Unalaska Obituary Records

Unalaska obituary records are available through a set of sources that reflect the community's deep history as a major Unangax̂ settlement and busy fishing port at Dutch Harbor. If you are searching for a death notice or obituary for someone connected to Unalaska, your best starting points are KUCB Radio's online obituary page, the AKGenWeb Aleutian records project, FamilySearch's Aleutian Islands death record collections, and official death certificates from the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. This page covers what each source holds and how to use it.

KUCB Radio Unalaska Obituaries

KUCB Radio is the main source for current and recent Unalaska obituaries. The station serves the Aleutian Islands region and publishes death notices submitted by families on its website. Because Unalaska does not have a daily newspaper in the traditional sense, KUCB plays the role that local papers serve in larger Alaska cities. If someone died in or around Unalaska in recent years, the KUCB obituary page is where you are most likely to find the notice.

The kind of detail KUCB obituaries contain varies by family submission, but many are thorough. Jacob Martin Stepetin, who died December 18, 2023, in Akutan at age 71, was born November 5, 1952, to Mattie and Art Stepetin. His obituary described him as an innovative Unangax̂ leader and culture keeper. Anthony "Tony" Gale Sours, born September 18, 1957, in Tillamook, Oregon, moved to Unalaska and married Mary Ann Golodoff. Alex Arduser, a former Unalaska resident and 20-year Alaska Wildlife Trooper, died April 25, 2023, near Cordova at age 44. These entries show the range of people and backgrounds connected to the Unalaska community, from lifelong residents to those who came later and built their lives there.

Note: KUCB's online archive does not go back decades, so for deaths before roughly 2010, you will need to turn to other sources described below.

AKGenWeb Aleutian Records

The AKGenWeb Aleutian Islands project maintains compiled records for Unalaska and surrounding communities. This free resource includes historical birth, marriage, and death records, as well as obituary transcriptions gathered from printed sources that are no longer easy to access.

The project's holdings include Unalaska Birth, Marriage, and Death Records from 1869 to 1897. That date range is significant because it covers the early American administration period right after the 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia. Records from that era are rare in most Alaska communities, and the fact that Unalaska's records go back to 1869 reflects its long history as a major port and settlement. The project also includes a 1984 Unalaska telephone directory, which can help researchers place people in the community during that period, and death records from 1913 to 1915 as well as Social Security Death Index data for Unalaska-connected individuals from 1966 to 2009. Taken together, these files give a reasonable picture of Unalaska's death record history across more than a century.

FamilySearch Aleutian Death Records

FamilySearch holds the Aleutian Islands Death Records collection, which covers 1913 to 1953. This digitized collection is free to access and includes deaths recorded across the Aleutian chain during the first half of the twentieth century. For Unalaska, this covers the era from just before World War I through the early postwar years, a period that included the World War II occupation of the Aleutians and the forced relocation of Unalaska's Unangax̂ population.

The Social Security Death Index on FamilySearch covers deaths from 1962 onward for anyone who had a Social Security number. For Unalaska residents who worked in commercial fishing or other industries in the later twentieth century, this index can confirm death dates and last addresses even when no formal obituary was published. These two FamilySearch resources, the historical Aleutian collection and the SSDI, cover most of the twentieth century with only a gap from roughly 1954 to 1962 that may require other sources to fill.

Holy Ascension Cathedral Burial Records

The Holy Ascension Cathedral in Unalaska is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest Russian Orthodox churches in North America. The cathedral has maintained burial and parish records for the Unalaska community going back into the Russian America period. These records, which include deaths and burials of both indigenous Unangax̂ community members and Russian settlers, represent some of the oldest documented vital records in Alaska.

A published reference held at the Alaska State Library addresses this directly. "Memory Eternal I: A Baseline Inventory of Burials Surrounding the Holy Ascension Cathedral" is catalogued as N 929.509783 MURRAY. This volume inventories the burials at and around the cathedral grounds and is a key resource for anyone researching Unalaska family history from the Russian America or early American territorial period. Requests for access to this volume can be made through the Alaska State Library's reference services.

The Alaska State Archives' collection guides also describe relevant Aleutian holdings. For deaths that resulted in probate proceedings, the archives hold filings that name the deceased, surviving heirs, and estate assets. The probate records guide explains the process for accessing these files.

Historical Newspaper Records

The Alaska State Library's statewide newspaper index includes coverage of Aleutian Islands publications. While Unalaska did not have its own long-running newspaper in the way that larger Alaska cities did, regional papers and federal administrative publications periodically covered deaths and events in the community. The newspaper index is the fastest way to identify whether a particular death was recorded in any indexed publication.

For deaths that occurred during the WWII period in Unalaska, military and federal records may also be relevant. The Aleutian Islands saw significant military activity from 1942 to 1945, and deaths among both military personnel and the civilian population during that period are documented through a mix of federal and state sources. The Alaska State Archives holds materials related to that era, and the collection guides can point you toward the right record series.

Unalaska Vital Records and Death Certificates

Official death certificates for Unalaska residents are issued by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. The governing law is AS 18.50, which sets the rules for who can request records and when they become public. The first certified copy of a death certificate costs $30, and each additional copy ordered at the same time is $25.

AS 18.50 restricts death certificates to immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with a direct and tangible interest in the record. After 50 years, records become public. Any death in Unalaska before 1975 is now available without a family relationship. Because Unalaska lacks a state vital records office locally, nearly all requests must go through the mail or online ordering system at health.alaska.gov.

The CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records page lists the Alaska vital records office address and current instructions. This is especially useful for out-of-state researchers who need to confirm where to send a mail request.

Note: Processing times for mail-in vital records requests can range from a few days to several weeks depending on request volume at the state office.

Aleutians West Census Area

Unalaska is the largest community in the Aleutians West Census Area. Other communities in the census area do not meet the population threshold for individual city pages. For broader Aleutians West obituary record resources, see the census area page.