Obituaries in Westchester, NY | The Journal News (2024)

FAQs

What is the largest obituary website? ›

The Web site hosts obituaries and memorials for more than 70 percent of all U.S. deaths. Legacy.com hosts obituaries for more than three-quarters of the 100 largest newspapers in the U.S., by circulation.

Obituaries are not required by law , so the deceased's family might have chosen to forego publishing one. Publishing an obituary can be expensive , and the funds may be unavailable. The deceased has few family members or friends , so there might have, unfortunately, been no need for an obituary.

There could be several reasons why you're having difficulty finding an obituary. The person you're looking for may not have had an obituary, the newspaper that published it could have gone out of business, or it could have never been saved or digitized.

It is preferable, when applicable, to include the age at death and a personal comment such as “surrounded by family” or “comforted by his wife.” NB: Sometimes it is desirable to omit the cause of death – such as when death came as a result of extreme violence, or the carrying out of a court sentence.

People read obituaries for a variety of reasons, including staying informed. If a visible community member or acquaintance passes, we have an innate desire to know about it. Most of us know someone who has proclaimed and one time or another that “I read them to make sure my name isn't listed.”

Many funeral homes publish obituaries on their websites. These can usually be located with a Google search on the person's name. Local genealogical and historical societies, public libraries, and some newspaper publishers maintain clipping files of obituaries.

Posting an obituary is not a legal requirement and is a sentimental action. Families don't have to publish one if they don't want it or do not have the funds to do so. While you do not have to share a death note or obituary, you must file a death certificate with your state's office.

Why does it cost so much to post an obituary? Publishing an obituary in the newspaper is expensive because of the limited space papers have. Newspapers value every inch of each page, so they must charge to use that limited space for an obituary.

In most cases, obituaries do not include the names or nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, or in-laws unless they were close to the deceased. Grandchildren are sometimes listed but often numbered instead (…he leaves behind 5 grandchildren).

How do I find an obituary for a specific person in New York? ›

New York Public Library subscribes to many databases that can help researchers locate obituaries and death notices. The most useful are our newspaper databases. Oftentimes obituaries can be located by entering a person's name and week of death into the newspapers databases.

Tips for coping with the death of an old friend

Know that any bereavement can trigger feelings and emotions. Reach out to friends or family that might have known the person that died. Often we want to connect with those that knew the person. But not everyone feels the same so take their lead.

Newspapers still publish obituaries, but today many families choose to make death announcements on social media. While some people may find this to be poor etiquette, a social media post actually isn't that different than an obituary.

When someone you love dies, be mindful about what you include in their obituary. Sadly, identity thieves can mine personally identifiable information (PII) like a person's birth date, address, and mother's maiden name from obituaries and other digital records (for example, social media accounts).

Of course, in the places where death notices are free, some people may not know that and may not publish notices when loved ones die because they have heard that obituaries are expensive. My anecdotal evidence, though, does support my view that in many communities, death notices are free.

If you like to be technical, names should be listed as follows: first name, spouse's first name in parenthesis, then surname (ex: Tom (Sarah) Johnson). If the spouse or partner's surname is different, include their surname in the parenthesis along with their first name (ex: Tom (Sarah Williams) Johnson).

There is no hard and fast rule as to who should give the eulogy speech at a funeral. It's typically given by those who were particularly close, or had a special relationship with, the loved one who passed. It could be a best friend, a spouse, a child or grandchild, or even a co-worker.

Obituary writers sometimes deliberately distort the truth in their stories. False obituaries are written for many reasons: concealing a divorce, excluding children from another marriage, exaggerating a deceased's accomplishments, or excluding certain relatives.

During a funeral or memorial service, it is common for someone to stand up and read the obituary to the attendees. This reading may be performed by a family member, a close friend, or a designated individual.

Obituaries and death notices are best located by looking up a person's name in a printed index, an index on a database, a full-text database, or a website that compiles obituaries.

Is there an app for local obituaries? ›

MyObits: Obituary Listings on the App Store.

Begin by entering the name of the person, the word obituary, and “Florida” into your favorite search engine. If the deceased had a common name, you might need to add additional search terms, such as the name of a family member, the town where they lived, or the date of death.

The letter size of 8.5 x 11 inches is a standard size for funeral templates and many other types of printed materials in North America because it is a commonly used size for printer paper by people.