Finding obituaries in Chandler Arizona used to be a Saturday morning ritual. You’d grab a coffee, open the Chandler Arizonan, and catch up on the lives of neighbors you hadn't seen in years. But things have changed. A lot.
The way we track who has passed in the East Valley is basically a giant digital puzzle now. It's kinda frustrating if you aren't sure where to look. Honestly, if you're searching for a friend or relative today, you're likely bouncing between legacy newspaper sites, local funeral home pages, and weirdly specific community archives.
The Digital Shift of Chandler Death Notices
The Chandler Arizonan—the city's historic paper—doesn't look like it used to. While it’s still a touchstone for the community, many of its obituary services are now funneled through the Tempe Tribune network or larger platforms like Legacy.com. It’s a common misconception that every death is recorded in one master list.
Actually, there isn't one.
When someone passes away in Chandler, the family usually makes a choice based on price and reach. They might go with the Arizona Republic for a statewide announcement, but that’s pricey. In 2026, a basic print obituary in a major metro paper can easily start at $85 and skyrocket to over $1,000 depending on word count and photos. Because of those costs, many families are skipping the big papers entirely.
Instead, they use "digital-only" tributes. You’ve probably seen these. They are often hosted directly on the websites of local mainstays like Bueler Mortuary on Hulet Drive or Valley of the Sun Mortuary near Chandler Heights Road. These platforms are free for the family to host and easier for friends to share on Facebook.
Why the Location Matters
Chandler is unique. We have a mix of "Old Chandler"—the families who have been here since the city was just alfalfa fields and ostrich farms—and the newer tech crowd from the Price Corridor. This creates a weird split in how obituaries in Chandler Arizona are handled.
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The long-time residents often still push for a print notice. It’s about tradition. They want that physical clipping for the scrapbook. Meanwhile, the younger families might only post a notice on a site like Epilogg or even just a long-form post on a community "Nextdoor" group.
If you are looking for someone specific, you have to check multiple spots:
- The Arizona Republic (searchable via the Phoenix area portal).
- Whitney & Murphy Bueler Mortuary (the only family-owned home left in the city).
- Legacy.com's specific Chandler portal.
- The East Valley Tribune archives.
What Most People Get Wrong About Writing One
Most people think an obituary is a legal requirement. It isn't. You don't have to write one. In Arizona, the only legal necessity is a death certificate filed with the Department of Health Services.
The obituary is for the living.
Another mistake? Putting too much private info. You've got to be careful. In the age of identity theft, listing a mother’s maiden name or a specific home address in a public Chandler obituary is basically handing a key to a scammer. Experts now suggest keeping it "warm but vague." Focus on the personality. Did they love the downtown Chandler art walk? Were they a regular at SanTan Brewing? Those details matter way more than a street address.
The Cost Factor in the East Valley
Let's talk money, because it’s the elephant in the room.
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| Publication Type | Estimated Starting Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Major Metro (Republic) | $85 - $300+ | Maximum visibility across AZ |
| Local Digital (Funeral Home) | Usually Free | Close friends and family |
| Community Paper (Tribune) | $65 - $150 | East Valley locals |
If you're on a budget, the best move is often a "Death Notice." It’s basically just the facts: name, age, date of passing, and service info. It lacks the "humanity" of a full story, but it gets the job done for a fraction of the price.
How to Find Historical Records
Searching for an ancestor who lived here in the 1940s? That’s a whole different beast. The Mesa Public Library actually holds a lot of the keys for East Valley history. They have microfilmed records of the Arizona Republic going back to 1890.
For something more local, the Chandler Museum and the Chandler Public Library have local history rooms. They’ve done a decent job digitizing old copies of the Chandler Arizonan. You can find stories of the people who built the San Marcos Hotel or worked the early Intel labs.
The "Arizona Obituary Archive" (managed through arizonagravestones.org) is also a hidden gem. It’s a volunteer-run site where people upload photos of headstones and link them to old newspaper clippings. It’s not fancy, but it’s accurate.
Modern Alternatives: Beyond the Newspaper
We’re seeing a rise in "Celebration of Life" pages. Sites like After.com or Ever Loved are becoming the go-to for Chandler residents. These aren't just text; they are interactive. People can upload videos of the person at Tumbleweed Park or photos from a graduation at Perry High School.
It’s a bit more personal than a black-and-white column in a newspaper.
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Practical Steps for Finding or Placing an Obituary
If you need to find a recent notice right now:
- Start with the funeral home website. If you know which home handled the service (Bueler or Valley of the Sun are the big ones), their "Recent Obituaries" section is the most up-to-date.
- Check the Legacy.com Arizona portal. Filter by "Chandler" or "Mesa" (many Chandler residents are listed under Mesa due to hospital locations).
- Search the East Valley Tribune digital obits. They often pick up what the bigger papers miss.
If you are the one writing it:
- Prioritize the service info. People need to know where and when. If it’s at a local church like St. Mary's or a park, make that clear in the first paragraph.
- Skip the maiden names. Protect the family’s security.
- Check the deadline. Most local papers need the text by 10:00 AM two days before you want it to run.
Don't feel pressured to write a novel. A few paragraphs about what they loved—maybe their obsession with the Diamondbacks or their secret salsa recipe—is plenty. The best obituaries in Chandler Arizona aren't the ones that list every job someone ever had. They’re the ones that make you feel like you actually knew the person.
The landscape of local news is shifting, and the way we say goodbye is shifting with it. While the physical newspaper might be thinning out, the stories themselves are still being told—you just have to know which digital door to knock on to find them.
Double-check the spelling of all names before you hit submit. A typo in an obituary is a permanent headache. Once it’s in print or on a major server, it’s remarkably hard to fix. If you're struggling with the cost, ask the funeral director about "bundled" packages; sometimes the online memorial is included in their flat service fee. For historical research, visit the Downtown Chandler Library's second floor for their specialized Arizona collection. This remains the most reliable way to verify older records that haven't quite made it to the modern web yet.