Sample Obituary

An obituary, or obit for short, is a news article that announces a person’s death, offering an account of their life and details about the forthcoming funeral. There is no legal requirement to have an obituary when someone dies. However, an obituary, or an online death notice, can be a good way to share news of the death with family, friends, and the local community.

How do you write a simple obituary?

An obituary needs to have the information that people need to know. You can add information like:

Announcement
It is important to state the deceased's full name, along with their dates of birth and death. You may wish to consider placing a photograph (which can appear in black and white) along with the text for an additional charge.

Biographical Information   
Recount, in a concise manner, the significant events in the life of the deceased. This may include the schools he or she attended and any degrees attained as well as their vocations or interests.

Survivors and Predeceased Information
It is customary to list family members who have survived the deceased, as well as immediate family members who predeceased him or her, including:

• Parents
• Spouse/partner and children (with their spouses’/partners’ names also noted in brackets, if applicable)
• Adopted children
• Stepchildren
• Siblings
• Half and step-siblings
• Grandchildren
• Surviving in-laws

These surviving relatives should be listed by name. Other relatives need not be mentioned by name but may be referenced in terms of their relationship to the deceased: for example, the obituary may say that the deceased leaves behind five grandchildren, seven nieces, etc.

Scheduled Services
Provide details of the scheduled services, including the time, date, and address. These may include the funeral, visitations, burial, and memorial service as applicable.

Memorials
Give the name and mailing address of a foundation or society to which you wish to direct any memorial donations made in honor of your loved one. The decision as to which foundation or society to support may be based upon interests or values that your loved one expressed during life or related to a medical condition which he or she had. We recommend you refrain from using the phrase ‘ in lieu of flowers ’ when requesting memorial donations. Instead, start the final paragraph of the obituary with the words ‘ Memorial donations may be made to … .'

After downloading this sample obituary and filling in the blanks, you can easily customize the style, typography, details, and appearance of your Call sheet template. If this isn't the right letter that you are looking for, then certainly take a look at the other letters that Bizzlibrary.com has to offer. We have many letters ranging from cover letters to business letters and thank you notes.