Gone but not forgotten
Here’s a list of some notable figures from the world of sports who died in 2022.
Dan Reeves
Jan. 1 at age 77. Halfback on the Cowboys Super Bowl VI champions and coach who won 190 NFL games, taking the Broncos to three Super Bowls and the Falcons to one.
Larry Biittner
Jan. 2 at age 75. Outfielder who played for four teams in a 14-year major league career in the 1970s and ’80s.
Jim Corsi
Jan. 4 at age 60. Newton native who pitched for the Red Sox from 1997-99 and was part of the 1989 Oakland A’s World Series winners.
Ross Browner
Jan. 5 at age 67. All-American defensive lineman at Notre Dame, member of the Bengals 1981 AFC champions, and one of four brothers to play in the NFL.
Greg Robinson
Jan. 5 at age 70. Defensive coordinator on the Broncos back-to-back Super Bowl champions in the 1990s.
Ralph Neely
Jan. 5 at age 78. All-Pro tackle on five Cowboys Super Bowl teams, including two champions.
Charles Luce
Jan. 5 at age 93. Men’s basketball coach at Boston University and athletic director at Connecticut College.
Bob Falkenburg
Jan. 6 at age 95. Tennis Hall of Famer who saved three championship points while winning the Wimbledon men’s singles in 1948.
Don Maynard
Jan. 10 at age 86. Hall of Fame receiver on the New York Jets 1968 Super Bowl champions.
Tim Rosaforte
Jan. 11 at age 66. Golf Channel commentator.
Bill Belisle
Jan. 12 at age 82. Rhode Island high school hockey coach who led Mount Saint Charles Academy to 32 state championships and had more than 20 players drafted by NHL teams.
Joe B. Hall
Jan. 15 at age 93. Kentucky basketball coach who succeeded Adolph Rupp in 1972 and led the Wildcats to the national championship in 1978.
Rocky Carzo
Jan. 16 at age 89. Tufts football coach from 1966-73 and athletic director from 1973-99.
Lusia Harris
Jan. 18 at age 66. Basketball Hall of Famer who helped Delta State win three NCAA titles and was the first woman to be drafted by an NBA team (New Orleans, seventh round, 1977).
Bob Goalby
Jan. 19 at age 92. An 11-time winner on the PGA Tour whose 1968 Masters victory was secured without a playoff when Roberto de Vicenzo infamously signed an incorrect scorecard.
Clark Gillies
Jan. 21 at age 67. Rugged Hall of Fame left winger who skated on the Bryan Trottier-Mike Bossy line for the Islanders’ four Stanley Cup winners in the 1980s.
Joe Yukica
Jan. 22 at age 90. Football coach who went 68-37-0 at Boston College (196877) and 20-17-1 at Dartmouth (197881).
David Green
Jan. 25 at age 61. Outfielder on the St. Louis Cardinals 1982 World Series champions.
Gene Clines
Jan. 27 at age 75. Outfielder on the World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971.
Garry Brown
Jan. 31 at age 90. Springfield-based journalist who covered Western Mass. sports for more than 70 years.
Robin Herman
Feb. 1 at age 70. One of the first two female sportswriters to interview players in the locker room, for the New York Times in 1975, while covering the NHL.
Bill Fitch
Feb. 2 at age 89. Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Coach of the
Year who led the Celtics to the 14th championship in franchise history in 1981.
Gerald Williams
Feb. 8 at age 55. Outfielder for six teams, mostly the Yankees, in a 14-year major league career.
Jeremy Giambi
Feb. 9 at age 47. Major league outfielder/first baseman — and brother of Jason Giambi — whose six-year career included one season with the Red Sox (2003).
Eduardo Romero
Feb. 14 at age 67. Argentine golfer who won eight events on the European PGA Tour and two Senior Tour majors.
Charley Taylor
Feb. 19 at age 80. Hall of Fame receiver who was NFL Rookie of the Year in 1964 for Washington and helped the team reach the Super Bowl after the 1972 season.
Emile Francis
Feb. 19 at age 95. Hockey Hall of Fame coach/general manager for the Rangers who also served as coach/GM of the Blues and GM of the Whalers.
Julio Cruz
Feb. 23 at age 67. Second baseman who was an original Seattle Mariner and wound up playing seven years for them.
Ken Burrough
Feb. 24 at age 73. Pro Bowl receiver for the Houston Oilers who was the last NFL player to wear No. 00.
John Landy
Feb. 24 at age 91. Australian runner who was the second man to run a fourminute mile, breaking Roger Bannister’s record in 1954.
Lionel James
Feb. 25 at age 59. A 5-foot-6-inch Chargers running back known as “Little Train” who in 1985 set an NFL record (since broken) for all-purpose yardage.
Ike Delock
Feb. 28 at age 92. Righthander who went 83-72 for the Red Sox from 195263.
March 2 at age 58. Receiver/returner on the Chicago Bears 1985 Super Bowl champions.
Roy Winston
March 5 at age 81. Linebacker on four Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl teams and the first player in team history with three interceptions in a game.
Go For Gin
March 8 at age 31. Winner of the 1994 Kentucky Derby.
Odalis Perez
March 10 at age 43. Lefthander who was an All-Star for the Dodgers and threw the first pitch at Nationals Park for the Nationals.
Jean Potvin
March 15 at age 72. Defenseman on two Islanders Stanley Cup winners in the 1980s and brother of Denis Potvin.
Marrio Grier
March 15 at age 50. Running back on the Patriots 1996 AFC champion team.
Ralph Terry
March 16 at age 86. Yankees pitcher who gave up Bill Mazeroski’s World Series-winning homer in 1960, then two years later won 23 games and was MVP of the World Series win over the Giants.
John Clayton
March 18 at age 67. ESPN reporter who covered the NFL.
March 26 at age 81. Multi-sport legend who went 429-27 as a pitcher for softball’s Raybestos Brakettes, played 19 years on the LPGA Tour and two on the US women’s basketball team, and went 1,002-674-1 as softball coach at Florida Atlantic.
Tommy Davis
April 3 at age 83. Two-time NL batting champion and three-time World Series winner with the Dodgers who still holds the team record for RBIs in a season with 153 in 1962.
Bob Babich
April 3 at age 74. All-American linebacker who is the only player from Miami (Ohio) to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Gene Shue
April 4 at age 90. Five-time All-Star guard with the Pistons and two-time NBA Coach of the Year who won 784 games with the Bullets, 76ers, and Clippers.
John Cumberland
April 5 at age 74. Red Sox bullpen coach from 1999-2001.
Doug Sutherland
April 5 at age 73. Defensive lineman on three Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl teams in the 1970s.
Rayfield Wright
April 7 at age 76. Hall of Fame offensive tackle on five Super Bowl teams (two champions) with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s.
Dwayne Haskins
April 9 at age 24. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.
Joel Horlen
April 11 at age 84. White Sox righthander who finished second to Jim Lonborg in 1967 AL Cy Young voting, going 19-7 with a league-best 2.06 ERA.
Wayne Cooper
April 11 at age 65. Center for five teams, mostly the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, in a 14-year NBA career.
Shirley Spork
April 12 at age 94. One of the 13 founders of the LPGA and creator of the tour’s Teaching and Club Pro Division.
Tom McCarthy
April 13 at age 61. Left winger who made the All-Star team for the North Stars in 1983-84 and had a 30-goal season for the Bruins in 1986-87.
Mike Bossy
April 14 at age 65. Hall of Fame right wing whose prolific goal scoring helped the New York Islanders win four Stanley Cups in the 1980s.
Zippy Chippy
April 15 at age 31. Thoroughbred who despite a promising pedigree never won in 100 starts, endearing him to horse racing fans as the lovable loser of the sport.
Daryle Lamonica
April 21 at age 80. The “Mad Bomber” quarterback whose prolific passing led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl in the 1967 season and earned him AFL Player of the Year honors.
Guy Lafleur
April 22 at age 70. High-scoring Hall of Fame right wing who helped the Montreal Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s and epitomized their high-flying style.
Clayton Weishuhn
April 22 at age 62. Hard-hitting Patriots linebacker who still holds the team record for tackles in a season with 229 in 1983.
Erich Barnes
April 29 at age 86. Pro Bowl cornerback for the Bears, Giants, and Browns.
Bob Lanier
May 10 at age 73. Hall of Fame center who excelled for the Pistons and Bucks and was famous for his enormous shoes (allegedly a size 22).
Gino Cappelletti
May 12 at age 89. All-time Patriots great whose talents as a receiver and placekicker made him AFL MVP in 1964 and who later became a popular radio analyst for the team.
David West
May 14 at age 57. Lefthander who pitched for the Mets, Twins, and Phillies before finishing his career with six appearances for the Red Sox in 1998.
Sean Shanahan
May 15 at age 71. Forward whose brief NHL career included four games with the 1975-76 Stanley Cup champion Canadiens and six with the 1977-78 Bruins.
Roger Angell
May 20 at age 101. Erudite essayist who penned many an elegant baseball column for The New Yorker.
Joe Pignatano
May 23 at age 92. Catcher who played for the world champion Dodgers in 1959 and later became bullpen coach for the 1969 champion Mets.
Bob Talamini
May 30 at age 83. All-Pro offensive lineman on two Houston Oilers AFL champions and most notably the New York Jets 1968 Super Bowl winners.
Jeff Gladney
May 30 at age 25. Arizona Cardinals cornerback.
Marion Barber III
June 1 at age 38. Hard-nosed Cowboys running back whose father also was a running back in the NFL, for the Jets.
Larry Hillman
June 3 at age 85. Defenseman whose 22-year pro hockey career included three seasons with the Bruins (1957-60) and who with Detroit in 1955 became the youngest player (18) to have his name on the Stanley Cup.
Eric Nesterenko
June 6 at age 88. Durable right winger who played 16 of his 21 seasons with the Blackhawks, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 1961.
Rocky Freitas
June 8 at age 76. Offensive tackle who played 10 years for the Detroit Lions, making the Pro Bowl in 1972.
Don Perkins
June 9 at age 84. Six-time Pro Bowl running back for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s.
Hugh McElhenny
June 17 at age 93. Hall of Fame running back and franchise cornerstone of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s.
Lennie Rosenbluth
June 18 at age 89. All-American forward who led North Carolina to an undefeated season and NCAA championship in 1957, beating Wilt Chamberlain’s Kansas team in the final.
Dave Wickersham
June 18 at age 86. Righthander who won 19 games for the Tigers in 1964 and was a member of the first Kansas City Royals team in 1969.
Caleb Swanigan
June 20 at age 25. Purdue basketball star who was a first-round draft pick by the Trail Blazers in 2017.
Jaylon Ferguson
June 21 at age 26. Baltimore Ravens linebacker.
Tony Siragusa
June 22 at age 55. Charismatic defensive lineman on the Baltimore Ravens
2000 Super Bowl winners who became a popular broadcaster.
Bruton Smith
June 22 at age 95. NASCAR Hall of Fame promoter and track owner.
Brig Owens
June 22 at age 79. Safety who played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Washington Redskins and had an interception in the Super Bowl VII loss to Miami.
Marlin Briscoe
June 27 at age 76. The AFL’s first Black quarterback, with the Broncos in 1968, who also was a receiver for the Dolphins’ two Super Bowl winners in the 1970s and finished his career as a Patriot in 1976.
Jim Pappin
June 29 at age 82. Right winger who played on two Stanley Cup winners with the Maple Leafs and was part of the Blackhawks’ productive “MPH Line” with Pit Martin and Dennis Hull.
Bill Squires
June 30 at age 89. Legendary Greater Boston Track Club coach who steered runners such as Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, Jack Fultz, and Greg Meyer to Boston Marathon glory.
Jean-Guy Gendron
June 30 at age 87. Left wing whose 14-year NHL career included five seasons with the Bruins (1958-61, 1962-64).
Eddie Miller
July 5 at age 91. Boston College director of sports information for four decades.
Bryan Marchment
July 6 at age 53. NHL defenseman for nine teams over a 17year career, mostly with the Sharks and Oilers.
Mike Brito
July 7 at age 87. Longtime Dodgers scout whose signings included Fernando Valenzuela.
Bob Parsons
July 8 at age 72. Punter/tight end for the Chicago Bears from 1972-83.
Gary Moeller
July 11 at age 81. Football coach who went 44-13-3 at Michigan from 1990-94. Dick Schofield
July 11 at age 87. Well-traveled infielder who played on the 1960 champion Pittsburgh Pirates and spent two seasons with the Red Sox (1969-70).
Charlie Eshbach
July 12 at age 70. President and general manager of the Portland Sea Dogs.
Lenny Emmons
July 18 at age 78. Masconomet boys’ soccer coach who won 576 games and 28 Cape Ann League titles over 39 seasons, with a Division 2 state championship in 1996.
Charles Johnson
July 19 at age 50. Wide receiver for four teams, including the Steelers (1994-98) and the Patriots’ first Super Bowl champions in 2001.
Jim Lynch
July 21 at age 76. Hard-hitting linebacker on the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV champions.
Johnny Egan
July 21 at age 83. Connecticut high school basketball star who played for Providence College and six NBA teams.
Dwight Smith
July 22 at age 58. Outfielder who played five seasons with the Chicago Cubs and was part of the Atlanta Braves 1995 World Series champions.
Julio Valdéz
July 24 at age 66. Red Sox infielder for four seasons (198083).
Win Remmerswaal
July 24 at age 68. Red Sox pitcher who went 3-1 in 22 appearances over two seasons (1979-80).
Wayne Hawkins
July 28 at age 84. Five-time All
Pro guard for the Oakland Raiders in the 1960s.
Bill Russell
July 31 at age 88. Legendary Celtics center — considered by some the greatest player in NBA history — who achieved unparalleled success on the court (11 NBA titles, five MVPs) and was a champion for civil rights.
Vin Scully
Aug. 2 at age 94. Silken-voiced play-by-play man whose 67-year run with the Dodgers (Brooklyn and Los Angeles) made him the longest-tenured broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history.
Terry Caffery
Aug. 3 at age 73. Center whose five-year pro hockey career included two-plus seasons with the WHA’s New England Whalers.
Togo Palazzi
Aug. 12 at age 90. Captain of Holy Cross’s 1954 NIT champions who also played 2½ seasons for the Celtics, coached the Crusaders women’s team, and was a revered youth coach and mentor.
Pete Carril
Aug. 15 at age 92. Hall of Fame basketball coach whose distinctive throwback offenses confounded opponents and helped Princeton reach 11 NCAA Tournaments.
Bob Locker
Aug. 15 at age 84. Reliever who went 6-1 with 10 saves for the World Series champion Oakland A’s in 1972, part of a 10-year MLB career.
Charley Frazier
Aug. 16 at age 83. Wide receiver who played seven years for the Houston Oilers and two for the Boston Patriots (1969-70).
John Wockenfuss
Aug. 19 at age 73. Catcher/first baseman/outfielder for the Detroit Tigers known for a most unorthodox batting stance.
Riddick Parker
Aug. 19 at age 49. Defensive lineman whose seven-year NFL career included a Super Bowl season with the Patriots in 2001.
Tom Weiskopf
Aug. 20 at age 79. Power-hitting golfer who won 16 events on the PGA Tour, including the 1973 British Open.
Gary Gaines
Aug. 22 at age 73. High school football coach made famous in the book and movie “Friday Night Lights.”
Len Dawson
Aug. 24 at age 87. Hall of Fame quarterback who won three AFL titles and was MVP of Super Bowl IV when he led the Kansas City Chiefs over the Minnesota Vikings.
Orval Tessier
Aug. 25 at age 89. Jack Adams Award winner as NHL Coach of the Year with the 1982-83 Blackhawks whose playing career included two seasons as a center for the Bruins.
Ernie Zampese
Aug. 29 at age 86. Assistant coach for more than 20 years in the NFL, including stints as offensive coordinator for the Patriots (1998-99) and the 1995 Super Bowl champion Cowboys.
Lee Thomas
Aug. 31 at age 86. All-Star first baseman/outfielder for the Angels who also played two seasons for the Red Sox (1964-65) and as general manager was architect of the Phillies 1993 NL champions.
Earnie Shavers
Sept. 1 at age 78. Punishing heavyweight who went 74-14-1 (68 knockouts) and lost title fights to Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.
Guy Morriss
Sept. 5 at age 71. Offensive lineman who played in Super Bowls for the Eagles (1980) and Patriots (1985).
Mark Littell
Sept. 5 at age 69. Closer for the Royals and Cardinals who pitched on two Kansas City AL West winners.
Shelby Jordan
Sept. 9 at age 70. Offensive lineman who played seven years for the Patriots, won a Super Bowl with the Raiders, and made the College Football Hall of Fame as a linebacker for Washington-St. Louis.
Anthony Varvaro
Sept. 11 at age 37. Righthander who pitched briefly for the Red Sox in 2015 before retiring to become a police officer in New York.
John Stearns
Sept. 15 at age 71. Four-time All-Star catcher for the Mets in the 1970s and ’80s.
Maury Wills
Sept. 19 at age 89. Fleet shortstop who revived the art of base stealing while playing on three World Series winners with the Dodgers and capturing the 1962 NL MVP award.
Greg Lee
Sept. 21 at age 70. Starting guard on UCLA’s national basketball champions in 1972 and ’73.
Héctor López
Sept. 29 at age 93. Utilityman who played in five World Series for the Yankees and in 1969 became baseball’s first Black Triple A manager with Buffalo.
Marvin Powell
Sept. 30 at age 67. All-Pro tackle for the New York Jets.
Antonio Inoki
Oct. 1 at age 79. Japanese wrestler who gained fame by taking on Muhammad Ali in a mixed martial arts bout in 1976.
Bob Tindall
Oct. 4 at age 86. Longtime Bruins scout.
Jerry Vainisi
Oct. 4 at age 80. General manager of the Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX champions.
Dave Dryden
Oct. 4 at age 81. Goalie for five NHL and WHA teams who is credited with redesigning the goalie mask and was the brother of Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden.
Dick Ellsworth
Oct. 10 at age 82. Lefthander who pitched 12 years in the majors, winning 22 games for the Cubs in 1963 and 16 for the Red Sox in 1968.
Fran O’Brien
Oct. 10 at age 90. MIT baseball coach for 28 seasons and men’s basketball coach for 14.
Luke Jackson
Oct. 12 at age 80. Forward/center on the 76ers 1967 NBA champions and a gold medalist on the US basketball team in 1964.
Bruce Sutter
Oct. 13 at age 69. Hall of Fame closer who won a Cy Young Award with the Cubs in 1979, a World Series with the Cardinals in 1982, and finished his career with 300 saves.
Charley Trippi
Oct. 19 at age 100. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer who was runner-up for the 1946 Heisman Trophy (Georgia) and a multi-positional player who led the Chicago Cardinals to the 1947 NFL title.
Vince Dooley
Oct. 28 at age 90. Football coach who went 201-77-10 at Georgia from 1964-88, winning a national championship in 1980.
John McVay
Nov. 1 at age 91. General manager who built 49ers teams that won five Super Bowls in the 1980s and ’90s, and grandfather of Rams coach Sean McVay.
Ray Guy
Nov. 3 at age 72. The only punter elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Raiders.
Dave Butz
Nov. 4 at age 72. All-Pro defensive lineman on two of Washington’s Super Bowl champions in the 1980s.
Dow Finsterwald
Nov. 4 at age 93. Winner of 12 events on the PGA Tour, including the first PGA Championship contested in stroke play, in 1958.
Peter McNab
Nov. 6 at age 70. Burly center who played eight of his 14 seasons with the Bruins, scoring 263 goals for them.
Coy Gibbs
Nov. 6 at age 49. Vice chairman of NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing team.
Jake Crouthamel
Nov. 7 at age 84. Two-way football star at Dartmouth who played two games for the Patriots in their inaugural 1960 season but found his greatest fame as Syracuse’s athletic director.
Chuck Carr
Nov. 13 at age 55. Speedy outfielder who led the National League in stolen bases (58) as an original Florida Marlin in 1993.
Alexander Gorshkov
Nov. 17 at age 76. Russian ice dancer who along with partner Lyudmila Pakhomova won the gold medal in the event at its debut in the 1976 Olympics.
John Y. Brown
Nov. 22 at age 88. Controversial short-time Celtics owner (197879) who subsequently became governor of Kentucky and married sportscaster Phyllis George.
Borje Salming
Nov. 24 at age 71. Hall of Fame defenseman who helped open the door for European players in the NHL and holds Maple Leafs career records for goals and assists by a blue liner.
Mike Adessa
Nov. 29 at age 77. Boston native who was coach of RPI’s 1985 national champion men’s hockey team.
John Hadl
Nov. 30 at age 82. Pro Bowl quarterback who led the Chargers to the 1965 AFL championship game and also played on their 1963 league champions.
Gaylord Perry
Dec. 1 at age 84. Hall of Fame righthander who won Cy Young Awards in both leagues (Cleveland and San Diego) and was notorious for using the spitball as part of his arsenal.
Sal Durante
Dec. 1 at age 81. Brooklyn truck driver who caught Roger Maris’s 61st home run in the right-field stands at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 1, 1961.
Nick Bollettieri
Dec. 4 at age 91. Hall of Fame tennis coach who worked with some of the sport’s biggest names and founded an academy that revolutionized the development of young players.
Mills Lane
Dec. 6 at age 85. Hall of Fame boxing referee who worked more than 100 title fights, including the infamous Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield ear-biting fiasco.
Grant Wahl
Dec. 9 at age 49. Soccer journalist whose work, primarily for Sports Illustrated, helped popularize the sport in the US and who died while covering the World Cup in Qatar.
Paul Silas
Dec. 10 at age 79. Tenacious defender and rebounder on two Celtics NBA champion teams (1974, ’76) and one with Seattle (1979).
Mike Leach
Dec. 12 at age 61. Football coach who went 158-107 in 21 seasons with pass-happy offenses at Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State.
Curt Simmons
Dec. 13 at age 93. Lefthander who won 115 games for the Phillies and was the last surviving member of their 1950 “Whiz Kids” National League champions.
Billie Moore
Dec. 14 at age 79. Hall of Fame basketball coach who won women’s national titles at Cal State Fullerton and UCLA and guided the first US Olympic women’s team to a silver medal in 1976.
Louis Orr
Dec. 16 at age 64. Star forward for Syracuse who played eight seasons in the NBA with the Pacers and Knicks and later led Seton Hall to two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Don McKenney
Dec. 18 at age 88. All-Star center who led the Bruins in scoring as a rookie in 1954-55, won the Lady Byng Trophy with them in 1960, and spent more than two decades on the staff at Northeastern.
Tom Browning
Dec. 19 at age 62. Lefthander who threw the only perfect game in Cincinnati Reds history and helped them win the World Series in 1990.
Denny Doyle
Dec. 20 at age 78. Second baseman whose midseason acquisition in 1975 helped the Red Sox win the American League pennant.
Franco Harris
Dec. 21 at age 72. Hall of Fame running back who starred on the four Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion teams of the 1970s and made the “Immaculate Reception” to help launch that dynasty.
Ronnie Hillman
Dec. 22 at age 31. Running back on the Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 champions.
Kathy Whitworth
Dec. 24 at age 83. World Golf Hall of Famer who won a record 88 LPGA events, including six majors.
Victor Ortiz
Dec. 26 at age 74. Brockton boys’ basketball coach who went 385-160 in 24 seasons and won a Division 1 state title in 1985.
Dick Flavin
Dec. 28 at age 86. Local media commentator who became public-address announcer at Fenway Park and the “Red Sox poet laureate.”
Howie Vandersea
Dec. 29 at age 81. Little AllAmerican center/linebacker at Bates who went on to become a revered head coach at Springfield College and Bowdoin.
Pelé
Dec. 29 at age 82. Brazilian superstar considered by many nothing less than the finest player in the history of soccer, he numbered three World Cup titles among his many accomplishments.