Sports

Notable sports deaths in 2019

Boston, MA - 04/14/15 - (1st quarter) Former Boston Celtics great and Hall of Famer John Joseph "Hondo" Havlicek walks off the Garden parquet after being honored on the anniversary of his immortal steal. The Boston Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden. - (Barry Chin/Globe Staff), Section: Sports, Reporter: Gary Washburn, Topic: 15Celtics-Raptors, LOID: 8.0.4152685057.
barry chin/2015 globe staff file
The incomparable John Havlicek, a Celtics legend, died April 25 at age 79.

A look at some of the noteworthy figures from the world of sports who died in 2019:

Walt McKeel

Jan. 1 at age 46. Catcher who played six games with the Red Sox in 1996-97.

George Welsh

Jan. 2 at age 85. College Football Hall of Fame coach who went 134-86-3 at Virginia and 55-46-1 at Navy.

Dragoslav Sekularac

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Jan. 5 at age 81. Serbian soccer star known as the “King of Dribble.”

Kwamie Lassiter

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Jan. 6 at age 49. Arizona Cardinals safety who had four interceptions in a 1998 game, tying an NFL record.

Lenny Green

Jan. 6 at age 86. Outfielder whose 12-year major league career included two seasons with the Red Sox (1965-66).

Roy Hilton

Jan. 6 at age 75. Defensive end on the Baltimore Colts’ 1970 Super Bowl champions.

Rick Forzano

Jan. 9 at age 90. Detroit Lions coach from 1974-76 who hired a young Bill Belichick as assistant special teams coach.

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John Michels

Jan. 10 at age 87. College Football Hall of Fame guard on Tennessee’s 1951 national champion team and a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach for 27 seasons.

J.D. Gibbs

Jan. 11 at age 49. Co-founder of the Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR team.

Bob Kuechenberg

Jan. 12 at age 71. Pro Bowl guard on the Miami Dolphins’ NFL champion teams of 1972-73.

Mel Stottlemyre

Jan. 13 at age 77. All-Star pitcher who won 20 games three times for the Yankees in the 1960s and was pitching coach on five World Series winners with the Yankees and Mets.
Mel Stottlemyre went 164-139 in 11 years with the Yankees.
AP file
Mel Stottlemyre went 164-139 in 11 years with the Yankees.

Eli Grba

Jan. 14 at age 84. Pitcher who made 24 appearances for the 1960 AL champion Yankees and became the first player selected by the expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961.

Dick Brodowski

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Jan. 14 at age 86. Pitcher whose six-year career included two seasons with the Red Sox (1952, 1955).

Tommy Leonard

Jan. 16 at age 85. Founder of the Falmouth Road Race who ran the Boston Marathon more than 20 times and was a popular figure in the local road running community.
Tommy Leonard tended bar at the Eliot Lounge, a Boston landmark in its day.
David L Ryan/Globe Staff
Tommy Leonard tended bar at the Eliot Lounge, a Boston landmark in its day.

Turk Schonert

Jan. 17 at age 62. Bengals quarterback who backed up Ken Anderson on the 1981 AFC champions and Boomer Esiason on the 1988 AFC champions.

Dudley O’Leary

Jan. 17 at age 89. Longtime Weymouth and Weymouth North High School track coach.

Glen Wood

Jan. 18 at age 93. NASCAR Hall of Famer and patriarch of the Wood Brothers Racing team, which won 99 races.

Red Sullivan

Jan. 19 at age 89. Five-time All-Star center with the Blackhawks and Rangers whose nine-year NHL career included two-plus seasons with the Bruins (1949-53).

Jim McKean

Jan. 24 at age 73. Major league umpire from 1973-2001.

Julius Campbell

Jan. 25 at age 65. Virginia high school football star depicted in the movie “Remember the Titans.”

Duane Benson

Jan. 26 at age 73. Linebacker for the Raiders, Falcons, and Oilers (1967-76).

Peter Magowan

Jan. 27 at age 76. San Francisco Giants owner from 1993-2008.

Andy Hebenton

Jan. 30 at age 89. Right winger who played eight years with the Rangers before finishing with one season as a Bruin (1963-64).

Wade Wilson

Feb. 1 at age 60. Quarterback who played 17 NFL seasons, leading the Vikings to the 1987 NFC Championship game and earning a Super Bowl ring with the 1995 Cowboys.

New York Times file
Bob Friend won 22 games for the Pirates in 1958.

Glen Ray Hines

Feb. 1 at age 75. Pro Bowl tackle for the Houston Oilers in the late 1960s.

Bob Friend

Feb. 3 at age 88. Durable All-Star righthander who won 18 games for the 1960 champion Pittsburgh Pirates and still holds team records for career starts, innings, and strikeouts.

Matti Nykanen

Feb. 3 at age 55. Iconic Finnish ski jumper who won four Olympic gold medals and 46 World Cup events.

Andre Boudrias

Feb. 5 at age 75. Left winger for five NHL teams who had a 30-goal season for Vancouver in 1972-73.

Frank Robinson

Feb. 7 at age 83. All-time baseball great who was Rookie of the Year (1956), a two-time MVP (1961, 1966), a Triple Crown winner (1966), and in 1975 blazed a trail as the game’s first black manager.

Frank Robinson belted 586 home runs, 10th all-time.
AP
Frank Robinson belted 586 home runs, 10th all-time.

Fernando Clavijo

Feb. 8 at age 63. US Soccer Hall of Famer who played on the national team from 1990-94 and coached the Revolution from 2000-02.

Fernando Clavijo went 22-31-13 in three seasons as Revolution coach.
tom herde/1999 globe file photo
Fernando Clavijo went 22-31-13 in three seasons as Revolution coach.

Red Cashion

Feb. 10 at age 87. NFL official for 27 years (21 as a referee) known for his distinctive and authoritative “first down!” call.

Gordon Banks

Feb. 12 at age 81. Goalkeeper for England’s 1996 World Cup champions who in the 1970 World Cup made what many consider the greatest save in soccer history, on a header by Pele.

Tommy Giordano

Feb. 14 at age 93. Longtime scout who spent more than seven decades in baseball in a variety of positions.

Gene Littler

Feb. 15 at age 88. Smooth-swinging golfer who won 29 PGA events from 1954-77, including the 1961 US Open.

Don Newcombe

Feb. 19 at age 92. Three-time 20-game winner on the great Dodger teams of the 1950s who was a Rookie of the Year (1949), a Cy Young winner (1956), and an MVP (1956).
Don Newcombe helped blaze a trail as one of the first African-American pitchers in the majors.
1956 AP file
Don Newcombe helped blaze a trail as one of the first African-American pitchers in the majors.

Joe Gibbon

Feb. 20 at age 83. Lefthander who pitched 13 years in the majors, starting with the 1960 World Series champion Pirates.

Nick Cafardo

Feb. 21 at age 62. Longtime baseball writer and author of the popular Sunday notes column for the Globe.

john ioven
Nick Cafardo’s Sunday column was a must-read for baseball fans.

Dick Bergquist

Feb. 24 at age 86. Most successful baseball coach in UMass history, with 392 victories from 1967-87.

John Romano

Feb. 24 at age 84. Two-time All-Star catcher for the Indians in the 1960s.

Eusebio Pedroza

March 1 at age 62. Panamanian featherweight champion who defended his title 19 times from 1978-85.

Ted Lindsay

March 4 at age 93. Rugged Hall of Fame left wing who starred on four Stanley Cup champions with the Red Wings in the 1950s and helped found the NHL players’ union.

Daniel Rudisha

March 6 at age 73. Kenyan runner who won an Olympic silver medal in the 4 x 400 in 1968 and was the father of two-time 800-meter gold medalist David Rudisha.

Dan Jenkins

1949 file/Detroit News
Ted Lindsay was tough enough to take on two Bruins at a time.

March 7 at age 90. Sportswriting great who chronicled golf and college football for Sports Illustrated and wrote bestsellers including “Semi-Tough” and “Dead Solid Perfect.”

Cedrick Hardman

March 8 at age 70. All-Pro defensive end for the 49ers (1970-79) who also played on the Super Bowl champion Raiders in 1980.

Kelly Catlin

March 8 at age 23. Cyclist on the silver-medal US pursuit team in the 2016 Olympics.

Julia Ruth Stevens

March 9 at age 102. Last surviving daughter of Babe Ruth.

Harry Howell

March 9 at age 86. Hall of Fame defenseman who played 17 years with the Rangers, winning the Norris Trophy in 1967.

Joe Auer

March 9 at age 77. Running back who fielded the kickoff on the first play in Miami Dolphins franchise history in 1966 and returned it for a 95-yard touchdown.

Coutinho

March 11 at age 75. Brazilian striker who played on the 1962 World Cup champions and was Pele’s favorite attacking partner with Santos.

Leroy Stanton

March 13 at age 72. Outfielder for the Mets, Angels, and Mariners in a nine-year career (1970-78).

Linda Zacchilli

March 13 at age 68. Coach of Milford High boys’ and girls’ volleyball for more than 40 years who led teams to five state championship finals.

Johnny ‘Lam’ Jones

March 15 at age 60. University of Texas star receiver who played five years for the New York Jets and also won an Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter relay in 1976.

Chuck Harmon

March 19 at age 94. Utilityman who was the first African-American player for the Cincinnati Reds franchise (1954).

Jim Blackburn

March 19 at age 81. Coach who led the Newton North boys’ indoor track team to 22 straight unbeaten dual-meet seasons as part of a 58-year coaching career.

Randy Jackson

March 20 at age 93. All-Star third baseman for the Cubs in the 1950s and also the last Brooklyn Dodger to hit a home run.

Anthony Dickerson

March 21 at age 61. Dallas Cowboys linebacker (1980-84).

Mike Cofer

March 21 at age 58. Pro Bowl linebacker who had 62½ sacks in his 10-year career with the Detroit Lions.

Ordell Braase

March 25 at age 87. Pro Bowl defensive end on Baltimore Colts NFL champion teams of 1958 and ’59 and their Super Bowl team of 1968.

Clem Daniels

March 25 at age 83. Oakland Raiders halfback who holds the AFL career rushing record (5,101 yards).

Joe Bellino

March 28 at age 81. Winchester native who won the 1960 Heisman Trophy as a Navy halfback and played three seasons with the Patriots (1965-67), mostly as a kick returner.
Joe Bellino was one of only two Heisman winners from Navy (along with Roger Staubach).
Globe file
Joe Bellino was one of only two Heisman winners from Navy (along with Roger Staubach).

Jim Holt

March 29 at age 74. Outfielder/first baseman with the Twins for seven seasons (1968-74) who also played on the Oakland A’s 1974 World Series champions.

Greg Booker

March 30 at age 58. Reliever on the San Diego Padres’ 1984 National League champions.

Whitey Skoog

April 4 at age 92. Guard on two NBA champion teams with the Minneapolis Lakers (1953, ’54) who was one of the earliest practitioners of the jump shot.

Marilynn Smith

April 9 at age 89. Founding member of the LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer who had 21 tour wins, including two majors.

Walter White

April 10 at age 67. Kansas City Chiefs tight end (1975-79).

Scott Sanderson

April 11 at age 62. Righthander who won 163 games for seven teams in a 19-year career (1978-96) and was an All-Star with the Yankees in 1991.

Forrest Gregg

April 12 at age 85. Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played on five Green Bay Packers champion teams of the 1960s and coached the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl XVI.
The legendary Vince Lombardi once called Forrest Gregg (above) “the finest player I ever coached.”
1969 file/paul shanhe
The legendary Vince Lombardi once called Forrest Gregg (above) “the finest player I ever coached.”

Denis Dupere

April 14 at age 70. Left winger for five NHL teams (1970-78), primarily the Maple Leafs.

John MacLeod

April 14 at age 81. Phoenix Suns coach for 14 seasons (1973-87) who led them to the NBA Finals against the Celtics in 1976.

Reggie Cobb

April 20 at age 50. Star running back at Tennessee who played seven years in the NFL, mostly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

John Havlicek

April 25 at age 79. Consummate Celtic and all-time NBA great who played on eight champion teams, remains the franchise’s career scoring leader, and made the most unforgettable steal in basketball history.

Jimmy Banks

April 26 at age 54. Defender/winger on the 1990 US World Cup soccer team.

Gene Stephens

April 27 at age 86. Outfielder for eight seasons with the Red Sox (1952-60).

Red Kelly

May 2 at age 91. Hockey Hall of Famer who in 20 years with the Red Wings and Maple Leafs played on eight Stanley Cup champions and won four Lady Byng Trophies.

Andy Jick

May 3 at age 66. Longtime PA announcer for the Celtics and Boston College.

The voice of Andy Jick was a familiar one to local sports fans.
Boston College
The voice of Andy Jick was a familiar one to local sports fans.

Dick Tomey

May 10 at age 80. Winningest football coach in University of Arizona history (95-64) who took the team to seven bowl games.

Gunther Cunningham

May 11 at age 72. Assistant coach in the NFL for 32 years and head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons (1999-2000).

Bob Schloredt

May 16 at age 79. College Football Hall of Fame quarterback and a two-time Rose Bowl MVP for Washington.

Jim Burch

May 19 at age 91. First African-American basketball official in the Atlantic Coast Conference (1970).

Niki Lauda

May 20 at age 70. Three-time Formula One champion who won two of his titles after a horrific crash in 1976 that left him badly burned.

Bart Starr

May 26 at age 85. Hall of Famer who quarterbacked Vince Lombardi’s powerhouse Packers of the 1960s, winning five NFL titles, including the first two Super Bowls.
Bart Starr was the NFL’s MVP in 1966.
1966 file
Bart Starr was the NFL’s MVP in 1966.

Bill Buckner

May 27 at age 69. Red Sox first baseman whose untimely error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series tended to overshadow a fine 22-year major league career.
Bill Buckner had 2,715 career hits and won the NL batting title in 1980.
1987 file/mark elias
Bill Buckner had 2,715 career hits and won the NL batting title in 1980.

Lowell North

June 2 at age 89. Pioneering sailmaker who won an Olympic gold medal and four world championships in the Star Class.

Billy Gabor

June 4 at age 97. Star guard at Syracuse who also played on the Syracuse Nationals’ 1955 NBA champion team.

Dave Marshall

June 6 at age 76. Outfielder for the Giants, Mets, and Padres (1968-73).

Frank Lucchesi

June 8 at age 92. Manager of the Phillies (1970-72), Rangers (1975-77), and Cubs (1987).

Gabriele Grunewald

June 11 at age 32. Top middle-distance runner who fought an inspiring battle with a rare form of cancer in her saliva glands.
Gabriele Grunewald wore her surgical scars as a badge of honor.
Craig f. Walker
Gabriele Grunewald wore her surgical scars as a badge of honor.

Pat Bowlen

June 13 at age 75. Hall of Fame Denver Broncos owner whose teams won three Super Bowls.

Jack Rudolph

June 23 at age 81. Linebacker who was an original Boston Patriot (1960-65) and an original Miami Dolphin (1966).

Ken Behring

June 25 at age 91. Seattle Seahawks owner from 1988-96.

Tyler Skaggs

July 1 at age 27. Los Angeles Angels pitcher who recorded 28 victories in 96 career starts.

Jared Lorenzen

July 3 at age 38. Star quarterback at Kentucky (2000-03) who also backed up Eli Manning on the 2007 Super Bowl champion Giants.

Lewis Lloyd

July 5 at age 60. Guard on the Rockets’ 1986 Western Conference champions who also played for the Warriors in a seven-year NBA career interrupted by a two-year drug suspension.

Rosie Ruiz

July 8 at age 66. Fraudulent “winner” of the women’s division in the 1980 Boston Marathon whose victory was soon revoked when it was determined she hadn’t run the entire distance.

Rosie Ruiz took the laurels at the finish line, but her glory was short-lived.
1980 file/George Rizer
Rosie Ruiz took the laurels at the finish line, but her glory was short-lived.

Greg Johnson

July 8 at age 48. Center for four teams, mostly Nashville, in a 12-year NHL career (1993-2006).

Jim Bouton

July 10 at age 80. Righthander who won 21 games for the Yankees in 1963 and two in the 1964 World Series but is best known for his controversial 1970 tell-all book “Ball Four.”

Jim Bouton eventually retired to Great Barrington after his baseball days.
2014 file/stan grossfeld
Jim Bouton eventually retired to Great Barrington after his baseball days.

Walt Michaels

July 10 at age 89. New York Jets head coach from 1977-82 and linebacker on two NFL champion teams with the Cleveland Browns in the 1950s.

Joe Grzenda

July 12 at age 82. Lefthanded reliever who played for six teams in an eight-year major league career.

Pernell Whitaker

July 14 at age 55. Olympic gold-medal boxer (1984) and professional champion in four divisions who was regarded as one of the sport’s greatest defensive tacticians.

Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker had a career record of 40-4-1.
donna connor
Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker had a career record of 40-4-1.

Ernie Broglio

July 16 at age 83. Righthander who won 21 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960 and is remembered as the main player they traded to the Cubs for Lou Brock.

Pumpsie Green

July 17 at age 85. Infielder who in 1959 became the first African-American player in Red Sox franchise history.

Pumpsie Green played 327 games in four seasons with the Red Sox, then finished his career with the Mets.
1959 file/harold filan
Pumpsie Green played 327 games in four seasons with the Red Sox, then finished his career with the Mets.

Mitch Petrus

July 18 at age 32. Offensive lineman on the 2011 Super Bowl champion Giants who also played two games for the Patriots in 2012.

Marylou Whitney

July 19 at age 93. Thoroughbred breeder and owner known as the “Queen of Saratoga” for her philanthropic initiatives in that community.

Don Mossi

July 19 at age 90. Lefthander who went 101-80 for four teams, mostly the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers, in a 12-year major league career.

Bert Rechichar

July 19 at age 89. Pro Bowl defensive back/kick returner who played on the 1958 and ’59 NFL champion Baltimore Colts and held the record for longest field goal (56 yards) from 1953-70.

Peter McNamara

July 20 at age 64. Winner of three Grand Slam doubles tennis titles (1980 and ’82 Wimbledon, 1979 Australian Open) with fellow Australian Paul McNamee.

Maxim Dadashev

July 23 at age 28. Russian light welterweight who was 13-0 in his career before dying as a result of a brain injury sustained in a July 19 TKO loss.

Cathy Inglese

July 24 at age 60. Women’s basketball coach who led Vermont to consecutive undefeated regular seasons and Boston College to seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

Cathy Inglese had a career record of 239-151 at BC.
2004 file/Matthew j. lee
Cathy Inglese had a career record of 239-151 at BC.

Arnie Brown

July 26 at age 77. Defenseman for five teams, mostly the New York Rangers, in a 12-year NHL career.

Keith Lincoln

July 27 at age 80. Star running back/receiver for the San Diego Chargers in their AFL days.

Mike Roarke

July 27 at age 88. Rhode Island native who was a football captain at Boston College, a catcher for the Detroit Tigers (1961-64), and a pitching coach for the Red Sox (1994).

Loek van Mil

July 28 at age 34. Minor league righthander who at 7 feet 1 inch was one of the tallest pitchers in professional baseball history.

Nick Buoniconti

July 30 at age 78. Hall of Fame linebacker who anchored the Boston Patriots defense in the 1960s and captained the undefeated Miami Dolphins in 1972.

Nick Buoniconti at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 2001.
file/damon j. Moritz
Nick Buoniconti at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 2001.

Sherman Poppen

July 31 at age 89. Inventor of the snowboard.

Jack Dolbin

Aug. 1 at age 70. Receiver on the 1977 Denver Broncos Super Bowl team.

Cliff Branch

Aug. 3 at age 71. Speedy Oakland Raiders receiver who played on three Super Bowl champions.

Don Banks

Aug. 4 at age 57. Longtime NFL writer for Sports Illustrated, Patriots.com, and The Athletic, among other outlets.

Bjorg Lambrecht

Aug. 5 at age 22. Belgian cyclist who died after crashing during the Tour de Pologne.

Dave Parks

Aug. 8 at age 77. Pro Bowl receiver for the 49ers and Saints who led the NFL in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 1965 for San Francisco.

Sandra Tartaglino

Aug. 11 at age 60. One of the few female skippers to compete at the highest levels of Formula 18 catamaran sailing.

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Sandra Tartaglino was a trailblazer and a role model for female sailors.

Jose Napoles

Aug. 16 at age 79. Two-time welterweight champion with a career record of 81-7.

Felice Gimondi

Aug. 16 at age 76. One of only seven cyclists to win all three Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Spanish Vuelta).

Jim Hardy

Aug. 16 at age 96. Quarterback who played on the champion Detroit Lions in 1952 and set an NFL record by throwing eight interceptions in a game for the Chicago Cardinals in 1950.

Cedric Benson

Aug. 17 at age 36. Prolific Texas running back who ranks ninth in NCAA history with 5,540 yards and played professionally for the Bears, Bengals, and Packers.

Jack Whitaker

Aug. 18 at age 95. Erudite sportscaster and essayist for ABC and CBS whose expansive career included coverage of the first 21 Super Bowls and Secretariat’s Triple Crown.

Getty Images
Jack Whitaker began his career at CBS in the late 1950s.

Al Jackson

Aug. 19 at age 83. Lefthander who was an original New York Met, played 10 years in the majors, and was Red Sox pitching coach from 1977-79.

Russ Conway

Aug. 20 at age 70. Lawrence Eagle-Tribune sports editor and hockey writer who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his 1992 stories on corruption in the NHL Players Association.

Bobby Dillon

Aug. 22 at age 89. Safety who holds the Packers record for career interceptions with 52, including four against the Lions on Thanksgiving 1953, all while playing with a glass eye.

Tom Nissalke

Aug. 22 at age 87. A Coach of the Year in both the NBA (Houston, 1977) and ABA (Dallas, 1972).

Tex Clevenger

Aug. 24 at age 87. Righthander whose eight-year career was spent mostly with the Washington Senators and included one season (1954) with the Red Sox.

Vince Naimoli

Aug. 26 at age 81. Original Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner (1998-2005).

Jim McCarthy

Aug. 28 at age 91. Cohost, with Eddie Andelman and Mark Witkin, of the groundbreaking “Sports Huddle” show on Boston AM radio in the 1970s.

Donnie Green

Aug. 28 at age 71. Tackle on the Buffalo Bills’ “Electric Company” offensive line of the 1970s.

Jim Langer

Aug. 29 at age 71. Hall of Fame center on the two Miami Dolphins Super Bowl champions of the 1970s, including their undefeated team in 1972.

AP
Jim Langer played in 128 consecutive games during his Hall of Fame career.

Franco Columbu

Aug. 30 at age 78. Italian bodybuilder, weightlifter, and boxer who twice was named Mr. Olympia (1976, 1981).

Hal Naragon

Aug. 31 at age 90. Catcher on the Cleveland Indians 1954 AL champions.

Don Slaven

Sept. 2 at age 89. Longtime Brookline High School basketball coach.

Tom Phoebus

Sept. 5 at age 77. Righthander on the Baltimore Orioles 1970 World Series winners who no-hit the Red Sox in 1968.

Bob Rule

Sept. 5 at age 75. Star center on the original Seattle SuperSonics whose promising career was cut short by an Achilles’ tendon injury.

Chris Duncan

Sept. 6 at age 38. Outfielder on the 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Charlie Silvera

Sept. 7 at age 94. Catcher who backed up Yogi Berra on six Yankees World Series champion teams.

Al Carmichael

Sept. 7 at age 90. Running back who played six years for the Packers and scored the first touchdown in AFL history with the Broncos in 1960.

Joe Keough

Sept. 9 at age 73. Outfielder who was an original Kansas City Royal and drove in the winning run in the first game in franchise history.

Brian Barnes

Sept. 9 at age 74. Nine-time winner on the European PGA Tour who defeated Jack Nicklaus twice in one day in Ryder Cup singles in 1975.

Sam Davis

Sept. 10 at age 75. Guard on four Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion teams of the 1970s.

Alex Grammas

Sept. 13 at age 93. Infielder who had a 10-year career with the Cardinals, Reds, and Cubs before serving as Sparky Anderson’s longtime third base coach in Cincinnati and Detroit.

John Ralston

Sept. 14 at age 92. Football coach who won two Rose Bowls with Stanford and went 34-33-3 with the Denver Broncos (1972-76).

Larry Garron

Sept. 14 at age 82. All-Star running back who was an original Boston Patriot and still holds the record for longest run in team history (85 yards).

Cappelletti family
Larry Garron played for the Patriots from 1960-68.

Mike Stefanik

Sept. 15 at age 61. Stock car driver who won seven Whelen Modified championships and two in the Busch North series.

Hopalong Cassady

Sept. 20 at age 85. All-America halfback who won the Heisman Trophy at Ohio State in 1955 and played seven years with the Detroit Lions, including their 1957 championship season.

E.J. Holub

Sept. 21 at age 81. Linebacker on the Dallas Texans AFL champions of 1962 and center on the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl winners in 1969.

Tommy Brooker

Sept. 21 at age 79. End/kicker on Alabama’s 1961 national champions, and the Dallas Texans AFL champions of 1962 whose field goal in the second overtime clinched the title.

Wally Chambers

Sept. 22 at age 68. All-Pro defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears in the 1970s.

Bob Farias

Sept. 23 at age 73. Lexington High boys’ basketball coach whose teams won 18 Middlesex League titles and the 1978 Division 1 state championship.

Jack Hatton

Sept. 24 at age 24. Judoka on the US national men’s team.

Ed Simonini

Oct. 1 at age 65. Undersized linebacker who led the Baltimore Colts in tackles from 1977-80.

Bill Bidwill

Oct. 2 at age 88. Owner of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals whose tenure dated to 1962, when the team was in St. Louis.

Bob Tufts

Oct. 4 at age 63. Medford native who pitched three seasons for the Giants and Royals in the 1980s.

Andy Etchebarren

Oct. 5 at age 76. Catcher on the Baltimore Orioles world champion teams in 1966 and 1970.

Ted Green

Oct. 8 at age 79. Rugged defenseman on the Stanley Cup champion Bruins in 1972, and assistant coach for five Edmonton Oilers Cup winners in the 1980s.

Globe file
Ted Green was a force on the Bruins blue line for 10 seasons.

Sammy Taylor

Oct. 8 at age 86. Catcher for four teams, mostly the Cubs, from 1958-63.

Andres Gimeno

Oct. 9 at age 82. Spanish tennis player who in 1972 became the oldest French Open champion at age 34.

Larry Hale

Oct. 9 at age 78. Defenseman for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers (1968-72) and WHA’s Houston Aeros (1973-78).

Jackie Hernandez

Oct. 12 at age 79. Shortstop on the Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 World Series champions.

Bobby Del Greco

Oct. 13 at age 86. Outfielder for six teams, mostly the Kansas City Athletics, in a nine-year career.

Danny Grant

Oct. 14 at age 74. Calder Trophy winner for the Minnesota North Stars in 1969 who set a rookie record with 34 goals and later scored 50 for the Red Wings.

Ed Beck

Oct. 16 at age 83. Fierce rebounder on Kentucky’s 1958 NCAA championship men’s basketball team.

Eric Cooper

Oct. 20 at age 52. Major league umpire since 1999.

Willie Brown

Oct. 22 at age 78. Hall of Fame cornerback on the Raiders’ 1976 Super Bowl champions and 1967 AFL champions.

Bernie Parrish

Oct. 23 at age 83. Pro Bowl defensive back for the Cleveland Browns who championed players’ rights as a vice president of the NFLPA in the 1960s.

Mike Stone

Oct. 25 at age 80. Texas Rangers president (1983-90).

Chuck Meriwether

Oct. 26 at age 63. Major league umpire for 18 years.

Al Bianchi

Oct. 28 at age 87. Syracuse Nationals guard, Seattle SuperSonics and Virginia Squires coach, and New York Knicks general manager.

Jim Gregory

Oct. 30 at age 83. Former Maple Leafs general manager and NHL vice president of hockey operations who is in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.

Sam Jankovich

Oct. 30 at age 85. Athletic director for Miami’s first three NCAA football champions and CEO of the Patriots in 1991-92.

Ron Fairly

Oct. 30 at age 81. Outfielder whose 21-year career included three World Series titles with the Dodgers and All-Star campaigns with the Expos and Blue Jays.

Dean Prentice

Nov. 3 at age 87. Left winger who scored 391 goals in a 22-year NHL career that included four seasons with the Bruins (1962-66) and 11 with the Rangers.

Bill Koman

Nov. 1 at age 85. Linebacker for the Colts, Eagles, and Cardinals (1956-67).

Jim LeClair

Nov. 4 at age 69. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker (1972-83).

Bob Johnson

Nov. 9 at age 83. Journeyman infielder/pinch hitter who played 11 seasons for seven teams, including the champion Baltimore Orioles of 1966.

Bob Fry

Nov. 10 at age 88. Offensive lineman for the Rams and Cowboys (1953-64).

Charles Rogers

Nov. 11 at age 38. Star receiver for Michigan State whose NFL career with the Lions was derailed after 15 games by injuries and drug use.

Zeke Bratkowski

Nov. 11 at age 88. Backup quarterback to Bart Starr on the champion Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s.

Raymond Poulidor

Nov. 13 at age 83. Beloved French cyclist whose inability to win the Tour de France (eight podium finishes in 14 races) endeared him to legions of fans in the country.

Harrison Dillard

Nov. 15 at age 96. Only athlete to win Olympic gold medals in both a sprint (100 meters in 1948) and high hurdles (110 meters, 1952).

Jim Coates

Nov. 15 at age 87. Righthander who pitched on two World Series winner for the Yankees (1961, 1962).

Irv Noren

Nov. 15 at age 94. Outfielder on three World Series winners with the Yankees in the 1950s.

Ryan Costello

Nov. 18 at age 23. Minnesota Twins farmhand from Wethersfield, Conn.

Bo Lyons

Nov. 19 at age 83. Northeastern football coach from 1972-80.

Jake Burton Carpenter

Nov. 20 at age 65. Pioneer in the development and marketing of snowboards.

Fred Cox

Nov. 20 at age 80. Placekicker who remains the Vikings’ career scoring leader, played in four Super Bowls, and also invented the Nerf football.

Wat Misaka

Nov. 20 at age 95. First player of Asian descent (or nonwhite player, for that matter) to play pro basketball in the US, with the New York Knicks of the BAA in 1947-48.

Hank Bullough

Nov. 25 at age 85. Patriots head coach for one game in 1978 who also coached the Bills for two seasons and played guard on Michigan State’s national champions in 1952.

Fred Burnham

Nov. 29 at age 81. Sports editor of the Haverhill Gazette who excelled in his position from the early 1960s to the early 1980s despite a lifelong battle with spina bifida.

Pat Sullivan

Dec. 1 at age 69. College Football Hall of Fame quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy with Auburn in 1971.

Dina Rudick
Pete Frates was perhaps the most public face of ALS since Lou Gehrig.

Pete Frates

Dec. 9 at age 34. Boston College baseball star whose inspirational battle against ALS raised tens of millions of dollars for research through the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Ted Lepcio

Dec. 11 at age 90. Red Sox infielder in the 1950s.

Vaughan Johnson

Dec. 12 at age 57. One of four Saints linebackers selected to the Pro Bowl in 1992.

Peter Snell

Dec. 12 at age 80. New Zealand’s greatest Olympian, he won three gold medals (800 meters in 1960, 800/1,500 double in 1964) and was a two-time record-holder in the mile.

Doug Woog

Dec. 14 at age 75. US Hockey Hall of Fame coach who led the University of Minnesota to six Frozen Fours in 14 seasons.

Vladimir Tsyplakov

Dec. 14 at age 50. Left wing who scored 69 goals for the Kings and Sabres in a six-year NHL career.

Bill Simpson

Dec. 16 at age 79. Pioneer in the development of safety equipment for motor sports and a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Hayden Fry

Dec. 17 at age 90. Longtime college football coach, most notably at Iowa, whose Hawkeye teams won 143 games and three Big Ten championships over 20 seasons.

Bronco Horvath

Dec. 17 at age 89. Center who played for five of the Original Six NHL teams, including the Bruins (1957-61) on the “Uke Line” with John Bucyk and Vic Stasiuk.

Scot Kleinendorst

Dec. 17 at age 59. Defenseman who played eight seasons in the NHL with the Rangers, Whalers, and Capitals.

Herman Boone

Dec. 18 at age 84. Virginia high school football coach who inspired the movie “Remember the Titans.”

Junior Johnson

Dec. 20 at age 88. Winner of 50 races as a driver and 132 as an owner and a member of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010.

Junior Johnson’s NASCAR victories included the 1960 Daytona 500.
1964 AP file
Junior Johnson’s NASCAR victories included the 1960 Daytona 500.

Martin Peters

Dec. 21 at age 76. Midfielder who scored a goal in England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, which remains the British men’s only title.

Edward Aschoff

Dec. 24 at age 34. ESPN college football reporter.

Andy Hassler

Dec. 25 at age 68. Lefthander whose 14-year major league career was spent mostly with the Angels and included two seasons with the Red Sox (1978-79).

LaDell Andersen

Dec. 29 at age 90. Basketball coach who took Utah State to two Sweet Sixteens and one Elite Elite, and BYU to three NCAA Tournament appearances.