How to Find Out if Someone has Died

Hoping to reunite with an old friend, or wanting to check up on someone who you know has been unwell? Here’s how to see if an individual has passed away:

Message them

If you have the person’s phone number, email address or social media details, you can reach out to the person themselves to see how they are doing. If you have lost touch, you could see if a mutual friend has their contact information, or ask a digital-savvy person to help you track them down. 

Ask their family and friends

If you’re worried about someone but you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to them, you can ask their friends or family how they are. They can inform you of the person’s passing if it has occurred. 

Check social media

If you want to see if someone has recently passed away, social media is a good place to start. You can check their personal account to see if a relative or friend has posted a death notice or a memorial announcement, or if the account has been deleted. You can also look up the accounts of other family members and friends to see if they have posted about a recent loss. 

Check the local newspaper, or look online for death notices

If you are wondering about a member of your community, you can check to see if there have been any death announcements, obituaries or memorial services in your local newspaper. If the newspaper has a website for online news, you can check to see if anything has been listed.

There are also several websites which list death notices, including:

• Mytributes.com.au
• Obits.com.au
• Deathsandfunerals.com.au

Do a simple search engine search

If your search has come up empty on social media and there is no one you can speak to, you can look up the person’s name in your search engine of choice. For example, type in the person’s full legal name, followed by the words ‘death’ and/or ‘obituary’. 

Wrap up

Hopefully, through this process, you’ve not only determined that a long-lost friend is still alive but also had the chance to reconnect or check in on a friend who is doing well. Sadly, if you do discover that the person has passed, you can give your condolences to family and friends. The next time you find yourself in a similar boat, you can follow these steps with confidence, ensuring you know precisely how to proceed.

Did you find this guide helpful? Next, discover Where to find Death & Funeral Notices in Australia.