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List of sports officials who died while active

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This is a list of professional sports officials who died during their careers. This list is organized alphabetically by the professional sport the individual officiated in, and notes the league(s) they were part of when they died. Although some deaths occurred during a game or match, most were the result of injuries and illnesses sustained elsewhere.

This list is restricted to officials present on the field of play, and does not include officiating supervisors, replay officials or timekeepers. There are two exceptions; if the field official was on a rehabilitation assignment as a replay official (see Tony Brown), or if the off-field official died during or immediately before/after a game they were working or scheduled to work (see Carl Madsen).

Association football

Name Age League Cause of death Date of death Ref(s)
United Kingdom Mike North 42 Football League cardiac arrest April 16, 2001
Russia Vladimir Pettay 38 Russian Premier League plane crash June 20, 2011
France Johan Hamel 42 Ligue 1 stroke November 15, 2022
South Africa Max Molelekoa 31 Premier Soccer League car accident January 21, 2023
South Africa Akho Ndzingo 30 Premier Soccer League gunshot wounds June 12, 2024

Baseball

The following are baseball umpires who died during their careers.

† Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
Name Age League Cause of death Date of death Ref(s)
United States Jack McQuaid 35–36 National League unknown April 16, 1895
United States Jack Sheridan 52 American League heart attack November 2, 1914
United States Steve Kane 45 Ohio State League heart attack October 30, 1915
United States Silk O'Loughlin 42 American League influenza December 20, 1918
United StatesUnited Kingdom Pete Harrison 36 National League tuberculosis March 10, 1921
United States Paul Sentell 43 National League collapsed in-game from appendicitis April 27, 1923
United States Frank Wilson 38 National League appendicitis June 12, 1928
United States Sherry Magee 44 National League pneumonia March 13, 1929
United States Cy Pfirman 48 National League kidney disease May 16, 1937
United States Lou Kolls 48 American Association car accident February 23, 1941
United States Bill McGowan† 58 American League heart attack December 9, 1954
United States Cal Drummond 52 American Association stroke caused by in-game head injury May 3, 1970
United States Tony Venzon 56 National League complications of open heart surgery September 20, 1971
United States Lou DiMuro 51 American League post-game car accident June 7, 1982
United States Bill Kunkel 48 American League colon cancer May 4, 1985
United States Dick Stello 53 National League car accident November 18, 1987
United States Lee Weyer 51 National League post-game heart attack July 4, 1988
United States Nick Bremigan 43 American League heart attack March 28, 1989
United States John McSherry 51 National League in-game heart attack April 1, 1996
United States Wally Bell 48 Major League Baseball heart attack October 14, 2013
United States Eric Cooper 52 Major League Baseball blood clot following knee surgery October 20, 2019
United States Marty Bauer 55 Atlantic League unknown October 4, 2024

Basketball

Name Age League Cause of death Date of death Ref(s)
United States Tony Brown 55 National Basketball Association pancreatic cancer October 20, 2022

Gridiron football

The following are gridiron football officials who died during their officiating careers.

Name Age Position League Cause of death Date of death Ref(s)
United States James Barnhill 45 referee American Football League heart attack March 11, 1966
United States Jack Vest 45 referee National Football League motorcycle crash June 2, 1972
United States Harry Kessel 47 head linesman National Football League unknown October 9, 1972
United States George Ellis 53 field judge National Football League unknown illness July 31, 1974

United States Vince Jacob 51 side judge National Football League heart attack October 26, 1982
United States Dick Jorgensen 56 referee National Football League complications of a blood disorder October 10, 1990
United States Dave Hamilton 61 umpire National Football League unknown January 9, 1995
United States Donnie Hampton 47 field judge National Football League heart attack January 30, 1995
United States Bob Lawing 58 back judge National Football League cancer May 6, 2010
United States Carl Madsen 71 replay official National Football League cardiac arrest while driving home from game October 24, 2021

Ice hockey

The following are ice hockey officials who died during their career.

Name Age Position League Cause of death Date of death Ref(s)
Canada Stephane Provost 37 linesman National Hockey League motorcycle crash April 22, 2005


Tennis

The following are tennis umpires who officiated at WTA, ATP, and ITF sanctioned tournaments and

Name Age Position Final tournament Cause of death Date of death Ref(s)
United States Dick Wertheim 60–61 linesman 1983 US Open in-game brain injury September 15, 1983

References

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