How To Write an Obituary Notice

An obituary notice has two functions:

1. To notify friends, family and colleagues of the death.

2. To give specific details concerning the funeral service.

Some alternative functions could be:

1. Memorial donations information: "In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ...."

2. To list surviving members of the family and pay tribute to those predeceased (so friends/family can identify the deceased).

3. To announce special thanks to care workers, hospital staff, clergy, etc.

Obituaries can be written at the time of death or before. Many people find it helpful to write their own obituary notice in advance for the following reasons:

1. The surviving family members might not remember, or struggle to find, specific dates (birth, employment, retirement, previous deaths).

2. They might not know proper spellings of people's names, places, companies or organizations.

3. They might not know all of the deceased's memberships to volunteer organizations and community clubs.

4. It could specify a favorite charity for donations that the surviving family wouldn't have thought of.

Some people find that they can save money by placing a shorter obituary notice into their local newspaper and making use of the longer version as part of the eulogy said by the clergy, family member or friend.

When sitting down to write an obituary, for yourself or that of a loved one, take the categories below into consideration. The headings usually represent the order of topics introduced within the obituary. Headings 3 to 9 are usually placed all within the "Family" paragraph which lists the surviving family members, as well as those who predeceased. Headings 10 to 12 can be placed in one paragraph to describe the person's life; their hobbies, employment, past times and memberships.

If you would like sample obituaries to compare yours to, for structure and grammar, please visit our Obituary Page or your local newspaper's Death Notice Section.

Resource: http://www.nbardal.mb.ca/obitaryform.html