Burial record of my uncle

According to Ancestry.com, he was born in Ireland to James Kelly and Mariah Kelly, emigrated to the United States on 6 May 1929 through the Port of New York, was living in Sewickley Heights, PA in 1942 and Jamaica, Queens, New York on 11 April 1950.

Hope that helps.

Thanks. I have that information. I am trying to find his death certificate. 

Thanks. I have that information. I am trying to find his death certificate. 

If he died in Queens, NY New York City would have his death certificate:

https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/birth-death-records-death.page

I do not know where he was living when he died. Queens may not be correct address

All well and good, however NY and many other states will not issue vital records to anyone other than the individual or a NOK.

Actually, reading the New York Website, a niece or nephew can order a death certificate without the cause of death

Curious!  Where did you see that?  I'm with the Legion.  In years past and as recently as last year we've tried to get NY death certs of "primary" NOK of long deceased Airmen who died in the line of duty in the metro NYC area - generally for possible award purposes.  NY requires proof of relationship as noted in "Requirements" section of:

Death Certificates - New York State Department of Health (ny.gov)

We've always been denied, ditto all NY vital records.  We fall back on obits in the instances when proof that a NY "primary" NOK is deceased.  This is not unusual.  Some states are very strict (NY, PA, RI and others) others not so (FL, MA and others).

I was told I needed proof that i was his niece. Difficult! They said copy of my birth cert. I think you can get death cert if you have person’s address. Confusing. 

Ah, I see now. It's on the New York CITY Website, here:

Death Certificates - NYC Health

Under "Types of Certificates and Who Can Order"

Under "Certificate Request Without the Cause of Death," it says:

The following relations to the deceased can also request a death certificate, but not the cause of death medical report:

• Niece/nephew
• Aunt/uncle
• Great grandchild and great-great grandchild
• Grandniece/grandnephew

If you are not listed above as an entitled party, you must document your right to get a death certificate.

You're running into the wonders of the 10th Amendment.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

So whereas in Ireland you probably have a unified national system (although perhaps managed locally), where the rules are the same everywhere, we have 56 separate systems, all with separate rules--one for each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and our five Territories--Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and two others who escape my mind right now.

And they may have one rule for New York, and another rule for Pennsylvania, and another one for, say, Michigan. And then they change the rules from time to time as well, as privacy laws change. So if you're reading an older book, or an older website, it may say that you can get it, but the current state website will say you can't.

Now you know how we beat King George III. His generals could never figure out what we were doing on any given day. Worked against the Germans, too.