How to Write an Obituary
How to Write an Obituary: Steps, Template & Examples
If you've been asked to write the obituary and don't know where to start, you're in the right place. This is a clear, gentle walk-through — what to include, a fill-in-the-blank template you can copy, and two full examples to follow. You don't need to be a writer. You just need to tell people who they were.
How do you write an obituary?
To write an obituary, open by announcing the death (full name, age, town, and date), then tell their life story — where they were born, their work, their passions, and the people and moments that defined them. List surviving and predeceased family, give the service details (date, time, place), add any memorial or donation wishes, and close with one warm line about who they were. Aim for 200–500 words, keep it factual and personal, and double-check every name, date, and detail before you submit it.
Where to start when the words won't come
Writing an obituary is often handed to the person least able to face it — and on a deadline, while everything else is happening. So before the writing, do the gathering. Sit with a notebook or your phone and jot down the plain facts first: full name (including maiden name and any nickname), date and place of birth, date of death, where they lived, and the names of close family. Then let yourself drift into the better part — the stories. What did they do for a living? What did they love? What would the people who knew them smile at?
An obituary does two jobs at once. The practical one: it announces the death and tells people where and when to gather. The human one: it captures, in a few hundred words, why this person mattered. The structure below carries the practical part so you're free to spend your energy on the second.
You can write it in any order. Many people find it easiest to fill in the facts first, then come back and warm it up with one or two specific details — the way she hummed while she cooked, the way he never let anyone leave without a meal.
How to write an obituary, step by step
Most obituaries follow the same six parts, in this order. Work through them one at a time — you don't have to write them in order, just include them all.
Announcement of the death
Open with full name, age, the town they lived in, and the date they died. You can add the place (home, hospital, hospice) and a soft phrase — "peacefully," "after a long illness," "surrounded by family" — only if it's true and the family wants it shared.
Biography & life story
The heart of it. Where and when they were born, parents' names, schools, military service, career, marriage. Then the colour: hobbies, faith, the team they followed, the garden, the grandkids, the trips, the small things they were known for.
Family & survivors
List those who died before them ("preceded in death by…") and those still living ("survived by…"). Spouse and children first, then grandchildren, siblings, and others. Use full names and relationships so readers know who's who.
Service & gathering details
The funeral, memorial, or celebration of life: date, time, the name and address of the venue, and whether it's public or private. If there's a viewing, visitation, or burial, list those too. Note any livestream link.
Memorial & donation wishes
"In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to…" — a charity, a cause they cared about, or a fund. This is also where you can point people to an online memorial page where they can leave a memory.
A closing line
One sentence that holds who they were — a value they lived by, a phrase they always said, or simply how loved they were. This is the line people will carry, so let it be specific to them, not a platitude.
What to include in an obituary — a checklist
Before you submit, run down this list. You won't use every item — short obituaries skip many — but it's the full menu to choose from so nothing important is forgotten.
- Full name, including maiden name and any nickname they were known by.
- Age, and date of birth and date of death.
- City or town where they lived (and where they died, if the family wishes).
- Birthplace and parents' names — the start of their story.
- Education, military service, and career — what they did with their years.
- Marriage(s) and the names of spouse(s).
- Hobbies, passions, faith, and the things they loved — what made them them.
- Surviving family ("survived by…") and those who went before ("preceded in death by…").
- Service details — date, time, place, and whether it's public or private.
- Memorial or donation requests, and a link to an online memorial page if you have one.
- A photo — most newspapers and funeral homes accept one; online memorials hold many.
A fill-in-the-blank obituary template
Copy the text below and replace each [bracketed] part with your details. It follows the six-part format above. Keep what fits, delete what doesn't — there are no wrong choices here.
[Full name], [age], of [city, state], passed away on [date] at [place].
[First name] was born on [birth date] in [birthplace] to [parents' names]. [He/She/They] [graduated from / served in / worked as…] and [married / raised a family / built a life in…]. [First name] loved [passions, hobbies, faith, the things they were known for — one or two specific details that were truly theirs].
[First name] is survived by [spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings — names and relationships]. [He/She/They] was preceded in death by [names].
A [funeral / memorial / celebration of life] will be held on [date] at [time] at [venue name and address]. [Visitation / burial details, if any.]
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that [donations be made to (charity / cause) / memories be shared at (memorial page link)].
[A closing line — one sentence about who they were and how loved they were.]
Once it's drafted, read it aloud to one other person who knew them. They'll catch a missing name or a date, and they'll often add the one detail that makes the whole thing feel like the person.
Two short obituary examples to follow
Here are two complete examples in different tones — one traditional, one warmer and more celebratory. Names and details are illustrative. Use whichever feels closest to the person you're writing for, and borrow the shape, not the words.
Example 1 — A traditional obituary
Margaret Anne Coleman, 84, of Burlington, Vermont, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2026, surrounded by her family.
Margaret was born on June 2, 1941, in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Walter and Eleanor Hayes. She graduated from Springfield High School and married James Coleman in 1962. Together they raised three children and built a home in Burlington, where Margaret worked as a registered nurse for over thirty years. She was a devoted member of St. Mary's Parish, an avid gardener, and never missed a grandchild's birthday.
She is survived by her husband, James; her children, David (Susan), Karen Mills (Robert), and Thomas Coleman; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Richard Hayes.
A funeral Mass will be held on March 15 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, 124 Allen Street, Burlington, with burial to follow at Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society. Margaret will be remembered for her quiet strength and her open door — there was always a place at her table.
Example 2 — A warm, celebratory obituary
We lost a great one. Raymond "Ray" Delgado, 67, of Austin, Texas, died on April 22, 2026, after a short illness — and almost certainly told a joke on the way out.
Ray was born in El Paso in 1958 and never met a stranger. He drove trucks for forty years, knew every diner on I-10 by name, and could fix anything with an engine. On weekends you'd find him at the grill, where his brisket was famous and his stories were better. He loved the Spurs, old country records, and his wife Linda's laugh more than anything.
Ray is survived by Linda, his wife of 41 years; his daughters, Maria and Sofia; four grandchildren who called him "Papa Ray"; and more friends than this page can hold. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Carlos.
We'll gather to celebrate Ray's life on May 3 at 4:00 p.m. at the Delgado family home — bring a story and an appetite. In lieu of flowers, share a memory of Ray on his memorial page so we can keep them all together.
Drive safe, Ray. We'll keep the grill warm.
Notice what the warm version does: it keeps every required part — name, age, town, date, survivors, gathering, donation wish — but lets his personality lead. Both are "correct." There's no single right voice; the right one is the one that sounds like them. If you're also speaking at the service, our eulogy examples and funeral poems can help you find the words.
Common mistakes to avoid
None of these are fatal, and a kind editor will forgive them — but they're easy to sidestep once you know to look.
- Spelling a name wrong. The most painful mistake to see in print. Triple-check every name, and ask family to verify spellings of relatives.
- Getting a date or detail wrong. Years of marriage, ages, the order of survivors — read it back against your notes.
- Leaving someone out. Decide early how far the survivor list reaches, and tell the family, so no one feels overlooked.
- Sharing the home address publicly. If the family is away for the service, listing the address in a public obituary can be a security risk.
- Writing it like a résumé. Jobs and dates matter, but one true detail about who they were is worth more than a full work history.
- Missing the newspaper's deadline or word limit. Confirm both before you write so you're not cutting at the last minute.
Submitting to newspapers & funeral homes
There are two common routes, and you can use both. Most families ask their funeral home to handle submission — they do it often, know the local papers, and can place the obituary as part of their service. If you'd rather submit directly to a newspaper, contact the paper's obituary desk (or use their online form) and ask about their format, deadline, word limit, and any photo requirements.
A few practical notes: newspapers usually charge to publish an obituary, often by the line, word, or column inch, and a photo can add to the cost. Send your text as plain, proofread copy, include a high-resolution photo if you have one, and ask for a proof before it runs so you can catch any errors. Give yourself a little buffer before the service date.
A newspaper obituary is short and, in time, it scrolls away. A free digital memorial page lets you publish their full story — every photo, a video, the music they loved, and the memories others add — and it stays online for family to visit and keep building. Many families publish the short obituary in the paper and link to the full memorial page in the "in lieu of flowers" line.
Create a free memorial pageGive their story more room than a few column inches
An obituary has to be brief. A life isn't. A free digital memorial page holds everything the newspaper can't fit: photos across the years, a video clip, the songs they loved, and the stories friends and family add over time. Share the link in the obituary so everyone who reads it can leave a memory.
It's free to create and takes about five minutes. Start the page now, paste in your obituary as the opening, and let it grow from there.
Create a free memorial page
What it costs
The digital memorial page is free to create — start free, paste in the obituary, gather everyone's photos and stories, and share the link in the printed notice. If you'd like a lasting marker later, the physical QR memorial plaque is a one-time keepsake with a small QR code that opens their memorial page (you'll see the current price on the product page). Begin with the page; add the plaque whenever you're ready. Planning the gathering too? See our celebration of life ideas.
How to write an obituary — FAQ
An obituary should include the person's full name and age, their date and place of birth and death, a short life story (career, passions, and the things they were known for), a list of surviving and predeceased family, the service or gathering details, any memorial or donation wishes, and a closing line about who they were. A photo is optional but common.
Most obituaries are 200 to 500 words. Newspapers often charge by length and may set a word limit, so a shorter version goes in print while the full story can live on a digital memorial page. There's no fixed rule — write what the person deserves, then trim to fit the format you're submitting to.
Start with the announcement of the death: the person's full name, age, the town they lived in, and the date they died. You can add a gentle phrase such as "passed away peacefully" or "surrounded by family" if it's true and the family wishes it. From there, move into their birth and life story.
Usually a close family member — a spouse, adult child, sibling, or another relative — writes the obituary, often with input from others. The funeral home can help, and some families ask a friend who writes well. It's perfectly normal to write it together, with several people contributing memories and one person pulling it into shape.
Newspapers typically charge to publish an obituary, often by the line, word, or column inch, and adding a photo can increase the cost. Prices vary widely by publication and region, so it's worth asking the paper's obituary desk for their rate and word limit before you write. A funeral home can also handle the submission for you.
Yes. Alongside (or instead of) a paid newspaper notice, you can create a free digital memorial page that holds the full story — photos, video, the songs they loved, and memories others add. It's free to create, stays online for family to visit, and you can share the link anywhere. Many families publish a short paid notice and link to the free memorial page for everything else.
Their story deserves more than a few lines — start a free memorial page.
Paste in the obituary, add their photos and the memories others bring, and keep it online for family to visit and add to.