Sports-related deaths of 2006

UMBERTO ABRONZINO, 85, National Soccer Hall of Famer as a player, organizer, and referee.

PAUL ARIZIN, 78, Basketball Hall of Famer who led the Philadelphia Warriors to the 1956 NBA title and was one of the first players to use the jump shot.

RED AUERBACH, 89, architect of the Celtics championship dynasty as coach and president.

MARJA BAKKER, 59, first female president of the BAA.

THEO BELL, 52, receiver who won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.

TREVOR BERBICK, 52, former heavyweight champion.

PATTY BERG, 88, a founding member of the LPGA Tour and winner of a record 15 major titles.

KEVIN BERRY, 61, gold medalist (for Australia) in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1964 Olympics.

BART BRADLEY, 76, longtime Bruins scout.

SUSAN BUTCHER, 51, four-time Iditarod Sled Dog Race champion.

JOHNNY CALLISON, 67, All-Star outfielder for the Phillies in the ’60s known for his power hitting and rifle throwing arm.

ANN CALVELLO, 76, original ‘‘Roller Derby Queen’’ known for intimidating rivals and even teammates in a career that began in 1948.

JIM CLACK, 58, guard on two Super Bowl-winning Steelers teams in the 1970s.

CASEY COLEMAN, 55, Cleveland Browns play-by-play voice and son of longtime Red Sox broadcaster Ken Coleman.

FLOYD CURRY, 81, right winger on four Stanley Cup champion Canadiens teams.

JIM DELSING, 80, 10-year major league outfielder remembered as the man who pinch-ran for midget Eddie Gaedel with the Browns in 1951.

MAGGIE DIXON, 28, Army women’s basketball coach.

PAT DOBSON, 64, one of four 20-game winners on the 1971 Orioles.

BOB DOVE, 85, College Football Hall of Fame end for Notre Dame who played eight seasons in the NFL, winning championships with the 1953 and ’54 Lions.

MOE DRABOWSKY, 70, pitcher for eight teams from 1956-72 who starred in relief for the champion Orioles in 1966.

JACK FERRANTE, 90, receiver on two Philadelphia Eagles championship teams in the 1940s.

GALEN FISS, 75, linebacker who captained the Cleveland Browns’ last championship team in 1964.

ANDRA FRANKLIN, 47, starting fullback for the Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.

GERT FREDRIKSSON, 86, six-time Olympic gold medalist in canoeing for Sweden.

BERNIE GEOFFRION, 75, Hockey Hall of Famer who played right wing on six Stanley Cup winners with Montreal and was NHL MVP in 1955.

CURT GOWDY, 86, legendary broadcaster whose wide-ranging career included 15 years as the voice of the Red Sox (1951-65).

ERIC GREGG, 55, major league umpire.

PETER HADHAZY, 62, longtime NFL official whose career included tours as general manager of the Browns and assistant GM of the Patriots.

BILL HARTMAN, 90, a College Football Hall of Famer who played fullback and linebacker at Georgia.

VIC HEYLIGER, 87, US Hockey Hall of Famer who coached Michigan to an NCAA championship in 1948.

CRAIG ‘‘IRONHEAD’’ HEYWARD, 39, running back for the Saints and four other NFL teams from 1988-98.

RED HICKEY, 89, 49ers coach from 1959-63 who invented the shotgun formation.

BILLY HITCHCOCK, 89, infielder for five clubs (including the Red Sox) in the 1940s and ’50s who went on to manage three teams.

STEVE HOWE, 48, relief pitcher whose promising career (1980 Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers) was derailed by drug and alcohol abuse.

LAMAR HUNT, 74, Kansas City Chiefs owner who co-founded the AFL and coined the term ‘‘Super Bowl’’ for pro football’s championship game.

RON JESSIE, 57, Pro Bowl receiver who played 11 seasons with the Rams, Lions, and Bills.

ANNETTE KELLY, 93, Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter relays at the 1932 and ’36 Games.

ED KENNEY, 85, longtime Red Sox farm director.

CRAIG KUSICK, 57, Twins first baseman from 1973-79.

CHARLIE LEIGH, 60, kick returner on the unbeaten 1972 Dolphins.

JIM LEMON, 78, All-Star outfielder who played with five teams in the ’50s and ’60s and once hit three homers off Whitey Ford in one game.

BUNNY LEVITT, 96, Harlem Globetrotter who once made 499 consecutive free throws in an exhibition.

CORY LIDLE, 34, pitcher for seven teams, including the Yankees, over nine seasons (1997-2006).

PAUL LINDBLAD, 64, lefthander reliever on the A’s championship teams in 1973 and ’74.

BOB MANN, 82, star receiver for the Detroit Lions in the 1940s and ’50s.

BOB MATHIAS, 75, Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon in 1948 and 1952.

TERRENCE McCANN, 72, wrestling gold medalist in the 1960 Olympics.

BUD McFADIN, 77, five-time Pro Bowl lineman who spent 11 years in the NFL (Rams, Broncos, Oilers).

RAY MEYER, 92, Basketball Hall of Fame coach who won 724 games in 42 seasons at DePaul, reaching two Final Fours.

BOB MILLER, 76, defensive tackle on the powerhouse Lions teams that won three NFL titles in the 1950s.

STEVE MIZERAK, 61, four-time US Open pool champion and member of the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.

GLENN MYERNICK, 51, US soccer coach.

BYRON NELSON, 94, PGA legend whose 52 victories are sixth all-time and whose 1945 season — 18 wins, 11 in a row — is unmatched in golf history.

JOE NIEKRO, 61, two-time 20-game winner who pitched in more than 700 games over 22 years with seven teams.

PETER NORMAN, 64, silver medalist in the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympics who stood alongside Tommie Smith and John Carlos during their civil rights protest on the medal stand.

PATRICK ‘‘ACE’’ NTSOELENGOE, 50, US Soccer Hall of Famer who scored 87 goals in 11 years in the North American Soccer League.

TOM NUGENT, 92, College Football Hall of Famer who was credited with developing the I formation at VMI and later coached at Florida State and Maryland.

BUCK O’NEIL, 94, Negro leagues veteran and Cubs coach who became a beloved and eloquent ambassador for baseball.

FLOYD PATTERSON, 71, Boxing Hall of Famer who went 55-8-1, was heavyweight champion at age 21, and was the first man to win the title twice.

EDDIE PELLAGRINI, 88, major league infielder for eight seasons (two with the Red Sox) and BC baseball coach for 32 years.

WILLIE PEP, 84, Boxing Hall of Famer who went 229-11 in a career that spanned 26 years.

MARC POTVIN, 38, NHL right wing for four teams, including the Bruins in 1995-96.

KIRBY PUCKETT, 44, Hall of Fame outfielder who played on two Twins world champions (1987, 1991).

DAN ROSS, 49, College Football Hall of Famer out of Northeastern who set the record for most Super Bowl receptions (11) with the Bengals in 1982.

PAT RUPP, 63, goaltender for the 1964 and 1968 US Olympic teams.

JOHNNY SAIN, 89, four-time 20-game winner who teamed with Warren Spahn on the Braves to form one of baseball’s most fabled pitching tandems and who also played on three Yankees champions.

JOHN SANDUSKY, 80, NFL player in the 1950s and a longtime assistant coach with the Colts, Eagles, and Dolphins.

TONY SARDISCO, 73, Patriots guard from 1960-62.

BO SCHEMBECHLER, 77, legendary football coach who compiled a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89 and an overall mark of 234-65-8.

TED SCHROEDER, 84, 1949 Wimbledon singles champion.

SCOTT SCHULHOFER, 80, Hall of Fame horse trainer who won the Belmont in 1993 (Colonial Affair) and 1999 (Lemon Drop Kid).

VIC SEARS, 88, tackle on the NFL champion Eagles in 1948 and ’49.

LARRY SHERRY, 71, Dodgers reliever who was MVP of the 1959 World Series.

SIBBY SISTI, 85, utilityman for 13 seasons with the Boston and Milwaukee Braves (1939-54) and member of the 1948 NL champions.

JACK SNOW, 62, receiver for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s and ’70s.

ERNIE STAUTNER, 80, Hall of Fame defensive lineman for the Steelers and longtime Cowboys defensive coordinator.

RED STOREY, 88, Hockey Hall of Fame referee who worked seven straight Stanley Cup finals in the 1950s.

RUSS SWAN, 42, pitcher for the Giants, Mariners, and Indians from 1989-94.

SYD THRIFT, 77, longtime baseball executive, notably with the Pirates, Orioles, and Yankees.

CECIL TRAVIS, 93, All-Star infielder for the Senators who hit over .300 eight times in a 12-year career (1933-47).

JIM TRIMBLE, 87, Philadelphia Eagles head coach from 1952-55.

JOSE URIBE, 47, shortstop for 10 years in the majors (1984-93), mostly with the Giants.

CHARLIE WAGNER, 93, beloved member of the Red Sox organization for 70 years as a player, coach, executive, scout, and consultant.

RANDY WALKER, 52, Northwestern football coach.

ANDRE WATERS, 44, Eagles defensive back in the 1980s.

EARL WOODS, 74, father of Tiger Woods.

Compiled by John Carney