Obituaries and Death Notices

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There are two types of notices: (1) a news item (obituary) which includes a biographical sketch and possibly a picture of the deceased. This may or may not be used by the paper depending on the space available. It does not include information on funeral or burial services nor on flowers or contributions, but, depending on the newspaper, it may be free. (2) The standard classified death notice box is a paid advertisement providing information on funeral arrangements, memorial contributions and survivors. This follows a standard format which is paid for by the line. Some newspapers request that specific information be provided but it is possible that some of the information may not be available to you or is of a nature that you may not want to include some items in the death notice.

The following list is provided to assist you in assembling information frequently required by newspapers. This list is fairly inclusive and is intended to be a guide rather than a requirement. It is suggested that you examine the format used by the newspaper(s) so that you can collect any other information that is not on this list that you may wish to include in the notice.

• Age
• Cause of death
• Date and place of death
• Place of birth
• Place of residence
• Length of time the person lived in the Washington area
• Work history
• Military experience
• Colleges and local high schools attended
• Memberships in local organizations
• Volunteer work
• Honors
• Religious or other affiliations
• Names of all spouses, including marriages that ended in divorce or death. If a spouse is  deceased, the year of death.
• Names, relationships and current towns of residence for surviving spouse, children, parents and siblings
• Number of surviving grandchildren and great-grandchildren
• Name of the mortuary used (this is for newspaper information and not for publication.)

Please be aware that the obituary notice does not include information about funeral or memorial services, visiting, interment or expressions of sympathy. These items should be addressed in the classified death notice.

Listed below are three different newspapers that are frequently used for death notices and their phone numbers have been included.

Washington Post
Classified Death Notice:
Advertising Dept. 202-334-4122. Fax no. 202-334-1089
News Obituaries: 202-334-7389. Fax no. 202-334-6553

Washington Times
Classified Death Notice:
Advertising Dept. 202-636-4722. Fax no. 202-636-3111
News Obituaries: 202-636-3181. Fax no. 202-832-0659

Northern Virginia Journal Newspapers
Classified Death Notice:
Advertising Dept. 703-846-8400. Fax no. 703-846-8366
News Obituaries: 703-846-8320

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