What is the difference between Punchbowl and the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery?

Punchbowl, formally the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, is a federal VA national cemetery in Honolulu. Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery is a state-run veterans cemetery in Kaneohe. Eligibility, scheduling and burial availability should be checked with the correct cemetery.

Recent Oahu Obituaries: Honolulu Notices & Funeral Links

Q: Where can I find recent Oahu obituaries?

Start with the current Hawaii obituary browse page and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser obituary site. Search by name, publish date, location, funeral home, high school or college, then verify final arrangements with the handling funeral home.

Q: Where are older Honolulu Star-Advertiser obituaries?

The Star-Advertiser obituary page says notices dated May 17, 2023 or earlier are available through its older obituary archive route. For much older notices, use Hawaii State Archives.

Q: How much is a Hawaii death certificate?

Hawaii Department of Health currently lists $10 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time. A $2.50 fee applies to orders of up to five certificates, with additional increments for larger orders.

Q: Where can I get a death certificate on Oahu?

Hawaii Department of Health Vital Records is at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, Honolulu. Current death-certificate office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The main certificate phone number is 808-586-4539.

Q: Can anyone order a Hawaii death certificate?

No. Hawaii requires the applicant to show a direct and tangible interest in the record. Eligible people can include certain relatives, estate representatives, authorized agents and people with a documented legal need.

Q: How do I verify a Hawaii funeral or cemetery business?

Use Hawaii DCCA Business Check and Professional and Vocational Licensing tools. You can also review available complaint history and use the state complaint route when necessary.

Obituary, Death & Burial Records

Search Obituary, Death and Burial Records by Name

Enter the person’s first name, last name and last known state to prepare an obituary, death, burial, cemetery, memorial and related public-record search.

Obituary Records Death Records Burial Records Cemetery Records Memorial Records Family Records

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Oʻahu obituary, funeral & records guide

Find Recent Oʻahu Obituaries, Honolulu Notices & Death Records

Looking for a recent Oʻahu obituary? Start with Hawaiʻi obituary listings or the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, then confirm the correct person and final service details with the handling funeral home. If you need legal proof, use the Hawaiʻi Department of Health Vital Records office in Honolulu.

Start Here Find an Obituary Submit a Notice Death Certificate

Source review: September 29, 2026 • Oʻahu / Honolulu County, Hawaiʻi • Independent guide

Choose the Task You Need to Complete

Find a recent obituary

Search current Hawaiʻi listings by name, publish date, location, funeral home, school or college.

Recent notices →

Confirm funeral details

Use the handling funeral home for current service, visitation, livestream, lei, flowers and burial information.

Verify service →

Find an older notice

Use Hawaiʻi State Archives obituary indexes, historical newspapers and vital-statistics indexes.

Historical search →

Get legal proof

Use Hawaiʻi Vital Records for a certified death certificate or eligible verification letter.

Certificate help →

Simple rule: an obituary is a public notice or memorial. A certified death certificate is a government record. A cemetery record shows burial information. Use the source that matches the task.

Current obituary route

Where to Find Recent Oʻahu and Honolulu Obituaries

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s obituary system now points readers to the newer Hawaiʻi obituary website. Older notices from May 17, 2023 or earlier are available through its older archive route.

Current Hawaiʻi obituaries

Browse recent notices and filter by publish date, location, funeral home, high school or college.

Browse current Hawaiʻi obituaries

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Use for family-placed obituaries, death notices and current newspaper obituary submission information.

Open Star-Advertiser obituaries

Older Star-Advertiser notices

The Star-Advertiser obituary page directs readers searching notices dated May 17, 2023 or earlier to its older obituary archive.

Open obituary archive route

Microstep: search the surname → open the likely notice → compare town and relatives → identify the funeral home → use the funeral-home memorial for the latest service information.

How to Search an Oʻahu Obituary by Name

Start with the surname. This helps when the notice uses a middle name, nickname, Hawaiian name or different first-name form.

Add the first name. Try legal name, nickname and common alternate spellings.

Try maiden and previous surnames. Family names can change across marriage, adoption and earlier records.

Add one Oʻahu community. Use Honolulu, Pearl City, ʻEwa Beach, Kapolei, Waipahu, Mililani, Kāneʻohe, Kailua, Wahiawā or another likely town.

Add a school or funeral-home clue. Hawaiʻi obituary search pages allow school, college, location and funeral-home filters that can separate similar names.

Confirm the memorial page. Use the handling funeral home for final arrangements and memorial instructions.

For broader search methods, see our obituary search and recent notices guide.

Localized Oʻahu search

Search More Than “Honolulu”

An obituary may be connected with a residence, hometown, hospital, funeral home, church, cemetery or family community elsewhere on Oʻahu.

Honolulu urban area

Try Honolulu, Waikīkī, Mānoa, Kaimukī, Kalihi, Moanalua, Hawaiʻi Kai and nearby neighborhoods.

Central Oʻahu

Try Mililani, Wahiawā, Schofield-area communities, Waipio and nearby places.

Leeward Oʻahu

Try Pearl City, ʻAiea, Waipahu, ʻEwa Beach, Kapolei, Nānākuli, Waiʻanae and Makaha.

Windward Oʻahu

Try Kāneʻohe, Kailua, Waimānalo and nearby Windward communities.

North Shore

Try Haleʻiwa, Waialua, Kahuku, Lāʻie and surrounding North Shore communities.

Do not assume the island

A person may have lived on Oʻahu but died on another island or on the mainland. Use the place of death when ordering the official record.

Confirm the Correct Person Before Sharing the Obituary

Check	Why it helps	Reason to pause
Full name	Names and spellings may repeat across local families.	Middle, maiden or family name conflicts.
Age	Useful when multiple people share a name.	Age differs significantly.
Relatives	Parents, spouse, children and siblings are strong identity clues.	No known family names match.
Oʻahu community	A notice may be associated with another town instead of Honolulu.	There is no known island or town connection.
Funeral home	Provides a direct verification route.	The provider is unrelated to the expected area.
Death and publish dates	Prevents an old memorial from being mistaken for a recent death.	The death occurred in a different year.

Do not announce a death from a search snippet alone. Open the complete obituary and confirm the person through the funeral home or another family-authorized source.

Verify Oʻahu Funeral and Memorial Details Before Travelling

Check every time

Viewing, visitation, funeral, memorial, Buddhist service, church service, graveside service and burial may be separate events.

Save every address

The mortuary, church, temple, cemetery and reception may be at different Oʻahu locations.

Public or private?

Do not assume the entire service is public. Check the obituary wording or call the funeral home.

Lei and flowers

Follow the family’s instructions. A notice may request flowers, lei, donations or no flowers.

Livestream

Use a link from the funeral home, church, temple or authorized memorial.

☎

Conflicting details

Call the funeral home when two reliable pages list different times or locations.

Simple call script: “I’m checking the public arrangements for [full name]. Can you confirm the service time, exact location, burial or inurnment site and whether the service is public?”

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

How to Submit an Obituary in Honolulu

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser currently directs obituary placement questions to its Legal Advertising & Obituary Notices department.

Star-Advertiser obituary contact

Phone: 808-529-4344
Email: legals@staradvertiser.com

Current newspaper deadline: the Star-Advertiser says an obituary should be submitted at least one week before publication Monday through Friday. It accepts obituaries from recognized funeral homes or customers who can provide verification of death.

Prepare the approved obituary. Gather full name, dates, family names, life details, funeral information and memorial preferences.

Prepare death verification. The newspaper states that customer-submitted obituaries require verification of death.

Contact the obituary department early. Allow at least one week before the desired Monday–Friday publication date.

Confirm price and publication date. Ask for the current cost and what print or online placement is included.

Proofread names and locations. Pay special attention to Hawaiian names, diacritics, family names and service locations.

Save confirmation. Keep the approved text, receipt and expected publication date.

Star-Advertiser Obituary Submission

Historical Oʻahu research

Find Older Honolulu and Oʻahu Obituaries

Hawaiʻi has unusually useful official historical obituary resources. The Hawaiʻi State Archives obituary index covers notices from 1836 through 1950, primarily from English-language newspapers published in Honolulu.

1836–1950 obituary index

Use the State Archives obituary index for historical newspaper death notices.

Prominent people

A death may appear as a news story rather than under the obituary section. Search newspaper-name indexes as well.

Historic newspaper microfilm

The State Archives holds selected newspapers on microfilm, including historical Honolulu publications.

Search trick: if the person does not appear in the obituary index, search their name in the newspaper’s general index. Prominent-person deaths may have been classified as news.

Hawaiʻi State Archives: Oʻahu Obituary and Vital-Record Research

Hawaiʻi State Archives

Kekāuluohi Building
ʻIolani Palace Grounds
364 S. King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: 808-586-0329
Public hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

What the Archives can help you research

Obituary notices published in Hawaiʻi newspapers from 1836–1950.
Birth notices from 1850–1950.
Marriage notices from 1850–1950.
Vital-statistics records and indexes.
Probates and wills.
Naturalization and census records.
Passenger manifests and other family-history sources.

Oʻahu vital-statistics advantage: the Archives’ vital-statistics index includes Oʻahu records dating from 1832 through 1929. Early records can be incomplete, and some archived death information is statistical rather than a modern certified death certificate.

Hawaiʻi Archives Obituary Index Historic Vital Statistics

Official Hawaiʻi record route

How to Get a Hawaiʻi Death Certificate on Oʻahu

Hawaiʻi Department of Health issues certified death certificates. You can request a record online, by mail or in person in Honolulu.

Hawaiʻi Department of Health — Vital Records

1250 Punchbowl Street
Room 103, 1st Floor
Honolulu, HI

Phone: 808-586-4539
Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Current death-certificate fees

Charge	Current amount	Important detail
First certified copy	$10	First copy of each certificate.
Additional same-record copy	$4 each	Must be ordered at the same time.
Order fee	$2.50	Applies to orders up to five certificates; another $2.50 applies for each additional group of up to five.
Verification letter	$5	Mail or in-person route; same eligibility rules apply.

Who can receive a certified copy?

Hawaiʻi requires a direct and tangible interest in the record. Eligible applicants can include a spouse, parent, child or grandchild, people sharing a common ancestor, legal guardian, estate representative, authorized agent, certain property co-owners and other applicants who meet a specific legal need.

If you cannot establish a direct and tangible interest, Hawaiʻi says a certified copy will not be issued.

Microsteps before ordering

Confirm the death occurred in Hawaiʻi. Use the jurisdiction where the death actually happened.

Confirm eligibility. Check whether your relationship or legal reason meets the direct-and-tangible-interest rule.

Prepare government photo ID. Upload or include the required identification.

Prepare entitlement documents. Hawaiʻi may require records showing your family relationship, estate role or other legal interest.

Choose online, mail or in person. For in-person service, bring the completed request, ID, eligibility documents and payment.

Check the current total before paying. Add certificate copies and the applicable order fee.

Mail payment: Hawaiʻi currently accepts cashier’s check, certified check or money order for mail requests. Cash and personal checks are not accepted by mail.

Official Hawaiʻi Death Certificate Page Official Online Order System

See our death certificate and vital records guide for the broader U.S. process.

Need Proof That a Record Exists, but Not a Full Certificate?

Hawaiʻi Department of Health also offers a letter of verification. This can verify that a death record exists and confirm information you already provide, but it does not disclose unknown information from the certificate.

Current fee

$5 per verification letter.

How to request

The current route is by mail or in person.

Eligibility

The same direct-and-tangible-interest rules apply.

Ask the agency requesting proof whether it will accept a verification letter. Banks, courts, insurers and estate administrators may still require a certified death certificate.

Older family research

Genealogy Death Records in Hawaiʻi

For eligible genealogy requests involving vital events before 1921, Hawaiʻi Department of Health provides a separate genealogy request route.

DOH genealogy request

Use when you need an official genealogy-related vital-record search and meet current eligibility/documentation rules.

Self-directed research

Hawaiʻi DOH points researchers to selected vital-record indexes at the Hawaiʻi State Library and other research locations.

Hawaiʻi State Library research location

Hawaiʻi State Library — Hawaiʻi & Pacific Collection
478 South King Street
Honolulu, HI

Phone: 808-586-3535

Best historical workflow: search the State Archives obituary index → check historical newspaper material → narrow the death year → then decide whether an official genealogy record request is necessary.

Hawaiʻi DOH Genealogy Requests

Correcting an Obituary Is Different From Correcting a Death Certificate

Public obituary

Contact the publisher or funeral home

Save the obituary URL, identify the incorrect wording and send the corrected information to the publisher or funeral home that placed the notice.

Government record

Use Hawaiʻi Vital Records

A newspaper correction does not change the certified death certificate. Hawaiʻi amendments require an application and supporting documentary evidence.

Hawaiʻi Vital Records Corrections Section: 808-586-4541. The evidence required depends on what is being changed and whether a court order is involved.

For a correction on this website, use our corrections, updates and family privacy request page.

Verify a Hawaiʻi Funeral or Cemetery Provider Before Paying

Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provides public business and professional-license checks. Its Professional and Vocational Licensing Division includes the Cemetery and Pre-Need Funeral Authority program.

Open DCCA Business Check. Search the individual or business name before entering payment information.

Check licensing information. Review the available professional or business details.

Check complaint history when available. DCCA provides a separate complaint-history search for licensed professionals and regulated activity.

Use RICO for a regulated-industry complaint. Keep contracts, receipts, advertisements and correspondence.

Hawaiʻi Business & License Check File a Hawaiʻi Consumer Complaint

Hawaiʻi separately regulates cemetery and pre-need funeral authority activities. If you are prepaying funeral or cemetery costs, verify the company and contract before signing.

Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay

Federal Funeral Rule protections apply in Hawaiʻi when you arrange funeral goods and services with a covered funeral provider.

Ask for prices by phone

A funeral home must give price information by telephone when you ask. You do not have to give your name, address or telephone number first.

Get the General Price List

When you discuss arrangements in person, the provider must give you an itemized General Price List that you can keep.

Buy only what you want

You generally may select individual funeral goods and services instead of accepting an unwanted package.

Bring an outside casket or urn

A funeral home cannot refuse an outside casket or charge a handling fee simply because it was bought from another seller.

FTC Funeral Rule Our Funeral Cost Guide

Oʻahu veteran burial help

Punchbowl or Kāneʻohe? Use the Correct Veteran Cemetery

Oʻahu has both a federal national cemetery and a state veterans cemetery. They have different administrators, eligibility processes and burial availability.

Federal VA cemetery

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

2177 Puowaina Drive
Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: 808-532-3720

Visitation: daily, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Office: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., except federal holidays.

The cemetery currently has columbarium space for cremated remains. Casketed burial space is limited and may sometimes become available, so families should contact the cemetery at time of need.

State veterans cemetery

Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery

45-349 Kamehameha Highway
Kāneʻohe, HI 96744

Phone: 808-369-3575

Office: Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with lunch closure from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Visiting: daily, 7:45 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery basics

Burial is for eligible veterans and qualifying dependents.
Gravesites cannot be reserved in advance.
Families are encouraged to gather military discharge documents before need.
The cemetery provides the gravesite, marker, perpetual care and opening/closing of the grave under current rules.
Mortuary services and transportation of remains are separate family expenses.
The funeral director normally contacts the cemetery to schedule interment.

Free military honors: Hawaiʻi Office of Veterans’ Services states that military funeral honors are a free entitlement for eligible honorably discharged veterans when requested by the family.

Punchbowl / VA Cemetery Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery Military Funeral Honors

For additional benefit routes, see our Veterans burial and memorial benefits guide.

Punchbowl Grave Search and Flower Rules

Locate a grave

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific provides an official grave locator and an on-site kiosk with grave information and maps.

Open official Punchbowl cemetery page

Flowers

Fresh cut flowers, wreaths and sprays may be placed under current VA rules. Permanent plantings, glass objects, balloons and similar permanent decorations are restricted.

Punchbowl currently removes flowers on Fridays as part of cemetery maintenance. If placing flowers for a weekend visit, check current grounds rules before travelling.

Flowers, Lei, Donations and Livestream Safety

Flowers and lei

Follow the family’s stated preference. Confirm whether flowers, lei, donations or another memorial gesture is requested.

Charitable donations

Match the charity name to the authorized obituary, then use the organization’s official payment page.

Guestbook

Assume messages are public. Do not post home addresses, Social Security numbers, financial details, private medical information or family disputes.

Livestream

Use links supplied by the mortuary, church, temple or family-authorized obituary. Avoid unknown links requesting payment or software downloads.

Possible scam: call the funeral home using a verified number if someone demands urgent money to release remains, disclose funeral information, open a livestream or process a memorial payment.

After You Find the Obituary

Save the obituary and funeral-home memorial URLs.
Write down service, church or temple, cemetery and reception addresses separately.
Recheck arrangements before travelling across Oʻahu.
Use the family-authorized flower, lei or donation instructions.
Order legal records only through Hawaiʻi Department of Health when the death occurred in Hawaiʻi.
Keep certified records, receipts and benefit documents secure.
Ask whether the funeral director has already reported the death to Social Security.

For the wider administrative workflow, use our after-death notification checklist.

Common Oʻahu Obituary Search Problems

Problem	Likely reason	Best next step
No obituary found	Different name spelling, nickname, delayed notice or funeral-home-only posting.	Search surname plus Oʻahu town, family name or funeral home.
Too many Hawaii results	Search covers all islands.	Add Honolulu, Oʻahu community, school, college or funeral home.
Pre-2023 Star-Advertiser notice missing	Older obituary content uses a separate archive route.	Use the Star-Advertiser older-obituary archive or State Archives.
Very old obituary not online	Historic notice may exist only in an index or microfilm.	Use Hawaiʻi State Archives’ 1836–1950 obituary index.
Death certificate denied	Direct-and-tangible-interest requirement not proven.	Check eligibility and submit relationship or legal-authority documentation.
Veteran burial route unclear	Punchbowl and Kāneʻohe are administered differently.	Confirm whether you need the federal VA cemetery or Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery.

Official and Primary Sources Used

Hawaiʻi Obituaries Current obituary browsing by publish date, location, funeral home, high school and college. Honolulu Star-Advertiser — Place an Obituary Current obituary contact, verification requirement and publication deadline. Hawaiʻi Department of Health — Death Certificates Certified-record eligibility, fees, online/mail/in-person routes and Honolulu office information. Hawaiʻi Department of Health — Genealogy Requests Historical vital-record request routes and self-directed research locations. Hawaiʻi State Archives — Obituary Index Historic obituary index covering 1836–1950. Hawaiʻi State Archives — Vital Statistics Historical Oʻahu vital-statistics index and archival research guidance. Hawaiʻi DCCA — Business Check Professional/business license and complaint-history verification. Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Rule Price-list, telephone-price and itemized funeral consumer rights. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Punchbowl grave locator, visitation, burial availability and grounds rules. Hawaiʻi Office of Veterans’ Services — Veteran Cemeteries Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery in Kāneʻohe and statewide veteran cemetery information.

Related RecentObituaries.info Guides

Obituary Search & Recent Notices

Search by name, city, date, funeral home, cemetery, newspaper and family clues.

Death Certificate & Vital Records

Understand when certified legal proof is required instead of a public obituary.

Funeral Costs & Consumer Rights

Compare funeral prices, itemized choices and federal consumer protections.

Veterans Burial & Memorial Benefits

Federal and state burial, cemetery, marker and memorial routes.

After-Death Notification Checklist

Social Security, banks, insurers, records, mail and fraud-prevention steps.

Recent Oʻahu Obituary and Death Record FAQs

Where can I find recent Oʻahu obituaries?

Start with the current Hawaiʻi obituary browse page and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser obituary site. Search by name, publish date, location, funeral home, high school or college, then verify final arrangements with the handling funeral home.

How do I search an Oʻahu obituary by name?

Start with the surname, then add the first name. If needed, try nicknames, maiden names, alternate spellings, an Oʻahu community, school, funeral home or relative.

Where are older Honolulu Star-Advertiser obituaries?

The Star-Advertiser’s obituary page says notices dated May 17, 2023 or earlier are available through its older obituary archive route. For much older notices, use Hawaiʻi State Archives.

How far back does the Hawaiʻi State Archives obituary index go?

The State Archives obituary index covers notices from 1836 through 1950 and primarily indexes English-language newspapers published in Honolulu.

How much is a Hawaiʻi death certificate?

Hawaiʻi Department of Health currently lists $10 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time. A $2.50 fee applies to orders of up to five certificates, with additional increments for larger orders.

Where can I get a death certificate on Oʻahu?

Hawaiʻi Department of Health Vital Records is at 1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 103, Honolulu. Current death-certificate office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The main certificate phone number is 808-586-4539.

Can anyone order a Hawaiʻi death certificate?

No. Hawaiʻi requires the applicant to show a direct and tangible interest in the record. Eligible people can include certain relatives, estate representatives, authorized agents and people with a documented legal need.

What is a Hawaiʻi death-record verification letter?

A verification letter can confirm that a death record exists and verify information the applicant already provides. It does not reveal unknown certificate information. The current fee is $5 per letter and the same eligibility rules apply.

How do I verify a Hawaiʻi funeral or cemetery business?

Use Hawaiʻi DCCA Business Check and Professional and Vocational Licensing tools. You can also review available complaint history and use the state complaint route when necessary.

What is the difference between Punchbowl and the Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery?

Punchbowl, formally the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, is a federal VA national cemetery in Honolulu. Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery is a state-run veterans cemetery in Kāneʻohe. Eligibility, scheduling and burial availability should be checked with the correct cemetery.

Can I locate a veteran’s grave at Punchbowl?

Yes. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific provides an official grave locator and an on-site kiosk with grave and map information.

Can an obituary replace a certified death certificate?

No. An obituary is a public notice or memorial. Banks, estates, courts, insurers, pensions and government agencies may require an official certified death certificate.

Before You Share, Travel or Pay

Open the full obituary instead of relying on a search snippet.
Confirm the person using name, age, family, community, funeral home and dates.
Verify current service details with the handling funeral home.
Use the Star-Advertiser’s current submission instructions when placing a newspaper obituary.
Use Hawaiʻi Department of Health for certified legal records.
Use Hawaiʻi State Archives for historic Oʻahu obituary research.
Check DCCA before paying an unfamiliar funeral, cemetery or pre-need provider.
Do not confuse Punchbowl with the Hawaiʻi State Veterans Cemetery in Kāneʻohe.
Use only family-authorized flower, lei, donation, guestbook and livestream routes.

RecentObituaries.info is an independent source-navigation guide. It is not the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawaiʻi Department of Health, Hawaiʻi State Archives, DCCA, a funeral home, cemetery, VA office or other government agency.