Someone recently asked in regards to finding an obituary, " Might there still be a death notice (I'm not completely sure how that's different from an obit)?" Here's my opinion about that....... It all depends on the newspaper. Some call everything regarding a death an Obituary. Some call them Funeral notices (assuming a funeral is mention in the item). Some call then Death notices. And in some, there are Obituaries (usually paid by family) and Death notices - which I sometimes believe are paid for by mortuaries (a subtle form of advertising?). Some large newspapers sometimes change the headings from time to time - to keep us confused? Some "death notices" are just that... the name of the deceased person, maybe his/her age, and name of mortuary. I suspect this is a sneaky way for mortuaries to get in some advertising and keep their name out there. I like small community newspapers, especially older ones, that still believe a person was important, even in death, and are recognized - sometimes on front page - not necessily in a column headed "Obituaries", but as a little news item - and at no cost to the family. But now days, it's cost prohitive for most newspapers. Have you inquired as to the cost, per word, for placing an obituary in your town's newspaper? It may shock you, but will explain why it we sometimes find nothing about a person's death in a newspaper.