Donald Wills Douglas (1892-1981)
Feb 1 American aircraft industrialist (McDonnell Douglas) and aviation pioneer (Douglas DC-3), dies at 88
- Feb 1 Ernst Pepping, German composer, dies at 79
- Feb 1 Nils Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer, dies at 72
- Feb 1 Wanda Hendrix, American actress (Sierra, Ride the Pink Horse), dies at 52
- Feb 2 Jan Donner, Dutch Minister of Justice, chairman of High Council, dies at 89
- Feb 2 Louise Lorraine, American actress (Adventures of Tarzan), dies at 76
- Feb 5 Barend Barendse, Dutch sports reporter and actor (Zeskamp, Oebele), dies at 73
- Feb 5 Ella Grasso, American politician (1st woman governor not a widow/spouse of a previous governor, Governor of Connecticut (D) 1975-80), dies at 61
- Feb 5 Kuda Bux, Indian mystic (I'd Like to See), dies at 75
- Feb 6 Frederica of Hanover, Queen Consort of Greece, dies at 63
- Feb 6 Hugo Montenegro, American composer, arranger, and orchestra leader, dies of emphysema at 55
Bill Haley (1925-1981)
Feb 9 American rock guitarist and vocalist known as the father of Rock 'n' Roll (...& his Comets - "Rock Around the Clock"; "See You Later, Alligator"), dies of a heart attack probably caused by alcoholism at 55
- Feb 12 Jean Dixon, American actress (Joy of Living; You Only Live Once), dies at 87
- Feb 13 Jack Crapp, English cricketer (7 Tests for England 1948-49, 319 runs), dies at 68
- Feb 15 Karl Richter, German composer and conductor, dies at 54
- Feb 15 Mike Bloomfield, American musician (Electric Flag), dies of a drug overdose at 37
- Feb 15 Thomas Beversdorf, American classical composer ("Of Walruses, Cheesecake, and Morse Code"), and educator (Indiana University, 1949-80), dies of asthma complications at 56
- Feb 18 John Knudsen Northrop, American aircraft designer (Northrop Air), dies at 85
- Feb 19 Frank Merrick, English composer, dies at 94
- Feb 26 FC Terborgh [Reijnier Flaes], Dutch lawyer and writer (Turkish War), dies at 79
Howard Hanson (1896-1981)
Feb 26 American classical music composer and conductor (Nordic), dies at 84
- Feb 26 Robert Aickman, English writer and conservationist (co-founding the Inland Waterways Association), dies at 66
- Feb 27 Jacob H Gilbert, American politician (US Representative 1960-1971), dies at 60
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide