Most banks will have their own individual procedure for closing a bank account after the title holder of the account passes away. To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account.The bank may require a certified death certificate in order to close the account and distribute the funds. Fill it out for the deceased, but don't forge the name. "Letters of Office" is not really a letter. To close a bank account after death, you must completely liquidate its funds. The Petition for Letters of Administration is the document that is used when the decedent died without a will. Cancel benefits payments and close or transfer accounts. Government agencies and programs to notify of a death. Documentation required to complete the correction requested.