- Oct 1 Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (b. 1921)
- Oct 1 Kathleen Ankers, American scenic designer (b. 1919)
- Oct 2 Franz Biebl, German composer, mostly of choral music, dies at 95
- Oct 4 Ahron Soloveichik, Orthodox Jewish rabbi, dies at 84
- Oct 5 Aldo Jones [Albert Mansis], American rockabilly bassist and singer (Ben Vaughn Combo), dies of leukemia at 41
- Oct 5 Lou Zara, American writer (Stump the Authors), dies at 91
- Oct 5 Mike Mansfield, American politician (b. 1903)
- Oct 5 Peter Burge, Australian cricket batsman (42 Tests, 4 x 100, HS 181; Queensland CA), dies of a heart attack at 69
- Oct 6 Arne Harris, American television sports director, dies at 67
- Oct 7 Alf Gover, English cricket fast bowler (4 Tests; Surrey CCC) and coach (Frank Tyson, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Ian Bishop; Surrey), dies at 93
- Oct 7 Christopher Adams, British-born pro wrestler and judoka (b. 1955)
- Oct 7 Herblock [Herbert Lawrence Block], American cartoonist, dies at 91
- Oct 7 Jimmie Lloydd [Logdon], American country and rockabilly singer, dies at 79
- Oct 7 Polly Rowles, American actress (Sweet Liberty, Jamie), dies at 87
- Oct 7 Roger Gaudry, French Canadian chemist, businessman and corporate director (b. 1913)
- Oct 8 Javed Iqbal, Pakistani serial killer (murderer of 100 boys), commits suicide in prison at 45
- Oct 9 Abolhassan Banisadr, Iranian politician, President of Iran (1980-81), and writer (My Turn To Speak), dies in exile at 88
- Oct 9 Dagmar [Virginia Ruth Egnor], American actress, model, and television personality (Broadway's Open House), dies at 79
- Oct 9 Herbert Ross, American film director and producer (Footloose, Steel Magnolias, dies at 74
- Oct 10 Eddie Futch, American boxing trainer, dies at 90
- Oct 10 Vasily Mishin, Soviet rocket designer (b. 1917)
- Oct 12 Quintin Hogg, British politician, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, dies at 94 (b. 1907)
- Oct 12 Witold Szalonek, Polish composer (Satire), educator, and musicologist, dies at 74
- Oct 13 Peter Doyle, Australian pop singer (The New Seekers - "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing"), dies of throat cancer at 52
- Oct 15 Zhang Xueliang, Chinese ruler of Manchuria, dies at 100
- Oct 16 Etta Jones, American jazz singer ("Don't Go To Strangers"; "Save Your Love for Me"), dies of cancer at 72
- Oct 16 Gotthold Gloger, German writer and painter, dies at 77
- Oct 17 Jay Livingston, American composer ("Buttons & Bows"; "Mona Lisa"; "Tammy"), dies at 86
- Oct 17 Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete (Olympic gold shot put, discus; bronze high jump 1948), dies at 78
- Oct 17 Rehavam Zeevi, Israeli politician (b. 1926)
- Oct 19 Jagernath Lachmon, Surinamese politician, dies at 85
- Oct 20 Ted Ammon, American financier and investment banker, bludgeoned to death at 52
- Oct 22 Cliff Adams, British singer (The Stragazers; The Cliff Adams Singers), dies at 78
- Oct 22 Helmut Krackowizer, Austrian motorcycle racer and journalist ("Motorcycle Sport", "The History of Famous Makes of Motorcycle"), dies from a heart attack at 80
- Oct 23 Daniel Wildenstein, French art dealer and racehorse owner (4 x winner Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe; 6 x France's leading owner), dies at 84
- Oct 23 Ronald William Kirby, British artist, dies at 72
- Oct 24 Kim Gardner, English rock bassist (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke), dies of cancer at 53
- Oct 24 Wolf Rüdiger Hess, German neo-Nazi (b. 1937)
- Oct 25 Yoritsune Matsudaira, Japanese composer, dies at 94
- Oct 28 Gerard Hengeveld, Dutch composer (b. 1910)
- Oct 31 Art Wall Jr, American golfer (Masters 1959), dies of respiratory failure at 77
- Oct 31 Régine Cavagnoud, French skier (b. 1970)
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide