Obituary examples, written the way families want them
Five complete obituaries for fictional people, each in the standard order: the announcement, the life, one paragraph of specifics, the family, the service, the memorials. Read the one closest to your situation, then use the notes under it.
Have it written from your details
One form, in any order, however rough. You get a full obituary, a short notice for the paper, and a five-minute eulogy, using only what you told us. $19, once. Write the obituary for me
How to write an obituary
Start with the facts
Full name (and nickname, and maiden name), age, town, date of death, and, if the family wants, where and how. This is the first sentence, and it is the sentence newspapers and search engines use.
Tell the life in order
Born when and where, to whom. School. Marriage. Work. Moves. Retirement. Approximate years are fine; skip anything nobody would care to know.
Give one paragraph of specifics
What they cooked, grew, fixed, watched, collected, said. Two or three concrete things beat a list of virtues. "She was kind" is forgettable; "she never let anyone leave without leftovers" is her.
List survivors, then the preceded
Spouse; children with spouses in parentheses and their towns; grandchildren by name if there are fewer than about ten, by count if more; siblings. Then "preceded in death by". Ask the family who must be named; this is where feelings get hurt.
Service details, checked
Visitation and service with day, date, time, venue, and address. Confirm with the funeral home before publishing; corrections cost money and confusion.
Memorials
"In lieu of flowers" is optional. Name the charity exactly as it is registered so donations reach it.
Length
300 to 500 words for a full obituary online or in a funeral home listing; 60 to 120 for a paid newspaper notice. Write the long one first and cut.
Obituary questions, answered plainly
Who writes the obituary?
Usually a family member, sometimes with the funeral director's help. Funeral homes will proofread and post it, but they rarely write it. Newspapers only edit for length and style.
How much does a newspaper obituary cost?
Paid notices are billed by the line or the inch and commonly run from about $100 to over $1,000 depending on the paper and length. The funeral home's website and free memorial sites post the full version at no cost, so write the long version and print the short one.
Do we have to say how they died?
No. "Died peacefully at home", "died unexpectedly", or simply "died" are all complete. Families who choose to name an illness, overdose, or suicide often do so deliberately; that is also right.
What order do survivors go in?
Spouse; children (with spouses in parentheses) and their towns; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; parents if living; siblings. Then "preceded in death by". Check with the family before publishing; omissions are noticed.
How long should it be?
300 to 500 words for the full version; 60 to 120 for a paid notice. Eulogies run three to six minutes, which is 400 to 800 words spoken.