- May 1 Ben Lexcen, Australian yacht designer (Australia II 1983 America's Cup), dies of heart disease at 52
- May 1 Carroll Righter, American columnist and astrologer to the stars, dies prostate cancer at 88
- May 1 Paolo Stoppa, actor (Garibaldi, Visit, Freedom Fighters), dies
- May 3 Johannes Driessler, German organist and composer, dies at 67
- May 3 Lev Pontryagin, Russian mathematician, dies at 79
- May 3 Paul Vario, U.S. Italian Mafia of the Lucchese Family, dies of lung cancer at 73
- May 3 Walther Vanbeselaere, Flemish art historian, dies at 79
- May 5 George Rose, British actor and singer (Beacon Hill; Holocaust), dies at 68
- May 5 Michael Shaara, American author (Killer Angels), dies of a heart attack at 59
- May 5 Tamara Pos, Suriname/Dutch activist
- May 6 Paul Wilson, American doo-wop baritone singer (Flamingos, 1953-64 - "I Only Have Eyes For You"; "Lovers Never Say Goodbye"), dies at 53
- May 8 Domingo Ortega, Spanish bullfighter (The Art of Bullfighting), dies at 82
- May 8 Robert A. Heinlein, American sci-fi writer (Friday), dies of heart failure at 80
- May 10 Shen Congwen, Chinese writer (Long River), dies at 85
Kim Philby (1912-1988)
May 11 British spy and Soviet mole who was a member of the "Cambridge Five", dies at 76
- May 12 Paul Osborn, American playwright (Mornings at 7), dies at 86
Chet Baker (1929-1988)
May 13 American jazz trumpeter and vocalist ("My Funny Valentine"), falls to his death from an Amsterdam hotel balcony at 59
- May 14 Willem Drees, Dutch politician (co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA); Prime Minister, 1948-58), known as "Daddy Drees", dies at 101
- May 15 Andrew Duggan, American character actor (Secret War of Harry Frigg, Winds of War), dies of cancer at 64
- May 15 Greta Nissen, actress (Ambassador Bill), dies
- May 16 Charles Keeping, English illustrator (b. 1924)
- May 16 Kay Baxter, American bodybuilder (NPC Gold's Classic 1981), dies in car crash at 42
- May 16 Louise Wood, American director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72), dies at 78
- May 18 David Moule-Evans, English composer and conductor, dies at 82
- May 18 Daws Butler, American animation voice (Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound), dies at 71
- May 19 Virginia Farmer, actress (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies at 90
- May 20 René Defossez, Belgian composer, composer, and pedagigue, dies at 82
- May 21 Bruno Frei [Benedikt Freistadt], Austrian Marxist journalist, dies at 91
- May 21 Dino Conte Grandi, Italian Fascist politician and delegate to league of nations (1925-32), dies at 92
- May 21 Harry Babasin, American jazz bassist and cellist (Dodo Marmarosa Trio), and archivist (Los Angeles Theaseum), dies of emphysema at 67
Sammy Davis Sr. (1900-1988)
May 21 American vaudeville dancer (Mr. Wonderful), dies at 87
- May 22 Giorgio Almirante, Italian fascist and MP (1948-87), dies at 73
- May 23 David Schoenbrun, American journalist (CBS broadcast bureau head), dies at 73
- May 24 James "Hamish" Hamilton, British publisher (Salinger/Mitford), dies at 87
- May 24 Tom Burtt, New Zealand cricketer (NZ slow left-arm bowler in 11 Tests 1947-53), dies at 73
- May 25 Ernst Ruska, German physicist (1986 Nobel Prize for Physics for work on electron optics, and design of the first electron microscope), dies at 81
- May 26 José Muñoz Molleda, Spanish composer and politician, dies at 83
- May 27 Florida Friebus, American actress (The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis ' Mrs. Gillis"; The Bob Newhart Show - "Mrs. Bakerman"), dies of a stroke at 78
- May 27 Renato Salvatori, actor (Burn, Luna, 2 Women), dies
- May 28 (Melvin) "Sy" Oliver, American jazz arranger, songwriter (Jimmie Lunceford; Tommy Dorsey - "Yes, Indeed!"), dies at 77 [1]
- May 30 Ella Raines, American actress (Uncle Harry, Runaround, Impact, Brute Force), dies of throat cancer at 67
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning