Gilbert Obituary Records
Gilbert obituary records help families find death notices and honor loved ones who have passed. This fast-growing city in the East Valley relies on Maricopa County for death certificates and vital records. Gilbert residents can search for obituaries in the East Valley Tribune, Arizona Republic, and through local funeral homes. The Gilbert Public Library also offers genealogy tools for family research. Whether you need an official death certificate or want to find an old obituary, several resources serve the Gilbert area.
Gilbert Obituary Quick Facts
Gilbert Death Certificates from Maricopa County
Gilbert does not have its own vital records office. Death certificates for Gilbert residents come from Maricopa County. The county runs several offices across the valley. Gilbert is served by the East Valley location in Mesa. This office is close and easy to reach for most Gilbert families needing death records.
The Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration can issue death certificates for any death that happened in Arizona. The East Valley office sits at 331 E. Coury Ave. in Mesa. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Wednesday, hours run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can walk in or call ahead. The phone number is 602-506-6805. This is the same number for all Maricopa County vital records offices.
A certified death certificate costs $20. You pay for each copy you need. The county accepts credit cards, debit cards, money orders, and cashier's checks. They do not take personal checks. Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. You must show you have a legal right to get the certificate. Spouses, parents, children, and siblings can request copies. Funeral homes and legal representatives also qualify.
You can also request Gilbert death certificates by mail. Send your request to Maricopa County Public Health at PO Box 2111, Phoenix, AZ 85001. Include the death certificate application, your photo ID copy, and a money order for the fee. Mail requests take about a week to process. For faster service, visit the Mesa office in person or order online through VitalChek.
Note: Arizona is a closed record state, so only eligible family members and legal parties can get certified death certificates.
East Valley Tribune Obituaries for Gilbert
The East Valley Tribune is a key source for Gilbert obituaries. This newspaper covers Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, and Queen Creek. Many Gilbert families publish death notices and obituaries in its pages. The paper posts death notices at no charge as a service to the community.
You can search current and recent obituaries at obituaries.eastvalleytribune.com. The site lets you browse by date or search by name. Many listings include photos, life stories, and funeral details. Some have guest books where friends and family can share memories. If you want to submit an obituary, you can fax it to (480) 898-5606. The free death notice option covers basic information. Longer obituaries may have fees.
The East Valley Tribune is one of the best places to look for Gilbert death notices from recent years. For older obituaries, you may need to check library archives or historical newspaper collections. The paper has covered the East Valley for decades, so older issues hold many Gilbert obituaries that are not online yet.
Arizona Republic Gilbert Obituary Listings
The Arizona Republic also covers Gilbert. As the state's largest newspaper, it reaches readers across the Phoenix metro area. Many Gilbert families choose to publish obituaries in the Republic because of its wide reach. Friends and family across the valley see these notices.
You can find Arizona Republic obituaries through Legacy.com. This site hosts the paper's obituary archive. You can search by name, date, or location. The archive goes back many years. It includes both short death notices and full obituary write-ups. Some older listings may only show basic facts like name and date of death. Newer ones often have photos and detailed life stories.
To place a Gilbert obituary in the Arizona Republic, you can call (800) 917-9207 or email gannettobits@obituaries.com. Obituary fees start at $85. The cost goes up based on length and if you add a photo. The paper publishes obituaries both in print and online. This gives your notice the widest reach in the Phoenix area.
Gilbert Library Genealogy Resources
The Gilbert Public Library offers tools for family history research. While the library does not have a dedicated obituary lookup service like some larger libraries, it provides access to genealogy databases. Residents can use these to search for death records, obituaries, and other family documents.
The Southeast Regional Library at 775 N. Greenfield Rd. is the main Gilbert library branch. It has computers with access to Ancestry Library Edition. This database is free to use inside the library. Ancestry includes death records, obituary indexes, and historical newspapers from across the country. You can find Arizona death records from 1870 to 1971 in the collection. Census records and cemetery listings help fill in gaps when you cannot find an obituary.
Nearby Mesa Public Library offers a paid obituary search service. For $15, library staff will search for an obituary in Arizona Republic archives from 1890 to 2009. This is useful when you know someone died but cannot find their death notice on your own. The Mesa Library obituary service page explains how to submit a request. You can mail your request to Mesa Public Library, Obituary Search Requests, PO Box 1466, Mesa, AZ 85211.
The state also runs a free genealogy database. Death records 50 years old or more are open to the public. You can search the Arizona Genealogy Database for historical death certificates. These show name, date of death, place of death, and sometimes cause of death. The records cover 1870 to 1970.
Gilbert Funeral Home Obituary Listings
Local funeral homes post obituaries on their websites. This is often the first place families share news of a death. Gilbert has several funeral homes that serve the community. Each maintains its own online obituary section.
When a death occurs, the funeral home usually helps the family write the obituary. They post it on their site and can submit it to newspapers. These online listings often stay up for months or years. They include guest books for condolences. Photos, life stories, and service details appear on many listings. If you are looking for a recent Gilbert obituary, checking local funeral home websites is a good step.
Some funeral homes also maintain archives of past obituaries. If you are searching for someone who died years ago, you might find their listing still online. Calling the funeral home directly can help. Staff may have records even if the obituary is no longer on their website.
Note: Funeral homes can also help you order death certificates through the county if you need copies for legal or financial matters.
How to Search for Gilbert Obituary Records
Finding a Gilbert obituary takes some detective work. Start with the most recent sources and work backward. Here is a simple approach:
- Check the East Valley Tribune obituary site first for recent deaths
- Search Legacy.com for Arizona Republic listings
- Look at local funeral home websites
- Use the Gilbert or Mesa library genealogy databases
- Search the Arizona Genealogy Database for deaths over 50 years old
If you know the approximate date of death, your search gets easier. Obituaries usually run within a few days of the death or funeral. Knowing the deceased person's full name helps too. Some people went by nicknames or middle names. Try different name variations if your first search comes up empty.
For deaths before the 1990s, online records are spotty. You may need to visit a library and look through microfilm. The Arizona State Library has the largest collection of historic Arizona newspapers. Staff there can help you find old obituaries if you provide the name, newspaper, and approximate date. There is no charge for this service.
Social Security Death Index records are another option. This database lists most deaths in the U.S. since 1936. It does not have full obituaries, but it confirms death dates and locations. The Ancestry database at the library includes this index. You can use it to narrow down when someone died before searching for their obituary.
Gilbert Death Certificate Requirements
Arizona law controls who can get a death certificate. The rules are strict. You must prove you have a legal reason to need the record. Under A.R.S. ยง 36-324, only certain people qualify for certified copies of recent death certificates.
Eligible requesters for Gilbert death certificates include:
- Spouse of the deceased
- Parents or adult children
- Grandparents or grandchildren
- Brothers and sisters
- Funeral directors
- Persons named in a power of attorney
- Estate executors or beneficiaries
- Insurance beneficiaries
- Attorneys representing eligible parties
When you request a death certificate, you need the deceased person's full name. The date of death helps if you know it. The place of death narrows down the search. Your own valid photo ID proves who you are. You also need to show how you are related to the deceased or explain your legal interest. The county may ask for documents like a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or court order.
For genealogy research on deaths over 50 years ago, the rules are different. Those records are open to anyone. You do not need to prove a relationship. The state genealogy database lets you view and print non-certified copies at no cost. These copies are not valid for legal purposes but work fine for family history research.
Maricopa County Medical Examiner Records
Some deaths in Gilbert require investigation by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner. These include deaths from accidents, violence, or unknown causes. Deaths in custody or under suspicious circumstances also go to the medical examiner. When the ME handles a case, they issue the death certificate after completing their investigation.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office is at 701 West Jefferson Street in Phoenix. The office handles nearly 10,000 death reports each year across the county's 9,200 square miles. If you need information about a death investigation, you can call the investigations line at 602-506-1138. This line is staffed around the clock.
You can check the status of a medical examiner case online. The ME Case Status Search lets you look up cases by name or case number. This tells you where the case stands and if the death certificate is ready. Once the investigation is complete, you get the death certificate through the regular vital records process.
Nearby Cities for Obituary Records
Gilbert borders several other East Valley cities. Resources in these areas may also help you find obituaries or death records. Newspapers and funeral homes often serve the whole region. A death that happened in Gilbert might have an obituary in a Chandler or Mesa paper.
All these cities fall under Maricopa County. The same vital records offices serve all of them. The East Valley Tribune covers obituaries from across the region. If you are researching a family with ties to multiple East Valley cities, checking obituary sources in each area might turn up more information.
Queen Creek is another nearby community. It has grown rapidly in recent years. The East Valley Tribune covers Queen Creek as well. Some Queen Creek obituaries appear alongside Gilbert listings. The areas share many funeral homes and churches, so families with roots in both towns might have records in either place.
Maricopa County Obituary Resources
For more information about death certificates and obituary records in the area, visit our Maricopa County page. It covers all the county vital records offices, newspaper archives, and genealogy resources available to Gilbert residents.