- Jan 3 Bid McPhee, American Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman (Cincinnati Reds; last 2nd baseman to play without a glove), dies at 83
- Jan 8 Albert Goldthorpe, English rugby league five eighth (RL pioneer; Hunslet 713 games), dies at 71
- Jan 30 Attila Petschauer, Hungarian fencer (Olympic gold 1928, 32), dies at 38
- Feb 1 Foy Draper, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1936 WR 39.8s), dies in action as a USAF pilot at 31
- Feb 2 Jack Burke Sr., American golfer (US open 1920 runner-up; Senior PGA C'ship 1941), dies at 54
- Feb 4 Frank Calder, 1st NHL president, dies
- Mar 3 George Thomson, cricketer (all-rounder-6 Tests for Eng 1909-10), dies
- Mar 9 Oskar Hêks, Czech marathon runner/antifascist, dies in Auschwitz
- Apr 8 Richard Sears, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1881-87), dies at 81
- Jun 2 Nile Kinnick Jr., American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1939; University of Iowa), dies during a WWII training flight at 24
- Jun 15 Cecil Parkin, cricketer (32 wkts in 10 Tests for Eng 1920-24), dies
- Jul 21 Charles Paddock, American 100m runner (Olympic gold 1920), dies at 42
- Jul 27 Godfrey Cripps, cricketer (1st Currie Cup-winning captain), dies
- Jul 27 H B G Austin, cricketer (capt of 1923 WI team to England), dies
- Jul 31 Hedley Verity, English cricket spin bowler (40 Tests, 144 wickets @ 24.37), dies in POW camp in Italy at 38
- Aug 6 Tom Garrett, cricketer (last survivor of 1st Test in 1877), dies
- Aug 14 Joe Kelley, American baseball player (Baltimore Orioles), dies at 71
- Aug 26 Ted Ray, British golfer (British Open 1912, US Open 1920), dies at 66
- Sep 17 Dick Tyldesley, English cricketer (7 Tests for England), dies
- Sep 27 Willoughby Hamilton, Irish tennis, soccer player (Wimbledon 1890; Ireland 1 cap), dies at 78
- Sep 28 Charles Vintcent, cricketer (played in South Africa's 1st 3 tests), dies
- Oct 14 Jackie Matthews, cricketer (8 Tests 1911-12, 16 wickets), dies
- Nov 23 Ernie Jones, Australian cricket fast bowler (19 Tests, 64 wickets; first bowler to be called for throwing in a Test), dies at 74