Atlanta Obits: How to Find, Place, and Understand Obituaries in Atlanta, Georgia

When you search for “Atlanta obits”, you’re usually looking for one of three things:

1. recent death notices and funeral information,
2. older obituaries for family or genealogy, or
3. guidance on how to write and place an obituary in Atlanta.

This guide walks through how obituaries work in Atlanta, where to find them, and how to handle the process when a loved one passes away here.

What “Atlanta Obits” Usually Means

In Atlanta, people often use the word “obits” to refer to:

• Current death notices – brief announcements listing name, age, date of death, and service details.
• Full obituaries – longer pieces that share a life story, family members, and sometimes a photo.
• Public records of death – official documents that confirm a death, usually for legal or administrative reasons.

These can appear in:

• Local newspapers and news sites
• Funeral home websites
• Cemetery or cremation service listings
• Public record searches

Knowing what type of information you need helps you choose where to look.

Where to Find Recent Atlanta Obituaries

If someone recently passed away in or around Atlanta, these are the most common places people start.

1. Local Newspapers and Media Outlets

Atlanta has long used newspapers and local media as a central place for obituaries. While you would typically look these up online or in print, here are the types of outlets that routinely publish Atlanta obits:

• Major Atlanta newspapers – often have dedicated obituary and death notice sections.
• Community and neighborhood papers – may carry obits for specific areas of the city or metro region.
• Local TV station websites – some maintain online obituary or memorial sections.

Most of these outlets let you:

• Search by name, date, or sometimes city/ZIP code
• View recent deaths listed by day or week
• See service details, such as visitation and funeral times, when provided

💡 Tip: If you know the date of death or approximate week, narrowing your search by date often makes finding the obituary much faster.

2. Funeral Homes Serving the Atlanta Area

Many funerals in Atlanta are handled by local funeral homes, and they almost always post obituaries on their own websites. These are often more detailed than short newspaper notices.

Common features on funeral home obituary pages:

• Photos and full life stories
• Service times and locations (visitation, funeral, graveside, memorial)
• Directions to the funeral home or place of service
• Online guest books where you can leave messages or share memories

You can typically:

• Search by the person’s name
• Browse “Recent Obituaries”
• View archived obits going back months or years

If you know which funeral home is handling the arrangements, going directly to its website is often the fastest way to find a current Atlanta obituary.

3. Cemeteries and Cremation Services

Many Atlanta cemeteries and cremation providers maintain online records or memorial pages. While these are not always as detailed as newspaper obits, they can confirm:

• Full name
• Date of birth and death
• Burial or interment location
• Sometimes a link back to the original obituary or funeral home

This can be helpful if you’re trying to confirm where a person is buried or if you only know the cemetery name.

How to Search for Older Atlanta Obituaries

If you’re doing family research, working on a family tree, or trying to confirm details about someone who died years ago in Atlanta, you’ll likely need archived obits.

1. Newspaper Archives

Many Atlanta-area newspapers keep digital or microfilm archives of past issues. Through these, you can:

• Look up obits by date
• Search names in old editions
• Find death notices, memorial ads, and public records

For deeper research, people often use:

• Online newspaper archive platforms (some free, some subscription-based)
• Public library access to databases that include Atlanta newspaper archives

2. Atlanta-Focused Library and Archive Resources

Atlanta residents and researchers often turn to local libraries and archives. The most commonly used resource is:

• Fulton County-based public libraries and state archives, which may offer:
  • Newspaper archives on microfilm or online
  • Genealogy rooms or research assistance
  • Access to statewide obituary or newspaper databases

📌 Practical steps:

• Call or visit a reference desk at a local library and ask about Atlanta obituary archives or newspaper microfilm.
• Have the person’s full name, approximate year of death, and any known details ready.
• Ask if you can search remotely using a library card, or if an in-person visit is required.

3. Genealogy and Memorial Websites

Many Atlanta obituaries are also copied or summarized on genealogy sites and online memorial platforms. These often allow:

• Name searches
• Filtering by location (Atlanta or Georgia)
• Viewing basic obituary text and sometimes photos

These can be especially useful if you’re tracing family lines or looking for multiple generations of obits tied to the Atlanta area.

Understanding Atlanta Obituaries vs. Death Certificates

People often confuse obituaries with official death records. In Atlanta, these are handled very differently.

Obituaries

• Created by families, funeral homes, or media outlets
• Usually optional, not legally required
• Can be short or detailed, personal, and storytelling in nature
• Primarily for public notice, memorial, and community information

Death Certificates

• Official government documents
• Required for legal, financial, and administrative purposes
• Include details such as:
  • Full name
  • Date and place of death
  • Basic medical cause of death (wording varies)
• Can only be ordered through authorized government channels

If you need an official record of a death that occurred in Atlanta or elsewhere in Georgia, you typically request a death certificate through:

• Georgia Department of Public Health – Vital Records
  1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100
  Atlanta, GA 30349
  Phone: 404-679-4701 (main information line)

You can also request death certificates through county vital records offices (for example, in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, or Clayton counties), depending on where in the Atlanta metro area the death occurred.

How to Place an Obituary in Atlanta

If you’ve lost a loved one in Atlanta and want to publish an obituary, there are a few key steps.

Step 1: Decide Where You Want the Obituary to Appear

Most families in the Atlanta area choose one or more of the following:

• Funeral home website only
• Local newspaper obituary section
• Both funeral home + newspaper, sometimes plus an online memorial site

Consider:

• Where the person lived or had community ties
• Where most family and friends are located
• Your budget, since newspaper obits often charge by line, word, or day

Step 2: Coordinate With the Funeral Home

Funeral homes serving Atlanta are very accustomed to handling obituaries. They can:

• Provide a template or questions to help you write the obituary
• Edit for spelling, clarity, and length
• Submit the obituary to partner newspapers or online outlets on your behalf
• Advise on deadlines (for example, when text must be submitted for the next day’s print edition)

If you’re unsure how to start, many families simply give the funeral home:

• Basic facts (name, dates, family)
• A short narrative of their loved one’s life
• A list of service details (date, time, location)
• Any special requests (for example, “in lieu of flowers” information)

Step 3: Write the Obituary Text

A typical Atlanta obituary includes:

• Full name, including nickname if commonly used
• Age and city of residence
• Date of death (and sometimes place of death)
• A short summary of their life and background, such as:
  • Where they were born or raised
  • Education or military service
  • Career or community involvement
  • Religious or civic affiliations
• List of immediate family:
  • Spouse or partner
  • Children and grandchildren
  • Parents and siblings
• Service details:
  • Visitation date, time, and location
  • Funeral or memorial service information
  • Burial or cremation plans, if being shared
• Optional elements:
  • Photo
  • Favorite saying or scripture
  • Memorial contributions (e.g., suggested charities)

📌 Tone tip: In Atlanta, obits commonly mix respectful formality with a warm, personal tone—it’s appropriate to highlight both accomplishments and the person’s character, hobbies, and impact on family or community.

Step 4: Confirm Deadlines, Costs, and Proofs

When placing an obituary with an Atlanta-area newspaper or outlet, you’ll usually need to:

• Submit the text by a specific deadline, often the day before publication
• Approve a proof (a preview of what will be printed or posted)
• Pay a fee, which can depend on:
  • Length of the obituary
  • Whether a photo is included
  • Number of days it will run
  • Print only, online only, or both

Always review the proof carefully to correct:

• Spelling of names and places
• Dates and times for services
• Phone numbers or addresses, if listed

What to Do If You Can’t Find an Atlanta Obituary

Sometimes you search “Atlanta obits” and come up empty. That doesn’t always mean there is no record of the person’s passing.

Here are common reasons and next steps.

Possible Reasons You Don’t See an Obituary

• The family chose not to publish an obituary.
• The person’s obituary is listed under a different city or county in the metro area.
• The obituary ran only in print, and the digital archives are limited.
• The name is spelled differently (nicknames, multiple last names, hyphenations).

How to Keep Searching

• Try variations of the name, including maiden names or middle initials.
• Search neighboring cities and counties (e.g., Decatur, Marietta, Smyrna, College Park).
• Check with funeral homes near the last known address of the person.
• Contact public libraries or county offices and ask about:
  • Death records
  • Obituary indexes
  • Local newspaper archives for the relevant year

If you need official confirmation, request a death certificate through the proper Georgia or county channels.

Quick Reference: Atlanta Obits – Where to Look and Why

Practical Tips for Atlanta Families and Visitors

• If a death occurs while visiting Atlanta:
  The local funeral home you contact in Atlanta can coordinate both the local arrangements and communication with a home-town funeral home in another state, and can still help with placing obits in both locations.

• If family is spread across the metro area:
  Consider publishing one main obituary in a widely read Atlanta outlet, and then using funeral home and online memorial pages to share the same information more broadly.

• If cost is a concern:

  • Ask the funeral home about short-form notices or obits that list only key details.
  • Use the free obituary page many funeral homes provide and share that link or information directly with friends, family, and community groups.

• If privacy is a concern:
  You can keep details minimal, omitting specific addresses, cause of death, or other sensitive information, and simply share funeral details privately.

Understanding how Atlanta obits work—where to find them, how to place them, and how they relate to official records—can make a difficult time a little more manageable. Whether you’re a long-time Atlanta resident, a newcomer, or someone tracing family roots here, you can use these local patterns and resources to locate the information you need and honor your loved one’s life.