Obituary Examples: Copy-and-Adapt Templates & Samples
Obituary Examples: Copy-and-Adapt Templates & Samples
Writing an obituary when you are grieving is hard, and a blank page is harder. These are complete, copy-able examples — a short one, a traditional full-length one, ones for a mother and a father, one for a young or sudden loss, and a faith-based one. Each uses fictional names and [bracketed placeholders] you replace with your loved one's details. Start from the one that fits, and make it theirs.
What does a good obituary look like?
A good obituary follows a simple, dignified structure: an announcement of the death (name, age, town and date), a short telling of the person's life (birth, family, work, passions), the family they leave behind and any who passed before them, the service or memorial details, and where to send flowers or donations. It does not need to be long — a few warm, specific paragraphs are enough. The best ones use real, concrete details (the way she laughed, the team he never gave up on) rather than generic phrases. You can start from a template and adapt it; the examples below are written to be copied and made your own.
The structure most obituaries follow
Before the examples, it helps to know the shape. Nearly every obituary moves through the same five parts, in this order:
- The announcement — full name (and nickname), age, town, and the date they died.
- The life story — where and when they were born, family, work, faith, the things they loved.
- The family — who survives them, and who passed before them.
- The service — when and where the funeral, memorial or celebration of life will be held.
- Flowers or donations — where to send sympathy, or a charity in lieu of flowers.
You do not have to be a writer. Pick the example closest to your situation, swap in the real names, dates and details where you see [brackets], and trust the specific memories — they are what people will recognise. If you want the full method behind these, our guide to how to write an obituary walks through it step by step.
1 & 2 — A short obituary, and a traditional one
Start here if you need something quickly, or if the newspaper charges by the line. The short version covers the essentials with dignity; the traditional version tells the fuller story.
A short, simple obituary
Margaret "Peggy" Ellis, [age], of [town, state], passed away peacefully on [date] surrounded by her family. Born on [birth date] in [birthplace], she spent [her life / her career] as a [occupation] and was known for [a defining trait — her quick wit / her open kitchen]. She is survived by her [husband/wife] [Name], her children [Names], and [number] grandchildren. A [funeral / memorial] service will be held on [date] at [place, time]. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to [charity].
A traditional, full-length obituary
James R. Carter, [age], of [town, state], died on [date] at [home / hospital] after [a long illness / a short illness], with his family at his side.
Born on [date] in [birthplace] to [parents' names], James grew up [detail — on a dairy farm / in a house full of music]. He married [Name] on [date], and together they [raised three children / built a life over 40 years]. For [number] years he worked as a [occupation] at [company], where he was admired for [trait]. Away from work he loved [hobbies — fishing the [river], the [team], his Sunday crosswords].
James is survived by his [wife/husband] [Name]; his children [Names and spouses]; his [number] grandchildren; and his [siblings]. He was preceded in death by his [parents / a child / a spouse], [Names].
A service celebrating his life will be held on [date] at [time] at [place]. [Visitation will be held on (date and time).] In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [charity] in his memory.
3 & 4 — For a mother or grandmother, for a father or grandfather
These lean a little warmer, the way we tend to write for a parent. Keep the specific, ordinary details — they are the ones that ache and comfort at once.
For a mother or grandmother
Rosa Maria Delgado, [age], the beloved mother and grandmother who held our family together, passed away on [date] at her home in [town].
Born in [birthplace] on [date], Rosa came to [place] in [year] and made every house she lived in feel full. She raised [number] children on [her own / alongside her husband (Name)], worked as a [occupation], and could stretch a Sunday meal to feed anyone who knocked. Her grandchildren knew her for [a detail — her singing in the kitchen / the rosary she carried]. She loved [her garden / her telenovelas / her church].
Rosa is survived by her children [Names], her [number] grandchildren and [number] great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband [Name].
A Mass / memorial will be held on [date] at [place]. Donations in her memory may be made to [charity].
For a father or grandfather
Walter "Walt" Jennings, [age], of [town], passed away on [date]. He was a [husband, father, grandfather and friend] to many.
Born [date] in [birthplace], Walt served [number] years in the [branch of service] before coming home to [build a career / take over the family business] as a [occupation]. He married [Name] in [year]; they shared [number] years together. He coached [Little League / the school team] for [number] seasons, fixed anything you handed him, and was at his happiest [in the garage / at the lake / behind the grill].
Walt is survived by his [wife] [Name]; his children [Names]; his [number] grandchildren; and his brother [Name]. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister [Name].
A celebration of Walt's life will be held [date and place]. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to [charity].
5 & 6 — For a young or sudden loss, and a faith-based one
Some losses are far too soon, and some families want their faith to carry the words. These two are written for those moments.
For a young person, or a sudden loss
Daniel "Danny" Brooks, [age], of [town], was taken from us far too soon on [date]. His loss leaves a silence none of us was ready for.
Born on [date], Danny was [in his last year of college / just starting out / a new father]. He had a gift for [making people laugh / music / fixing broken things] and a way of [showing up when you needed him]. In [his short years / her short years] he gave us [enough memories to last / a love we will carry forward].
Danny is survived by his [parents] [Names], his [siblings] [Names], and [his partner / so many friends who loved him].
A service will be held on [date] at [place]. The family asks that, in his memory, you [hold your people close / support (cause or charity)].
A faith-based obituary
Ruth Anne Caldwell, [age], of [town], went home to be with her Lord on [date], surrounded by the family she loved and the faith that carried her.
Born [date] in [birthplace], Ruth gave her life to [her church / her faith] and to her family. She [taught Sunday school for (number) years / sang in the choir / opened her home to anyone in need]. She married [Name] in [year], and together they raised [number] children in the faith. Her favourite verse was [reference], and she lived it.
Ruth is survived by her children [Names] and [number] grandchildren, and was preceded in death by her husband [Name], whom she has now joined.
A service of remembrance will be held on [date] at [church]. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to [church or charity].
A few gentle tips before you publish
- Choose specific over general. "She crossed her sevens like a European" says more than "she was special". One true, small detail does the most work.
- Read names and dates twice. Have one other family member check spellings, the order of survivors, and the service details — these are the parts people notice.
- Decide what to leave out. Some families omit the exact age, the cause of death, or the home address for privacy. That is entirely your choice.
- Mind the length if the paper charges by the line. Newspapers usually bill per line or column inch, so trim to the short version if cost is a concern.
- An obituary is a beginning, not the whole story. A few paragraphs can only hold so much. The eulogy carries more — our eulogy examples can help with that — and a memorial page can hold everything else.
An obituary is short and, in a newspaper, temporary. A free digital memorial page becomes the permanent home for the full story — every photo across the years, a video, the music they loved, and the memories friends and family keep adding long after the paper is recycled.
Create a free memorial pageWhere the rest of the story lives
An obituary gives a few hundred words; a life is so much larger. A free digital memorial page holds their photographs across the decades, a video, the music they loved, and the memories family and friends add over time — everything an obituary can only point toward. And a QR plaque can link it to a headstone, an urn or a garden stone, so the full story is one scan away.
It is free to create and takes about five minutes. A QR plaque is optional and comes later — the page is the heart of it.
Create a free memorial page
The permanent home an obituary points toward
The digital memorial page is free to create — start free and gather everyone's photos, video and memories in one place that does not expire when the newspaper does. The physical QR memorial plaque is an optional keepsake: mount it on a headstone, an urn or a garden stone and it opens that same page with a scan (you will see the current price on the product page). The page is the heart of it; add the plaque whenever you are ready.
Obituary examples — FAQ
A complete obituary includes the announcement of the death (full name, age, town and date), a short account of the person's life (birth, family, work, passions and faith), the family who survive them and those who passed before them, the service or memorial details, and where to send flowers or donations. You can include as much or as little as the family wishes — there is no fixed rule. Specific, real details matter more than length.
There is no set length — most run between about 200 and 500 words. A short, dignified obituary can cover the essentials in a single paragraph, while a fuller tribute tells more of the life story. If the newspaper charges by the line or column inch, many families trim to a shorter version and keep the longer story for a memorial page or eulogy. Write what feels right, then edit for cost and clarity.
Most obituaries open with the announcement: the person's full name (and nickname), their age, their town, and the date and place they died. A common opening is "[Name], [age], of [town], passed away on [date]." From there you can add a gentle phrase about how they died if the family wishes — peacefully, surrounded by family, after a long illness. Keep the first line clear and factual; the warmth comes in the paragraphs that follow.
A good example follows the standard structure but uses concrete, specific details. For instance: "Margaret 'Peggy' Ellis, 78, of Madison, passed away peacefully on June 1 surrounded by her family. Known for her open kitchen and her quick wit, she is survived by her husband Tom, her three children, and six grandchildren. A memorial service will be held June 7 at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the local food bank." The samples on this page are written to be copied and adapted with your own names and details.
Usually a close family member writes it — a spouse, an adult child, a sibling or a parent. Often it is a shared effort, with several relatives contributing memories and one person pulling it together. If the family prefers, a funeral home will help draft it, or a friend or hired writer can do so. There is no rule about who writes it; what matters is that it reflects the person honestly.
Costs vary widely. Many funeral homes and online memorial sites publish an obituary at no charge, while newspapers typically charge a publication fee — often billed per line, per column inch or as a flat rate, with extra for a photo or to run in a major paper. Fees differ a great deal by publication and region, so it is best to ask the specific paper for current pricing. To keep newspaper costs down, families often run a short version in print and post the full obituary online for free.
Related guides
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Bible verses for funerals
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Eulogy examples & how to write one
A simple framework plus full examples to adapt. -
How to write an obituary
Steps, a template, and what to include.
You wrote the obituary — now give the whole story a permanent home, free, in 5 minutes.
Start a memorial page, gather everyone's photos and memories, and link it to a headstone, an urn or a garden stone with an optional QR plaque.