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Search Rhode Island Obituaries
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Obituary guide
How to find an obituary in Rhode Island
For a recent death, start with the funeral home's website and the obituary page of The Providence Journal or the local daily. For an older obituary, try Providence Public Library, whose HeritageHub database covers Providence Journal obituaries, or the Rhode Island Historical Society's newspaper microfilm.
What to have ready
- Full name, including a maiden name or nickname
- Approximate date and place of death (city or town, and county)
- Age at death or birth year
- Names of close relatives (spouse, children, parents)
Tip: Knowing the city or town narrows the search more than anything else. Records before 1853 are kept by the city or town clerk, and the town also tells you which local paper to check.
Where to look, by when the person died
| When the person died | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Last few years | Funeral home websites; newspaper obituary pages (listed below), several of them hosted on Legacy.com |
| 1990s to recent decades | Providence Public Library's HeritageHub: Providence Journal obituaries, which you can search with a library card |
| Older or historic | ProJo microfilm at Providence Public Library (1829–2019); RIHS newspapers; Chronicling America; local historical and genealogical societies |
| Official death record | The Rhode Island State Archives certifies deaths from 1853–1975, and its digital archive has death registrations from those years. See how to order a Rhode Island death record. |
Major newspapers' obituary pages
- The Providence Journal
- Newport Daily News
- The Westerly Sun, on Legacy.com
- The Call (Woonsocket), on Legacy.com
Each page loaded without a login on our check. Older news archives usually need a subscription or a library card.
Libraries and archives
- Providence Public Library: HeritageHub: U.S. obituaries and death notices from 1704 to today, including The Providence Journal
- Providence Public Library: ProJo microfilm: in person, and you'll need a date
- Rhode Island Historical Society: microfilm of almost every Rhode Island newspaper
- Rhode Island State Archives vital records
Timeline expectations
- Recent obituaries appear when the family or funeral home publishes them, so timing varies.
- The Providence Journal began in 1829. Its microfilm at Providence Public Library runs to 2019.
- State Archives death records cover 1853–1975. Death records more than 50 years old are open. Records before 1853 are with the city or town clerk.
Tips
- RIHS has a partial Providence Journal card index for 1915–1934, which can give you the exact date.
- The microfilm room needs a date. Get it first from the death registration or a funeral home record.
- The Westerly and Woonsocket papers' obituaries are hosted on Legacy.com rather than the papers' own sites.
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.