- Oct 1 Reginald Kray "Reggie", British gangster, one of the Kray Twins, dies of cancer at 66
- Oct 1 Robert Allen, American pianist and songwriter "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"; "Chances Are"), dies of colon cancer at 73
- Oct 3 Benjamin Orr [Orzechowski], American rock bassist and singer (The Cars - "Just What I Needed", "Drive"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 53
- Oct 3 John Grant, British politician (b. 1932)
- Oct 4 Michael Smith, English-Canadian biochemist (Nobel 1993- Site-directed mutagenesis), dies at 68
- Oct 4 Yu Kuo-hwa, former Premier of Taiwan (b. 1914)
- Oct 5 Cătălin Hîldan, Romanian footballer (b. 1976)
- Oct 5 Keith Roberts, English writer (Irish Encounter, Ladies from Hell), dies at 65
- Oct 5 Sidney R. Yates, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois), dies at 91
- Oct 6 Richard Farnsworth, American actor (Misery, Havana, Sylvester), dies at 80
- Oct 6 William Putnam Bundy, American attorney and intelligence expert (9th Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs), dies at 83
- Oct 9 David Dukes, American actor (Beacon Hill, 79 Park Avenue, Winds of War), dies at 55
- Oct 9 Patrick Anthony Porteous, Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross (b. 1918)
- Oct 10 Bruce F. Vento, American politician (Rep-D-Minnesota, 1977-2000), dies of cancer at 60
- Oct 10 Ferenc Farkas, Hungarian composer, dies at 94
Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916-2000)
Oct 10 Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960-65, 1970-77 and 1994-2000) and 1st female head of state, dies of a heart attack at 84
- Oct 11 Donald Campbell Dewar, Scottish politician (1st minister of Scotland's first Parliament in almost 300yrs), dies from health complications at 63
- Oct 13 Britt Woodman, American jazz trombonist (Duke Ellington; Charles Mingus; Lionel Hampton), dies of respiratory issues at 80
- Oct 13 Gus Hall, American union organizer and head of the U.S. Communist Party, dies at 90
- Oct 13 Jean Peters, American actress (Viva Zapata!, Apache, Deep Waters), dies at 73
- Oct 15 Konrad Emil Bloch, German-American biochemist, (1964 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on cholesterol), dies at 88
- Oct 16 Mel Carnahan, American politician (b. 1934)
- Oct 16 Rick Jason [Richard Jacobson], American stage and screen actor (Combat! - "Lt. Hanley"; The Fountain of Youth; Day of the Wolves), dies of a self-inflicted gunshot at 77
- Oct 17 Leo Nomellini, American College/Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (Uni of Minnesota; 6×First-team All-Pro; 10×Pro Bowl; NFL 1950s All-Decade Team; SF 49ers), dies of a stroke at 76
- Oct 18 Gwyneth “Gwen” Verdon, American actress, singer and dancer (Cotton Club; Sweet Charity), dies at 75
- Oct 18 Julie London, American singer ("Cry Me A River") and actress (Emergency - "Nurse McCall"), dies at 74
- Oct 19 Hortense Ellis, Jamaican reggae singer ("Right On the Tip of My Tongue"), dies from a stomach infection at 59
- Oct 22 Hank Wyse, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1945; Chicago Cubs), dies at 82
- Oct 23 Rodney Anoa'i (aka Yokozuna), American pro wrestler, dies from pulmonary edema at 34
- Oct 25 Don Frank Brooks, American session and touring blues harmonica player (Waylon Jennings; Ken Burns' "The Civil War"), dies of leukemia at 53
- Oct 27 Walter Berry, Austrian lyric bass-baritone singer, dies of a heart attack at 71
- Oct 28 Carlos Guastavino, Argentine composer (b. 1912)
- Oct 28 Lída Baarová [Ludmila Babková], Czech actress (Die Fledermaus, Virginity), dies after a long illness at 86
Steve Allen (1921-2000)
Oct 30 American comedian, composer, actor and TV host (Tonight Show; Steve Allen Show), dies of injuries from a car accident at 78
- Oct 31 Ring Lardner Jr., American journalist and screenwriter (Woman of the Year, M A S H), dies at 75
- Oct 31 Watanabe Kazuki Japanese progressive rock guitarist and songwriter (Raphael), dies of an accidental sedative overdose at 19
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide