How to Write a Meaningful Obituary

After a loved one dies, you may be asked to write a meaningful obituary for a newspaper, social media platform, and/or website. Even if you’ve never written “obit” before, you can do it now by following a few simple steps.

At the very least, an obituary informs people that someone has died and includes funeral, memorial, and/or burial details.

At best, obituaries can summarize a person’s life and legacy.

This article explains how to write a meaningful obituary. You’ll learn what to include and why it’s important to double-check your facts.

Check the exchange rate first

Before you send an obituary to a publisher, call or check details that may determine the length of the obituary.

Some newspapers charge between $200 and $500 for a “short” obit (usually up to 300 words) and up to $1,000 for a “long”. Most charge a small fee to include a photo.

If it’s necessary to trim the length of an obbit, you’ll probably want to do it yourself rather than letting a stranger do it.

In contrast, digital obituaries are generally free. And some platforms allow family members, friends, and neighbors to send their condolences and memories below the obit. In this way, it can become a keepsake.

Write Obituaries

Gather the information you need and then choose your preferred tool: Pen and paper or a calculator. Arrange the obituary in the following way:

Basic information

Starts with:

• Full name of the deceased
• Their age
• Their date and place of birth
• Date and place of death
• Where do the deceased live?
• Cause of death (which family may want to keep)

Summary of life

Provide a brief summary of the deceased person’s life, starting from birth and working later. Think of yourself as a storyteller. You will tell the story of someone’s life.

You can, frankly, move from one reality to another. Or you can be more sincere. There’s really no “right way” to write an obituary. Find a published obituary you like that can give you an idea of ​​your writing style.

Either way, try to be selective about the information you include. Ask yourself:

• Did the reader find this information interesting?
• Does it help “continue the story”?
• Does the anecdote reflect anything the deceased was known to?

List of relatives

List relatives, both living and deceased. Include the full names of the deceased’s parents, siblings, and children, as well as the person’s spouse/partner. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, uncles, and family members should also be mentioned.

Enter the total number of grandchildren or great-grandchildren. You don’t have to list them by name.

Children’s partners are cited in the obituary in parentheses, after the child’s name. It usually looks like this: “Survived by daughter Jane (John) Smith.”

Funeral or Memorial details

Funerals and memorials have changed a lot in the past 20 years. In fact, today many families say goodbye to loved ones with a “longevity” event, or a hot air balloon launch.

You may fear that a non-traditional memorial will make your writing job more difficult. But it shouldn’t. Just sharing information you know should be your main goal anyway. Using the journalist’s order of preference is:

Make sure to include any information that readers might appreciate if they want to attend the service. At the very least, the obituary should include the name and phone number of the funeral home or a website dedicated to the life of the deceased.

donations

It’s common these days to ask readers to give up sending flowers to support a charity or memorial fund.

The choice is up to the family. Just be sure to name the charity or memorial fund to which the donations will be sent. An address is also helpful.

Fact check

Obituaries are not just a matter of public record. They can become lifelong keepsakes for those left behind.

So take your time and get the right names. Make sure you spell the deceased’s name correctly, as well as the names of other family members or loved ones you mention.

Include middle names, initials, and distinctive markings such as “Jr.”, “Sr.” and “Dr.” Misrepresentation as “John Smith, Jr.” seems like a minor problem but the family will surely notice.

Ask at least one trusted person to proofread your obituary for errors or omissions. Then read it aloud, as many readers can.

Sometimes, ears are better than eyes when it comes to improving the tone of a story.

Summary

Structuring an obituary is primarily a matter of choice; no two are alike. But readers expect to learn some general information about the deceased, including background facts, a life summary, a list of loved ones, and details of final service.

Before you get too busy writing, check out the current rates that newspapers and online platforms charge to run an obit. The price difference can affect your preferred word count.