You need to follow certain rules while writing an obituary for someone. Refer this template which gives you an idea of how to do it the right way.
An obituary is usually written in memory of a friend, relative, or family member who has passed away. It acknowledges and informs others about the person’s passing away. It is a brief note that speaks about their life story, achievements, survivors, and how much will they be missed. Not everyone in this world knows everyone, hence it is important that you know how to write an obituary. It should be written in such a way, that even strangers and people who never met the deceased, should feel as if they have lost an important person from their life. You could use the steps mentioned in this article to generate the perfect obituary. Also the template at the end should give you a fair idea of what should be included in an obituary and how should it be presented.
- Go through some obituaries. This will give you an idea of how an obituary is written. Make sure that you do not copy the template exactly. You just need to get an idea of what should be written.
- Just because it’s an obituary, it does not mean that you should only have to write about the death of the person. You may also write about what kind of a life they led, what were they famous for, a funny incident or two from their life, etc.
- You need to decide on the names of the relatives of the deceased that will go on the obituary. Usually, close relatives and immediate family members’ names are mentioned.
- Make sure there are no silly spelling, grammatical, factual, or any other kind of mistakes. Proofread the obituary as many times possible. Sometimes it so happens that, people forget to mention either the birth date, or the death date. Make sure the names and relationships are accurate and spelled correctly.
- Keep the whole thing lively. I know that writing about someone who is no more, is difficult, but it doesn’t have to be mournful.
- Do not forget to mention the venue, date, and the time of the funeral.
- The obituary meant to be published in the newspaper should be short and simple and the one for the funeral and the family could be brief.
Some things that have to be mentioned in an obituary are:
- Name of the deceased
- His/her age at the time of death, birth date, and the day of death
- Educational background and professional qualifications
- Achievements
- Family members
- Date, time, and venue of the funeral
Name and Announcement
- Name of the deceased (full name)
- The place where they were 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
- Name/s of their parent/s
- Siblings
- Education
- Married to
- Children (if any)
- Grandchildren
- Friends
- Hobbies and special interests
- Major achievements in life
- Some interesting stories about the person
Survived by
- Names of the survivors
- The place where the survivors are based
- Their relation with the deceased
Memorial Service
- Venue
- Day and time
- Place of interment
- Number to call in case of any emergency
End
- Memorial funds, donations, etc
- Thank you note to people who attended the service
- Few last words to sum up the life of the deceased
The obituary might be the only thing that will be written for some people and it should be able to describe them completely. Remember, it will only be written once, make it worth it.
