Obituary Example for a Father (Full Text, With a Template)

Fathers' obituaries tend to be about work and hands: what he built, fixed, coached, or drove. This example for a fictional man keeps the structure standard and lets one paragraph carry the particulars.

All names, places, and organisations are fictional.

James Robert "Jim" Castellano, 68, of Bellingham, died on Sunday, September 7, 2026, at St. Joseph Medical Center after a short illness.

Jim was born on November 21, 1957, in Tacoma, the oldest son of Anthony and Rose Castellano. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1976 and completed his apprenticeship as an electrician with IBEW Local 191 in 1980. He married Linda Marsh on August 8, 1981, and they settled in Bellingham, where they raised two sons.

Jim worked 38 years as a journeyman and then foreman for Puget Electric, retiring in 2019. He wired half the schools in Whatcom County and could tell you which ones from the car. After retiring he spent most mornings in his garage, where neighbors brought lawnmowers, lamps, and the occasional boat motor, and where nothing was ever declared beyond repair.

He coached Little League for eleven seasons, none of them winning, all of them fun. He took the same campsite at Baker Lake every August for 40 years. He kept a 1972 Ford pickup running on principle. He was quiet at parties and talkative in the garage, and his advice, given rarely, was usually right.

Jim is survived by his wife of 45 years, Linda; his sons, Anthony (Maria) Castellano of Seattle and Daniel Castellano of Bellingham; his grandchildren, Sophia, Marcus, and Lily; his brother, Paul (Diane) Castellano of Tacoma; and his sister, Teresa Nguyen of Portland. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of Jim's life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 20, at the Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way. Casual clothes; he would have worn a flannel. Memorials may be made to the Whatcom County Little League or to the IBEW Local 191 scholarship fund.

Notes on this example

• A nickname in quotation marks after the given name, if that is what people called him.
• Trade and union details matter to the people who will read it; they are also how old colleagues find him.
• The "celebration of life" format allows a lighter register: "Casual clothes; he would have worn a flannel."
• Length: 300 to 450 words is standard for a paid newspaper notice; online notices can run longer.

Other examples

• For a mother
• For a young adult
• For a veteran
• Short newspaper version