The following is a list of deaths that should be noted in December 2020. For deaths that should be noted before the month that the world is in, please see "Months". Individuals listed must have notability. Names under each date are noted in the order of the alphabet by last name or pseudonym. Deaths of non-humans are noted here also if it is worth noting.
Each listing of a death must have a source. If no reference is included, the death notice will be removed. The following are the requirements of adding a name to the list in its order: name, age, where they came from, what the person is known for, cause of death (if known) and a source.
December
1
Norman Abramson, 88, American engineer and computer scientist. Miguel Algarín, 79, Puerto Rican historian and writer, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. George Ross Anderson Jr., 91, American politician and lawyer, member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1955–1956) and Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina (1980–2016). Hasna Begum, 85, Bangladeshi philosopher, editor (Bioethics) and feminist, COVID-19. Abhay Bharadwaj, 66, Ugandan-born Indian politician, lawyer and activist, member of the Law Commission (2016–2018) and MP (since 2020), COVID-19. June Rose Bellamy, 88, Burmese aristocrat and socialite, First Lady (1976–1977). Jean Cottard, 94, French fencer and fencing master, member of the French Federation of Fencing (since 1988). Arturo Diaconale, 75, Italian journalist (Il Giornale), sport manager (S.S. Lazio) and politician, member of the RAI Administrative Council (2015–2018), cancer. Luciano Guerzoni, 82, Italian politician, Deputy (1983–1992, 1994–1996). Juan Hormaechea, 81, Spanish politician, Mayor of Santander (1977–1987) and President of Cantabria (1987–1990, 1991–1995). Maria Itkina, 88, Russian Olympic runner (1956, 1960, 1964) and European Athletics champion (1954, 1958, 1962). Nina Ivanova, 86, Russian actress (Once There Was a Girl, Spring on Zarechnaya Street, There Is Such a Lad). Hugh Keays-Byrne, 73, English-Australian actor (Mad Max: Fury Road, Stone, Mad Max). Brian Kerr, Baron Kerr of Tonaghmore, 72, British politician and lawyer, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland (2004–2009) and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2009–2020). Li Guanxing, 80, Chinese nuclear material engineer, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (since 1999). Eduardo Lourenço, 97, Portuguese professor, philosopher and writer. Mohammad Maleki, 87, Iranian academic, historian and political activist, Chancellor of the University of Tehran (1979), problems caused by cancer and diabetes. Denis Menke, 80, American baseball player (Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds). Bill Palmer, 70, American businessman, co-founder of Applebee's, pancreatic cancer. Thomas Morrow Reavley, 99, American politician and lawyer, Texas Secretary of State (1955–1957) and Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (since 1979). Arnie Robinson, 72, American athlete, Olympic bronze medalist (1972) and champion (1976). Erlend Rian, 79, Norwegian editor (Bladet Tromsø) and politician, Mayor of Tromsø (1980–1990). Tommy Sandt, 69, American baseball player (Oakland Athletics) and coach (Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies), World Series champion (1997). Hanna Stadnik, 91, Polish military personnel (Warsaw Uprising) and activist, Acting Chairman of World Association of Home Army Soldiers (2020), heart attack. Henri Teissier, 91, French-Algerian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Algiers (1988–2008), problems caused by multiple strokes. Walter E. Williams, 84, American economist, libertarianism political commentator and academic. Sol Tolchinsky, 91, Canadian Olympic basketball player (1948), problems caused by COVID-19.