Every year at this time we look back at those in the sports world who died in the previous year. Generally, I focus on those who made an impact nationally or internationally in a particular sport, or those who meant something to me personally.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out a local sports personality who passed away on Dec. 1  –  former Jenks High School football coach Allan Trimble. I last visited with Trimble in October, at a luncheon where he was the keynote speaker. As soon as he saw me from across the room, he said, “Jeff!” So, I went over to him and we began to chat. He thanked me for writing about him in this column and we chatted about a few other things. Trimble battled ALS for three years and was 56 years old.

Here are some of the notable sports deaths from 2019, but there were way too many to mention in this space.

Mel Stottlemyre, a star pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1960s and 1970s, later became a pitching coach for the team in the 1990s. He won four World Series as a coach with the Yankees and one as a coach with the New York Mets in the 1980s. He died of bone marrow cancer on Jan. 13 and was 77.

Frank Robinson was a Hall of Fame baseball player who was named MVP twice and elected to the All-Star Game 14 times. He was the first black manager in major league history, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Interestingly, three MLB teams have statues outside their stadiums in his honor; Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Robinson died February 7 and was 83.

Don Newcombe, a star pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, died Feb. 19 at the age of 92. Newcombe was a civil rights pioneer, and the first pitcher in baseball history to win Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and MVP in his career. He was also the first black pitcher to pitch in the World Series.

Ted Lindsay, known as “Terrible Ted,” was a hockey Hall of Famer (1966) and four-time Stanley Cup champion. He led the Detroit Red Wings to titles in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955. Lindsay died on March 4 at the age of 93.

Johnny “Lam” Jones, a native of Lawton, Okla., was an Olympic gold medalist and played for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. He won a gold medal as part of the U.S. 4-by-100-meter relay team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He passed away after a battle with myeloma cancer, and was 60 years old.

John Havlicek (79) was one of my favorite basketball players as a kid. I loved the Boston Celtics back in the 1970s and 1980s, and he was a huge star on the team in the 70s. Havlicek won eight championships with the Celtics as part of one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. He was inducted into the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 after a career in which he made 13 All-Star teams and was named MVP of the 1973-74 NBA Finals. He died April 25.

Niki Lauda (May 20) was a three-time Formula One world champion who famously survived a horrific wreck in the 1976 German Grand Prix that left him with severe burns. I remember watching that race and being horrified but what I saw; I couldn’t believe he survived that fire. He won the Formula One championship in 1975, 1977, and 1984, then went on to become a prominent figure in the aviation industry. He died May 20 and was 70.

Quarterback Bart Starr (85), a legendary football Hall of Famer, led the Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls, and was named MVP of both championship games. He won three other titles in the pre-Super Bowl era, and was the head coach of the Packers from 1975-1983. Starr died of complications related to a stroke on May 26.

Former Major League Baseball All-Star Bill Buckner, who spent 22 seasons in MLB on five different teams, died of Lewy body dementia, on May 27 at 69. He is most remembered for his infamous error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, when a ground ball went under his glove and through his legs, costing the Red Sox the game, and eventually the World Series to the Mets. Beyond that one play, he had a decent career, amassing 2,715 hits and 1,208 RBIs.

Jim Bouton died July 10 at the age of 80. Bouton was a Major League pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was the best-selling author of a tell-all book, Ball Four, about life in pro baseball. Bouton was also an actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew bubble gum, which I still enjoy chewing from time-to-time.

Some of the others who died in 2019; Junior Johnson, 88, auto racing pioneer, Ron Fairly, 81, former baseball player and broadcaster, Willie Brown, 78, NFL star with the Oakland Raiders, Al Jackson, 83, star pitcher with the N.Y. Mets in the 1960s, Jack Whitaker, 95, Emmy award winning broadcaster who covered several Olympics, Cliff Branch, 71, 14-year NFL career with the Raiders, Nick Buoniconti, 78, Football Hall of Famer won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins, Pernell Whitaker, 55, world champion boxer who won titles in four weight classes, Tyler Skaggs, 27, Los Angeles Angels pitcher found dead in his hotel room in Texas.