- Apr 1 Joe Flaherty, American-Canadian Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and actor (SCTV; Freaks and Geeks), dies at 82 [1]
- Apr 1 Michael Ward, American rock guitarist (John Hiatt, 1993-94; The Wallflowers, 1996-2001 - "One Headlight"; Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, 2007-16), dies at 57
- Apr 1 Vontae Davis, American football cornerback (Pro Bowl 2014, 15; Indianapolis Colts), dies at 35
- Apr 2 John Barth, American satirist and author (The Sot-Weed Factor; Lost in the Funhouse), and educator (Johns Hopkins University, 1973-91), dies at 93
- Apr 2 Larry Lucchino, American baseball executive (President/CEO Boston Red Sox; World Series 2004, 07, 13), dies from heart failure at 78
- Apr 3 Albert "Tootie" Heath, American jazz hard bop drummer (John Coltrane; Art Farmer; Jimmy Heath; Tete Montoliu, Yusef Lateef), dies of leukemia at 88 [1]
- Apr 3 Sándor Müller, Hungarian soccer midfielder (17 caps; Vasas SC 310 games), dies at 75
- Apr 4 Lynne Reid Banks, British author (The Indian in the Cupboard), dies at 94 [1]
- Apr 4 Pat Zachry, American baseball pitcher (World Series & NL Rookie of the Year 1976 Cincinnati Reds; MLB All Star 1978 NY Mets), dies at 71
- Apr 5 C. J. Snare, American rock vocalist (Firehouse - "Love of a Lifetime"), dies of cardiac arrest at 64
- Apr 5 John Louis, English motorcycle speedway rider (54 caps England, 4 Great Britain; World Pairs C'ship 1976), dies at 82
- Apr 6 Pat Hennen, American motorcycle racer (first US rider to win a 500cc GP 1976), dies at 70
- Apr 7 Clarence "Frogman" Henry, American R&B pianist and singer ("Ain't Got No Home"; "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do"), dies at 87 [1]
- Apr 7 Jerry Grote, American baseball catcher (MLB All-Star 1968, 74, World Series 1969; New York Mets), dies of respiratory failure at 81 [1]
- Apr 7 Joe Kinnear, Irish soccer defender (26 caps Republic of Ireland; Tottenham) and manager (Wimbledon, Luton Town, Newcastle United), dies from vascular dementia at 77
- Apr 8 Keith Barnes, Australian rugby league fullback (17 Tests, 10 as captain; Balmain RLFC), dies at 89
- Apr 8 Peter Higgs, English theoretical physicist (Nobel Prize for Physics, 2013), dies at 94 [1]
- Apr 8 Ron Lord, Australian soccer goalkeeper (10 caps; Sydney Prague), dies at 94
- Apr 9 André Boniface, French rugby union outside back (48 Tests; Stade Montois Rugby; IRB HOF), dies at 89
- Apr 9 Jack Alabaster, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (21 Tests, 49 wickets; Otago), dies at 93
O.J. Simpson (1947-2024)
Apr 10 American College/Pro Football HOF running back (Heisman Trophy 1968 USC; NFL MVP 1973; 5 × First-team All-Pro & Pro Bowl; Buffalo Bills), broadcaster, and actor; found responsible Brown/Goldman deaths 1994, dies of prostate cancer at 76 [1]
- Apr 10 Ted Toleman, British motor sport executive (founder Toleman Racing F1 team), dies at 86
- Apr 12 Don Donoher, American College Basketball HOF coach (University of Dayton 1964-89), dies at 92
- Apr 12 Robert MacNeil, Canadian-American Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist (PBS, 1975-95; NBC Weekend News, 1965-67), and novelist, dies at 93 [1] [2]
- Apr 13 Austin Murphy, American politician (US Representative from Pennsylvania, 1977-95), dies at 96
- Apr 13 Faith Ringgold (née Jones), American mixed-media artist (Who's Afraid of Aunt Jemima?), children's literature author and illustrator (We Came to America), and educator, dies at 93 [1]
- Apr 14 Calvin Keys, American jazz guitarist, dies at 82
Ken Holtzman (1945-2024)
Apr 14 American baseball pitcher (2 x no hitters 1969, 71 Chicago Cubs; MLB All Star 1972-73, World Series 1972-74 Oakland A's), dies of heart disease at 78 [1]
- Apr 14 Steve Sloan, American college football coach (Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Duke), dies at 79
- Apr 15 Bernd Hölzenbein, German soccer forward (40 caps West Germany, winner FIFA World Cup 1974; Eintracht Frankfurt all-time top scorer 160 goals), dies at 78
- Apr 15 Derek Underwood, England cricket spin bowler (86 Tests, 297 wickets @ 25.83, BB 8/51; Kent CCC), dies from dementia at 78
- Apr 15 Whitey Herzog, American Baseball HOF manager (World Series 1982, NL Manager of the Year 1985 St Louis Cardinals; Texas Rangers, California Angels, KC Royals), dies at 92
- Apr 16 Bob Graham, American politician (US Senator from Florida, 1987-2005; 38th Governor of Florida, 1979-87), dies at 87 [1]
- Apr 16 Carl Erskine, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1954; World Series 1955; 2 x no-hitters; Brooklyn/LA Dodgers; Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award), dies at 97 [1]
- Apr 16 Rodney Gould, British motorcycle road racer (FIM 250cc World C'ship 1970; 10 x GP wins), dies at 81
- Apr 17 Per Henriksen, Norwegian soccer central defender (10 caps; Viking FK 180 games), dies at 72
- Apr 17 Raman Subba Row, English cricket batsman (13 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 137; Surrey CCC, Northamptonshire CCC), dies at 92
- Apr 18 Dickey Betts, American rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer (The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"; "Jessica"), dies of cancer at 80 [1]
- Apr 18 Karen the ostrich, dies after swallowing a keeper's keys at Topeka Zoo, Kansas, at 5 [1]
- Apr 18 Mandisa [Hundley] American Grammy Award-winning gospel and contemporary Christian singer (Overcomer), dies at 47
- Apr 18 Spencer Milligan, American actor (Land of the Lost), dies at 86
- Apr 18 Wally Harris, Canadian ice hockey referee (6 x Stanley Cup series; first NHL Director of Officiating), dies at 88
- Apr 19 Bill Tobin, American football executive (GM Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts), dies at 83
- Apr 19 Leighton James, Welsh soccer winger (54 caps; Burnley 335 games), dies at 71
- Apr 20 Andrew Davis, British conductor (Toronto Symphony, 1975-88; BBC Symphony, 1989-2000; Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2000-21), dies of leukemia at 80 [1]
- Apr 20 György Tatár, Hungarian midfielder (11 caps; Diósgyőri VTK 272 games), dies at 71
- Apr 20 Roman Gabriel, American College Football HOF and NFL quarterback (NC State Uni; NFL MVP & First-team All-Pro 1969; 4 x Pro Bowl; LA Rams, Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 83
- Apr 21 Alex Hassilev, Russian-American folk singer, guitarist, banjo player (The Limeliters), actor, and record producer, dis of cancer at 91
- Apr 22 Al Shaver, Canadian Hockey HOF sportscaster (Minnesota North Stars WCCO Radio, KSTP-AM, WAYL-AM), dies at 96
- Apr 22 Brian Tobin, Australian tennis executive (President International Tennis Federation 1991-99; International Tennis HOF), dies at 93
- Apr 22 Charlie Hurley, Irish soccer centre half (40 caps Republic of Ireland; Sunderland 402 games), dies at 87
- Apr 23 Francisco Rodríguez, Venezuelan boxer (Olympic gold men's light flyweight 1968), dies at 78
- Apr 23 Yukio Kasaya, Japanese ski jumper (Olympic gold 1972), dies at 80
- Apr 24 Bob Cole, Canadian sports broadcaster (CBC - Hockey Night in Canada), dies at 90
- Apr 24 Donald Petersen, American businessman (Ford Motor Company - CEO, 1985-90, COO. 1980-85), dies at 97
- Apr 24 John O'Shea, Welsh rugby union prop (5 Tests Wales, 1 British & Irish Lions; Cardiff RFC 213 games), dies at 83
- Apr 24 Terry Hill, Australian rugby league utility (9 Tests; NSW 14 games; Manly 126 games), dies from a heart attack at 52
- Apr 25 Mike Pinder, British keyboard player and Mellotron pioneer (Moody Blues,1964-78 - "Nights in White Satin"), dies at 82 [1] [2]
- Apr 26 Dave O'Sullivan, New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse trainer (Japan Cup 1989; Cox Plate 1990; NZ Derby 1990, 93; NZ Racing HOF), dies at 90
- Apr 28 William Calley Jr., American war criminal, convicted by court-martial of murdering 22 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre, dies at 80
- Apr 29 Daniel Kramer, American portrait photographer (album covers for Bob Dylan, 1965), dies at 91 [1]
- Apr 29 Dingaan Thobela, South African boxer (WBO lightweight title 1990-92, WBA lightweight title 1993, WBC super-middleweight title 2000), dies at 57
- Apr 29 Luis Mendoza, Venezuelan soccer midfielder (15 caps; Deportivo Galicia, Deportivo Italia), dies at 78
- Apr 29 Mykhaylo Fomenko, Ukrainian soccer defender (24 caps USSR; Dynamo Kyiv 173 games) and manager (Ukraine 2012-16), dies at 75
- Apr 29 Wally Dallenbach Sr., American auto racer (Champ Car Series 1973 runner-up; Motorsports HOF of America), dies at 87
- Apr 30 Duane Eddy, American twangy guitarist ("Rebel Rouser"; Peter Gunn"; "Cannonball"), dies of cancer complications at 86 [1] [2]
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide