Gone but not forgotten
Some of the notable figures from the world of sports who died in 2023:
Cliff Gustafson
Jan. 2 at age 91. Baseball coach who won more than 1,400 games and two national championships at Texas.
Art McNally
Jan. 2 at age 97. First on-field NFL official to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rosi Mittermaier
Jan. 4 at age 72. West German skier who won gold medals in the downhill and slalom in the 1976 Olympics.
Nate Colbert
Jan. 5 at age 76. Slugging first baseman who was the first prominent star of the expansion San Diego Padres and is still their franchise leader in career home runs.
Bill Campbell
Jan. 6 at age 74. Closer who recorded 31 saves for the Red Sox in 1977 after being the first big-money free agent ever signed by the team.
Dick Savitt
Jan. 6 at age 95. Tennis Hall of Famer who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 1951, then retired from the game in 1952 at age 25.
Charles White
Jan. 11 at age 64. Heisman Trophywinning running back (1979) who is still USC’s career rushing leader and led the NFL in rushing with the Rams in 1987.
Lee Tinsley
Jan. 12 at age 53. Outfielder who played parts of three seasons (1994-96) with the Red Sox.
Billy Evans
Jan. 12 at age 75. Playmaking point guard who led BC to the NIT championship game in 1969 and holds the school record for career assists.
Gerrie Coetzee
Jan. 12 at age 67. South African boxer who was the first from his continent to win a world heavyweight title and who defied his country’s racist laws during the height of apartheid.
Gino Odjick
Jan. 15 at age 52. Hard-nosed Canucks winger who was a fan favorite in Vancouver.
Frank Thomas
Jan. 16 at age 93. Slugging outfielder/first baseman/third baseman who made three All-Star teams with the Pirates and was an original New York Met in 1962.
Chris Ford
Jan. 17 at age 74. Part of three Celtics champion teams as a player (1981) and assistant coach (1984, 1986) who also was an NBA head coach for 10 seasons, five with Boston (1990-95).
Sal Bando
Jan. 20 at age 78. Third baseman and captain of the Oakland A’s three World Series champion teams in the 1970s.
Billy Packer
Jan. 26 at age 82. Legendary college basketball commentator who was the lead TV analyst for 34 consecutive Final Fours.
Gary Peters
Jan. 26 at age 85. Lefthander who won 91 games for the White Sox — including 20 in 1964 — and finished his career with 33 wins for the Red Sox (1970-72).
Kyle Smaine
Jan. 29 at age 31. American freestyle skier who won gold in the halfpipe at the 2015 World Championships.
Bobby Hull
Jan. 30 at age 84. Hall of Fame Blackhawks left winger whose blistering slapshot made him one of the NHL’s most prolific scorers of the 1960s.
Bobby Beathard
Jan. 30 at age 86. Pro Football Hall of Fame executive who was part of four Super Bowl champion teams with Miami and Washington.
Greta Andersen
Feb. 6 at age 95. Olympic champion swimmer who found greater fame as a record-setting long-distance openwater swimmer.
Ted Lerner
Feb. 12 at age 92. Washington Nationals owner.
Conrad Dobler
Feb. 13 at age 72. All-Pro offensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1970s notorious for a surly on-field persona.
Tim McCarver
Feb. 16 at age 81. All-Star catcher who played on two World Series champions with the St. Louis Cardinals and became a Hall of Fame broadcaster.
John Veitch
Feb. 16 at age 77. Hall of Fame trainer of hard-luck thoroughbred Alydar, who narrowly lost all three Triple Crown races to Affirmed in 1978.
Don Blackburn
Feb. 17 at age 84. Left winger whose nine-year pro hockey career included a season with the Bruins (196263) and three with the WHA’s New England Whalers (1973-76).
Red McCombs
Feb. 19 at age 95. Former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Vikings.
Albie Pearson
Feb. 21 at age 88. 5-foot-5-inch outfielder who was the 1958 AL Rookie of the Year for the Senators and an original Los Angeles Angel in 1961.
Roman Mejias
Feb. 22 at 97. Outfielder whose nine-year career included two seasons with the Red Sox (1963-64) and six with the Pirates.
Jim O’Connor
Feb. 25 at age 87. Football coach at Catholic Memorial for 19 years — winning Division 2 Super Bowls in 1973 and 1978 — and athletic director for 20 years.
Terry Holland
Feb. 26 at age 80. Men’s basketball coach who elevated Virginia to national prominence in a 16-year stint at the helm.
Bob Richards
Feb. 26 at age 97. Ordained minister who won two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault — cementing his moniker as the “Vaulting Vicar” — and was the first athlete to appear on a Wheaties box.
Jean Faut
Feb. 28 at age 98. Ace righthander considered by many the greatest overhand pitcher in the history of the AllAmerican Girls’ Professional Baseball League.
Just Fontaine
March 1 at age 89. French soccer great who scored a record 13 goals (in six games) at the 1958 World Cup.
Jerry Richardson
March 1 at age 86. Former NFL receiver who became the founding owner of the Carolina Panthers but sold the team in 2019 amid allegations of workplace misconduct.
Pat McCormick
March 7 at age 92. First diver to sweep the 3- and 10-meter events at consecutive Olympics and the second woman to win the Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete.
Otis Taylor
March 9 at age 80. Sure-handed deep-threat receiver who played on two AFL champions with Kansas City and hauled in a memorable 46-yard TD pass to clinch the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl IV.
Jesus Alou
March 10 at age 80. Outfielder who hit .280 for four teams over 15 years and was the youngest of the three major league Alou brothers.
Bud Grant
March 11 at age 95. Stone-faced Hall of Fame coach who led the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowls in eight years.
Felton Spencer
March 12 at age 55. Star center at Louisville who also played 12 years in the NBA for six teams.
Dick Fosbury
March 12 at age 76. High jumper who reinvented the discipline with his “Fosbury Flop” technique, which he used to win gold at the 1968 Olympics.
Joe Pepitone
March 13 at age 82. All-Star Yankees first baseman of the 1960s who gained acclaim for a flamboyant lifestyle that included wearing hairpieces in games and posing nude for a ladies magazine.
Willis Reed
March 21 at age 80. Inspirational leader of two Knicks NBA champions in the 1970s whose playing-through-pain start in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals is a signature moment in team history.
Jerry Green
March 23 at age 94. Detroit sportswriter who covered all of the first 56 Super Bowls.
Frank O’Brien
March 29 at age 82. Legendary Globe sports photographer.
John Brockington
March 31 at age 74. All-Pro fullback who is fourth on the Green Bay Packers’ career rushing list.
Ken Buchanan
April 1 at age 77. Scottish boxer who won his first 33 fights and was world lightweight champion in 1971.
Hobie Landrith
April 6 at age 93. Journeyman catcher who in 1961 became The Original Met — the team’s very first selection in the expansion draft.
John Underwood
April 12 at age 88. Sports Illustrated writer who collaborated with Ted Williams on “My Turn at Bat” and “The Science of Hitting.”
Chris Smith
April 18 at age 31. Defensive end for five NFL teams in an eight-year career.
Dave Wilcox Heather Walker
April 26 at age 52. Celtics vice president of public relations.
Dick Groat
April 27 at age 92. Shortstop on the 1960 World Series champion Pirates who also was NL MVP that season and was an All-American basketball player for Duke in the 1950s.
Mike Shannon
April 29 at age 83. Outfielder/third baseman on two Cardinals World Series champions in the 1960s who became a popular broadcaster for the team.
Ralph Boston
April 30 at age 83. Long jumper who dominated the event in the 1960s, setting six world records and winning the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.
Calvin Davis
May 1 at age 51. Hurdler who won bronze in the 400 at the 1996 Olympics.
Tori Bowie
May 3 at age 32. Sprinter who won three medals at the 2016 Olympics, including gold in the 4x100 and silver in the 100.
Petr Klima
May 4 at age 58. Right winger whose goal in triple overtime of Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final crushed the Bruins and sent the Oilers on their way to another championship.
Don January
May 5 at age 93. 10-time winner on the PGA Tour — including the 1967 PGA Championship — who also won the very first event on the new Senior Tour in 1980.
Vida Blue
May 6 at age 73. Fireballing ace on the three Oakland A’s champion teams of the 1970s who was AL MVP and Cy Young winner in 1971.
Larry Mahan
May 7 at age 79. Six time all-around world rodeo champion considered by many the biggest superstar in the sport’s history.
Vic Stasiuk
May 7 at age 93. Left winger on the Bruins’ famed “Uke Line” with John Bucyk and Bronco Horvath — the first line in NHL history with three 20-goal scorers — who also played on two Stanley Cup winners with the Red Wings.
Joe Kapp
May 8 at age 85. Hard-nosed quarterback who led the Vikings to their first Super Bowl (losing to the Chiefs), won a CFL Grey Cup, and finished his career with the Patriots in 1970.
Denny Crum
May 9 at age 86. Hall of Fame basketball coach who led Louisville to two NCAA championships and built the program into a 1980s power.
Owen Davidson
May 12 at age 79. Australian tennis great who won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, including eight with Billie Jean King in mixed doubles.
Don Denkinger
May 12 at age 86. Longtime major league umpire unfortunately remembered for a missed call at first base in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series.
Marlene Hagge-Vossler
May 16 at age 89. Hall of Fame golfer who won 26 LPGA events and was the last surviving founder of the tour.
Jim Brown
May 18 at age 87. Legendary fullback and one of the NFL’s all-time greatest players who cut short his Hall of Fame football career after nine seasons to focus on acting and social activism.
Buddy Melges
May 18 at age 93. First sailor to win both an Olympic gold medal and the America’s Cup.
Terry McDermott
May 20 at age 82. Speedskater who won the only gold medal by an American at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Rick Hoyt
May 22 at age 61. Inspirational Boston Marathon participant who with his late father Dick was a mainstay in the race for decades.
Cotton Nash
May 23 at age 80. All-American basketball player at Kentucky and one of 13 men to play in both the NBA (Lakers, Warriors) and Major League Baseball (White Sox, Twins).
Fusaichi Pegasus
May 23 at age 26. Winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby.
Bill McGovern
May 30 at age 60. Star defensive back for Holy Cross who also was an assistant coach at BC for 13 seasons and spent time in the NFL ranks.
Bob Bolin
June 2 at age 84. Pitcher for nine seasons with the San Francisco Giants and four with the Red Sox (1970-73).
Jim Hines
June 3 at age 76. First man to break 10 seconds in the 100 meters, winning gold at the 1968 Olympics and setting a record that stood for 15 years.
Roger Craig
June 4 at age 93. Pitcher for three champion teams (1955 and 1959 Dodgers, 1964 Cardinals) who started the first game in Mets history, managed the Giants to the 1989 NL pennant, and was a renowned pitching coach.
Don Hood
June 10 at age 73. Pitcher who spent five of his 10 major league seasons with the Cleveland Indians.
Homer Jones
June 14 at age 82. Prolific and lightning-fast New York Giants receiver reputed to be the first player to celebrate a touchdown by spiking the football.
Bob Brown
June 16 at age 81. Hard-hitting Hall of Fame tackle for the Eagles, Rams, and Raiders.
Dick Hall
June 18 at age 92. Relief pitcher on two Baltimore Orioles World Series champion teams.
George Frazier
June 19 at age 68. Relief pitcher for five teams over 10 years, including the 1981 AL champion Yankees and the 1987 World Series champion Twins.
Clark Haggans
June 19 at age 46. Linebacker on the Pittsburgh Steelers 2005 Super Bowl champions.
Ryan Mallett
June 27 at age 35. Quarterback who was drafted by the Patriots as a backup for Tom Brady in 2011 and stayed with the team until 2014.
Mario Guerrero
July 2 at age 73. Red Sox shortstop for two seasons (1973-74) who also played for the Cardinals, Angels, and Athletics.
Vince Tobin
July 3 at age 79. Arizona Cardinals head coach (1996-2000).
Dick Sheridan
July 6 at age 81. College Football Hall of Fame coach for Furman and North Carolina State.
Johnie Cooks
July 6 at age 64. Linebacker for the Colts, Giants, and Browns.
Nikki McCray
July 7 at age 51. Star point guard at Tennessee and two-time Olympic gold medalist for the US in women’s basketball.
Eddie Bressoud
July 13 at age 91. Red Sox shortstop for four seasons (1962-65) who made the 1964 All-Star team and also played for the Giants, Mets, and Cardinals.
Funny Cide
July 16 at age 23. Gelding who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Miller Farr
July 18 at age 80. Pro Bowl defensive back for the Houston Oilers in the 1960s.
Brian O’Neill
July 21 at age 94. Cornerstone executive in the NHL office since 1966 and a Hall of Famer as a builder.
Johnny Lujack
July 25 at age 98. Heisman Trophywinning quarterback who led Notre Dame to three national championships in the 1940s.
Bob Murdoch
Aug. 3 at age 76. Defenseman who played on two Stanley Cup winners with the Canadiens in the early 1970s and was NHL Coach of the Year with Winnipeg in 1990.
Gilles Gilbert
Aug. 6 at age 74. Popular goalie who played seven of his 14 NHL seasons with the Bruins, going 155-73-39 for them.
Jim Price
Aug. 7 at age 81. Backup catcher on the Detroit Tigers 1968 World Series champions.
Bobby Baun
Aug. 14 at age 86. Hard-nosed defenseman on three consecutive Stanley Cup winners with the Maple Leafs who scored the overtime winner in Game 6 of the 1964 Final on a broken leg.
Rodion Amirov
Aug. 14 at age 21. Maple Leafs left wing prospect taken with the 15th pick in the 2020 NHL draft who succumbed to a brain tumor.
Alex Collins
Aug. 14 at age 28. Star running back at Arkansas who played in the NFL with the Ravens and Seahawks.
Maxie Baughan
Aug. 19 at age 85. College Football Hall of Fame center/linebacker for Georgia Tech and Pro Bowler with the Eagles and Rams.
Alex Cole
Aug. 19 at age 58. Journeyman outfielder whose seven-year career ended with 24 games for the Red Sox in 1996.
Steve Sidwell
Aug. 23 at age 78. Linebackers coach for the Patriots from 1982-84 and defensive coordinator from 1997-99.
Pat Corrales
Aug. 27 at age 82. Catcher for four major league teams who also managed the Rangers, Indians, and Phillies.
Sarava
Aug. 28 at age 24. Longest shot ever to win the Belmont Stakes, at 70-1 in 2002.
Gil Brandt
Aug. 31 at age 91. Pro Football Hall of Fame executive who helped build the Dallas Cowboys into “America’s Team” in the 1970s.
Brad Maxwell
Sept. 3 at age 66. Sturdy defenseman for 10 NHL seasons, nine of them with the Minnesota North Stars.
Whitey Von Nieda
Sept. 6 at age 101. Guard/forward for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and Baltimore Bullets in 1949-50 who became the first former NBA player to reach the age of 100.
Mike Williams
Sept. 12 at age 36. Wide receiver for the Buccaneers and Bills (2010-14) who died after a construction accident.
Henry Boucha
Sept. 18 at age 72. Center for the Red Wings and North Stars in the 1970s who wore a distinctive headband and set a Detroit record by scoring six seconds into a game.
Buddy Teevens
Sept. 19 at age 66. Winningest football coach in Dartmouth history and an innovator in player safety measures.
Brooks Robinson
Sept. 26 at age 86. Hall of Fame third baseman whose defensive excellence in a 23-year career for the Orioles set the standard at the position.
Chris Snow
Sept. 30 at age 42. Calgary Flames assistant general manager and former Globe sportswriter who waged an inspirational battle against ALS.
Tim Wakefield
Oct. 1 at age 57. Knuckleballer who compiled 200 major league victories and played on two World Series-winning Red Sox teams, then became a champion of the Jimmy Fund and other charities.
Russ Francis
Oct. 1 at age 70. Free-spirited fan favorite with the Patriots who was one of the best tight ends of his time and played on a Super Bowl winner with the 49ers later in his career.
Joe Christopher
Oct. 3 at age 87. Outfielder who played for the 1960 champion Pirates, was an original Met in 1962, and finished his career with 12 games for the Red Sox in 1966.
Dick Butkus
Oct. 4 at age 80. Fearsome Hall of Fame middle linebacker who epitomized Chicago Bears toughness and was considered by many the greatest to ever play the position.
Jim Poole
Oct. 6 at age 57. Lefthanded reliever for eight teams, including the 1995 AL champions Indians.
Dunc Wilson
Oct. 8 at age 75. Goaltender on the inaugural Vancouver Canucks expansion team in 1970.
Brendan Malone
Oct. 10 at age 81. Assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” champions whose defensive “Jordan Rules” were supposed to contain Michael Jordan.
Terry Dischinger
Oct. 10 at age 82. NBA Rookie of the Year in 1963 for the Chicago Zephyrs and gold medalist with the US team at the 1960 Olympics.
Walt Garrison
Oct. 11 at age 79. Hard-nosed running back for the Dallas Cowboys — and part of their Super Bowl VI champions — who performed in rodeos in the offseasons as an actual cowboy.
Andy Bean
Oct. 14 at age 70. 11-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Ivor Robson
Oct. 17 at age 83. Official starter at golf ’s Open Championship for 41 years famous for his introductions at the first tee in his distinctive Scottish accent.
Pete Ladd
Oct. 20 at age 67. Maine native who pitched for three teams in a six-year major league career, including the 1982 AL champion Brewers.
Betsy Rawls
Oct. 21 at age 95. Golf Hall of Famer who won 55 LPGA Tour events, including eight majors.
Bobby Charlton
Oct. 21 at age 86. Stalwart of England’s 1966 World Cup champions regarded by many as the best soccer player in the nation’s history.
Tasha Butts
Oct. 23 at age 41. Georgetown women’s basketball coach. Bingo Smith
Oct. 26 at age 77. An original Cleveland Cavalier and one of their best players in their early expansion years.
Ed Sandford
Oct. 26 at age 95. All-Star left wing who took over the Bruins captaincy when Milt Schmidt retired and was the team’s oldest living alumnus at the time of his death.
Bobby Guindon
Oct. 26 at age 80. Brookline native who was a Red Sox “bonus baby” in the early 1960s and starred in the minors but lasted just eight at-bats in the majors.
Adam Johnson
Oct. 28 at age 29. American hockey player who was fatally injured by a skate blade while playing in Europe.
Frank Howard
Oct. 30 at age 87. Hulking slugger who played right field for the 1963 World Series champion Dodgers and made four All-Star teams with the Washington Senators.
Sam Ball
Oct. 30 at age 79. All-American tackle for Kentucky who played on two Baltimore Colts Super Bowl teams.
Bobby Knight
Nov. 1 at age 83. Winner of three NCAA men’s basketball championships at Indiana in an accomplished coaching career that was marred by his bullying of players and other unapologetically boorish behavior.
Walter Davis
NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978 with the Phoenix Suns and a six-time All-Star guard.
Nov. 2 at age 69. Dick Drago
Nov. 2 at age 78. Reliever/closer for the 1975 AL champion Red Sox, part of a 13-year major league career that included two separate stints in Boston.
Judy Slamin
Nov. 3 at age 84. Longtime MIAA volleyball official and winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Peter Seidler
Nov. 14 at age 63. San Diego Padres owner.
Terry Taylor
Nov. 14 at age 71. First female sports editor of the Associated Press.
Bobby Ussery
Nov. 16 at age 88. Hall of Fame jockey who won the 1967 Kentucky Derby on Proud Clarion but whose win in 1968 was disallowed when Dancer’s Image failed a drug test.
Willie Hernandez
Nov. 21 at age 69. Tigers closer who was AL MVP and Cy Young winner for the 1984 World Series champions.
Tom Larson
Nov. 22 at age 84. Longtime studio host for Bruins and Red Sox programming on Channel 38 and NESN.
Harald Hasselbach
Nov. 23 at age 56. Defensive lineman on the Denver Broncos two Super Bowl champions in the 1990s.
Ron Hodges
Nov. 24 at age 74. Catcher who spent his entire 12-year career with the New York Mets and was on their 1973 NL champions.
Vic Davalillo
Outfielder for 16 seasons with six teams who played on World Series winners with the 1971 Pirates and 1973 A’s.
Dec. 6 at age 84. Mo Maloney
Boston College baseball coach from 1989-98 and member of the school’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
Dec. 7 at age 84. Frank Wycheck
Dec. 9 at age 52. Pro Bowl tight end who threw the lateral that set in motion the Titans’ “Music City Miracle” play against the Bills in the 1999 playoffs.
George McGinnis
Dec. 14 at age 73. Hall of Famer who was on two ABA champions with the Pacers and was a three-time NBA All-Star with the 76ers and Nuggets.
Ken MacKenzie
Dec. 14 at age 89. An original New York Met and the only pitcher on that 1962 team to finish with a winning record (5-4).
Eric Montross
Dec. 17 at age 52. North Carolina star center who was drafted ninth overall by the Celtics in 1994 and played two seasons for them.
Paula Murphy
Dec. 21 at age 95. Hall of Fame drag racer and the first woman licensed to drive a Funny Car.
Ryan Minor
Orioles infielder who took over at third base after Cal Ripken ended his record consecutivegame streak in 1998.
Dec. 22 at age 49. Herb Kohl
Milwaukee Bucks owner from 1985-2014.
Dec. 27 at age 88. Gil de Ferran
Dec. 29 at age 56. Winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500 and holder of the closed-course land speed record (241.428 m.p.h.).
Joey Meyer
Dec. 29 at age 74. Men’s basketball coach who took DePaul to seven NCAA Tournaments in 13 seasons.