Losing someone is heavy. It's a weight that makes even small tasks, like finding a notice or writing a tribute, feel like climbing a mountain in a storm. If you’re looking through asheville citizen times newspaper obituaries, you aren't just looking for data. You're looking for a name. You're looking for a story. Or maybe you're just trying to figure out where the service is being held so you can pay your respects.
The Citizen Times has been the record of record for Western North Carolina for a long time. It covers the heartbeat of Asheville, from the quirky artists in the River Arts District to the families who have farmed the surrounding valleys for generations. When someone passes, this is where the community gathers to acknowledge it.
How to Find Recent Listings Right Now
Honestly, the easiest way to see who has passed in the last 24 to 48 hours is to head straight to the digital portal. Most people don’t wait for the physical paper to hit their driveway anymore. The Asheville Citizen Times partners with Legacy.com to host their digital "obits."
You can filter these by the last 30 days, or even search by a specific name. It’s pretty straightforward. If you’re on the site and don’t see someone you’re looking for, keep in mind that there’s often a lag between a person passing and the family getting the notice published.
Sometimes the funeral home handles it. Sometimes the family does. If it hasn't popped up yet, check back around 10:00 AM the next day; that’s usually when the system refreshes with the latest batch of submissions.
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The Cost of Saying Goodbye in Print
Let’s talk money for a second because it’s a question everyone has but feels weird asking. Putting an obituary in the paper isn't free. In fact, it can get pricey fast. As of 2026, a basic notice in the Asheville Citizen Times starts around $172.
That’s for the bare bones. If you want to add a photo—which most people do because it makes the tribute feel personal—the price goes up. If you want to run it for multiple days, the price goes up again.
What You Get for the Price
- The Print Edition: It appears in the physical newspaper delivered across Buncombe County.
- Digital Permanence: A permanent link on Legacy.com that includes a guestbook.
- Searchability: It becomes part of the historical record, searchable by Google and ancestry sites.
You’ve gotta be careful with the word count. Newspapers charge by the line or by the block. If you write a three-page biography, you’re going to be looking at a bill that could easily cross the $500 mark. Most families stick to the essentials: birth date, death date, surviving family members, and service details. You can always post the "long version" on a free social media page or a personal memorial site.
How to Submit a Notice Yourself
If you aren't using a funeral home, or if you just want to handle the wording yourself, you can email the paper directly. The current contact for the obituaries department is ashobits@gannett.com.
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They are pretty strict about verification. They won't just take your word for it—understandably so. You’ll need to provide the name and phone number of the funeral home, crematorium, or medical donation program that is handling the arrangements. If you don't have those, they might ask for a scanned copy of the death certificate.
Deadlines are tight. If you want a notice to appear in tomorrow’s paper, you generally need to have it submitted and paid for by 1:30 PM ET today. If you miss that window, it’s going to have to wait another day.
Digging Through the Archives
Maybe you aren't looking for someone who just passed. Maybe you’re doing genealogy work or looking for a great-uncle’s service record.
For historical asheville citizen times newspaper obituaries, the digital search only goes back so far on the main website. If you're looking for something from the 1980s or earlier, you’ve got two main options:
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- Ancestry.com or Newspapers.com: They have digitized a massive chunk of the Citizen Times archives. It’s a paid service, but it’s the most efficient way to search from home.
- Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society (OBCGS): These folks are amazing. They have an obituary collection that is incredibly detailed. You can actually visit their library or request a search for a small fee (usually around $4.00 per obituary).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve seen a lot of people mess this up during a time of grief, and it’s a pain to fix. First, double-check the spelling of every single name. You don’t want to leave out a grandchild or misspell a sister-in-law's name; those are the kinds of things that cause family drama for years.
Second, be clear about the service. If it’s "private," say that. If it’s at a church, give the full address. Asheville has a lot of "First Baptist" or "Grace United" churches in the surrounding towns, so specify the city.
Finally, don't forget the "In Lieu of Flowers" section. If the deceased had a favorite local charity—like Brother Wolf Animal Rescue or Manna FoodBank—include that. It gives people a way to honor the memory in a way that actually does some good for the community.
Practical Next Steps
If you are currently tasked with handling an obituary, here is exactly what you should do in the next hour:
- Draft the text in a simple Word doc or Notes app. Don't worry about the "newspaper style" yet; just get the facts down.
- Find a high-resolution photo. If you’re scanning an old physical photo, make sure the glass on the scanner is clean.
- Call the funeral home. Ask them if they include a newspaper notice in their package. Some do, and they might even get a better rate than you would by calling as an individual.
- Check the budget. Decide if you want to pay for the print version or if the online-only notice (which is often cheaper or even free through some funeral home sites) is enough for your needs.
The Asheville Citizen Times remains a vital part of the city's fabric. Even as the world moves faster and more of our lives happen on screens, there is something deeply grounding about seeing a life honored in the same paper that has been telling Asheville's story for over a century.