Losing someone is heavy. It's a weight that makes even the simplest tasks, like finding a service time or checking an address, feel like climbing a mountain. If you are looking for Newcomer Funeral Home Akron obituaries, you aren't just looking for a block of text. You’re looking for a connection. You need to know where to go, when to be there, and maybe a little bit about the life that was lived.
Honestly, the digital age has made this both easier and weirder.
Back in the day, you just waited for the Beacon Journal to hit your driveway. Now? You’ve got legacy sites, social media mirrors, and the funeral home’s own website all competing for your attention. It can get messy. Newcomer Funeral Service Group, which operates the Akron locations (specifically on Canton Road and in the Northwest area), has a pretty streamlined system, but there are nuances to navigating it that most people overlook until they are in the thick of it.
The Right Way to Search for Newcomer Funeral Home Akron Obituaries
Don't just type a name into a massive search engine and hope for the best. You'll end up on a third-party site that wants to sell you flowers before you even know the viewing hours.
The most direct path is always the Newcomer Akron website. Why? Because that’s the source of truth. When a family sits down with a funeral director at the Canton Road chapel, the information they provide goes directly into the Newcomer system first. Third-party obituary aggregators can have a delay. Sometimes it's a few hours, sometimes it's a day. In the window between a passing and a service, twenty-four hours is an eternity.
When you land on the site, look for the "Obituaries" or "Find a Service" tab. It’s usually right there at the top. You can filter by the Akron locations specifically. This is helpful because Newcomer is a large network with spots all over the country. You don't want to accidentally end up looking at a Newcomer obit in Topeka when you need the one in Ohio.
Why the "Share a Memory" Feature Actually Matters
If you've looked at Newcomer Funeral Home Akron obituaries lately, you’ll see a section for condolences or memories. Most people skip this or just write "Sorry for your loss."
Don't do that.
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Kinda like a digital guestbook, these entries are often printed out and given to the family in a keepsake book. In the weeks after the funeral, when the flowers have died and the house gets quiet, the family reads those. Mentioning a specific story—even if it’s just a sentence about how the person always had the best garden on the block—means more than a generic "thoughts and prayers" comment ever will.
Understanding the Two Akron Locations
Newcomer has a significant footprint in the Rubber City. It's easy to get them confused.
The Canton Road location (131 N. Canton Rd.) is a staple for folks on the East side, Ellet, and Mogadore. Then you have the Northwest Akron chapel (131 N. Canton Rd... wait, actually, they often list their main service hub here, but ensure you check the specific chapel address on the obituary).
The location matters because sometimes the service isn't at the funeral home at all. The obituary will clearly state if the memorial is happening at a local church, a graveside at Holy Cross, or maybe a celebration of life at a park lodge. Akron is a city of neighborhoods. People here are loyal to their roots. If you grew up in Firestone Park, your "Newcomer experience" might look different than someone from West Akron.
The Cost Factor and Transparency
One thing Newcomer is known for in the industry is "price transparency." This actually impacts the obituaries.
How? Well, because they often offer "all-inclusive" packages, the obituaries tend to be very standardized and professional. They aren't trying to upsell the family on every line of text. This leads to a very clean, readable format. You aren't going to see weirdly formatted text or missing information. They’ve got the process down to a science, which, frankly, is a relief when your brain is foggy from grief.
How to Handle Flowers and Donations Through the Obituary
This is where it gets tricky.
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When you view Newcomer Funeral Home Akron obituaries online, you'll see a big button to "Send Flowers." This is convenient. It links directly to a local florist (often someone like Dietz or Nikki's, depending on their current partnerships). It ensures the flowers arrive before the viewing.
However, pay close attention to the end of the text. Often, a family will say "In lieu of flowers, please make donations to..."
If they specify a charity like the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank or a local animal shelter, follow that request. It’s what the person wanted. Ignoring that to send a lily bush can sometimes feel a bit dismissive of the family's wishes, even if your intentions are pure.
Watching Services Remotely
Since 2020, "webcasting" has become a huge deal. Newcomer was actually an early adopter of this in the Akron area.
If you are out of state or just can't make it to the chapel on Canton Road, check the obituary page about an hour before the service starts. There will usually be a link or a media player embedded right there. It’s not a high-budget film production. It's usually a single camera at the back of the room. But for a grandson who’s stuck across the country or an elderly friend who can’t navigate the winter ice on Akron’s hills, it’s a lifeline.
Common Mistakes People Make When Searching
I’ve seen people get frustrated because they can’t find a recent passing.
- The Maiden Name Issue: If you are looking for an old friend, search by their maiden name too. Most Newcomer Funeral Home Akron obituaries list both, but the search bar might be finicky depending on how you type it.
- The "Pending" Status: Sometimes you'll see a name with "Services Pending" underneath. This means the family hasn't finalized the date yet. Don't call the funeral home immediately. They are busy with the family. Just check back in four or five hours.
- The Date Range: By default, some sites only show the last 7 or 30 days. If you're looking for someone who passed away a few months ago, you have to manually adjust the date filter.
The Archive Aspect: More Than Just a Notice
The cool thing about these digital obituaries is that they stay up. They aren't like the newspaper that gets used to wrap fish the next day. They are permanent digital memorials.
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For genealogists or people doing family research in Summit County, these records are gold. Newcomer keeps a pretty robust archive. If you are looking for an obituary from five years ago, it’s likely still there, complete with the photo gallery. It’s a way for the legacy of Akron residents—from the tire plant workers of the past to the healthcare professionals of today—to stay accessible.
Writing the Obituary Yourself?
If you find yourself on the other side of the desk, writing the obituary for a loved one at Newcomer, keep it real.
Akron is a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" kind of town. People here appreciate stories about hard work, bowling leagues, Saturday nights at the local tavern, and Sunday dinners. You don't need to use flowery, poetic language if that wasn't who the person was. Mention their love for the Browns (no matter how much they complained about them). Mention their favorite spot at the West Point Market or the way they always took the kids to the Zoo.
Those are the details that make an obituary worth reading.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Process
If you need to find an obituary or prepare for a service at Newcomer in Akron, here is exactly what to do:
- Go directly to the source: Visit the Newcomer Akron website instead of using Google Images or third-party "tribute" sites that are cluttered with ads.
- Verify the specific chapel: Ensure you have the correct address (Canton Road vs. other regional locations) before you put it into your GPS.
- Check for the "Livestream" link: If you cannot attend in person, look for the media link 15-30 minutes before the scheduled service time.
- Read the "In Lieu of Flowers" section first: Before ordering a bouquet, make sure the family hasn't requested a charitable donation instead.
- Use the "Share a Memory" feature: Write something specific. It takes two minutes but provides years of comfort to the grieving family.
- Download the program if available: Sometimes a digital version of the funeral program is uploaded as a PDF; save this if you want a permanent keepsake of the order of service.
The process of saying goodbye is never easy, but having the right information at your fingertips at least removes the logistical hurdles. Focus on the person, not the search bar.