Deaths Date 2021 January | History by KabAstro

Tommy Lasorda (1927-2021)

Jan 7 American Baseball Hall of Fame manager (World Series 1981, 88; NL Manager of the Year 1983, 88; LA Dodgers 1976-96), dies of a heart attack at 93 [1]

Jan 7 Vladimir Kiselyov, Ukranian-Soviet athlete (Olympic gold, 1980- shot put), dies at 64
Jan 8 Eva Badura-Skoda, German-Austrian musicologist (Mozart-Interpretation), dies at 91
Jan 8 Shirley Wilson, American football coach (Elon University 1967-76; Duke University 1979-82; 88–61–3), dies at 95
Jan 8 [William Edwin] Ed Bruce, American country singer ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"), dies at 81
Jan 9 Isaak Markovich Khalatnikov, Russian physicist, dies at 101
Jan 9 Vivalyn Latty-Scott, West Indian women's cricket all-rounder (10 Tests, 25 wickets; Jamaica), dies at 82
Jan 10 David Barclay, British hotel magnate (The Ritz) and multi-billionaire, dies at 86
Jan 10 Dee Rowe, American college basketball coach (UConn Huskies men's team 1969-76; 103–78 [.569]), dies at 91
Jan 10 Donald Smith, English cricket batsman (3 Tests, 1 wicket; Sussex CCC), dies at 97
Jan 10 Hubert Auriol, French off-road motorcyclist and auto racer (Dakar Rally 1981, 83, 92), dies from COVID-19 at 68
Jan 10 Sydney Hodkinson, Canadian-American classical composer and educator (Eastman School, 1973-99), dies at 86
Jan 11 Colin McDonald, Australian cricket batsman (47 Tests, 5 x 100s; Victoria), dies at 92
Jan 11 Kathleen Heddle, Canadian rower (Olympic gold coxless pair, 8's 1992; double sculls 1996), dies from breast and lymph node cancer at 55
Jan 11 Ruth Clarke, British teacher, social activist, and religious leader (Moderator - General Assembly of the United Reform Church), dies at 85

Sheldon Adelson (1933-2021)

Jan 11 American business magnate (CEO of Las Vegas Sands casino company) and major political donor to the GOP and Israel, dies at 87 [1]

Jan 11 Wálter Taibo, Uruguayan soccer goalkeeper (30 caps; Huracán, C.A. Peñarol), dies at 89
Jan 11 William Edgar Thornton, American medical doctor, USAF officer, and astronaut (STS-8, STS-51B), dies at 91
Jan 12 Álvaro Mejía, Colombian athlete (Boston Marathon 1971 2:18:45), dies at 80
Jan 12 Frank Arok, Yugoslavian-Australian soccer coach (Australia 1983-89), dies at 88
Jan 12 John Ward, New Zealand cricket wicketkeeper (8 Tests; 17 dismissals), dies at 83
Jan 12 Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud, Saudi thoroughbred racing owner and breeder (Juddmonte Farms; Dancing Brave, Enable, Frankel, Arrogate), dies at 84
Jan 13 Bernd Kannenber, German race walker (Olympic gold FRG 50k 1972), dies at 78
Jan 13 Bruce Pasternack, American executive (President and CEO Special Olympics International 2005-07), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 73
Jan 13 Duke Bootee (Edward Fletcher), American hip-hop rapper and record producer ("The Message"), dies of congestive heart disease at 69
Jan 13 Hannes Viljoen, South African rugby union winger (3 caps; Natal), dies at 77
Jan 13 Joël Robert, Belgian motocross racer (Motocross World C'ships 250cc 1964, 68–72), dies from COVID-19 at 77
Jan 13 Robert Cohan, American-British dancer (Martha Grahame Dance Company, 1946-57, 1962-69), choreographer, and artistic director (London Contemporary Dance Theatre, 1969-89), dies at 95
Jan 13 Siegfried Fischbacher, German American entertainer and magician (Siegfried and Roy), dies at 81 [1]
Jan 13 Sylvain Sylvain [Mizrahi], Egyptian-American rock guitarist (New York Dolls), dies of cancer at 69
Jan 13 Tim Bogert, American rock bassist (Vanilla Fudge; Jeff Beck), dies of cancer at 76
Jan 14 Peter Mark Richman {Marvin Jack Richman], American character actor (Three's Company - "Rev. Snow"; Dynasty - "Andrew"), dies at 93
Jan 15 Bruce Headley, American thoroughbred horse trainer and owner (Breeders' Cup Sprint 2000 Kona Gold), dies from a stroke at 86
Jan 15 Vicente Cantatore, Argentine soccer manager (Chile, Real Valladolid, Colo Colo, Real Betis, Sevilla, Sporting de Gijón), dies at 85
Jan 16 Jon Arnett, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (USC; 5 × Pro Bowl; LA Rams, Chicago Bears), dies from heart failure at 85

Phil Spector (1939-2021)

Jan 16 American record producer (Wall of Sound), and convicted murderer, dies of COVID-19 complications at 81 [1]

Jan 17 Julian "Junior" Mance, American jazz pianist (Dinah Washington; Dizzy Gillespie), dies of a brain hemorrhage after a fall at 92
Jan 18 (James Frederick) "Jimmie" Rodgers, American pop singer and guitarist ("Honey Comb" ; “Oh-Oh, I’m Falling In Love Again”), dies of kidney disease at 87 [1]

Don Sutton (1945-2021)

Jan 18 American Baseball HOF pitcher (MLB All-Star 1972, 73, 75, 77; MLB ERA leader 1980; LA Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers), dies from cancer at 75 [1]

Jan 18 Josep Mestres-Quadreny, Spanish composer, dies at 91
Jan 18 Perry Botkin Jr, American arranger, composer ("Nadia's Theme"), and producer (Incredible Bongo Band), dies at 87
Jan 20 Peter Swan, English soccer defender (19 caps; Sheffield Wednesday, Bury), dies at 84
Jan 20 Ted Thompson, American football linebacker (Houston Oilers) and executive (GM Green Bay Packers 2005-17), dies from autonomic disorder at 68
Jan 21 David Bolton, English rugby league five eighth (23 caps Great Britain; Wigan, Balmain) and coach (Parramatta), dies at 83

Hank Aaron (1934-2021)

Jan 22 American Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder (MLB record 755 HRs; NL MVP 1957; 25 × MLB All-Star; Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers), dies at 86 [1]

Jan 22 James Purify, American R&B singer ("I'm Your Puppet"), dies of COVID-19 complications at 76
Jan 22 Luton Shelton, Jamaican soccer striker (75 caps; Vålerenga, Karabükspor, Sheffield United), dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 35
Jan 22 Nick Drake-Lee, English rugby union prop (8 caps; Leicester Tigers), dies at 78
Jan 22 Sharon Gans, American stage and screen actress (Slaughterhouse-Five; Artists and Orphans: A True Drama), and playwright, dies at 85
Jan 22 Tony Jones, American NFL tackle (Super Bowl 1997, 98; Second-team All-Pro 1994; Pro Bowl 1998; Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos), dies at 54
Jan 23 Hal Holbrook, American stage and screen Tony and Emmy award-winning actor (All the President's Men; “Mark Twain Tonight!”), dies at 95 [1]

Larry King (1933-2021)

Jan 23 American radio and TV host ("Larry King Live", CNN), dies of sepsis and renal failure at 87 [1] [2]

Jan 23 Trisha Noble (aka Patsy Ann), Australian pop singer ("Good Looking Boy"), and actress, dies of mesothelioma at 76
Jan 24 George Armstrong, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame centre (Stanley Cup 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1966–67 Toronto Maple Leafs; 7 x NHL All Star), dies from heart complications at 90
Jan 24 Gunnel Lindblom, Swedish actress (Hunger, Virgin Spring), dies at 89
Jan 24 Jóhannes Eðvaldsson, Icelandic soccer defender (34 caps; Celtic, Tulsa Roughnecks, Hannover 96, Motherwell), dies from COVID-19 at 70
Jan 25 Barry Heywood, British director of the British Antarctic Survey, dies at 83
Jan 25 Maryan Synakowski, French soccer defender (16 caps; UA Sedan Torcy 241 games), dies at 84
Jan 25 Raymond Miquel, Scottish businessman (Bell's Whisky), and athletic administrator (Chairman of Scottish Sports Council; Ryder Cup), dies at 89
Jan 26 Alan Ashcroft, English rugby union number 8 (16 caps England, 2 caps British & Irish Lions; Waterloo FC), dies at 90
Jan 26 John Mortimore, English soccer defender (Chelsea 249 games) and manager (Portsmouth, Benfica, Real Betis), dies at 86
Jan 26 Jozef Vengloš, Slovak soccer manager (Australia, Czechoslovakia, Malaysia, Fenerbahçe, Aston Villa, Celtic, Slovakia), dies at 84
Jan 26 Margitta Gummel-Helmbold, German track & field athlete (Olympic gold GDR women's shot put 1968), dies at 79
Jan 26 Peter Thorburn, New Zealand rugby union coach (North Harbour, NZ sevens, Bristol RFC, United States), dies at 81
Jan 26 Sekou Smith, American sportswriter (The Clarion-Ledger, The Indianapolis Star, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; NBA TV), dies from COVID-19 at 48
Jan 27 Cloris Leachman, American Oscar and Emmy Award-winning actress (The Last Picture Show; The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Phyllis"), dies at 94 [1] [2]
Jan 27 Mehrdad Minavand, Iranian soccer midfielder (67 caps; Persepolis, Sturm Graz), dies from COVID-19 at 45
Jan 28 Cicely Tyson, American stage and screen actress (Roots; The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman), dies at 96 [1]
Jan 28 Eddie Connachan, Scottish soccer goalkeeper (2 caps; Dunfermline Athletic, Middlesbrough, Falkirk), dies at 85
Jan 29 Grady Gaines, American jazz, blues, and R&B tenor saxophonist (Little Richard; Sam Cooke, James Brown, Jackie Wilson), dies at 86
Jan 29 Hilton Valentine, British rock guitarist (Animals - "House of the Rising Sun"), dies at 77
Jan 29 Jeremy Lubbock, British Grammy Award-winning pianist, arranger, and music producer (Joni Mitchell; Minnie Riperton; Chicago, Celine Dion), dies at 89
Jan 29 John Chaney, American Basketball Hall of Fame college coach (Cheyney University, Temple University), dies at 89
Jan 29 Peter Klatzow, South African pianist, composer (Inyanga; Still-life with Moonbeams), and educator, dies at 76
Jan 29 Yvon Douis, French soccer striker (20 caps; Lille, Le Havre, Monaco, Cannes), dies from COVID-19 at 85