- Dec 1 Ernst Rowohlt, German publisher (Rowohlt-Verlag), dies at 73
- Dec 1 Ion Vasilescu, Romanian composer, dies at 57
- Dec 3 Hermann Stephani, German organist, and musicologist, dies at 83
- Dec 7 Clara Haskil, Swiss pianist (b. 1895)
- Dec 10 Ernie Quigley, Canadian Basketball HOF official (St. Mary's College, Kansas Uni), basketball umpire (1936 Olympics), MLB umpire (6xWorld Series) & football referee, dies at 80
- Dec 12 Christopher Hornsrud, Prime Minister of Norway (3 weeks), dies at 101
- Dec 14 Gregory Ratoff, Russian producer, director and actor (Exodus, Skyscraper Souls, Corsican Brothers), dies of leukemia at 63
- Dec 16 Anna Luther, silent screen actress (Sinners in Silk), dies at 63
- Dec 26 Eduard Ludwig, German architect (Hansa quarter, Berlin), dies at 54
- Dec 26 Watsuji Tetsuro, Japanese philosopher (b. 1889)
- Dec 29 Eden Phillpotts, English novelist, poet and playwright (Red Madymaynes), dies at 98
- Dec 29 Philippe Panneton, Canadian physician, diplomat and writer (Trente arpents), dies at 65
- Dec 31 Germaine Loosveldt, Flemish actress (Trees die Upright), dies at 69
- Dec 31 Semyon Bogatyrev, Russian and Soviet musicologist and composer (completed a symphony abandoned by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky), dies at 70
- Dec 31 Semyon Semyonovich Bogatiryov, composer, dies at 70
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide