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How to Write an Obituary: Step-by-Step Guide, Template and Examples

Funerals · 13 min read · First published 2026 · Updated November 2026

Stacked books with a pen resting on an open notebook
Photo by Mikhail Pavstyuk on Unsplash

Writing an obituary while you are grieving is a strange job. You are asked to sum up a life in a few paragraphs, and to get the facts exactly right, at a time when you may not feel like doing either. Take a breath. An obituary is not a test. It is a way of telling people that someone has died, and of saying a little about who they were.

Key points

  • An obituary announces a death, shares a short life story, and tells people about services and how to remember the person.
  • A fuller obituary is often a few hundred words. A short death notice can be much shorter.
  • Include the full name, date and place of death, a few life details, surviving family, and service information. Leave out anything that could help someone steal an identity, such as a full birth date or a home address.
  • Newspapers usually charge by length, from under $100 to as much as about $2,000 in some big-city papers. Online notices are often included or cheap, and social media posts are free.
  • You can write it yourself, ask a friend to help, or ask your funeral home. There is a fill-in template and three samples below.

Writing the eulogy too? The obituary and the eulogy come from the same memories, so it helps to gather them once. If you'd rather write by hand, the eulogy workbook is coming soon.

Want to go straight to the fill-in-the-blank part? Obituary Template and Examples has five templates and nine sample obituaries, and a printable version of our obituary template is planned.

What an obituary is (and isn't)

An obituary is a notice of death with a short biography. A death notice is smaller still, usually just the facts: name, dates, and service details. Some newspapers run death notices for free and charge only for a full obituary.

You aren't writing the whole story of someone's life, and you don't need to cover everything. Pick the details that make them recognizable to the people who loved them.

Step 1: Gather the facts

Before you write, collect the basics. It helps to have a family member double-check them.

  • Full legal name, and the name they were known by (a nickname, or a married or maiden name)
  • Age at death, and date and place of death
  • Where they were born and raised, and where they lived
  • Parents' names (optional), and the names of spouse or partner, children, siblings and grandchildren
  • Family members who died before them (often written as "preceded in death by")
  • Education, work, military service, and community or faith involvement
  • Hobbies, passions, and what they were known for
  • Service details: date, time, place, and whether the public is welcome
  • Where to send memorial gifts or donations, if you wish

Take time to spell every name correctly and decide how to handle sensitive family situations. If you are unsure who to list or how to describe a relationship, ask a close family member before it goes to print.

Step 2: Decide where it will be published

Think about who needs to know. Common places include:

  • A local newspaper, particularly if the person was well known in a small town
  • A funeral home website, which often posts a notice at no extra charge as part of its services
  • An online memorial site, where friends can leave messages
  • Social media, such as a post from a family member, which is free and reaches people quickly
  • A hometown paper or a community or faith bulletin, if they lived somewhere else earlier in life, or were part of a particular group

Many families write one longer version for online use, and a shorter version for the newspaper, where space is expensive. Funeral directors often submit the notice for you, so ask.

Step 3: Write it, one piece at a time

The opening

Start with the announcement: name, age, where they lived, the date of death and, if you like, where they died. You can mention how they died if you want, such as "after a long illness" or "peacefully at home," but you don't have to. Whether to give the cause of death is your family's choice.

Eleanor Marie, 84, of Maple Grove, passed away peacefully on March 3, surrounded by her family.

A short life story

Tell the story in a few lines: where they were born, where they grew up, work, and the milestones that mattered to them. This doesn't have to be in order. You can lead with what they cared about most.

What made them them

This is the heart of the obituary. A few specific details are worth far more than a list of qualities. "Mom kept the bird feeders full all winter and knew every sparrow by its song" says more than "Mom loved nature."

Humor is welcome if it fits them. So is faith, if it was central to who they were.

Family

Name the survivors and the family who died before them. A simple way to write it is "She is survived by her husband, ... ; her children, ... ; and her grandchildren, ...."

If listing everyone is long, you may say "and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends." If someone's role is complicated, you can leave out the label and just use names. Include chosen family and close friends if you wish. If a beloved pet is waiting at home, you can mention that too. Many families do.

Service information

Give the date, time and place of the service, and say whether it is open to the public. If the service is private, say so clearly and kindly. If you plan to livestream, say how to join.

Memorial gifts and closing

You can suggest donations to a cause that mattered to them ("In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to ..."), or leave it out. It's also fine to end with a short sentence from the family, such as a thank-you to caregivers.

What to include and what to leave out

Keep in mind that an obituary is public, and that it can stay online for years. Identity thieves may watch obituaries for personal details they can use. A few simple precautions protect your loved one and your family.

Include

  • Full name, age, and city or town of residence
  • Date of death and place (such as "at home" or the name of a hospital or hospice)
  • A few life highlights and special interests
  • Survivors, in the way your family chooses
  • Service details and memorial instructions

Think twice about

  • A full date of birth. Age alone is usually enough, or give the year of birth or the month and day without the year. A full birth date is one of the details used to impersonate someone.
  • Home address. The city or town is plenty. Don't list a street address.
  • A Social Security number or other account numbers. These never belong in a notice. Be careful with a mother's maiden name too, since banks sometimes use it as a security question. "Daughter of the late ..." is lovely, but you may prefer to leave the maiden name out.
  • The date and time the house will be empty. If you are publishing service details, consider asking a trusted neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your home during the service.
  • Details that might cause family conflict. If you are not sure how to describe a complicated relationship, a simple list of names is enough.
  • The cause of death, if the family would rather keep it private. You are not required to say.

Beyond the obituary, it's wise to let the credit bureaus and creditors know about the death. Until they're told, the person's accounts stay open, and thieves count on that delay. What to Do When Someone Dies

What does it cost?

Costs vary a great deal. According to Legacy.com, an average newspaper obituary costs anywhere from under $100 to $800 or more, and a longer, more personal one can reach about $2,000 in some large cities. Papers usually charge by the line or inch, and extra days, a photograph and a bigger city all add cost. In a 2025 table from Tributes.com, a Legacy.com partner, a short notice of about 150 words cost about $85 in Everett, Washington, and about $780 in New York City. Prices change often, so ask your paper for its current rate.

Some newspapers will print a very short death notice for free. A paper's online version is usually included or costs a little extra. A funeral home's website notice is typically part of its service price, and posting on social media is free.

If cost is a worry, you can:

  • Run a short version in the paper that points to a longer online version
  • Ask the newspaper for its rate before you write, and ask about word limits
  • Post the full obituary on a funeral home page, an online memorial page or social media, and share the link

A fill-in-the-blank template

Copy this and fill in what applies. Delete what doesn't.

[Full name], [age], of [city, state], [passed away / died] [peacefully / unexpectedly / after a long illness / leave out] on [month, day, year] [at home / at name of place / surrounded by family].

Born in [city] [in year, or leave out] to [parents' first names], [he/she/they] [grew up in ... / graduated from ... in year].

[He/She/They] worked as [job] for [number] years at [employer / or "was proud to be a homemaker, volunteer, etc."]. [He/She/They] [served in ... / belonged to ...].

[Name] was known for [specific detail: love of ..., a habit, a saying, a hobby]. [Name] loved [list 2 or 3 things] and was happiest when [specific detail].

[Name] is survived by [spouse/partner]; [children and their partners]; [grandchildren]; [siblings]; and many [nieces, nephews, cousins and friends]. [Name] was preceded in death by [parents, spouse, children, siblings].

A [funeral / memorial service / celebration of life] will be held on [date] at [time] at [place and city]. [Burial/interment will follow at ... / Private family burial / Livestream link].

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to [charity name], or to a cause that was dear to [Name]. [Optional: The family would like to thank ... for their kind care.]

If you want a ready-made, printable version, may be helpful, but you don't need one. The template above will do the job.

A printable version of this template, ready to fill in by hand, is planned. For short-notice, celebration-of-life, faith-centered and other templates, see Obituary Template and Examples.

Three short examples

These are original examples with made-up people. We've used first names only to keep them easy to read; yours will use the full name.

A brief, traditional notice

Harold, 91, of Riverton, died on April 12 at Riverton Care Center. Born in Dayton, Ohio, he served in the Army and worked as a machinist for 38 years. He loved gardening, crossword puzzles and Saturday baseball on the radio. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dorothy; his children, Karen (Ray) and David; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson. A graveside service will be held Friday, April 18, at 11 a.m. at Riverton Memorial Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to the Riverton Public Library.

A warmer, more personal notice

Maria Elena, 67, of Tucson, died peacefully at home on September 9, with her family beside her.

Maria was a kindergarten teacher for thirty years and could settle a classroom with a single raised eyebrow. She believed that every child could learn to read, and she kept a shoebox of thank-you notes from former students. Her tamales at Christmas were famous, and she never once shared the recipe, though she shared everything else.

She is survived by her husband, Luis; her daughters, Elena and Camila; her sister, Rosa; and her grandchildren, Mateo, Lucía and Noah, who called her Abuela and thought she could fix anything. A Mass will be held on Saturday, September 14, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, with a gathering to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to a local children's reading program.

A light-hearted notice

Leonard "Len", 78, of Lakeside, picked his last tomato on June 21. He gardened for six decades and swore that he grew a pumpkin in 1987 that was "easily the size of a Buick." His family accepts this version as fact.

Len ran a hardware store for thirty-five years, where he sold nails by the pound, advice for free and jokes at no extra charge. He sang loudly and often, and he never met a stranger. He leaves his wife, Patty; his children, Lisa and Rob; his nephew, Marty; five grandchildren; and a dog named Rusty, who will be well looked after.

A celebration of life will be held at Lakeside Park on Saturday, July 6, at 2 p.m. Wear something comfortable, and bring your best Len story. In lieu of flowers, please buy someone a coffee and tell them they're doing a good job.

Want more samples? Obituary Template and Examples has obituary examples for a mother, a father, a grandparent, a young adult, a veteran, a much-loved pet and more.

A few last tips

  • Read it aloud, then have someone else read it for typos. Errors in names and dates are the most common mistakes.
  • Ask permission before naming people or sharing sensitive details.
  • Keep a copy of the final version. Families often treasure it for the family record.
  • Photographs are a lovely touch. Choose a clear one that looks like them, often a smiling picture from their later years or a favorite from earlier on.
  • It's not too late if you forgot something. You can post an updated version online or share more at the service.
  • Pets often deserve a line, too. Many people are touched to see a dog or cat named.

If you also need a eulogy for the service, Tips for Writing a Eulogy can help, and Eulogy Examples has samples you can borrow from.

If you'd like a reading for the service or a few lines for the memorial card, Funeral Poems has more choices.

Ready to write the eulogy? Once the obituary is done, work through the eulogy workbook at your own pace, one page at a time. You can also print our obituary template to fill in by hand.

Sources

Written by Words to Comfort

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