Obituary Template

An obituary is usually written in memory of a friend or family member who has passed away. It is a brief note informing others who knew the person about his/her passing away, his/her life story, his/her achievements in short, who all he left behind, how much he will be missed by his family and friends etc. Not everyone in this world knows everyone, hence it's important that you know how to write an obituary. It should be written in a way, so that even strangers who never knew the person, feel as if even they have lost an important person in their life, so that even they know what kind of a person the deceased was. Here are some steps to write the perfect obituary, and the obituary template given below will give you an idea as to what to include in the obituary.

Steps to Write an Obituary

The obituary of a simple person should be written in a way that would attract the attention of all. Writing an obituary is not that difficult, if you just follow the tips given below.

• You can go through some other obituaries and that will give you an idea as to how an obituary is written. Make sure that you do not copy the template exactly. You just need to get an idea as to what to write.
• Just because it's an obituary that does not mean that you only have to write about the death of the person. Also write about what kind of life he had led, what was he famous for (among their family), some funny incidents from his life etc.
• Decide on who all to mention from among the family members in the obituary. Make sure that people, who belonged to the inner circle of the family, are mentioned without fail.
• Make sure there are no silly mistakes. Proofread the obituary again and again and again. Sometimes it happens that people forget to give either the birth date, or sometimes even the date the person died. Also make sure that the name of the deceased is mentioned properly and that there are no mistakes while mentioning the various relations. The obituary should be complete and accurate.
• Keep the whole thing lively. I know that writing about someone who is no more, is difficult, but that does not mean why the obituary should be all mournful. Talk about what the person had done during his lifetime, how he had lived his life etc. Let others know more about the deceased.
• Do not forget to mention the name, date and the time when the funeral is going to take place.
• Keep the obituary, which you are going to write for the newspaper, short and simple and keep a long one for the funeral as well as one for the family.

Here are some things that you have to mention in an obituary:

1. Name of the deceased
2. His/her age at the time of death, birth date and day of death.
3. Educational background and professional qualifications.
4. Achievements in life.
5. Family members.
6. Date, time and place of funeral.

Now that you know how to write an obituary, let us check out a template.

Name and Announcement: Name of the deceased (full name) Place the person was staying at the time of death Day and date of death Age at the time of death Cause of death Life Story of the Deceased: Parent's name Siblings Education Married to Children (if any) Grandchildren Friends Hobbies, special interest etc Major achievements in life Some interesting stories about the person Survived by: Whoever the person left behind in this world and also mention where they stay and do not forget how they were related to the deceased. Memorial Service: Where it will be held When it will it be held Place of interment Number to call in case of any emergency End: Memorial funds, donations etc Thank note to people Few words to sum up the life of the deceased.

You can also check out some obituary examples which will help you to get a clear idea about writing an obituary. Now that you have the template, as well as an obituary sample format, it will be easier for you to write an obituary. Just follow the above tips. The obituary might be the only thing that will be written for some people and it should be able to describe the person, for whom it is written, well. I hope the above steps might be of help to you.