How to Write an Obituary: Step-by-Step Guide With Templates and Examples

Finding the right words to describe someone you love, right after losing them, is one of the hardest writing tasks you may ever face. Grief makes it hard to concentrate. Deadlines from the funeral home or newspaper can feel unbearable. And a blank page, at a moment when you already feel emptied out, can seem like one more impossible thing to face.

This guide shows you how to write an obituary, from the first blank line to a finished tribute you feel good about sharing. You will learn what an obituary is and how it differs from a eulogy, exactly what information to include, the standard format most obituaries follow, and a step-by-step process you can follow in order. You will also find a free fill-in-the-blank template, real obituary examples for different situations, common mistakes to avoid, and a clear look at where to publish and roughly what it costs.

From working with families through the memorial planning process, we have seen that a simple structure removes most of the stress. You do not need to be a professional writer to write a meaningful obituary. You need a clear path, permission to keep it simple, and a little time to sit with the memories that matter most.

Whether you are writing for a parent, a spouse, a sibling, or a close friend, this guide will help you move from a blank page to words that honor them well.

What Is an Obituary, and How Does It Differ From a Eulogy?

An obituary is a written notice that announces a passing, honors a life, and shares service details with a wider community. It typically appears in a newspaper, on a funeral home website, on a dedicated obituary site, or on a permanent digital memorial. Because it is written, it can be read anytime by anyone who could not attend the service in person, including relatives who live far away or friends who find it years later.

A eulogy, by contrast, is a spoken tribute delivered at the funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life. It is usually written and delivered by one person, often a close family member or friend, and it is meant to be heard in a specific room, on a specific day, by the people gathered there.

Funeral directors and memorial planners consistently note that families confuse these two, assuming they need one long piece that does both jobs. In practice, the two serve different audiences and different purposes. An obituary is a public record and an announcement. A eulogy is a personal, spoken reflection shared in the room where people are grieving together.

Understanding this difference early makes the writing process much easier. An obituary does not need to carry the full emotional weight of a farewell speech. It needs to inform, honor, and guide readers toward how they can pay their respects. If you are also looking for broader ways to keep someone's memory alive beyond the obituary itself, our guide to meaningful ways to honor a loved one covers ideas like memory books, living tributes, and digital keepsakes that complement the words you write here.

Obituary Structure and Format

Most obituaries follow a familiar order. Once you know this structure, you can fill in the details for your loved one without wondering what comes next. Here is how a typical obituary is organized, from the opening line to the final sentence.

The Announcement Line

The obituary opens with a short sentence stating the person's full name, age, and the date and place of their passing. This line orients the reader immediately. For example: "John Michael Reyes, 74, of Springfield, Illinois, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2026, surrounded by family."

The Biographical Narrative

Next comes the life story. This section covers where and when they were born, their education and career, notable achievements, and the relationships and passions that defined them. Keep this section focused on a handful of meaningful details rather than a complete resume.

The List of Survivors

This section names the immediate family who survive the person, typically starting with a spouse, then children, grandchildren, siblings, and other close relatives. Some families also note those who preceded the person in death, such as a spouse or parent.

Service Information

This section states the date, time, and location of the visitation, funeral, burial, or celebration of life. If services are private or will be announced later, say so clearly here.

Closing Line or Memorial Request

The obituary typically ends with a brief closing thought and, if applicable, a request for donations in lieu of flowers. This final line often reflects the tone of the whole piece, whether that is gratitude, faith, or simple remembrance.

Formatting conventions shift depending on where the obituary will appear. A short newspaper notice may condense every section above into just a few sentences to control cost, since many papers price by length. A fuller online tribute, published on a funeral home website or a permanent digital memorial, has room to expand the biographical narrative and add photos, without worrying about per-line pricing.

Finding the Right Tone and Voice

The right tone depends entirely on the person you are honoring. A formal tone suits someone who valued tradition and dignity. A warm, conversational tone fits someone known for their humor or their open door. A gentle, quiet tone honors someone whose life was defined by faith or family. There is no single correct tone, only the one that sounds like them.

Most guides tell you to list every accomplishment the person earned over a lifetime. Grief counselors generally observe something different: one small, specific detail resonates far more with readers than a resume of achievements. A line about the way someone hummed while cooking, or how they always kept peppermints in their coat pocket for grandchildren, tells readers more about who that person truly was than a list of job titles ever could.

When you sit down to write, try this instead of listing accomplishments in order. Write down three specific memories first: a phrase they always said, a habit only their family would recognize, a moment that made people laugh. Then build the obituary around one or two of those details rather than trying to fit everything in.

Write in a natural, sincere voice, as if you are describing this person to someone who never had the chance to meet them. If a sentence sounds stiff or overly formal when you read it aloud, rewrite it in plainer language. The goal is not polish. The goal is that anyone who knew them would read it and recognize the person right away.

Free Fill-in-the-Blank Obituary Template

Use the template below as a starting point. Copy it into a document, then replace each bracket with your loved one's information. You do not need to fill in every blank. Skip anything that does not apply, and adjust the wording so it sounds like your family, not a form.

1. [Full Name] "[Nickname]", [Age], of [City, State], passed away peacefully on [Date of Passing] at [location or circumstance].
2. [He/She/They] was born on [Date of Birth] in [Birthplace] to [Parents' Names].
3. [He/She/They] [one or two sentences about education, career, military service, or a defining passion].
4. [He/She/They] is remembered for [a specific quality, habit, or saying that captures their personality].
5. [He/She/They] is survived by [spouse's name], [children's names], and [grandchildren, siblings, or other close family]. [He/She/They] was preceded in death by [names, if applicable].
6. A [visitation/funeral/celebration of life] will be held on [Date] at [Time] at [Location, City, State]. [Burial or reception details, if applicable].
7. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to [Organization Name]. [Optional closing line].

To personalize this template, focus on lines three and four first. Choose one specific memory instead of a full list of achievements, and let that detail carry the emotional weight of the piece. Adjust the pronouns throughout to match how the family refers to their loved one.

Obituary Examples to Copy

The following examples show three different approaches for three different situations. Read through each one, notice what makes it work, and borrow the parts that fit your loved one.

Short Newspaper-Style Notice

Margaret "Peggy" Owens, 81, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away on January 14, 2026. Born in Dayton, she worked for over thirty years as a school librarian and was known for her quick wit and her rose garden. She is survived by her husband, Frank, her children Susan and Mark, and four grandchildren. A visitation will be held January 18 at 4 p.m. at Miller Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dayton Public Library Foundation.

This version works because it is efficient. It covers the announcement, one memorable detail, survivors, and service information in under eighty words, which keeps newspaper costs down without losing warmth.

Traditional Full-Length Obituary

Robert Allen Chen, 68, of Portland, Oregon, passed away peacefully at home on February 2, 2026, surrounded by his family. Born on June 9, 1957, in San Francisco, California, to Wei and Linda Chen, Robert grew up with a love of the outdoors that never left him. He earned his engineering degree from Oregon State University and spent thirty-five years designing bridges across the Pacific Northwest. Robert was an avid fly fisherman who could name every river within a day's drive of home, and he never turned down a chance to teach a grandchild how to cast a line. He is survived by his wife of forty-two years, Patricia; his children, Daniel Chen and Amy Reyes; his grandchildren, Lucy and Oliver; and his sister, Karen Chen. He was preceded in death by his parents. A funeral service will be held on February 8 at 11 a.m. at Grace Community Church in Portland, with burial to follow at Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Oregon Rivers Conservancy.

This version has room to breathe. It includes career detail, but pairs it with a specific, personal image, teaching grandchildren to fish, so the accomplishments feel connected to who Robert actually was.

Warm Celebration-of-Life Version

Dorothy "Dot" Simmons lived like every day was worth celebrating, and on March 20, 2026, at age 92, she finally earned her rest. Dot spent most of her life in Asheville, North Carolina, raising five children, running a beloved diner on Main Street, and greeting nearly every customer by name. She believed a good cup of coffee could fix most problems and a slice of pie could fix the rest. Dot is survived by her children, ten grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren, all of whom inherited her stubborn optimism. Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life on March 25 at 2 p.m. at the Asheville Community Center, coffee and pie will be served. Donations in her memory may be made to the local senior center where she volunteered for twenty years.

This version leans fully into personality and reads almost like a story. It still includes every required detail: name, age, dates, survivors, and service information, but the voice is unmistakably Dot's.

Whichever style fits your family, remember that these are starting points, not rules. If you would like more inspiration before you write, you can browse public memorials for inspiration to see how other families have told their loved one's story.

Common Obituary Mistakes to Avoid

Even careful writers make mistakes when they are grieving and working under a deadline. Here are the errors families run into most often, along with a quick way to fix each one.

• Typos in names and dates: Even a single misspelled name can hurt, especially in a document a family will keep for years. Fix: have at least one other family member check every name and date against a reliable source before you publish.
• Missing service information: Readers who want to pay their respects need to know when and where. Fix: confirm the date, time, and location with the funeral home before you finalize the text.
• Inconsistent survivor lists: Listing a grandchild in one place and forgetting them in another can cause real hurt within a family. Fix: write the full survivor list once, then copy it consistently everywhere the obituary appears.
• Writing far too long: An obituary that tries to include everything often loses the reader's attention and, in print, costs significantly more. Fix: choose two or three defining details rather than a complete life history.
• Oversharing sensitive details: Full birth dates and home addresses can put a grieving family at risk. Fix: include only the year of birth if needed, and never publish a home address.

That last mistake is worth extra care. Obituaries are public and permanent, so whatever you publish stays searchable for years to come. When you are unsure whether a detail belongs, leave it out of the published version and share it privately with the people who ask.

How Long Should an Obituary Be?

There is no single correct length for an obituary. A brief death notice might run just two or three sentences, covering only the name, age, and service details. A fuller obituary, the kind you might publish on a funeral home website or a permanent digital memorial, often runs from a couple hundred words to several hundred, giving you room to tell a more complete story.

Length depends on two things: the publication and the story you want to tell. A newspaper notice is often kept short because many papers price by length, so families choose to condense the biographical section and keep the focus on the announcement, survivors, and service details. An online tribute has no such constraint, so families often use that extra space to include a favorite memory, a longer career history, or a note about the person's community involvement.

As a general rule, write the length that feels honest rather than the length you think is expected. A shorter piece is not a lesser tribute. Some of the most memorable obituaries are the shortest ones, built around a single unforgettable detail. Once you decide roughly how long you want the piece to be, it becomes much easier to choose where to publish it, since pricing and format vary significantly by outlet.

Where to Publish an Obituary

Once your obituary is written, you have several places to share it, each with different reach, permanence, and cost. Many families choose more than one option: a shorter version for the local paper, and a fuller version for a lasting home online. Some families also choose to plant a tree in their honor as a living tribute that grows alongside the digital one, while others prefer to create a lasting online memorial that never expires or requires renewal. The comparison below breaks down reach, permanence, cost, and best use case for each option, so you can decide what combination fits your family.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish an Obituary?

Newspaper obituaries are typically priced per line, per word, or per column inch, depending on the publication. Costs vary widely by publication, length, and region, so the most reliable step is to request a current rate directly from the specific newspaper or outlet you plan to use before you finalize your text.

In general, a short notice costs less than a full-length obituary with a photo, since most papers charge based on space. If cost is a concern, ask the newspaper about their base rate and any discounts for text-only listings, and consider trimming the biographical section rather than cutting survivors or service details.

There are also free alternatives worth considering alongside or instead of a paid newspaper listing. Most funeral homes publish obituaries on their website at no additional charge as part of their services. A permanent digital memorial is another option that typically costs little to nothing to start, and unlike a newspaper listing, it does not disappear after a set period. If you want to compare what is included at each tier, you can see our plans for a full breakdown.

Using an AI Obituary Writer

When words are hard to find, an AI obituary writer can help you get past the blank page. You enter a handful of key facts, such as the person's name, dates, relationships, and a few defining details, and the tool generates a respectful first draft in plain language. From there, you edit it, add specific memories, and adjust the tone until it sounds like your family.

How to Write an Obituary Quickly

If you are working against a tight deadline, the fastest path is to gather your facts first: full name, dates, birthplace, survivors, and service details. Enter those into an AI obituary writer to generate a starting draft, then spend your remaining time personalizing it rather than staring at a blank page. This approach can turn a task that might take hours into one that takes about twenty minutes, without skipping any of the required information.

The LoveKept obituary writer was built specifically for this moment. It asks for the basic facts, generates a warm and accurate first draft, and lets you revise every line before anything is published. Every memorial created on LoveKept also includes a real tree planted in the person's honor, so alongside the written tribute, your loved one is remembered with a living tribute in nature that continues to grow.

A generated draft is a starting point, not a shortcut around meaning. The most important part of any obituary, the specific memory, the phrase only your family would recognize, still has to come from you. Think of the AI draft as a way to clear the hardest first step, so you can spend your energy on the details that make the piece truly theirs.

Honoring a Life, One Word at a Time

There is no perfect obituary. What matters most is capturing your loved one honestly and with love, in words that sound like the person you knew. If you have followed the steps in this guide, gathered the facts, chosen a tone, and written from a specific memory rather than a list of achievements, you have already done the hardest part.

Give yourself permission to write a rough draft, step away, and come back to it with fresh eyes. Ask someone else who loved them to read it before you publish. Small edits made with a clear head often matter more than getting every sentence right on the first try.

Writing an obituary is one part of remembering someone well, not the whole of it. When you are ready, our guide to more meaningful ways to honor them offers additional ideas for keeping their memory alive, from living tributes to shared keepsakes that let family and friends continue the story long after the obituary is published.