Searching for obituaries for Wilmington North Carolina is honestly a lot harder than it used to be. It’s not just you. Back in the day, you’d just grab the StarNews off the porch, flip to the back, and there it was. Now? It’s a messy digital scavenger hunt.
You’ve got paywalls, funeral home sites that don't talk to each other, and those weird third-party "tribute" pages that just want to sell you a $90 bouquet of lilies. It’s frustrating.
Where the records actually live
If you’re looking for someone who passed away recently, your first stop shouldn't actually be Google. It should be the websites of the local funeral homes. In Wilmington, a few big names handle the lion's share of services. Wilmington Funeral & Cremation and Andrews Mortuary are the "big two," but don't overlook Davis Funeral Home or Coble Funeral & Cremation Service over at Greenlawn.
Why? Because newspapers charge a fortune now.
A full-length obituary in a print newspaper can easily run $400 to $800. Because of that, a lot of families are just skipping the paper and posting the full story on the funeral home’s "Tribute Wall" for free. If you only search the newspaper archives, you might miss the person entirely.
🔗 Read more: Finding the Right Word That Starts With AJ for Games and Everyday Writing
The StarNews paywall struggle
The StarNews is still the paper of record here. It’s been around since 1867, though it’s gone through a dozen name changes (you might remember it as the Morning Star). Their obituaries are hosted through Legacy.com now.
Here’s the thing: Legacy is great for leaving "candles" or digital notes, but if you’re looking for a specific detail from an obit that ran three years ago, they might try to charge you for the "full access" to the archive.
Pro tip: If you’re a local, use the New Hanover County Public Library. They have a digital archive that is a literal goldmine. If you have a library card, you can access the Wilmington Morning Star archives for free. It’s a bit clunky—think old-school database vibes—but it beats paying $19.99 for a one-day pass on a genealogy site.
Writing an obituary that people actually read
If you’re the one stuck writing the thing, please, for the love of everything, don't just list their memberships in the Rotary Club.
💡 You might also like: Is there actually a legal age to stay home alone? What parents need to know
Wilmington is a place of stories. Did they survive Hurricane Hazel in '54? Did they have a "secret" spot for catching spot during the fall run at the Kure Beach pier? Those are the details that make an obituary feel human.
Basically, the standard format goes:
- The Hook: Name, age, and when they died.
- The Life: Where they worked (General Electric and Corning are the big ones in town), where they went to school (Go Seahawks!), and what they loved.
- The People: Who’s left behind and who’s already gone.
- The Logistics: When is the service? Is it at Oakdale Cemetery? (If it is, that’s a beautiful spot, but the mossy bricks are a trip hazard).
Don't be afraid to be funny. I once saw an obit in the StarNews where the family claimed the deceased "finally escaped his wife's cooking." People loved it. It went viral locally.
How much is this going to cost?
Honestly, it's a racket.
📖 Related: The Long Haired Russian Cat Explained: Why the Siberian is Basically a Living Legend
Most papers charge by the line or by the column inch. A small photo—just a 1x1 inch headshot—can add $50 to the bill. If you're on a budget, write a very short "Death Notice" for the paper (just the facts: name, date, service time) and then put the long, beautiful story on a free site or Facebook.
Finding the old stuff (Genealogy)
If you're digging into family history from the 1800s or early 1900s, Wilmington is unique because of Oakdale Cemetery. It was the first rural cemetery in NC, opening in 1852. They have their own burial database online.
Oftentimes, if you can't find an obituary, you can find the burial record there. It’ll give you the death date, which then lets you go to the library and look up the microfilm for that specific week.
The "Hidden" Resources
There are a few places most people forget to check:
- The Lower Cape Fear Historical Society: They have files on families that go back centuries.
- Church Bulletins: If the person was a member of a long-standing congregation like St. James Episcopal or First Baptist, the church archives often have more personal write-ups than the newspaper.
- Social Media: In 2026, Facebook groups like "Wilmington Memories" are often where the news breaks first.
What to do right now
If you are looking for obituaries for Wilmington North Carolina today, follow these steps:
- Check Legacy.com first, but don't pay for anything yet.
- Search the specific funeral home sites (Andrews, Wilmington Funeral & Cremation, etc.) because their versions are often longer and have more photos.
- Use the New Hanover County Library's "Local History Room" online portal if you need something older than 2005.
- Check the Oakdale Cemetery database if you are looking for a burial location specifically.
Remember, an obituary isn't just a legal record; it's the last time a person's name is "in the news." Take the extra ten minutes to find the version that actually captures who they were, not just the one that was cheapest to print.