After the loss of a family member or loved one, there are many things to do and decisions to be made, such as the writing of an obituary.
An obituary isn’t always necessary, and it certainly isn’t obligatory, but it can be useful to advise a wider community of the passing of a person.
Everyone grieves in their own way, and no two people are the same. There is also no ‘right way’ to grieve. If you have recently lost a loved one and don’t know where to start with the obituary, you may find the following helpful…
What is an obituary?
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person’s life and information about the upcoming funeral or service of remembrance.
Obituaries are typically published in newspapers or online pages; such as your local newspaper and/or social media.
There are often cost implications, depending upon the length of an obituary where Newspapers are concerned; so be sure to check prior.
What should I include in an obituary?
Obituaries can seem a bit ‘daunting’, shall we say, as there is a lot of information to cover, in very little space. The key is to be concise with your words; getting as much information and meaning into as few words as possible. A short, factual obituary may be all you need, whereas others will prefer to write an in-depth tribute.
Naturally you will have more scope (and space/words) with an online obituary, such as on social media or a free memorial page. Newspapers however often have limited space. Here are some key points to keep in mind when writing an obituary:
- Announcing the death – the person who has passed away may have had friends and/or colleagues you are unaware of. An obituary is often a good way to reach those people, especially of older generations who typically review obituaries.
- Advise of funeral arrangements – When organising a funeral, it is easy to miss someone off who may have wanted to attend, or who your loved one would’ve liked there. An obituary is a good way to cover bases. Provide the date, time, and location of the funeral. Also include information regarding donations, flowers, or condolences.
- Pay tribute to a person’s life and character – It is worth including some biographical information as birth date, upbringing, education, marriage information, accomplishments, and work history; for example. But a great obituary (and a comforting one) is to truly pay tribute to the personality who has passed. Try to capture the spirit, loves, likes and difference to your life (and others) that he/she made. For example, focus on their hobbies and passions, and what made them-them!
Check everything…
When writing an obituary, the emotional state is usually high and that can make things like this easy to make mistakes with. It is totally understandable however, and why we suggest once you have written an obituary, to leave it then come back to it the day after. It is also worth sharing it with another family member or friend, so a fresh pair of eyes can look over everything.
Examples of Obituaries
You can find many obituary examples here.
Here are also some examples of inspirational and unusual obituaries we admire, and feel would offer you a complete perspective of what you can do…
https://www.fatherly.com/news/sisters-write-hilarious-obituary-honoring-their-late-father/
https://www.today.com/parents/94-year-olds-obituary-what-every-mom-hopes-her-kids-t34051
Make writing your obituary easier for your loved ones…
When creating a My Last Request subscription, we considered a multitude of things. One of these was the grief and often stress people’s loved ones go through, upon their passing.
We wanted to help with those emotions and the grieving process as possible. We know we cannot reverse the tragedy and we are only scratching the surface, but we have been overwhelmed by the people who have said that one of our subscriptions made the process of dealing with a death, so much ‘easier’ and ‘less stressful’ for them.
A My Last Request Subscription enables people to detail anything they want, in relation to their passing. An obituary is an example of that. A subscription allows you to detail all your friends, colleagues and anyone you’d like informed of your death. Who you’d like to attend your funeral (and who not), the service you’d like and other key details?
This information can be invaluable to family members, as they know they are honouring what a loved one wanted; and it makes the whole process much easier having that information to hand.
For more information about a My Last Request Subscription and the benefits, visit here.
What is an obituary?
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person’s life and information about the upcoming funeral or service of remembrance.
Obituaries are typically published in newspapers or online pages; such as your local newspaper and/or social media.
There are often cost implications, depending upon the length of an obituary where Newspapers are concerned; so be sure to check prior.
What should I include in an obituary?
Obituaries can seem a bit ‘daunting’, shall we say, as there is a lot of information to cover, in very little space. The key is to be concise with your words; getting as much information and meaning into as few words as possible. A short, factual obituary may be all you need, whereas others will prefer to write an in-depth tribute.