How to Write an Obituary: A Simple Template and Two Examples

Where it will appear and why that matters

Most obituaries appear on the funeral home's website, in a newspaper or on its website, and on social media. The funeral home version is usually free and can be any length. Newspapers often charge by the line, which is why many families run a brief notice in print and a longer version online. Ask the funeral home about print deadlines before you start; a notice with service details has to run before the service.

The basic structure

Almost every obituary follows the same order, and readers expect it. If you are stuck, this order will carry you through.

• The announcement: full name, age, the town they lived in, and the date of death. Many families add where they died, such as at home or at a named hospice.
• Early life: where and when they were born, their parents' names, where they grew up, school.
• Adult life: work, service, marriage, where they lived, what they built or cared for.
• Character: the things people will recognize. Their humor, their garden, the dog, the Sunday phone calls, the way they never left a party without a plate of leftovers.
• Survivors: spouse or partner, children and their spouses, grandchildren, siblings, and anyone else the family wants named. Then those who died before them.
• Service details: date, time, place of visitation, service, and burial or committal, and whether the public is welcome.
• Closing: memorial gifts, thanks to caregivers, or a single line in the person's spirit.

A fill-in template

Copy this and replace the bracketed parts. Delete anything that does not fit. You do not have to use every paragraph.

• [Full name], [age], of [town], died [date] [at home / at (place)] [surrounded by family / after a long illness / unexpectedly].
• [First name] was born in [town, state] to [parent names] and grew up in [place]. [He/She/They] graduated from [school] [and went on to (further study or service)].
• In [year], [first name] married [spouse name], and together they [raised a family in / built a life in] [place]. [First name] worked as [role] at [employer or field] for [number] years [and was known for (a quality at work)].
• [Two or three sentences about what they loved and how people will remember them. One concrete detail is worth more than three adjectives.]
• [First name] is survived by [spouse]; [children and their spouses]; [grandchildren]; [siblings]; and [others]. [He/She/They] was preceded in death by [names].
• [A visitation / A celebration of life / A funeral service] will be held on [day, date] at [time] at [place, town]. [Burial will follow at (cemetery) / A private burial will be held.] [All who knew (first name) are welcome.]
• [In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to (cause).] [The family thanks (caregivers).]

A short example, about 120 words

This is the length that fits a printed newspaper notice without a large bill, and it still sounds like a person.

Margaret "Peggy" Alvarez, 83, of Kerrville, died peacefully at home on September 21, 2026. Born in San Antonio to Luis and Rosa Delgado, she taught third grade for 31 years and never stopped correcting anyone's grammar, including the pastor's. She loved her tomato plants, late-night card games, and any excuse to feed people. Peggy is survived by her husband of 59 years, Frank; children Elena (Mark) Ruiz and David (Jen) Alvarez; five grandchildren; and her sister Carmen. A rosary will be held Friday, September 26 at 6 p.m. at Grimes Funeral Chapel, with a funeral Mass Saturday at 10 a.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Church. Memorial gifts may be made to the Kerrville public library's children's program.

A longer example, about 320 words

Online, you have room to breathe. This version shows how to add detail without losing the structure.

Thomas Reed Okafor, 67, of Dayton, Ohio, died on October 2, 2026, at Hospice of Dayton, with his family at his side and a baseball game on the radio.

Tom was born in Cleveland to Samuel and Grace Okafor and grew up the middle of five children in a house where, as he liked to say, you learned to talk fast or go hungry. He graduated from Glenville High School and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Dayton, where he met Linda Marsh in a physics lab. They married in 1984 and stayed in Dayton to raise their three children.

Tom spent 34 years at a local manufacturing firm, most of them as a plant engineer. Coworkers remember him as the person who would stop whatever he was doing to help a new hire figure out a machine. At home he coached more youth soccer teams than anyone can count, fixed every neighbor's lawnmower, and made a chili that was, by his own admission, too hot for everyone but him.

He loved long drives with no destination, old jazz records, and the quiet hour before anyone else woke up. He was not a man of many words, but the ones he used were kind.

Tom is survived by his wife, Linda; his children, Daniel (Priya) Okafor, Rebecca Okafor-Hill (James), and Michael Okafor; grandchildren Amara, Josiah, Leah and Sam; his brothers Paul and Isaac; and his sisters Ruth and Joy. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, October 11, at 2 p.m. at Riverview Community Center, 1820 Ridge Avenue, Dayton. Everyone who knew Tom is welcome, and comfortable clothes are encouraged; he would have insisted. The family suggests memorial gifts to Hospice of Dayton, whose staff cared for Tom and for all of us with extraordinary gentleness.

What to leave out for safety

Obituaries are public and permanent, and people who steal identities and burgle empty homes read them. A few small omissions protect the family without taking anything away from the tribute.

• Leave out the home address. Say the town, not the street. If a reception is at the family home, give that detail by phone or in the program, not in the published obituary.
• Leave out the exact date of birth. Age, or the birth year alone, is enough. Full name plus exact birth date plus mother's maiden name is most of what a thief needs.
• Think twice about the mother's maiden name, since it is still a common security question. Many families include it anyway; just know the trade-off.
• Leave out anything about an inheritance, and skip ages for minor children.

Small choices that come up

Died or passed away: both are fine. Use the word your family uses.

Cause of death: you do not owe anyone this. If you include it, one phrase is enough, such as after a short illness. Families who have lost someone to suicide or overdose sometimes choose to say so plainly in the hope it helps another family; others do not. Both are right.

Complicated families: name a partner as a partner. Include a stepchild as a child if that is how they lived. Leave out an estranged relative, or include them with no commentary. The obituary is not the place to settle anything.

Humor: if the person was funny, let one line be funny. It will be the line people remember.

Before you send it

• Have one other person read it aloud, slowly. Ears catch what eyes skip.
• Check every name, especially spouses' names and spellings of grandchildren.
• Confirm service times against what the funeral home has booked, not against memory.
• Save a copy. You will want the words later for the program or a memory book.