It is a heavy feeling when you wake up and realize you need to check the news for someone you love. Honestly, it’s one of those parts of adult life in West Virginia that nobody really prepares you for. You’re looking for today's obituaries Charleston WV not because you want to, but because community matters here. We’re the kind of place where people look out for one another. When someone passes, whether they lived on the West Side, up in South Hills, or out in Kanawha City, the whole town feels that gap.
Searching for these notices isn't always as simple as it used to be. You used to just grab the paper off the porch. Now? It’s a mix of websites, social media posts, and funeral home pages that can feel like a maze when you’re already grieving.
Where the Information Lives Now
If you are looking for the most recent updates for Sunday, January 18, 2026, the Charleston Gazette-Mail remains the primary source, though how we access it has shifted. Most folks go straight to Legacy or the newspaper’s digital site.
But here is the thing: a lot of families are choosing to post notices directly through funeral homes like Barlow-Bonsall or Cunningham-Parker-Johnson before they even hit the newspaper. If you can’t find a name in the Sunday paper, check the local home’s website directly. It’s often updated faster.
Recent Notices for Mid-January 2026
Lately, we’ve said goodbye to some incredible members of our community. Just in the last few days, several notices have been published that reflect the deep roots people have in the Kanawha Valley:
- James Charles Doria, 74, of Charleston, passed away on January 15. He was a Scranton native but became a fixture here. His battle with Parkinson’s ended peacefully, and his service is being handled by Barlow-Bonsall.
- Thomas "Tommy" Edward Marcus, 79, was a face many knew from his 20 years with the City of Charleston Public Works. A track star from the old Charleston High and a veteran, his memorial is set for Tuesday, January 20, at Grace Bible Church.
- Naomi D. "Dory" Blackshire Cobb, 89, of Cross Lanes. She passed on January 15. If you knew the Blackshire family out in Cross Lanes, you know how much she meant to that area.
- Gary L. Harrison, 79, also of Cross Lanes, passed on January 14. He’d been a part of the community for decades after being born right here in Charleston back in '46.
It’s a lot to take in. Seeing names you recognize—or names of families you grew up with—is just part of living in a place where people actually stay and build lives.
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The Shift in How We Say Goodbye
People are doing things differently now. It’s not just a black-and-white paragraph in a column anymore.
I’ve noticed more people are skipping the expensive newspaper print-outs and going for "Celebrations of Life" posted on Facebook. It’s cheaper, sure, but it also allows for more photos. You’ve probably seen the "Tribute Walls" on sites like Cooke Funeral Home or Tyler Mountain. They allow you to virtually "light a candle" or share a story about how someone once helped you jump-start your car at the Town Center mall in 1994.
Those stories are the real obituaries.
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What to do if you can't find a specific notice
Sometimes a death occurs, but the family waits. They might be waiting for relatives to fly into Yeager (CRW) or just need time to breathe. If you are looking for today's obituaries Charleston WV and coming up empty:
- Check the "Obituaries" tab on the Gazette-Mail's website specifically under the "Past 3 Days" filter.
- Look at the South Charleston Snodgrass Funeral Home listings if the person lived across the river.
- Search the Social Security Death Index if it’s been more than a week, though that has a lag.
- Call the local libraries. The Kanawha County Public Library staff are surprisingly helpful at tracking down recent local news if you're hitting a digital paywall.
Why We Still Read the Obits
In a fast-moving world, the obituary section is the one place that forces us to slow down. It reminds us that Ronnie Lee Kirk, only 21, was a champion archer who loved the outdoors in Cedar Grove. It tells us that Wilda Bennett McComas lived to be 104 years old. Can you imagine the changes she saw in Charleston from 1921 to 2026?
We read them because West Virginians are storytellers. We want to know who someone’s parents were, where they went to school, and if they were a "Mountain State" fan or a "Thundering Herd" person. These details matter.
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Practical Steps for Finding Records
If you're trying to coordinate flowers or attend a viewing this week, keep these locations in mind as they are the hubs for most services in the city:
- Kanawha Boulevard: Several major churches and funeral chapels are clustered here.
- Cross Lanes/Tyler Mountain: A common site for burials and memorial gardens.
- South Charleston: Often handled by Snodgrass or Affordable Cremations of WV.
When searching for today's obituaries Charleston WV, try using specific keywords like "funeral services Charleston WV" or "visitation hours" followed by the person's last name. This often bypasses the generic search results and takes you straight to the funeral home’s internal page, which has the most accurate map links and service times.
Actionable Next Step: If you found a name you were looking for today, the best thing you can do is reach out to the family with a specific memory. Don't just say "sorry for your loss." Tell them about the time their loved one made you laugh or the project they worked on. In a small city like Charleston, those stories are the best way to keep a legacy alive. If you need to send flowers, most local florists on Washington Street or in Kanawha City can do same-day delivery if you call before noon.