List of Famous people who died in 1981

Ernestine Hester Maude Bowes-Lyon, Baroness de Longueuil was born at Glamis Castle in Scotland, one of five children; her father Ernest Bowes-Lyon died ten days after her birth, two days after Christmas, in a riding accident. He was a diplomat serving as a Consul in Belgrade. Her mother was a Drummond, of the family of Drummonds Bank.

Lieutenant General Gustaf Peder Wilhelm Dyrssen was a Swedish Army officer and Olympic modern pentathlete.

Collingwood "Cherry" Ingram, was a British ornithologist, plant collector and gardener, who was an authority on Japanese flowering cherries.

Karl-Jean Longuet was a French sculptor. He was the son of Jean Longuet, the grandson of Charles Longuet and the great-grandson of Karl Marx.

Major-General Sir Randle Guy "Gerry" Feilden was a general officer in the British Army. During the Second World War he was the Deputy Quartermaster General (DQMG) of the 21st Army Group in the North-West Europe Campaign of 1944–45. After the war he became the Senior steward of the Jockey Club. He is commemorated by the annual Feilden Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse.

Sir Michael Moissey Postan FBA was a British historian. He was also known as Munia Postan.