List of Famous people who died at 81

Odete Cipriano Serpa, better known as Yara Cortes was a Brazilian actress.

Valentin Ivanovich Afonin was a Soviet footballer who played as a defender.

Giuliana Morandini was an Italian writer.

Jorge Villamil Cordovez was a Colombian composer and songwriter born in El Cedral, a large coffee plantation near Neiva (Huila). He was one of the most prolific and important composers of Colombia and South America. Villamil's talent was evident when he learned to play Colombian tiple at 4 years of age. He was the youngest and only male of a family of 7.

Jacques Rosny was a French actor.

Jean Josselin was a French welterweight boxer. He competed at the 1960 Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 1961 European Amateur Boxing Championships. After that he turned professional and won his first 19 bouts. On 25 April 1966 he won the European title, and later in 1966 unsuccessfully contested the WBA and WBC titles against Curtis Cokes. He lost the European title to Carmelo Bossi in 1967, regained it from Silvano Bertini in 1969, and lost four months later to Johann Orsolics. Josselin retired in 1972 after a string of 8 losses, 4 draws and 1 victory.

Witold Roman Lutosławski was a Polish composer and orchestral conductor. He was one of the major European composers of the 20th century, and one of the preeminent Polish musicians during his last three decades. He earned many international awards and prizes. His compositions include four symphonies, a Concerto for Orchestra, a string quartet, instrumental works, concertos, and orchestral song cycles.

Peter James Yates was an English film director and producer. He was born in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Michel Jules Arthur Tromont was a Belgian politician. A member of the Liberal Reformist Party, he was a deputy in the Chamber of Representatives from 1978 to 1983, serving as Minister of National Education from 1981 to 1983 and mayor of Quiévrain from 1977 to 1983. He was also Governor of the Hainaut province from 1983 to 2004.

Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his kaiju and tokusatsu films, including co-creating the Godzilla franchise and directing several entries, but also worked extensively in the documentary and war genres earlier in his career. Honda was also a lifelong friend and collaborator of Akira Kurosawa, and worked with Kurosawa extensively during the 1980s and 1990s.