Obituaries in Atlanta: How to Find, Place, and Share Local Notices

Searching for “Obituaries Atlanta” usually means you’re trying to honor someone’s life, notify the community, or locate information about a recent death. In Atlanta, there are several well-established ways to find obituaries and publish them, from major newspapers to funeral homes and online memorials.

This guide walks you through how obituaries work in Atlanta, where to look, how to place one, and what local details matter most.

Where to Find Obituaries in Atlanta

Most people in Atlanta search in a few main places:

1. Major Atlanta Newspapers

Local newspapers remain a primary source for Atlanta obituaries. They typically publish both print and online death notices.

Common features you’ll see:

• Name, age, and city of the deceased
• Date of death
• Service information (visitation, funeral, burial)
• Short biography and family list
• Donation or memorial instructions

Newspapers usually offer:

• Paid obituaries: Longer, more personal write-ups placed by families or funeral homes
• Death notices: Shorter listings focused on basic facts

You can usually search by:

• Last name
• Date range
• City/area (e.g., Atlanta, Decatur, College Park, Sandy Springs)

If you are looking for a recent Atlanta obituary, newspapers are often updated daily, especially early in the morning.

2. Funeral Homes and Cremation Providers

Most Atlanta funeral homes maintain an online obituary section on their websites. These can be especially helpful because they often include:

• Service details and directions
• Online guestbooks or condolence messages
• Photo slideshows or tribute videos
• Links to livestreamed services

Funeral homes in and around Atlanta often publish an obituary on their site even if it never appears in a newspaper, so if you know which funeral home is handling arrangements, checking there can be very effective.

3. Online Memorial and Tribute Pages

In addition to newspapers and funeral homes, many Atlanta families use online memorial platforms. These often allow:

• Longer life stories
• Multiple photos and videos
• Shared memories and comments
• Easy social media sharing

These platforms may be:

• Managed by the funeral home
• Created directly by the family
• Organized by a faith community or civic group

If you can’t find an obituary in local papers, an online memorial page is another likely place to look.

4. Local Faith Communities and Organizations

In Atlanta’s churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples, deaths are often shared through:

• Congregational emails or newsletters
• Weekly bulletins
• Announcement boards
• Social media pages

Civic organizations, alumni associations, and professional groups sometimes publish member obituaries or memorial notes as well.

If the person you’re searching for was active in a specific community, it may be worth contacting that organization or checking their public postings.

How to Place an Obituary in Atlanta

If you’re planning an obituary for a loved one in Atlanta, there are several routes you can take.

Step 1: Decide Your Main Goals

Before you start, clarify what you need the obituary to do:

• Notify the community about the death and service arrangements
• Share a life story and meaningful details about the person
• Provide practical information, like where to send flowers or donations
• Create a permanent memorial that friends and family can revisit

Many families use a combination:

• A shorter notice in a newspaper for broad visibility
• A longer obituary on a funeral home website or online memorial

Step 2: Choose Where You Want It Published

Common options for Atlanta obituaries include:

• Major local newspapers (print + online)
• Funeral home websites
• Online memorial pages
• Organization or faith community newsletters

Costs and word limits vary, especially in newspapers. Funeral homes in Atlanta often help compare options and handle the submission process for you.

Step 3: Gather the Key Information

Most Atlanta obituaries are built around a similar set of details. It helps to gather these before writing.

Common elements to include:

• Full name (and nickname, if used)
• Age
• City or neighborhood (e.g., Midtown, Buckhead, East Atlanta, College Park)
• Dates of birth and death
• Immediate family (spouse, children, parents, siblings, grandchildren)
• Brief biography:
  • Career or military service
  • Community involvement in Atlanta or the metro area
  • Education (e.g., Atlanta Public Schools, local colleges/universities)
• Service information:
  • Visitation and funeral date/time
  • Location (funeral home, church, cemetery)
  • Whether services are private or public
• Memorial preferences:
  • Flowers vs. donations
  • Suggested charities or organizations (often local to Atlanta)

Simple Planning Table

Use this table as a checklist while drafting:

Step 4: Write in a Clear, Respectful Style

In Atlanta, obituary styles range from very traditional to casual and personal. A few guidelines:

• Use clear, simple language that anyone can understand
• Focus on facts and meaningful highlights, not every detail
• Honor the person’s Atlanta connections (neighborhoods, churches, schools, employers, volunteer work)
• Keep the tone respectful, even when mentioning challenges or struggles

If you feel overwhelmed, many local funeral home staff members are accustomed to helping families draft or refine obituary text.

Step 5: Submit the Obituary

Submission processes vary:

• Newspapers typically require:

  • A text submission (often via email or an online form)
  • Confirmation of who is authorized to place the notice
  • Payment and a deadline (often the day before publication)

• Funeral homes will often:

  • Review your draft
  • Suggest edits for clarity and length
  • Submit to newspapers on your behalf if you request it

• Online memorial sites usually:

  • Allow you to paste or type directly
  • Offer options to add photos, videos, and comments
  • Let you control privacy settings and sharing

Atlanta-Specific Considerations for Obituaries

Living in or connected to Atlanta shapes how people frame an obituary. Here are some local aspects you may want to highlight or consider.

Neighborhoods and Communities

Atlanta is known for its distinct neighborhoods and nearby cities. Many obituaries mention:

• Where the person grew up (e.g., Southwest Atlanta, East Lake)
• Where they lived later (e.g., Sandy Springs, Decatur, Smyrna)
• Ties to particular schools, churches, or civic groups

These local details help friends and neighbors quickly recognize who is being remembered.

Common Religious and Cultural Practices

Atlanta is home to a wide range of religious and cultural traditions. Obituaries here often reflect:

• Christian church memberships and ministries
• Jewish congregations and community organizations
• Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other faith communities
• Historically Black churches and social clubs
• Greek, Korean, Latino, and other cultural organizations

You can include:

• The name of the place of worship
• Any roles the person held (deacon, choir member, usher, teacher, volunteer)
• Special customs related to funerals or memorials, if appropriate to mention

Service Locations and Cemeteries

Many Atlanta-area obituaries list services held at:

• Local funeral homes
• Churches, synagogues, or other worship spaces
• Community centers for memorial events

Cemeteries in and around Atlanta are often mentioned by name, so loved ones know where the person is laid to rest or where future visits will take place.

💡 Tip: If the funeral or burial is outside the city (for example, in another Georgia county or another state), be sure to note the Atlanta connection up front so local friends still recognize and share the news.

Finding Older Atlanta Obituaries and Death Records

Sometimes you may be researching family history or trying to locate older obituaries connected to Atlanta.

Library and Archive Resources

The Fulton County and DeKalb County public library systems, as well as city-area branches, often maintain:

• Newspaper archives
• Microfilm collections
• Online databases accessible with a library card

Local librarians are often familiar with:

• How to search older Atlanta newspapers
• Which years are available digitally vs. on microfilm
• What basic details you need to start a search (name, approximate dates, part of town)

Official Death Certificates

If you need an official death certificate rather than an obituary, that’s handled separately from newspapers.

In Georgia, death certificates are generally requested through:

• Georgia Department of Public Health – Vital Records
• County vital records offices (for deaths that occurred in that county)

These certificates are legal documents and typically include:

• Name of the deceased
• Date and place of death
• Other details depending on the form and purpose

An obituary is not a legal record, but it can help confirm dates and family connections for personal records or genealogy.

Practical Tips When Writing or Searching for Obituaries in Atlanta

• Act quickly for time-sensitive services.
  If you’re hoping friends and community members attend a funeral or memorial service, submit the obituary or death notice as early as possible so it has time to reach people.

• Use common name variations.
  When searching, try:

  • Formal first name and nickname (e.g., Charles / Chuck)
  • Middle initial or full middle name
  • Possible maiden names

• Check multiple sources.
  For a single Atlanta death, you might find:

  • A short notice in one newspaper
  • A detailed obituary on a funeral home site
  • An online memorial page shared on social media

• Respect privacy preferences.
  Some families choose very brief notices or decline to publish certain details. If you cannot find an obituary, the family may have opted for privacy.

• Coordinate with the funeral home.
  If you’re responsible for arrangements, asking the funeral director about obituary options can save time; they often know:

  • Typical word counts and costs
  • Submission deadlines
  • What details local readers commonly look for

When You’re Not Sure Where to Start

If you live in Atlanta or are coordinating from out of town, the process can feel overwhelming. A straightforward path often looks like this:

1. Confirm basic details (full name, dates, city, service arrangements).
2. Contact the funeral home handling arrangements and ask what obituary support they provide.
3. Draft a short obituary using the checklist table above.
4. Decide on publication: one or more Atlanta newspapers, the funeral home site, and possibly an online memorial page.
5. Review for accuracy with a close family member before submitting.

Handled this way, obituaries in Atlanta can both notify the community and preserve a meaningful record of a person’s life and local ties.