Athletes and Sports Stars Who Died in 2019

Mel Stottlemyre (1941-2019)

Jan 13 American baseball pitcher (5 x MLB All Star; NY Yankees) and coach (5 x World Series; NY Mets, NY Yankees), dies of cancer at 77

Jan 18 Glen Wood, American auto racer, team owner (Wood Bros Racing), dies at 93
Jan 20 Mithra Wettimuny, Sri Lankan cricket batsman (2 Tests), dies at 67
Jan 27 Peter Magowan, American businessman (CEO Safeway 1979-93) and sports executive (owner SF Giants 1993-2008), dies of liver cancer at 76
Jan 29 Andy Hebenton, Canadian ice hockey right wing (record 630 consecutive games; NY Rangers, Boston Bruins), dies at 89
Feb 1 Wade Wilson, American NFL quarterback, 1981-1998 (Dallas Cowboys - Super Bowl 1995, Minnesota Vikings - Pro Bowl 1988, and 3 other teams), dies of complications from Type 1 diabetes on his 60th birthday
Feb 3 Bob Friend, American baseball pitcher (4 x MLB All Star; World Series 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates; MLB wins leader 1958), dies from cardiac arrest at 88

Matti Nykänen (1963-2019)

Feb 3 Finnish ski jumper (4 Olympic gold 1984, 88), dies of diabetes complications at 55

Frank Robinson (1935-2019)

Feb 7 American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder, manager (14 x MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1961; AL MVP 1966; World Series 1966, 70; Baltimore Orioles), dies of bone cancer at 83

Feb 12 Gordon Banks, English soccer goalkeeper (World Cup 1966, 73 England caps), dies of kidney cancer at 81
Feb 15 Gene Littler, American golfer (1961 US Open, 29 PGA Tour titles), dies at 88
Feb 16 Don Bragg, American pole vaulter (Olympic gold 1960), dies of a stroke at 83
Feb 18 Kelly Seymour, South African cricket spin bowler (7 Tests, 9 wickets; Western Province), dies at 83
Feb 19 Don Newcombe, American baseball pitcher (4 x MLB All Star; World Series 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers; NL MVP & Cy Young Award 1956), dies at 92
Feb 27 Bill Playle, New Zealand cricket batsman (8 Tests), dies at 80
Mar 1 Eusebio Pedroza, Panamanian boxer (WBA featherweight champion 1978-85), dies of pancreatic cancer at 62

Ted Lindsay (1925-2019)

Mar 4 Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame left wing (Art Ross Trophy 1950, NHL Players Association pioneer), dies at 93

Mar 7 Kelly Catlin, American road cyclist (Olympic silver 2016, World C'ship gold 2016-18), dies from suicide at 23
Mar 9 Harry Howell, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman (NY Rangers 1952-69), dies of dementia at 86
Mar 10 Josef Feistmantl, Austrian luger (Olympic gold men's doubles 1964; World C'ship gold singles 1969), dies at 80
Mar 11 Willie Ellison, American NFL running back. 1967-74 (Pro Bowl 1971; Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs), dies at 73
Mar 12 Alan Moss, English cricket fast bowler (9 Tests, 21 wickets; Middlesex CCC), dies at 88
Mar 14 Charles Whiting, English Formula 1 Race Director (Safety Delegate, Starter, head F1 Technical Dep't), dies of a pulmonary embolism at 66
Mar 14 Jake Phelps, American skateboarder, journalist (editor Thrasher magazine), dies at 56
Mar 15 Lam Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1976) and NFL wide receiver (NY Jets 1980-86), dies of myeloma at 60
Mar 20 Randy Jackson, American MLB baseball third baseman, 1950-59, 2X All-Star (Chicago Cubs; Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodger; Cleveland Indians), dies of pneumonia at 93
Mar 25 Cal Ramsey, American basketball broadcaster, small forward (NY Knicks), dies of cardiac arrest at 81
Mar 27 Bruce Yardley, Australian cricket spin bowler and coach (33 Tests, 126 wickets; coach Sri Lanka), dies from cancer at 71
Mar 27 Joe Bellino, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1960, Navy), dies of stomach cancer at 81
Apr 4 Myer "Whitey" Skoog, American basketball guard (NBA C'ship 1952, 53, 54 Minneapolis Lakers), dies at 92
Apr 9 Marilynn Smith, American golfer, co-founder LPGA (Titleholders Championship 1963-64), dies at 89
Apr 12 Forrest Gregg, American Pro Football HOF tackle (9 x Pro Bowl; 7 × First-team All-Pro; Green Bay Packers) and coach (Cleveland Browns, Toronto Argonauts, Cincinnati Bengals, GB Packers), dies of Parkinson's disease at 85
Apr 12 Tommy Smith, English soccer defender (1 cap; Football League Div 1 1966, 73, 76, 77; FA Cup 1965, 74; European Cup 1977; Liverpool 467 games), dies at 74
Apr 13 Lydia Wideman, Finnish cross country skier (first female cross-country Olympic medalist, gold 10k 1952), dies at 98
Apr 14 John MacLeod, American basketball coach (NBA Phoenix Suns 1973-87), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 81
Apr 15 Don Perry, Canadian NHL coach (LA Kings 1982-84), dies at 89
Apr 16 Gogumal Kischenchand, Indian cricketer (5 Tests for India 1947-52), dies at 72
Apr 22 Billy McNeill MBE, Scottish soccer defender (29 caps; Celtic) and manager (Celtic, Manchester City, Aston Villa), dies from dementia at 79

John Havlicek (1940-2019)

Apr 25 American College/Basketball Hall of Fame small forward (8 x NBA C'ship Boston Celtics; 13 x NBA All Star; 4 x All-NBA First Team), dies of Parkinson's disease at 79

Apr 29 Gino Marchetti, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (Pro Bowl x 11), dies of pneumonia at 93
Apr 30 Mike Doyle, American surfer (World C'ship 1964 runner-up; World Tandem Champion 1965, 67), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 78
May 2 Red Kelly, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center, coach; politician (Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 91
May 6 Seymour Nurse, West Indian cricket batsman (29 Tests @ 47.60, 6 x 100; TS 258; Barbados), dies at 85
May 11 Harold Lederman, American boxing judge & analyst (HBO), dies of cancer at 79

Niki Lauda (1949-2019)

May 20 Austrian auto racer (F1 world champ 1975, 77, 84), dies of kidney problems at 70

May 26 Bart Starr, American Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, coach (Green Bay Packers), dies of effects of stroke at 85
May 27 Bill Buckner, American MLB 1st baseman (1986 World Series infamous fielding error; NL batting champ 1980), dies of dementia at 69
Jun 1 José Antonio Reyes, Spanish soccer left wing (Spain 21 caps; Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Arsenal), dies in a car crash at 35
Jun 2 Lowell North, American yachtsman (Olympic Gold 1968) and sailmaker (North Sails), dies at 89
Jun 4 Lennart Johansson, Swedish soccer administrator (President Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) 1990–2007), dies at 89
Jun 25 Ken Behring, American real estate developer, NFL team owner (Seattle Seahawks, 1988-97), and philanthropist dies at 91
Jun 30 Doug Ford, Australian cricket wicket-keeper (successful NSW of 50's), dies at 90
Jul 5 John McCririck, English horse racing broadcaster, dies at 79
Jul 7 Greg Johnson, Canadian NHL hockey center, 1994-2006 (Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators (captain 2002-06), and 2 other teams), dies of suspected suicide at 48

Jim Bouton (1939-2019)

Jul 10 American baseball pitcher, 1962-70 and 1978 (New York Yankees and 3 other teams; All-Star, 1969), author ("Ball Four"), and broadcaster, dies of cerebral amyloid angiopathy at 80

Jul 10 Walt Michaels, American NFL linebacker, coach (5-time Pro Bowl; Cleveland Browns; head coach NY Jets 1977-82), dies at 89
Jul 14 Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (Olympic gold 1984, 4-division world champion), dies when hit by a vehicle at 55
Jul 16 Pat Bowlen, American Pro Football Hall of Fame team owner (Super Bowl 1998, 99, 2015 Denver Broncos), dies of complications of Alzheimer's disease at 75
Jul 20 Peter McNamara, Australian tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1979, Wimbledon doubles 1980, 82), dies of prostate cancer at 64
Jul 30 Nick Buoniconti, American NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins) and sportscaster (NBC), dies at 78
Jul 31 Gordon Brand Jr., Scottish golfer (8 x European Tour wins; Ryder Cup 1987, 89), dies from a heart attack at 60
Aug 3 Cliff Branch, American Pro Football HOF wide receiver (Super Bowl 1976, 80, 84 Oakland/LA Raiders; 3 × First-team All-Pro; 4 × Pro Bowl), dies at 71
Aug 3 Mike Troy, American swimmer (Olympics 2 x gold 200m butterfly, 4×200m freestyle relay 1960), dies at 78
Aug 14 Reg Scarlett, West Indian cricket off-spinner (3 Tests 1960), dies at 84
Aug 16 Felice Gimondi, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France 1965; Giro d'Italia 1967, 69, 76; Vuelta a España 1968), dies of a heart attack at 76
Aug 16 Jim Hardy, American NFL quarterback, 1946-52 (Los Angeles Rams; Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions; Pro Bowl 1950), dies at 96
Aug 20 Russ Conway, American sports journalist (Eagleson NHL scandal), dies of heart disease at 70
Aug 21 Norma Croker, Australian sprinter (1st Olympic Gold from Queensland), dies at 84
Aug 22 Bobby Dillon, American NFL defensive back (second to record 50 interceptions), dies of dementia at 89
Aug 25 Pál Benkő, Hungarian-American chess player, author (Grandmaster; record 8 US Open Championships), dies at 91
Aug 25 Vince Naimoli, American businessman and MLB team owner (Tampa Bay Devil Rays), dies of progressive supranuclear palsy at 81
Aug 27 Jessi Combs, American auto racer, television personality (women’s land speed class record [4 wheels] 2013, 16), dies in jet-powered high-speed race car crash at 39
Aug 29 Randy Romero, American jockey (Breeder's Cup 1987-89; Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame 2010), dies from kidney and liver cancer at 61

Abdul Qadir (1955-2019)

Sep 6 Pakistani cricket spin bowler (67 Tests; 236 wickets; best 9/56 1987), dies of cardiac arrest at 63

Sep 9 Brian Barnes, English golfer (Ryder Cup 1969-79), dies of cancer at 74
Sep 14 John Ralston, American College Football Hall of Fame linebacker, coach and executive (Cal, Stanford, Denver Broncos), dies at 92
Sep 15 Mike Stefanik, American auto racer (9 NASCAR Modified Championships), dies in a plane crash at 61
Sep 18 Fernando Ricksen, Dutch soccer midfielder (12 caps; Glasgow Rangers), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 43
Sep 20 Howard Cassady, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1955, Ohio State; NFL C'ship 1957, Detroit Lions), dies at 85
Oct 2 Bill Bidwill, American NFL team owner (St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals 1962-2019), dies at 88
Oct 5 Andy Etchebarren, American baseball catcher (Baltimore Orioles - World Series champion 1966, 1970; MLB All Star 1966,1967), dies at 76
Oct 6 Masaichi Kaneda, Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (only Japanese pitcher to win 400 games; perfect game 1957), dies at 86
Oct 9 Andrés Gimeno, Spanish tennis player (French Open 1972), dies from cancer at 82
Oct 21 Willie Brown, American Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, coach and executive (Super Bowl 1976, 80, 84; Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders), dies at 78
Oct 23 Bernie Parrish, American football cornerback (Pro Bowl 1960, 63; Cleveland Browns; best-selling book, 'They Call It A Game'), dies of prostate cancer at 83
Oct 26 Enriqueta Basilio, Mexican track and field athlete, and first woman to light the Olympic Cauldron (Mexico City, 1968), dies of pneumonia at 71
Oct 28 Al Bianchi, American basketball guard with Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers; ABA Coach of the Year 1971 Virginia Squires; and general manager New York Knicks 1987-91, dies from heart failure at 87
Oct 30 Don Fraser, American boxing promoter (LA venues; Sugar Ray Robinson, Ruben Olivares, George Foreman; known for colourful wardrobe, offbeat PR gimmicks), dies at 92
Oct 30 Ron Fairly, American baseball utility (MLB All Star 1973 Montreal Expos, 1977 Toronto Blue Jays; World Series 1959, 63, 65 LA Dodgers) and broadcaster (California Angels radio/television; KNBR SF Giants), dies from cancer at 81
Nov 6 Pat O'Sullivan, American golfer (Titleholders Championship 1951), dies at 93
Nov 11 Zeke Bratkowski, American NFL quarterback and coach (Green Bay Packers), dies from a heart attack at 88
Nov 15 Harrison Dillard, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4×100m relay 1948; 110m hurdles, 4×100m relay 1952), dies at 96
Nov 20 Fred Cox, American football kicker (NFL C'ship 1969; Pro Bowl 1970; Minnesota Vikings all-time leading scorer), dies at 80
Nov 20 Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder (founder Burton Snowboards; one of the inventors of modern day snowboard), dies of cancer at 65
Nov 20 Wataru Misaka, American basketball point guard (first non-white player, first player of Asian descent in BAA [later known NBA]; NY Knicks), dies at 95
Nov 26 Ken Kavanagh, Australian motorcycle road racer (5 x GP wins; first Australian to win a Grand Prix race), dies at 95
Dec 1 Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), dies from cancer at 69
Dec 2 Francesco Janich, Italian soccer defender (6 caps; Bologna), dies at 82
Dec 4 Bob Willis, English cricket fast bowler and captain (90 Tests, 325 wickets; 64 ODIs; Surrey CCC, MCC, Warwickshire CCC, Northern Transvaal), dies of prostate cancer at 70
Dec 4 Ockie Oosthuizen, South African rugby union front rower (9 caps; Transvaal), dies from cancer at 64
Dec 6 Jo Ann Washam, American golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 1975 3rd; 3 LPGA Tour titles), dies at 69
Dec 7 Chalmers "Bump" Elliott, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback and coach (U of Michigan) and college athletics administrator (Iowa), dies at 94
Dec 7 Denis Lalanne, French sports journalist ('Le grand combat du XV de France'; 'Rugbymania: French flair attitude'), dies at 93
Dec 7 Ron Saunders, English soccer striker (Portsmouth) and manager (Manchester City, Aston Villa, Birmingham City), dies at 87
Dec 8 Rogério Pipi, Portuguese soccer forward (15 caps; Benfica), dies at 97
Dec 10 Jim Smith, English soccer midfielder and manager (Birmingham City, QPR, Portsmouth, Derby County), dies at 79
Dec 12 Brian Muller, New Zealand rugby union prop (14 caps; Taranaki), dies at 77
Dec 12 Jorge Hernández, Cuban boxer Olympic gold light flyweight 1976; World C'ship gold 1974, 78), dies at 65
Dec 12 Peter Snell, New Zealand athlete (Olympic gold 800m 1960, 64; 1,500m 1964), dies of heart failure at 81
Dec 12 Vaughan Johnson, American football linebacker (Pro Bowl 1989, 90, 91, 92; New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles), dies of kidney disease at 57
Dec 13 Carl Scheer, American basketball executive (general manager Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, Charlotte Hornets; inventor NBA Slam Dunk Contest), dies from complications of dementia at 82
Dec 13 Yasuhiro Takai, Japanese baseball first baseman, designated hitter and broadcaster (NPB record 27 career pinch-hit home runs; Hankyu Braves), dies of kidney failure at 74
Dec 16 Basil Butcher, West Indies cricket batsman (44 Tests; 3,104 runs @ 43.11), dies at 86
Dec 17 Hayden Fry, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (SMU 1962-72, North Texas State University 1973-78, University of Iowa 1979-98), dies from cancer at 90
Dec 17 Karin Balzer, German athlete (Olympic gold 80m hurdles 1964; bronze 100m hurdles 1972), dies at 81
Dec 19 Saoul Mamby, American boxer (WBC super lightweight title 1980-82), dies at 72
Dec 19 Shahdon Winchester, Trinidadian soccer winger (27 caps; Murciélagos), dies in a traffic collision at 27
Dec 20 Eduard Krieger, Austrian soccer defensive midfielder (25 caps; Austria Wien, Club Brugge K.V., LASK Linz), dies at 73
Dec 20 Frank Foster, English rugby league lock (1 Test GB; Workington Town, Hull Kingston Rovers, Bradford Northern) and coach (Barrow, Whitehaven), dies at 79
Dec 20 Junior Johnson, American auto racer and team owner (Daytona 500 1960; NASCAR Hall of Fame), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 88
Dec 20 Roland Matthes, German swimmer (Olympic gold 100, 200m backstroke 1968, 72; WR x 19), dies at 69
Dec 20 Yuri Pshenichnikov, Soviet soccer goalkeeper and coach (19 caps; FC Pakhtakor Tashkent, CSKA Moscow), dies at 79
Dec 21 Martin Peters, English soccer midfielder (67 caps; West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 76
Dec 21 Sam Strahan, New Zealand rugby union lock (17 caps; Manawatū), dies at 74
Dec 22 Fritz Künzli, Swiss soccer striker (44 caps; FC Zürich, FC Winterthur, FC Lausanne-Sport), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 73
Dec 23 Alan Harrington, Welsh soccer defender (11 caps; Cardiff City 348 games), dies at 86
Dec 23 Duncan MacKay, Scottish soccer defender (14 caps; Celtic 162 games), dies at 82
Dec 24 Walter Horak, Austrian soccer striker (13 caps; Wiener Sport Club, Sochaux), dies at 88
Dec 26 Eigil Nielsen, Danish soccer midfielder (10 caps; Basel), dies at 71
Dec 26 Elbert Dubenion, American football wide receiver, running back (AFL All Star 1964; AFL C'ship 1964, 65 Buffalo Bills), dies from complications related to Parkinson's disease at 86
Dec 27 Ilias Rosidis, Greek soccer defender (29 caps; Olympiacos FC), dies at 92
Dec 28 Carley Ann McCord, American sports reporter (Cox Sports TV; in-game host New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Saints), dies in a plane crash at 30
Dec 28 Vilhjálmur Einarsson, Icelandic athlete (Olympic silver triple-jump 1956; Iceland's first ever Olympic medal), dies at 85
Dec 29 LaDell Andersen, American college basketball coach (Utah State, BYU), dies at 90
Dec 30 Johnny Ward, English rugby league hooker (4 Tests Great Britain, 3 England; Castleford 262 games), dies at 78
Dec 31 Basil Watts, English rugby league second rower (5 Tests Great Britain, 1 England; World Cup 1954; York RLFC), dies at 93