- Dec 1 Arthur Beetson, Australian rugby league front rower (29 Tests; Balmain, Easts, Parramatta; RL "Immortal") and coach (2 Tests Australia, 16 games Queensland), dies of a heart attack at 66
- Dec 1 Ragnhild Hveger, Danish swimmer (Olympic silver 400m freestyle 1936; 44 world records 1938-56), dies at 90
- Dec 3 Sam Loxton, Australian cricket batsman (12 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 101; Victoria; National team selector 1970-81), dies at 90
- Dec 4 Sócrates [Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Sousa Vieira de Oliveira], Brazilian soccer midfielder and manager (60 caps, 22 goals Brazil; Corinthians), dies of septic shock at 57
- Dec 5 Gennady Logofet, Russian footballer (b. 1942)
- Dec 5 Peter Gethin, British racing driver (b. 1940)
- Dec 15 Andy Carey, American baseball player (third baseman for 1950s New York Yankees), dies at 80
- Dec 22 Bettye Danoff, American golfer (co-founder LPGA Tour), dies at 88
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions