How do you write an obituary?

Be sure to include:
  1. The full name of the deceased, including nicknames.
  2. The age of the deceased at the time of death.
  3. The city or town of residence at the time of death.
  4. A list of immediate surviving family members.
  5. A brief summary of the deceased's life.
  6. Memorial or funeral details with the address and date.
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What should you not include in an obituary?

Don't put too much personal information in an obituary. Leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. Don't include the deceased's home address.
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How do you write a simple obituary?

A simple short obituary template

[Full name], [age], of [where they lived], passed away on [date of death] from [cause of death]. They were predeceased by [list of family members who died before them], and they left behind [list of their family members who are still alive].
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What is a obituary format?

A standard obituary format begins with the following information about the deceased: Full name, including first, middle, maiden, and last names, and suffixes, such as Jr. or Sr. Age at the time of death. City and state of most current residence. Time and place of death.
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How do you write a meaningful obituary?

The anatomy of a good obituary
  1. Jot down the key facts first. ...
  2. Write in the present tense, in letter form and change it later. ...
  3. Reach out to friends and family for memorable stories. ...
  4. Ask yourself these questions about your loved one. ...
  5. Don't feel like this has to be funny.
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How To Write An Obituary



How do you list family members in an obituary?

Listing Family Members

List the spouse first, include the town or city where the spouse lives, children in the order of when they were born and their spouses, if any, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, in-laws, nephews or nieces, all listed in birth order.
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How do you list preceded in death in an obituary?

Start the paragraph with the deceased's first name, and then “was preceded in death by:” followed by the list of names. The appropriate immediate family members like wives, husbands, brothers, sisters and parents are customarily listed, but you can add as many names as you wish.
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How do I write an obituary for free?

Basic Fill in the Blank Obituary Template
  1. Name of the deceased.
  2. Age.
  3. Date of death.
  4. Location of death (city, state)
  5. Names of surviving immediate family (such as her husband, John and two daughters, Carol and Elizabeth)
  6. Location of funeral services.
  7. Date and time of funeral services.
  8. Organization to receive memorial donations.
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How do I fill out an obituary form?

Obituary Guidelines
  1. Deceased's full name, including well-known nickname, (if any) followed by a comma and age at death. (You do not need to say “age”.) ...
  2. Residence (name of the city) at death. ...
  3. Day and date of death.
  4. Place of death (if appropriate). ...
  5. Cause of death (if appropriate).
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How do you write a funeral obituary?

  1. Step 1: Start with the Name and Age. ...
  2. Step 2: Include the Birth Date, Death Date, and Cause of Death. ...
  3. Step 3: Include the Name of the Deceased's Parents. ...
  4. Step 4: Include Details About the Early Life of the Deceased. ...
  5. Step 5: Write About the Deceased's Professional Life. ...
  6. Step 6: Include Community Engagement Information.
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How many words should an obituary be?

How long should the obituary be? The average length of an obituary is approximately 200 words, but some publications may accept obituaries as long as 450 words or as short as 50 words.
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How do I write an obituary for my mother?

How to Craft a Beautiful Obituary for Your Mother or Father
  1. Talk about their favorite things. ...
  2. Tell family stories. ...
  3. Quote your parent. ...
  4. Share their accomplishments. ...
  5. Talk about the ways they showed their love. ...
  6. Remember how you frequently saw them. ...
  7. Paint a picture of days gone by. ...
  8. Tell a love story.
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Should you list step grandchildren in an obituary?

There are no rules for how to handle this kind of obituary writing challenge, but it's important to include all step-siblings and half-siblings in the obituary notice, if you are making a list of family members. [Name] is survived by siblings [Name], [Name], [Name], and step-siblings [Name] and [Name].
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How do I write an obituary for my grandmother?

Funeral and Memorial Details
  1. The details of the visitation, memorial, funeral service, and/or interment.
  2. Day, date, time, place for each event.
  3. Omit this section if no service is planned.
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How do I write an obituary for my dad?

Describe your father's full name, date of passing, birth year or age (may not choose to include full birthdate for security reasons), and birthplace. Always use your father's preferred gender pronouns and preferred name when writing the obituary. Doing so is respectful and validating of their identity.
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What does it mean when a name is in parentheses in an obituary?

A name in parentheses that does not appear to be a nickname or the name of a spouse, for example, “Lydia (Bixby) Christiansen.” The woman's middle name matches the surname of her parents, for example, “Sarah Muncie Thompson was born to Joseph and Esther Muncie.”
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Who should be mentioned in an obituary?

Use the full names of parents, siblings, children, as well as spouse/partner. Also mention grandparents, aunts, uncles, and any step-family members. If the deceased has grandchildren or great-grandchildren, you can list them in number — most obituaries don't list each name of the surviving grandchildren.
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How do you write the name of a deceased person?

Just put his name on the certificate. Names of the deceased are presented as just the name – no honorific before – no academic post nominals after. When they were alive they were Mr., Mrs., doctor, judge, ambassador, professor, senator, general, or captain.
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Do you include ex wife in obituary?

Should an ex wife be mentioned in an obituary? Most obituaries include the deceased's current spouse in the list of survivors, but don't mention any ex-spouses, as they are not typically considered current family.
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Do you include maiden name in obituary?

The first of the details when writing an obituary would, of course, be their full name. If she was a married woman, you'll want to include her maiden name and if he or she was commonly known by a nickname, you may want to add that as well.
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What does preceded in death by mean?

'Preceded in Death' Definition

The obituary will say that the deceased is survived by a list of relatives. The obituary will also say that the deceased was 'preceded in death' by certain people. "Preceded in death" refers to those relatives who died before the deceased.
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How do you write an obituary for both parents?

Include an explanation of the relationship. In an obituary of this nature, it's worth mentioning how they met, how they interacted with each other, and the length of their relationship. Add a story that shows readers the love they shared, rather than simply telling them. Be specific.
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Who typically writes an obituary?

While there are no rules when it comes to who writes the obituary, they're typically written by family members or close friends. When a loved one passes, the family usually decides who will write it based on their relationship to the deceased or writing ability.
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When should an obituary be written?

For both online and newspaper obituary posts, you should try and publish within a week after the death of your loved one. If the obituary has funeral notifications such as the location and timing of the funeral, you should post at least three days prior to the funeral.
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