- Dec 18 Ray Hnatyshyn, Governor-General of Canada (b. 1934)
- Dec 18 Wayne Owens, former U.S. Congressman (D-Utah) (b. 1937)
- Dec 22 Hugh Desmond Hoyte, Guyanese politician and President of Guyana (1985-92), dies at 73
- Dec 23 Tatamkhulu Afrika, South African poet & writer, dies at 82
- Dec 24 Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author (b. 1920)
- Dec 24 Laci Peterson, American murder victim, dies at 27
- Dec 24 James Ferman, American director and secretary (British Board of Film Classification), dies at 72
- Dec 26 Herb Ritts, American fashion photographer, dies at 50
- Dec 26 Armand Zildjian, American cymbal manufacturer (b. 1921)
- Dec 27 Richard Mitchell, American professor and author (The Underground Grammarian), dies at 73
- Dec 30 Mary Wesley, English novelist (b. 1912)