Obituary & people search
Search Arizona Obituaries
Look up obituaries, death records and people by name.
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Obituary guide
How to find an obituary in Arizona
For a recent death, start with the funeral home's website and the obituary pages of the Arizona Republic or the Arizona Daily Star. For an older death, the Arizona State Library's newspaper collection and the Arizona Daily Star index in Tucson can tell you which paper and date to check.
What to have ready
- The person's full name, including a maiden name or nickname
- The approximate date of death and the city or county where they died
- Their age or birth year
- Names of close relatives
Knowing the county narrows your search the most. Phoenix, Tucson and smaller towns each had their own papers.
Where to look, by when the person died
| When the person died | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Last few years | The funeral home's website; Arizona Republic obituaries; the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Daily Sun and Yuma Sun pages on Legacy.com |
| 1990s to recent decades | Newspaper databases at your public library. Pima County Public Library cardholders can read the Arizona Daily Star from 1991 to the present through NewsBank. |
| Older or historic | The Arizona State Library's newspaper collection; the Arizona Digital Newspaper Program on Arizona Memory; the Arizona Daily Star Index, 1953–1989, at Pima County Public Library; the volunteer-run Arizona Obituary Archive |
| Official death record | Arizona began recording deaths statewide in July 1909, with some records back to 1877. Death records 50 or more years old can be searched on the state's genealogy site. See how to order an Arizona death certificate. |
Major newspapers' obituary pages
- Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
- Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, on Legacy.com)
- Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, hosted by Legacy.com)
- Yuma Sun (hosted by Legacy.com)
Recent listings are open to read. Older articles on newspaper sites may need a subscription.
Libraries and archives
- Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records in Phoenix has the state's largest collection of historic Arizona newspapers, from the first one in 1859 to current titles. Staff will look up an obituary at no charge if you give the name, the newspaper title and the exact date of death. Send a request.
- Pima County Public Library in Tucson keeps the Arizona Daily Star Index, 1953–1989, for in-library use. From 1960 on it lists only deaths that were news stories. The library also has the Arizona Biography/Obituary Index, 1865–1986, which is mostly Phoenix-area people.
- University of Arizona Libraries holds the printed Arizona Daily Star index (1953–1965 and 1970–1989, with a card file for 1966–1969) and the Star on microfilm from 1879 to 2010.
Timeline expectations
- Recent obituaries usually appear online within days, often before the service.
- Most of the Arizona Digital Newspaper Program's content is from before 1963, because of copyright.
- The State Library says it answers questions sent through its form within two business days.
Tips
- The State Library's look-up needs an exact date of death, so find the date first in an index or a death record.
- In the Arizona Biography/Obituary Index, Pima County notes that Tucson entries likely date before 1950.
- Many Arizonans moved from other states. Check the hometown paper as well.
Last verified:
Note: Coverage years, fees and web addresses are set by the libraries, archives and newspapers listed and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not affiliated with them.