- Jan 1 Billy Joe Patton, American golfer (Masters 1954 3rd; Walker Cup captain 1969), dies at 88
- Jan 1 Charles Fambrough, American jazz bassist (Jazz Messengers), dies at 60
- Jan 1 Marin Constantin, Romanian composer and conductor, dies at 85
- Jan 1 Reynaldo Dagsa, Filipino politician, assassinated at 35
- Jan 2 Anne Francis, American actress (Honey West, Forbidden Planet, Pancho Villa), dies at 80
- Jan 2 Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (In the Name of the Father, Inception), dies of pancreatic cancer at 64
- Jan 2 Richard Winters, American army officer and war hero (commanded 'Easy Company' during Normandy Invasion portrayed in "Band of Brothers"), dies at 92
- Jan 2 Szeto Wah, Hong Kong politician and educationalist, dies at 79
- Jan 3 Fadil Hadžić, Croatian film director, dies at 88
- Jan 4 Coen Moulijn, Dutch soccer winger (38 caps; Feyenoord 487 games, European Cup 1970), dies from a cerebral infarction at 73
- Jan 4 Dick King-Smith, English writer whose "The Sheep-Pig" was the basis of the film "Babe," dies at 88
- Jan 4 Gerry Rafferty, Scottish guitarist and vocalist (Steeler's Wheel - "Stuck In The Niddle"; solo - "Baker Street"), dies at 63
- Jan 4 Miick Karn [Andonis Michaelides], Cypriot-British new wave and art rock fretless bassist, and singer-songwriter (Japan), dies of cancer at 52
- Jan 5 Roland Kayn, German electronic music composer, dies at 77
- Jan 6 Don Tyson, American businessman, founder of Tyson Foods, dies at 80
- Jan 6 Uche Okafor, Nigerian footballer (b. 1967)
- Jan 7 Derek Gardner, British Formula 1 car designer (b. 1931)
- Jan 8 Hans Ulrich Engelmann, German composer (Ophelia), dies at 79
- Jan 8 John Roll, United States Federal Judge (b.1947)
- Jan 8 Thorbjørn Svenssen, Norwegian footballer (b. 1924)
- Jan 8 Vang Pao, charismatic Laotian general who commanded a secret army of his mountain people in a long, losing campaign against Communist insurgents, dies at 81
- Jan 9 Debbie Friedman, American singer-songwriter and arranger of Jewish religious music ("Mi Shebeirach"), dies of pneumonia at 59
- Jan 9 Peter Yates, English film director (Breaking Away, Bullitt), dies at 81
- Jan 10 Bosko Petrovic, Croatian jazz musician, founder of the Zagreb Jazz Quartet, dies at 75
- Jan 10 Cookie Gilchrist, American football fullback (AFL All Star 1962-65; AFL MVP 1962; CFL All Star 1956-60), dies of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at 75
- Jan 10 Liana Alexandra, Romanian pianist and composer, dies from a cerebral hemorrhage at 63
- Jan 10 Margaret Whiting, American singer (It Might As Well Be Spring, Time After Time), dies at 86
- Jan 11 David Nelson, American actor, director, and producer (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), dies at 74
- Jan 12 Paul Picerni, American actor (The Untouchables), dies at 88
- Jan 13 Ellen Stewart, American actress, director and founder of La Mama Theatre Group, dies at 91
- Jan 14 Ben Wada, Japanese television producer (NHK), dies at 80
- Jan 14 Trish Keenan, lead vocalist of English band Broadcast (b. 1968)
- Jan 15 Nat Lofthouse, English Footballer (b. 1925)
- Jan 17 Donald "Don" Kirshner, American rock & roll producer known as "The Man With the Golden Ear" (invented bubblegum music), dies at 76
- Jan 18 Sargent Shriver, American politician and activist (Peace Corps), dies at 95
- Jan 19 Ernest McCulloch, Canadian stem cell research pioneer, dies at 84
- Jan 19 Wilfrid Sheed, British-American writer (Boys of Winter; Transatlantic Blues; The House That George Built), dies at 80
- Jan 20 Bruce Gordon, American actor (The Untouchables), dies after long illness at 94
- Jan 20 Reynolds Price, American writer (A Long and Happy Life; Kate Vaiden; Strengthened By a Pale Green Light), dies of complications after a heart attack at 77
- Jan 21 Dennis Oppenheim, American conceptual artist (b.1938)
- Jan 21 E. V. V. Satyanarayana, Indian Telugu Film Director, screenwriter and producer, dies at 54
- Jan 23 Jack LaLanne, American fitness and nutritional expert, dies at 96
- Jan 24 Bernd Eichinger, German film producer and director, dies at 61
- Jan 24 Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Indian khayal (romance) and devotional (bhajan and abhangsad) singer, dies at 88
- Jan 24 Peter Paul Zahl, German left-wing writer and printer (shot two police officers), dies at 66
- Jan 26 Charlie Louvin [Loudermilk], American country singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Louvin Brothers - "The Only Way Out (Is to Walk Over Me)"), dies of cancer at 83
- Jan 26 Gladys Horton, American pop singer (The Marvelettes- "Please Mr. Postman"; "Too Many Fish In The Sea"), dies at 65 [or 66]
- Jan 29 Bruce Jackson, Australian audio engineer specializing in live concert mixing (Elvis Presley, 1973-77; Bruce Springsteen, 1978-88; Barbra Streisand, 1993-2007; Fleetwood Mac, 1997), dies as pilot in crash of private plane at 61
- Jan 29 Emanuel Vardi, Israeli-American viola virtuoso and conductor (South Dakota Symphony 1978-82), dies at 95 [1]
- Jan 29 Milton Babbitt, American mathematician, composer of serial and electronic music (Correspondences), and teacher (Princeton; Juilliard), dies at 94
- Jan 30 John Barry [Prendergast], English film score composer (James Bond films; Born Free), dies at 77
- Jan 31 Michael Tolan, American actor (Nurses, Senator), dies at 85
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning