2016 sports deaths

January

• January 7 - John Johnson, American basketball player ^[1]
• January 11 - Monte Irvin, American baseball player ^[2]
• January 23 - Bobby Wanzer, American basketball player and coach
• January 27 - Augusto Giomo, Italian basketball player

February

• February 4 - Dave Mirra, American BMX rider and racecar driver
• February 24 - Eddie Einhorn, American basketball television and radio executive
• February 26 - Andy Bathgate, Canadian ice hockey player

March

• March 3 - Sarah Tait, Australian rower
• March 7 - Bobby Johns, American racecar driver
• March 9 - Clyde Lovellette, basketball player
• March 23 - Joe Garagiola, American baseball player and announcer
• March 24 - Johan Cruyff, Dutch football player and coach
• March 27 - Antoine Demoitié, Belgian cyclist
• March 28 - Daan Myngheer, Belgian cyclist

April

• April 7 - Carlo Monti, Italian athlete
• April 13 - Nera White, American basketball player
• April 19 - Estelle Balet, Swiss snowboarder
• April 23 - Attila Ferjáncz, Hungarian racecar driver
• April 29 - Don White, American racecar driver

May

• May 6 - Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian football player
• May 14 - Christy O'Connor Snr, Irish golfer

June

• June 3 - Muhammad Ali, American boxer
• June 3 - Sten Lundin, Swedish motorcycle rider
• June 3 - Luis Salom, Spanish motorcycle rider
• June 10 - Gordie Howe, Canadian ice hockey player
• June 11 - Rudi Altig, German cyclist
• June 15 - Hiroshi Minatoya, Japanese judoka
• June 22 - Roberto Lovera, Uruguayan basketball player
• June 28 - Pat Summitt, American basketball player and coach
• June 28 - Buddy Ryan, NFL coach
• June 29 - Jan Hettema, South African cyclist and racecar driver

July

• July 9 - Fritzi Schwingl, Austrian canoeist
• July 9 - Bill Guilfoile, American baseball executive
• July 16 - Nate Thurmond, American basketball player

August

• August 3 - Chris Amon, New Zealand racecar driver
• August 6 - Midget Farrelly, Australian surfer
• August 7 - Bryan Clauson, American racecar driver
• August 9 - Bill Alsup, American racecar driver
• August 14 - Yasumitsu Toyoda, Japanese baseball player
• August 15 - Stefan Henze, German canoeist and coach
• August 16 - João Havelange, Brazilian football executive
• August 24 – Nina Yeryomina, Russian basketball player
• August 26 - Anton Pronk, Dutch football player
• August 28 - Lennart Häggroth, Swedish ice hockey player

September

• September 7 - Bobby Chacon, American boxer
• September 8 - Hannes Arch, Austrian air racer
• September 17 - Bahman Golbarnezhad, Iranian para-cyclist
• September 23 - Frances Dafoe, Canadian figure skater
• September 24 - Mel Charles, Welsh football player
• September 25 - Arnold Palmer, American golfer
• September 25 - José Fernández, Cuban-American baseball player
• September 30 - Mike Towell, Scottish boxer

November

• November 1 - Sverre Andersen, Norwegian footballer
• November 28 - Chapecoense tragedy (over 60 players, executives and journalists)

December

• December 2 - Sammy Lee, American diver
• December 5 - Marcel Renaud, French kayaker
• December 7 - Paul Bert Elvstrøm, Danish yachter
• December 23 - Miruts Yifter, Ethiopian runner
• December 29 - Néstor Gonçalves, Uruguayan football player and coach

References

1. "Former SuperSonics All-Star Johnny Johnson dies in San Jose". The Mercury News. 2016-01-08. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
2. "Essex County Dedicates Monte Irvin Statue in (Monte Irvin) Orange Park". TAPinto. Retrieved 2025-09-25.