How to Find and Place Obituaries in Atlanta, GA

Searching for “obit Atlanta GA” usually means one of two things:
you’re trying to find an obituary for someone in Atlanta, or you need to publish an obituary for a loved one who lived or passed away here.

This guide walks you through both, focusing on how obituaries work specifically in Atlanta, Georgia—from local newspapers and funeral homes to online memorials and public records.

What an “Atlanta Obit” Usually Means

In Atlanta, an obituary can appear in several places:

• Print newspapers (like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Funeral home websites based in metro Atlanta
• Online obituary and memorial platforms
• Church or community newsletters
• Public records (death certificates and indexes, which are not full obituaries but often used for verification)

Understanding where to look (or where to publish) can save you time and stress.

Where to Find Obituaries in Atlanta, GA

1. Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) Obituaries

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) is the primary daily newspaper serving metro Atlanta, and it runs a large obituary and death notice section.

You can typically:

• Search recent obituaries by name, date, or keyword
• Browse by date of publication
• View both death notices (short, factual notices) and full obituaries (longer life stories)

If you are looking for an obituary from recent days or weeks, the AJC is often the first place to check.

Customer service and general info (AJC):
– Main office (commonly listed downtown Atlanta)
– Look for “Obituaries” or “Place a Notice” in their print or online sections for current contact details and pricing.
(Phone numbers and exact desk lines can change, so it’s best to confirm using the current newspaper masthead or online “Contact Us” page.)

2. Metro Atlanta Funeral Homes

Most Atlanta funeral homes now post obituaries on their own websites. These are often more detailed than newspaper notices and usually include:

• Photo of the deceased
• Service details (visitation, funeral, burial, or memorial)
• Biographical information (family, work, accomplishments)
• Guest book or condolences section

If you know which funeral home handled arrangements, start there. Some of the major Atlanta-based or metro-area providers (not an exhaustive list) include:

• H.M. Patterson & Son (multiple Atlanta locations)
• Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home (Atlanta and surrounding areas)
• Murray Brothers Funeral Home (Atlanta)
• Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory (DeKalb and surrounding counties)
• C.A. Young Funeral Home, Donald Trimble Mortuary, and other longstanding local providers

To find the obituary:

1. Go to the funeral home’s website.
2. Look for “Obituaries,” “Tributes,” or “In Memoriam.”
3. Search by last name or date.

If you do not know the funeral home, you might call a few in the area where the person lived (for example, Southwest Atlanta vs. Buckhead vs. Decatur) and ask if they handled the service.

3. Online Obituary & Memorial Platforms

Many Atlanta families choose a dedicated online memorial site managed by a funeral home or a third-party platform. Common features include:

• Ability to share the obituary link with friends and family
• Photo galleries and videos
• Comment sections for condolences
• Optional donation links to charities

If you can’t find an obituary:

• Try searching the person’s full name + “obituary” + “Atlanta”
• Search approximate year of death plus “Atlanta GA obituary”
• Check the deceased’s church or organization website; they may link to the online obituary

4. Church, Synagogue, Mosque, and Community Bulletins

Atlanta’s faith communities often share obituary-style notices or death announcements in:

• Sunday bulletins
• Digital newsletters or email lists
• Congregation websites or social media pages

If the person was involved with a congregation in Atlanta (for example, a church in Southwest Atlanta, a synagogue in Sandy Springs, or a mosque on the east or west side), contact their office or administrator and ask whether they post memorial notices.

5. Public Records and Death Certificates in Atlanta

If you can’t find a published obituary but need to confirm a death in Atlanta, you may need official records instead of a newspaper tribute.

In Georgia, death records are maintained at both the state and county levels.

Key offices for Atlanta and Fulton County:

• Fulton County Vital Records Office
  141 Pryor Street SW, Suite 1029
  Atlanta, GA 30303
  Phone: 404-613-1260

• Georgia Department of Public Health – Vital Records
  1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100
  Atlanta, GA 30349
  Phone: 404-679-4702

These offices can typically help with:

• Certified copies of death certificates
• Verification of a death date and place
• Clarifying whether there is any public index you can search

They do not write or publish obituaries, but death certificates are often used to verify details when preparing one.

How to Publish an Obituary in Atlanta, GA

If you need to place an obituary for a loved one in Atlanta, you usually have three main options:

1. Newspaper obit (AJC or local paper)
2. Funeral home obituary page
3. Online memorial only

Most families use some combination of these.

Typical Steps to Publish an Atlanta Obituary

1. Decide where it should appear.
   Think about who you want to reach:

   • Longtime Atlanta residents → AJC + local funeral home site
   • Out-of-state family and friends → online memorial
   • Church or community groups → congregation newsletter + online obituary link

2. Gather all essential information.

   Common details include:

   • Full legal name (and any nicknames or maiden names)
   • Age and city of residence (e.g., Atlanta, Decatur, College Park, Sandy Springs)
   • Date of death and sometimes date of birth
   • Immediate family members (spouse, children, parents, siblings)
   • Brief biographical sketch (education, career, military service, hobbies, volunteer work)
   • Funeral or memorial service details (date, time, location, officiant if desired)
   • Burial or cremation information if being shared
   • Where to send flowers or memorial donations (charity, church, scholarship fund, etc.)

3. Contact your chosen outlet.

   • Funeral home in Atlanta:
     Most local funeral homes will help you write, edit, and submit the obituary. They usually:

     • Post it on their own website
     • Offer to submit it to the AJC or other newspapers (fees apply)

   • Atlanta Journal-Constitution (newspaper):
     Look for a “Place an Obituary” or “Death Notices” contact point. You may need to:

     • Email or upload the text
     • Include your contact info
     • Approve pricing based on length, photo inclusion, and publication dates

4. Review proof and pricing.
   Newspapers often charge by line, word, or column inch. Before finalizing:

   • Confirm dates of publication
   • Double-check names, addresses, and service times
   • Ask if a photo is included and how it will print

5. Confirm publication and share the link.
   Once it runs:

   • Save a copy of the printed page
   • Download or screenshot any online version
   • Share the obituary link with friends, family, and organizations in Atlanta that need the information

What Belongs in an Atlanta Obituary (and What Doesn’t)

Writing an obituary can feel overwhelming when you’re grieving. In Atlanta, style expectations are similar to the rest of the U.S., but local touches are common.

Common Atlanta-Specific Details Families Include

• References to neighborhoods or communities
  (e.g., “lifelong resident of Southwest Atlanta,” “raised in East Point,” “called Buckhead home for 30 years”)

• Mentions of local schools and colleges
  (e.g., Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia State University, Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, Georgia Tech, Emory, local high schools)

• Ties to Atlanta churches and civic groups
  (e.g., historic churches, neighborhood associations, civil rights or community organizations)

• Acknowledging care from Atlanta-area hospitals or hospices
  (without sharing overly private medical details)

Topics to Handle with Care

When writing an obituary:

• Avoid detailed medical information or private health conditions unless the family has agreed to share.
• Be cautious about listing a full home address for security reasons; city and neighborhood are usually enough.
• If mentioning causes of death related to sensitive matters, keep wording brief and respectful and confirm all close relatives are comfortable with the language.

Quick Comparison: Atlanta Obituary Options

*Costs vary by length, images, and provider. Always confirm current pricing directly.

If You Can’t Find an Obituary for Someone in Atlanta

Sometimes, no obituary was ever published, even if a person passed away in Atlanta. In those cases, you can:

1. Check with multiple funeral homes near where they lived or passed away.
2. Search online using:
   • Full name
   • “Atlanta” or another local city name
   • Approximate year of death
3. Contact churches or organizations they were involved with in metro Atlanta.
4. Use public records by reaching:
   • Fulton County Vital Records Office
   • Georgia Department of Public Health – Vital Records

If no obituary exists, families sometimes choose to create a new online memorial even years later, to share the story of their loved one and provide a place for memories and condolences.

Preparing to Talk with an Atlanta Funeral Home or Newspaper

When you call or visit a funeral home or the obituary desk for the AJC in Atlanta, it helps to have:

• Your relationship to the deceased
• A draft obituary (even rough notes are fine)
• Any legal documents for name and dates (ID, death certificate, etc., if available)
• A preferred photo in a common digital format
• A sense of your budget for newspaper publication

Many Atlanta funeral homes are used to walking families through this step by step, and they understand the customs of the local community.

By understanding how obituaries work in Atlanta, GA, where they’re typically found, and how to publish one, you can choose the approach that best honors your loved one and reaches the people who need to know—both here in the city and beyond.