opening batsman mid-1950s), dies at 87