If you’ve lived on the Rock long enough, you know the Sunday morning routine. It usually involves a bagel from your favorite spot—maybe a "the works" if you’re feeling it—and a scroll through the Staten Island live obits section on SILive. It’s a local ritual. We aren't just looking for names; we’re looking for the story of the neighborhood.
Honesty is key here. People often think obituaries are just dry, technical death notices. They’re not. On Staten Island, these listings are basically a social history of the borough. You see the names of the guys who coached Little League in Great Kills for forty years or the women who ran the church bake sales in West Brighton. These are the people who built our streets.
Why staten island live obits are more than just news
I’ve heard people say that digital obits feel less personal than the old ink-on-fingers newspaper days. I totally disagree. When you look at staten island live obits today, you’re getting a living document. You’ve got guest books where people from twenty years ago can pop in and share a memory of a South Shore wedding or a funny story from the ferry.
🔗 Read more: Fresno Bee Obits: What Most People Get Wrong
The Staten Island Advance has been doing this since the 1880s, but the digital shift changed the game. It’s no longer just a "who died" list. It's a "who were we" archive.
The Legacy.com connection
Basically, the Advance partners with Legacy.com to host these records. This is why you can find an obit from 2005 just as easily as one from this morning. But there is a catch. If you're looking for something really old—say, 1940—you can't just Google it. You sort of have to play detective. The New York Public Library’s St. George branch is actually the place to go for that. They have the microfilm that the internet hasn't swallowed yet.
How to find who you're looking for without the headache
Navigating the site can be a bit of a mess if you don't know the filters. Most folks just type a name and hit enter. Bad move. You’ll end up with three people with the same name from different states.
👉 See also: The Atomic Bomb North Carolina Incident: How Close We Really Came to Disaster
- Sort by "Date of Death" immediately. This keeps the recent neighbors at the top.
- Use the "Funeral Home" filter. On Staten Island, families usually stick to the same spots—Casey, Harmon, Bedell-Pizzo, or Menke. If you know the family lives in Tottenville, filtering for a local funeral home narrows it down fast.
- Check the Guest Book. Sometimes the obit itself is short because the family was overwhelmed. The real stories are in the comments.
Honestly, the "Today" view is what most people want. It’s updated constantly. If a notice was just filed by a funeral director an hour ago, it’s going to show up there before it ever hits a physical doorstep.
The cost of saying goodbye
Let’s talk about something most people get wrong: the price. People think putting a notice in the staten island live obits section is free because it's "news." It’s actually a paid service, and it isn't exactly cheap. A full narrative with a photo can run hundreds of dollars.
There are two types you’ll see:
- Paid Obituaries: These are written by the family. They include the "heart and soul" stuff—the hobbies, the grandkids, the service details.
- Editorial Obituaries: These are rare. The Advance staff writers only do these for major public figures, like local politicians or legendary community leaders.
If you’re the one writing it, keep it real. Mention the favorite Mets player or the fact that they made the best Sunday sauce in the borough. Those are the details that make an obit "human quality" and not just a template.
💡 You might also like: Is RFK a Democrat or Republican? What Most People Get Wrong
Fact-checking and the "Living" part of live obits
Misinformation happens even here. Names get misspelled. Dates get swapped. It’s a stressful time for families, so errors creep in. If you see something wrong, don't just complain on Facebook. You can actually contact Legacy or the Advance to get it fixed. They’re pretty good about updates because these records are permanent.
Also, be aware of the "scam" sites. There are weird, AI-generated sites that scrape information from staten island live obits to try and sell you flowers or fake memorial services. Always stick to the official SILive portal or the direct website of the funeral home. If the website looks like it was designed in 1995 and asks for your credit card just to read a name, run away.
Practical steps for finding and preserving records
If you’re trying to track down a specific person or preserve a family member's legacy, here is how you actually do it:
- Save a PDF version. Websites change. Servers go down. If you find a loved one's obit, use the "Print to PDF" function on your browser so you have a digital copy that doesn't rely on a subscription.
- Visit the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences. For those doing deep genealogy (pre-1920), they are the gold standard. They charge a small fee for research, but it’s worth it if you’re stuck.
- Check the social media tie-ins. Many recent staten island live obits are shared directly to the Advance's Facebook page. The comments there are often more raw and personal than the official guest book.
It's a heavy topic, but it's part of the fabric of being a Staten Islander. We show up for each other. Whether it's at a wake on Hylan Boulevard or just by leaving a "rest in peace" note on a digital board, the connection stays.
If you need to find a notice right now, go to the SILive browse page and sort by "Newest First." This ensures you aren't looking at a cached version from three days ago. For those planning to submit a notice, call the Advance obituary desk directly at (888) 823-8554. They are available seven days a week to help walk you through the formatting and the photo requirements.