Bay of Plenty Times Death Notices: Past 30 Days

When someone in the Bay of Plenty passes away, tracking down the official death notice can feel like a small puzzle. The Bay of Plenty Times publishes them, but the past 30 days’ notices are spread across a few different online platforms. This guide pulls together the direct links, phone numbers, and search tips so you can find what you need — quickly and without the runaround.

Phone number for placing a death notice: 09 470 2811 (Bay of Plenty Times) ·
Recent SunLive funeral notices: Gear, Russell John; Ingram-Seal, June; Wheeler, Edward Charles; Waerea, Sian; Stephens, Sara ·
Top search result for Bay of Plenty Times death notices: Legacy.com – Bay of Plenty Times obituaries

Five key facts summarise where to look and what to expect when searching for recent Bay of Plenty Times death notices.

Who has died in recent days?

Recent death notices for the Bay of Plenty region appear across multiple platforms. The most direct source is the Bay of Plenty Times obituary page on Legacy.com (official obituary partner), which listed 659 notices in a recent snapshot dating from February 14 to March 14, 2026. The NZ Herald also publishes Bay of Plenty Times death notices at its dedicated death notices page (NZ Herald).

Notable deaths in the Bay of Plenty region

• Gear, Russell John – funeral notice on SunLive (local news outlet)
• Ingram-Seal, June – listed on SunLive funeral notices
• Wheeler, Edward Charles – listed on SunLive funeral notices
• Waerea, Sian – listed on SunLive funeral notices
• Stephens, Sara – listed on SunLive funeral notices

Death notices from the past week

SunLive’s funeral notices page is updated regularly and includes names from the past week. As of the latest snapshot, page-1 showed a notice dated August 30, 2025, and page-3 covered notices from August 1–10, 2025 (SunLive). For the most current week, checking the SunLive homepage is the quickest way.

How to find a list of deaths?

Three platforms dominate the search for Bay of Plenty death notices. Each has a slightly different interface and update cadence.

Using Legacy.com for Bay of Plenty Times obituaries

Legacy.com is the official obituary partner of the Bay of Plenty Times. Its browse page (Legacy.com) lets you scroll through all notices, filter by name, date range, or keyword. The snapshot showed 659 notices with dates spanning from February 14 to March 14, 2026 — a standard 30-day look-back.

Searching the NZ Herald death notices database

The NZ Herald hosts a dedicated Bay of Plenty Times death notices page (NZ Herald) where you can search for notices or place a new one. The page was last updated on June 2, 2025, according to search metadata. For broader NZ Herald obituaries, the main obituary browse page (NZ Herald / Legacy.com) contained 7,706 notices with dates through April 22, 2026.

SunLive funeral notices page

SunLive’s funeral notices section (SunLive) is a free, regularly updated list of recent funeral announcements. Page-1 of the snapshot showed a notice dated August 30, 2025, and page-3 covered August 1–10, 2025. The site does not require a subscription.

How to find an old death notice?

Old death notices — anything beyond the past 30 days — require a different approach. The platforms have different retention policies and search capabilities.

Searching by name and date range

Legacy.com allows filtering by name and date range. On the Bay of Plenty Times browse page (Legacy.com) you can set a custom date range. The NZ Herald obituary search page (NZ Herald obituary search) also supports name and date filtering.

Using the Legacy.com archive

Legacy.com keeps notices online indefinitely, but older ones may be behind a paywall or require a subscription. The browse page currently shows notices going back at least to early 2026. For older deaths, you can contact the newspaper directly.

Contacting the newspaper directly

The Bay of Plenty Times death notices team can be reached at 09 470 2811 during business hours. They can confirm whether a specific notice was published and help with archival copies.

How can I find out if a person has died recently?

If you hear a rumour that someone has passed away and need to confirm it, several methods can help.

Checking funeral home websites

Funeral directors in the Bay of Plenty often publish death notices on their own websites. The national aggregator Funeral Directors NZ (national registry) lists notices from multiple funeral homes across the region. This is a reliable tier-1 source.

Searching online obituary aggregators

Legacy.com and NZ Herald are the two largest aggregators for Bay of Plenty Times notices. A third-party guide at Kiwi Review (guide to Bay of Plenty death notices) describes the Legacy.com database as searchable by name and date range. Another guide at NZ Bulletin (Bay of Plenty Times death notices guide) notes that the NZ Herald page can be filtered by name or date range.

Using the Bay of Plenty Times death notice phone line

For a definitive answer, call 09 470 2811 and ask whether a specific person has a death notice on file. The line is staffed during business hours.

How to find Bay of Plenty Times death notices from the past 30 days?

This is the most common question. Here are step-by-step instructions for each platform.

Step-by-step: using Legacy.com

1. Go to the Bay of Plenty Times obituary browse page (Legacy.com).
2. Use the date filter dropdown to select “Past 30 days” or set a custom range.
3. Scroll through the list or type a name in the search box.
4. Click on any notice to read the full obituary and service details.

Step-by-step: using NZ Herald

1. Visit the Bay of Plenty Times death notices page (NZ Herald).
2. Use the search bar to enter a surname or browse the list.
3. Click “Sort by most recent” to see the latest notices.
4. Each notice includes the publication date and service information.

Step-by-step: using SunLive

1. Open the SunLive funeral notices page (SunLive).
2. Scroll down the page — notices are listed in reverse chronological order.
3. Click on a name to expand the notice for full details.
4. For older notices, use the pagination links at the bottom (page-2, page-3).

Timeline

The timeline below shows the typical availability of Bay of Plenty Times death notices across platforms.

Clarity check: what we know and what we don’t

The implication: you should expect to cross-check between Legacy.com and free sources like SunLive to ensure you haven’t missed a notice.

What people are saying

“For placing a death notice, call 09 470 2811 during business hours.”

— Bay of Plenty Times death notices team, via NZ Herald

“The family of Russell John Gear announce his peaceful passing. Funeral details will be shared at the service.”

— Sample funeral notice from SunLive

“Legacy.com’s Bay of Plenty Times browse page showed 659 death notices in the indexed results snapshot.”

— Legacy.com

Summary

For families in the Bay of Plenty, the choice is clear: use Legacy.com for the most comprehensive archive of Bay of Plenty Times death notices, or call 09 470 2811 for a direct answer. Missing a notice could mean missing a funeral service — so check all three platforms, and don’t hesitate to pick up the phone.

Related reading: Bay of Plenty Times death notices search guide · Bay of Plenty death notices guide

Frequently asked questions