obituarist

noun, plural o·bit·u·ar·ies.

1. a notice of the death of a person, often with a biographical sketch, as in a newspaper.

adjective

2. of, relating to, or recording a death or deaths: the obituary page of a newspaper.

noun plural -aries

1. a published announcement of a death, often accompanied by a short biography of the dead person

n.1706, “register of deaths,” from Medieval Latin obituarius “a record of the death of a person,” literally “pertaining to death,” from Latin obitus “departure, a going to meet, encounter” (a euphemism for “death”), from stem of obire “go toward, go to meet” (as in mortem obire “meet death”), from ob “to, toward” (see ob-) + ire “to go” (see ion). Meaning “record or announcement of a death, especially in a newspaper, and including a brief biographical sketch” is from 1738. As an adjective from 1828. A similar euphemism is in Old English cognate forðfaran “to die,” literally “to go forth;” utsið “death,” literally “going out, departure.”