Write an Obituary
Writing an obituary for a loved one who has passed is an activity that should be approached with much grace and thought. Just like the funeral itself, the obituary acknowledges the passing of a loved one, expresses your grief and joy for the light he or she has shared with the world. The obituary you write can be used for posts in social media or local newspapers and/or websites as a way of informing those who have known him/her and celebrating the life he/she has lived.
How to Write an Obituary
Here is a short guide that you can follow to write a meaningful obituary for a deceased loved one:
1. Write the announcement
The announcement of death can start in different ways depending on your preference. Some identifying statements used to communicate this fact are as follows: Passed away, died, went to be with his Lord, after a long struggle with cancer, surrounded by her family, etc. After that, you should provide the deceased’s full name, age, date of birth, date and time of death, and place of residence and/or recent address. If you are comfortable, you can also include the cause of death.
2. Provide biographical information or sketch
You can include the parent’s names including mother’s maiden name, date, and place of marriage, birth name of spouse, education, work, and military service. Significant events that shed some light on the deceased’s life, his or her qualities, contributions, and connections can be included in this part of the obituary. However, you should know that an obituary is not a biography, so remember to only include information that you’re comfortable sharing and are relevant.
3. List family members or survivors
It is customary in writing an obituary to list the names of the deceased’s remaining family members as well as his or her immediate family who have predeceased him/her. Here is a list of family members that you can include to that list:
- Parents
- Spouse/partner and children (names of their spouses or partners, if applicable, can be included in parenthesis)
- Adopted children
- Stepchildren
- Siblings
- Half and step-siblings
- Grandchildren
- Surviving in-laws
However, with this manner of listing, some relatives might be forgotten and might give a negative emotion. That’s why in big newspapers there is no list of surviving family members, rather relatives are often worked into the announcement in a certain way; for example, Roger, beloved son of …loving father of….attentive grandfather of….
4. Provide service schedule/s
Since an obituary is also used to share information about the funeral and other services, you need to provide the details of the scheduled services, including the time, date, and address. You can also include the time, date, and other details for the funeral, visitations, burial, and memorial service, if applicable.
5. Write memorials
Lastly, you should include the name and mailing address of a foundation or society you wish to share the memorial donations given for the deceased. The foundation or society that has been chosen should be based upon the deceased’s interest or values that they have previously expressed.
Obituary Templates and Examples
1. Editable Funeral Obituary
Losing a loved one is never easy, but aside from grieving, his or her life should be celebrated. To give friends and family a recount of what his/her life transpired to be, you can use this editable funeral obituary template. This template will allow you to use high-quality designs, flexible layout, and original artworks. Download and customize this template to incorporate the important details and preferences.
2. Obituary Funeral for Celebrities
A celebrity’s life doesn’t end being on the limelight until his or her death. Various articles online will surface regarding his or her death with the aim of discovering and/or sharing the reason for his/her death. Aside from articles, obituaries in a different medium will be written. Should you be tasked to write one, we have the perfect template that you can use. This template is available in MS Word and Adobe Photoshop format.
3. Obituary Funeral for Kids
Sometimes you question why life is so unfair, right? One day you wake up hopeful for your kid’s future, the next thing you know he/she is no longer with you. Although it is heartbreaking, you share to the world how bright of a light your son or daughter was when she was still alive. To make it easier for you, this obituary funeral for kids template is easier for you. All you need to do is download and edit to incorporate all the required details.
4. Simple Funeral Obituary
Recounting and going back to all the memories you have shared with the person who has passed will always be painful but you have to do it so that you can write a meaningful obituary. To keep it simple, this template will help you immediately go to the point. Aside from that, you can customize this to make room for what you prefer.
5. Obituary Funeral Trifold Brochure
You will always have so many words to say about your deceased loved one, and if you’re looking for inspiration or a template you can use for that, this template is downloadable and editable. This obituary funeral brochure template will allow you to write more details about the deceased, include more than one image, and so on.
6. Funeral Obituary for Father
The relationship you have with your father is truly unbreakable, and it is a different kind of heartbreak when you lose him. But despite that pain, you have to write an obituary that will celebrate how good of a man, brother, father, grandfather, etc. he was. You can use this funeral obituary template specifically tailored for fathers to give you a head start with writing an obituary.
7. Printable Obituary Program
A program contains a chronological order or sequence of activities that will occur during a certain event. In case you need an obituary program that you can also use a funeral invitation, we have the perfect one for you. In this template, you can use high-quality designs, structured layout, and so much more.
8. Floral Obituary Bifold Brochure
You can use this floral obituary bifold brochure as an invitation or for funeral announcement. Downloading this template will give you original designs, editable layout, and an appealing overall appearance. The template features high-quality floral designs and illustrations, and a flexible layout that you can personalize.
9. Celebrating Life and Love Obituary
This example shows how simple and elegant an obituary can be. Its design was based on the personality of the deceased. You can also see how seamless the designs and overall layout complement each other. This is the best layout to follow when you want to make a simple but classy obituary for a loved one.
10. Online Newspaper Obituary
There is a section in a newspaper specially dedicated to obituaries. And since it is in a newspaper, it follows a straightforward approach in writing. As you can see in this example, only a single image of the deceased and texts in bold letters for the heading are the only attention catching detail. If you decide to make a personal obituary, you can take this approach to make it easier.
11. Baby Twins Obituary Program
Since this sample obituary is dedicated to twin babies, the illustrations and designs used immediately communicate that. Aside from the list of family members, a touching poem is written so no personal experiences, special events, etc. can be recounted.
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