List of Famous people who died at 81

Louis Clark Brock was an American professional baseball outfielder. He began his 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the 1961 Chicago Cubs but spent the majority of his big league career as a left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014. He was a special instructor coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Itamar Augusto Cautiero Franco was a Brazilian politician who served as the 33rd President of Brazil from December 29, 1992 to December 31, 1994. Previously he was Vice President of Brazil from 1990 until the resignation of President Fernando Collor de Mello. During his long political career Franco also served as Senator, Mayor, Ambassador and Governor. At the time of his death he was a senator from Minas Gerais, having won the seat in the 2010 election.

Eugénie Brazier, known as "la mère Brazier", was a French chef who, in 1933, became the first person to attain a total of six Michelin stars, three each at two restaurants: La Mère Brazier on Rue Royale, one of the main streets of Lyon, and a second, also called La Mère Brazier, in the Alpine foothills at Col de la Luère. This was unmatched until Alain Ducasse was awarded six stars with the publication of the 1998 Michelin Guide. She was also the first woman to earn three Michelin stars.

Henry Joseph Darger Jr. was an American writer, novelist and artist who worked as a hospital custodian in Chicago, Illinois. He has become famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page, single-spaced fantasy manuscript called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story.

Kenneth Lynch, OBE was an English singer, songwriter, entertainer and actor. He appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s. At the time, he was among the few black singers in British pop music.

Robert Wolders was a Dutch television actor known for his role in the television series Laredo and appearing in series such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bewitched, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He was married to Merle Oberon, and was the longtime partner of Audrey Hepburn.

Uwe Friedrichsen was a German television actor.

Paul Williams, known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single "Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single War of the Gods, which blends his more conventional pop, soul, and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences.

Bunta Sugawara was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 200 Japanese feature films.

Joseph Kessel, also known as 'Jef' was a French journalist and novelist. He was a member of the Académie française and Grand officer of the Legion of Honour.