Death is the one thing we all have in common, yet we’re often pretty bad at talking about it. In Southwest Virginia, though, the conversation usually starts in one specific place: the obituary section of the local paper. If you’re looking for The Roanoke Times obits, you’re probably looking for more than just a date and a time for a service. You’re looking for a life story.
People around here don't just "pass away." They leave behind legacies built in the Blue Ridge Mountains, stories of shifts worked at the old Norfolk & Western Railway, and memories of Sunday dinners in Grandin Road or Salem. Honestly, the obituary section is the most-read part of any regional paper for a reason. It’s the final record. It’s the community's way of saying, "This person was here, and they mattered."
Finding these records has changed a lot lately. It used to be simple—you just picked up the paper off the porch. Now? It’s a mix of paywalls, digital archives, and Legacy.com partnerships that can get a little confusing if you aren't tech-savvy.
The Evolution of The Roanoke Times Obits
The Roanoke Times has been the paper of record for the Star City since 1886. That is a massive amount of history. Think about all the families who have stayed in the Roanoke Valley for generations. When someone looks for an ancestor or a recently departed friend, they are tapping into a massive database that defines the region's genealogy.
Back in the day, an obituary was a short, dry paragraph. Name, age, survived by, funeral home. That was it. Today, The Roanoke Times obits have morphed into "Life Tributes." Families write thousands of words. They include photos of the deceased fishing at Smith Mountain Lake or cheering at a Hokies game. It’s become a form of storytelling.
But there’s a catch.
👉 See also: Statesville NC Record and Landmark Obituaries: Finding What You Need
Digital access isn't always free. Because local journalism is struggling, The Roanoke Times (owned by Lee Enterprises) often requires a subscription to view certain parts of their site. If you’re trying to find a specific person, you might hit a wall. Usually, the "Obituaries" tab on their main site redirects to a portal powered by Legacy.com. This is pretty standard for the industry now, but it means you're often searching a national database filtered for Roanoke results.
How to Search Without Losing Your Mind
If you're hunting for a specific record, don't just type a name into Google and hope for the best. You'll get ten different "People Search" sites trying to sell you a background check.
Instead, go straight to the source. Or, better yet, use the funeral home as a shortcut. Most local funeral homes like Oakey’s, Lotz, or Simpson Funeral Museum post the full text of the obituary on their own websites before it even hits the paper.
Why the Printed Version Still Carries Weight
Some people think print is dead. It’s not. For a lot of families in the Roanoke Valley, seeing that name in the physical Sunday edition of The Roanoke Times is a rite of passage. It makes the loss real. It’s something you can clip out, laminate, and put in a Bible or a scrapbook. There’s a weight to the paper that a PDF just doesn't have.
Plus, the print version often includes the "In Memoriam" section—those little anniversary tributes people take out years after a loved one has passed. It’s a uniquely Southern way of keeping a memory alive. You won’t always find those easily in a digital search.
✨ Don't miss: St. Joseph MO Weather Forecast: What Most People Get Wrong About Northwest Missouri Winters
The Cost Factor Most People Ignore
Let’s be real for a second. Posting an obituary in a major regional paper like The Roanoke Times is expensive. We aren't talking about twenty bucks. Depending on the length and whether you include a photo, it can cost hundreds or even over a thousand dollars.
Because of this, you might notice that some The Roanoke Times obits are incredibly brief, while others are long essays. It’s not always about how much the person was loved; often, it’s about the cost per line. This has led to a rise in "Death Notices." These are the tiny, two-line mentions that just give the bare essentials. If you can't find a full story, look for the notice. It might lead you to a funeral home website where the full, free version lives.
Digging Into the Archives for Genealogy
If you are a history buff or a genealogist, you aren't looking for yesterday's news. You're looking for 1945.
The Roanoke Public Library (specifically the Virginia Room at the downtown branch) is a goldmine. They have microfilm of The Roanoke Times going back over a century. If you're looking for The Roanoke Times obits from the early 1900s, Google won't help you much. You need the physical archives or a subscription to a service like Newspapers.com, which has digitized a huge chunk of the paper's history.
Seeing an obit from the 1918 flu pandemic or the World War II era gives you a chilling, fascinating look at how this city has survived through trauma. It’s more than just data. It’s a map of how the city grew.
🔗 Read more: Snow This Weekend Boston: Why the Forecast Is Making Meteorologists Nervous
The Role of Social Media and Legacy Walls
Times change. Now, when an obit goes live on the Times website, it usually opens up a "Guest Book."
This is where things get interesting. You’ll see comments from people who haven't seen the deceased since high school in the 70s. It’s a digital wake. However, be careful with these. These guest books are sometimes moderated, and sometimes they aren't. They can disappear after a year unless the family pays a fee to keep the "Legacy" wall permanent.
If you see a tribute you love, screenshot it. Don't assume it will be there in five years.
Actionable Steps for Finding and Saving Records
Finding a specific obituary shouldn't be a chore. If you are currently looking for information or trying to preserve a memory, here is exactly how to handle it efficiently.
- Start with the Funeral Home: If you know which home handled the arrangements (Oakey’s is the big one in Roanoke), check their website first. It’s free, usually more detailed, and often includes a video tribute or a gallery of photos that the newspaper won't have.
- Use Specific Search Strings: Don't just search "John Smith Roanoke." Use "John Smith Obituary Roanoke Times 2024." Adding the year narrows down the thousands of "John Smiths" that have lived in the valley since the 1800s.
- Check the Virginia Room: If you are doing deep genealogical research, visit the Roanoke Main Library. The staff in the Virginia Room are experts at navigating old Roanoke Times microfilm and can help you find records that haven't been indexed by search engines yet.
- Verify the Date of Publication: Remember that an obituary usually appears 2-5 days after the death. If you can't find it, widen your search date range. Sometimes there’s a delay if the family is waiting for out-of-town relatives to confirm travel plans.
- Download or Print Immediately: If you find a digital obit you want to keep, print it to a PDF. News websites change their architecture, and links break. Having a local copy on your hard drive is the only way to ensure you’ll have it forever.
- Bypass the Paywall Legally: Often, local libraries provide free digital access to The Roanoke Times archives through databases like NewsBank. Use your library card number to log in from home and read the full text without a personal subscription.
The way we remember the dead in Southwest Virginia is evolving, but the core remains the same. Whether it's a printed clipping or a digital link, The Roanoke Times obits serve as the final handshake between a citizen and the city they called home. It’s a tradition that keeps the history of the Roanoke Valley from fading away.