There are many ways to say farewell from formal funeral services to private home-setting celebrations. They all form a part of the way we say goodbye. Obituaries however, are a public way we share our final farewell celebration. The story is the way we say goodbye - the public posting of final words. Some obituaries indicate much thought and much reflection on the life that was lived. Obituaries are a written form of collective remembrances. The memories remind us of others as well as ourselves - parents or grandparents of friends, the young suddenly departing, the loss of `valiant struggles' against diseases not yet conquered. When community members leave, whether we know them personally or not, we mark their time with us by publicly commemorating their passing. The final words are one way we say goodbye and the way we will remember. These final words are often the way survivors pay tribute, perhaps make amends, and express hope for immortality.

Loudoun Funeral Chapels would be pleased to assist you in placing an obituary for your loved one in any of the following papers or others you may desire.

Free Obituaries in Loudoun County

All of these papers are published once a week and offer free obituaries to previous or current residents of Loudoun County as well as to those who have worked in the county. These obituaries are run based on space available. The papers are able to edit the content submitted which may leave out special wording, some survivors or other content. A picture of the deceased may be included in several of these papers. There are weekly deadlines of Monday by 2:30pm for the next publication. Leesburg Today, Loudoun Independent, and Loudoun Observer. Loudoun Times Mirror and Eastern Loudoun Times will run a death notice free of charge and it will only contain: name of the deceased, age, city/town, date of death, date, time and location of funeral services, and name of funeral home. This deadline is: Monday by 2:00pm.

Paid Obituaries

Paid Obituaries in the Loudoun Times Mirror and Eastern Edition: All obituaries run in both editions and are published weekly on Wednesdays. These obituaries must be submitted by 2:00pm on Monday. There are two options for paid obituaries:

  • Death Notices include name of deceased, age, city/town, date of death, date and place of birth, parent's names, spouse, children names, siblings names, occupation, military service, date/time and location of funeral services, visitation and interment services, memorial donation information, name of funeral home and officiator. The charge will be $77.00 (Photo additional $10.50)

  • Special Death Notices include as little or as much information as the family may desire about the deceased. The advertising department will create a proof for your approval. These obituaries may include a picture of the deceased and are priced on a per column inch rate. The 2010 rates are: $24.00 per column inch.

Obituaries in The Washington Post
There are two types of obituaries that appear in The Washington Post.

Death Notices
One type is a death notice — the boxed, alphabetical listings that include such information about a death as funeral arrangements, memorial contributions, and survivors. Death notices are billed at a seven-line minimum and must be verified prior to publication. Standard-sized emblems for fraternal, religious, professional or other organizations may be included in the notice. A standard-sized photo of 27 lines may also accompany the notice. To place a death notice, call the Classified Advertising Department at 202-334-4122 or 800-627-1150 ext. 4122, or send a fax to 202-334-7188. The fax deadline is 3 p.m. daily. Notices totaling $250 or more must be paid in advance.

Charges- January 30, 2008

These charges are subject to change.
Text: Monday - Saturday- $9.25per line/ Sunday- $10.00 per line
Pictures: B&W 2" $150/ Color 2" Monday - Saturday- $185/ Sunday- $225
Online Obit $30

Additional Ad Classifications:
In Memoriam/Cards of Thanks/Condolences/Memorial Services/Cemetery Lots

News Obituary Standards
The second type of obituary is the news obituary, the biographic articles written by The Post that appear on the obituary page.

We will write about anyone, regardless of status, who has lived in the Washington area for a substantial part of their life, typically about 20 years. But the person has to have had some involvement in the community outside the family, such as a church membership or job. We tend not to write about elderly people who have come here at the end of their lives and aren't able to participate in the community. We will not publish obituaries more than a month after death, so we must receive your submission within that timeframe. This is the information required for a news obituary:

  • Age
  • Specific medical cause of death. We will use "congestive heart failure" or "heart attack" or "cardiac arrest," which are medical conditions, but NOT "heart failure," which happens to everybody, regardless of cause.
  • Work history, including last job title and year retired.
  • Town of residence.
  • Town of birth. Length of time lived in the Washington area. If the person came here and moved away and moved back, typical of military, CIA, AID, Foreign Service and others, we say "lived in the Washington area off and on since 19.., or from 19.. to 20..."
  • Colleges and Washington area high schools attended (high schools in other areas are not included).
  • Degrees earned and in what subject. We typically say something like: "... was a graduate of the University of Maryland and received a master's degree in English from George Washington University."
  • Military service (where assigned abroad, personal decorations such as Bronze Star or Purple Heart, but NOT campaign ribbons): Typically, "served in the Army in Europe during World War II..." or "in the Pacific..."
  • Other honors.
  • Memberships and volunteer work in the Washington area.
  • Names and towns of survivors, including spouse, children and siblings and parents, and numbers of grandchildren.
  • WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL MARRIAGES: Our style is to say, i.e., "His marriage to Jane Smith ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife, Mary Smith; a son of his first marriage, John Smith of Washington; a daughter of his second marriage, Cathy Smith of Washington...."
  • We DON'T include funeral or memorial information, and we can't promise that an obit will run on a specific day, like the next day or Sunday, the most frequently requested.
  • But we do need the name of the funeral home. We don't publish it but need to be able to confirm the death.


To submit a news obituary,

  • Call News obituaries at 202-334-7389
  • Fax the obituary information to 202-334-6553
  • Email the information to newsobits@washpost.com.
  • In the case of faxed or emailed obituary information, someone who can answer detailed questions about the deceased must call us afterward, at (202) 334-6477. We're open every day of the year. Best time to call is between 10:30 and 5:00.


Death Notices in the Washington Times
The Washington Times accepts death notices from both funeral homes and private individuals. Notices may be submitted by fax or e-mail (preferred method). We will also accept notices that are dictated over the phone. Death notices with photos should be sent via e-mail (as an attachment) or physically brought to our office for scanning.

Death notice publication deadlines are as follows:
Notices scheduled for Tuesday – Friday: 4:00 pm the day before
Notices scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday: 4:00 pm Friday

Contact Information:

By Phone:
Bettyrose Henery 202-636-3361
Barbara Adams 202-636-4722

By E-Mail
deathnotice@washingtontimes.com
bhenery@washingtontimes.com

By Fax: 202-635-2648 or 202-635-3059

Our office is located at:
3600 New York Avenue
NE Washington, DC 20002

Please contact us by phone for rate information.

NOTE: Obituaries are free and done on a space available basis. They are handled by rotating personnel. You may send them to this office and we will forward to the person responsible for obits that day.