- Oct 4 Del Porter, American jazz singer (Foursome - "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"; Spike Jones and His City Slickers - "Der Fuehrer's Face"), dies at 75
- Oct 8 Giorgos Papasideris, Greek country singer, composer and lyricist, dies at 75
- Oct 10 Angelo Muscat, Maltese-born British actor (The Prisoner, Doctor Who), dies at 47
- Oct 10 Jean Duvieusart, 36th Prime Minister of Belgium, dies at 77
- Oct 11 MacKinlay Kantor, American novelist (Andersonville), dies at 73
- Oct 11 Mason Gross, professor (Think Fast, 2 for the Money), dies at 66
- Oct 12 Doris Davenport, actress (Behind the News, Westerner), dies at 81
- Oct 12 Jan Zrzavý, Czech painter, dies at 86
Bing Crosby (1903-1977)
Oct 14 American singer ("White Christmas", "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy") and actor ("Going My Way"), dies of a heart attack at 74
- Oct 15 Ralph Truman, British actor (Henry V, Treasure Island, Web of Evidence), dies at 77
- Oct 16 Michael Balcon, English film producer (head of Ealing Studios), dies at 81
- Oct 17 Cal Hubbard, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL 1936-51) and Pro/College Football HOF tackle (4 × NFL C'ship 1927, 29–31; 4 × First-team All-Pro; NY Giants, GB Packers), dies of cancer at 77
Andreas Baader (1943-1977)
Oct 18 German left-wing militant and leader of the Red Army Faction, commits suicide along with other RAF leaders at 34
- Oct 18 Gudrun Ensslin, German terrorist and founder of the Red Army Faction, commits suicide along with other RAF leaders at 37
- Oct 18 Hanns Martin Schleyer, German industrialist, murdered by leftist kidnappers at 64
- Oct 18 Jan-Carl Raspe (b. 1944)
- Oct 18 Kristian Hauger, Norwegian jazz pianist, orchestra leader and songwriter ("Charleston i Grukkedalen"), dies at 71
- Oct 18 Rolph Grant, West Indian cricketer (West Indian captain on 1939 England tour), dies at 67
- Oct 20 Cassie Gaines, American rock singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28
- Oct 20 Ronnie Van Zant, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 29
- Oct 20 Steve Gaines, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28
- Oct 21 Ferit Tüzün, Turkish composer (Esintiler - Inspirations; The Ears of Midas), and conductor (Turkish State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, 1959-77), dies at 48
- Oct 24 Hugo Myrtelius, Swedish conductor, composer, and educator, dies at 85
- Oct 27 (Anton) "Tony" Hulman Jr., American businessman and motorsport entrepreneur (owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 1945-77), dies of heart failure at 76
- Oct 27 James M. Cain, American writer (Postman Always Rings Twice), dies at 85
- Oct 27 Peg Leg Sam [Arthur Jackson], American country blues harmonica player, singer and comedian, dies at 65
- Oct 28 Kaj Birket-Smith, Danish philologist and anthropologist (studied Inuit and Eyak), dies at 84
- Oct 31 Joan Tetzel, American actress (Hell Below Zero, Joy in the Morning), dies of cancer at 56
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide