When death strikes, whether it’s unexpected or after a long suffering, we are faced with a big task: to make sure we honor the memory of our loved one and celebrate her life as well. With all the funeral planning, stress and grief, writing an obituary is challenging to say the least.
This is why we created ObitsForAll, so that we can make the process simple and less expensive. Your obituary is easy to send in, we’ll publish on a short notice and we’ll keep it here permanently.
Now, let’s get to the writing itself:
How to write an obituary?
When it comes to writing an obituary, there are various obituary templates that you can use. With or with these samples, there are still few tricks that will allow you to make the most out of your obit:
Get all your data first
If it’s easier for you, create a short list that would include: full name of the deceased, date and place of birth and death, age at the time of the death, why the deceased passed away, details about the family, main life events.
Double check all the data
Before you start writing your obituary, make sure all details are correct. Names aren’t misspelled, dates are exact etc. There’s nothing more stressful than to see your published obituary with typos.
It’s true that here, at ObitsforAll.com, we make edits as per your requirements, but once your obituary gets published in a newspaper for instance, it’s final.
Simple Obituary Template
- Full name of the deceased
- Date / place of birth / death
- Age at the time of death
- Where the deceased lived
- Cause of death (some obituary publishing services require it to be specific)
- Brief summary of the deceased’s life (starting from birth and moving forward). Don’t get lost in details, but you can provide few details about the most relevant events.
- Relatives (dead and living): grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles etc. Fortunately you don’t have to list tens of names, ideally name few of the closest ones and then include the relation only (aunts, cousins etc.). Since the obituary’s length would get out of control, it should include the full name of the deceased parents, siblings and children, plus spouse / partner, the total number of grandchildren or grand-grandchildren.
- Details of the funeral / memorial service and reception (if applicable). Name, address, website address, phone number etc.
- If applicable, charities or the memorial fund to send donations.
This is a rough guide on how to write an obituary, but it should help you present the most relevant information and expedite this process without added stress.