If you spot an error in an obituary, acting promptly can help ensure family, friends, and readers see accurate information.
This guide explains how to identify the correction needed, contact the right publisher, and check that the change appears wherever the obituary was shared.
Identify the error and confirm the correct information
Before contacting anyone, compare the published obituary with the family’s verified records and notes.
Obituary errors can involve a name, date, relationship, spelling, biographical detail, service information, or a missing family member.
A small typo and a significant factual mistake may call for different fixes, but both deserve clear, specific requests.
Write down the exact wording that appears and the wording you believe is correct.
Include the page URL, publication date, edition, or a screenshot if available.
For sensitive facts, confirm the preferred wording with the person who supplied or approved the original obituary.
Avoid relying on memory when documents or a designated family contact can verify the detail.
If the issue concerns a date or location for a service, verify it with the funeral home or organizer before requesting a change.
If the obituary contains a personal detail that the family now wishes to remove, distinguish that privacy request from a factual correction.
Find out who published the obituary
The publisher determines how corrections are handled.
An obituary may have appeared in a newspaper, on a funeral home’s website, on a memorial platform, or in several places.
The organization that prepared or submitted the text may not control every version, so identify each site or print edition where the error appears.
- Newspaper: Look for an obituary desk, corrections contact, newsroom contact, or customer service address on the publication’s website or in the print edition.
- Funeral home: Contact the funeral home that posted the online notice or helped prepare the text.
Ask whether it can edit the page or needs approval from the submitting family member. - Memorial platform: Use the platform’s edit, support, or memorial-management process.
The account holder may need to submit the change. - Shared copies: Check whether funeral notices, social posts, or partner sites have reproduced the same text.
Each publisher may require a separate request.
How should you request a correction?
Be concise and courteous.
Identify the obituary, describe the error, give the exact replacement text, and explain whether the change is urgent.
If the publication needs proof or authorization, ask what it accepts and who must provide it.
A relative or friend may not be able to change a notice submitted by someone else without the submitter’s permission.
You can adapt this fictional example:
Subject: Correction request for obituary published [date]
“Hello, I am writing about the obituary for [name], published on [date] at [URL or page reference].
The current text says [incorrect wording].
Please change it to [correct wording]. [Briefly explain why the update is needed.] I am [relationship or role] and can provide any information required to verify the request.
Please let me know when the online version has been updated and whether the print edition can be corrected.”
Use bracketed placeholders rather than sending unnecessary private details.
If the publisher asks for documentation, provide only what is relevant and use its preferred submission method.
Do not send sensitive identity or financial information unless the publisher explains why it is needed and how to submit it securely.
What if the obituary has already appeared in print?
Printed copies cannot be changed after distribution, but a newspaper may correct the online version, publish a correction notice, or include a revised notice in a later edition.
The available options depend on the publication and its policies.
Ask what can still be changed and whether any additional charge applies; newspapers set their own rates, so do not assume a standard price.
If the original was a paid obituary, ask whether an edit is treated as a correction to the existing notice or a new submission.
Keep the reply and any confirmation for your records.
A publisher may have deadlines for changes before an edition closes, so contact it as soon as practical.
Check that the correction appears everywhere
After submitting the request, save the confirmation and follow up if the expected update does not appear.
Revisit the original page and check the exact detail, not just whether the page has changed.
If the notice was syndicated or copied, search for the name and a distinctive phrase to find other versions that may remain inaccurate.
Ask the original publisher whether it controls those copies or can identify the partner sites.
Then contact other sites directly when needed.
Search engine results and cached previews may take time to reflect an update, even after the page itself is corrected.
If the page is right but a preview is stale, the publisher or search service may have a process for refreshing it.
When should you request removal instead?
Some concerns are not simple corrections.
A family may decide that an online obituary includes too much personal information, was posted without proper authorization, or should no longer be publicly visible.
In those situations, ask the publisher about its privacy, removal, or account-management process.
Explain the specific concern and who is authorized to make the request.
Publishers may have different rules for removing an obituary than for correcting a typo.
They might preserve a record while limiting public access, or require confirmation from the person who submitted it.
Ask what action is possible and how long it may take.
If the issue is a disagreement among relatives, it can help to choose one family contact to communicate a verified, agreed-upon request.
Preventing errors in future obituary updates
For a new or revised obituary, use one current draft as the source of truth.
Ask a second person to check names, dates, relationships, locations, and the spelling of organizations before submission.
Confirm which person will approve the final version, and share the same approved text with each publisher to reduce inconsistencies.
When an update becomes necessary, record the date of the request, the person contacted, and the response.
That simple record makes it easier to see which versions have been corrected and which still need attention.