Your loved one has just passed away. You and your family would like to write a meaningful obituary so that people are informed – they can honor and remember the deceased.

However, it is overwhelming when there are other things that need to be taken care of – and, as the matter of fact, not everyone is a good writer and many people have never written an obituary before. Therefore, we have put together some tips that we think might be helpful for families.

What To Include In An Obituary

Announcement of Death

Starting the obituary by announcing the death with one or two sentences, we can provide a brief explanation about the death, age, time, and the place where your loved one passed away.

Some families prefer keeping the cause of the death private. If the same is true for your family, sharing is optional. Another way is to keep things general by using languages like “struggling with a long illness” or “passed suddenly”. By doing that, you will not have to keep explaining to people over and over about what and how your loved one passed away.

Personal and Background Information

The obituary should include the following basic information:

• Full name of the deceased
• Age at the time of death
• Date and place of birth
• Date and place of death
• Hometown
• Address, City or Town at the time of death

Life Events and Important Milestones

You could provide a brief of the deceased’s background info such as his or her occupation, education, marriage or hobbies. Also, we suggest you should highlight important contributions and recognitions – what he or she achieved in life, and the impacts of your loved one on family, friends, and community.

A few questions to ask:

• What was the deceased’s personality? What does he or she like?
• What are the first three words that come to your mind when you think of your loved one?
• What did he or she do for a living? Does he or she have a title?
• What did he or she achieve in life?
• How do other people describe your loved one?
• Is there any interesting story that you would like other people to know?

Family and Relatives

List the family members and relatives, both living and deceased. While closed family members should be listed by name, others (cousins, nephews, and grandchildren) could be referred to in general.

Events/ Funeral Services

If your family is inviting people to the funeral, the next thing is to inform them of memorial or funeral details with the address and date.

Donation Details

Readers often want to honor and do something helpful for your loved one. If you have the option of making donations available, remember to include details to send at the end of the obituary. Finally, you can close your piece of writing with a few words summing up his or her life.

Tones and Languages

Your writing does not need to be too serious or too tragic. The tone of the obituary usually depends on the deceased’s personality and how you feel about him or her. We suggest using your own feeling and deciding what is appropriate. Take some time to think of your loved one’s life and how he or she would want to be remembered.

Moreover, be straightforward in your writing and not keep it too long. It is recommended that you choose one to two highlights and elaborate them with stories and examples.

Another recommendation is to be flexible in your languages and expressions. For example, “died” could be replaced with “passed away”, “departed this world” or “went to join his Lord”.

Review Your Writing

Once complete, you should proofread your work or ask someone in your family for review. Make sure that:

• • All the information is correct.
  • There are no grammar or spelling mistakes.
  • The obit is easy to read.
  • The details of funeral service and donation are correct and clear enough.

All in all, a good obituary should be informative and written from the heart. No two pieces of writing are alike. Therefore, we suggest you be relaxed, take some time reflecting on your loved one’s life.

Here at Going Home Cremations, we offer premium obituaries for FREE. We provide professional cremation and funeral services at a reasonable price, helping you and your family overcome the loss of your loved one. Please contact Going Home Cremation – For further information, please visit  Our Affordable Cremation Page or Call Us For All Other Requests.