2023 deaths

Richard Douglas Fosbury (March 6, 1947 – March 12, 2023) was an American high jumper, who is considered one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, revolutionizing the high jump event with a "back-first" technique now known as the Fosbury flop. His method was to sprint diagonally towards the bar, then curve and leap backward over the bar, which gave him a much lower center of mass in flight than traditional techniques. Debbie Brill was developing her similar "Brill Bend" around the same time. This approach has seen nearly universal adoption since Fosbury's performance in Mexico. Though he never returned to the Olympics, Fosbury continued to be involved in athletics after retirement and served on the executive board of the World Olympians Association.In 2014, Fosbury unsuccessfully challenged Steve Miller for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. Fosbury ran for Blaine County Commissioner against incumbent Larry Schoen in 2018, won the seat, and took office in 2019.

Russell Earl Banks (March 28, 1940 – January 8, 2023) was an American writer of fiction and poetry. His novels are known for "detailed accounts of domestic strife and the daily struggles of ordinary often-marginalized characters". His stories usually revolve around his own childhood experiences, and often reflect "moral themes and personal relationships".Banks was a member of the International Parliament of Writers and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

William John Vukovich Jr. (March 29, 1944 – August 20, 2023) was an American driver in the championship car division of USAC and the CART series.

Maxie Callaway Baughan Jr. (August 3, 1938 – August 19, 2023) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and the Washington Redskins. Baughan played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Curtis LeRoy Hansen (April 18, 1933 – October 27, 2023) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.

Gary Colson (April 30, 1934 – November 3, 2023) was an American basketball coach and executive. The Logansport, Indiana, native guided several college men's basketball teams, including Valdosta State University, Pepperdine University, University of New Mexico and California State University, Fresno. He compiled a 563–385 (.594) record over 34 seasons of coaching between 1959 and 1995. In 2002, he joined the Memphis Grizzlies' front office as Assistant to the President of Basketball Operations. In his later years, Coach Colson was a basketball instructor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Coach Colson earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University) in 1956. He was inducted into the Lipscomb Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 in the "Athlete" category.
Colson died from lymphoma in Santa Barbara, California, on November 3, 2023, at the age of 89.

Phillip L. Isenberg (February 25, 1939 – October 26, 2023) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was mayor of Sacramento, California, from 1975 to 1982. He also served in the California State Assembly from 1982 to 1996. He represented the city of Sacramento and surrounding areas.

Héctor Mayagoitia Domínguez (7 January 1923 – 4 October 2023) was a Mexican chemical bacteriologist and politician, who was a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, Governor of Durango between 1974 and 1979, and Director of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) from 1979 to 1982.

Tom Holmes (May 31, 1935 – September 16, 2023) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member for the 51st, 53rd and 62nd district of the Texas House of Representatives.

Hernando Guerra-García Campos (14 May 1963 – 29 September 2023), better known as Nano Guerra, was a Peruvian politician, businessman, and television presenter. He served as a congressman representing Lima for Fuerza Popular from 27 July 2021, until his death in office.