Skip to content
Menu

Eulogy

How to end a eulogy

The last lines of a eulogy are the ones people carry home. The simplest rule is to come back to where you started: the image or phrase from your opening, then a few words spoken directly to the person, then thank you. Keep it to three or four sentences.

Updated

Soft light over the waves of a beach at dawn
On this page

The examples on this page were written for TributePen. The people, names and details in them are invented: use them as a starting point, never as someone's real story.

Three ways to close

Most good endings do one of three things, often all three in a few sentences:

  1. Return to the opening. The image, habit or phrase from your first line comes back, changed by everything you have said.
  2. Speak to them. A few direct words: thank you, goodbye, a promise.
  3. Turn to the room. Thank the people who came, or invite them to carry something forward.

Returning to the opening

Talk to me

warm

Dad, for fifty years you said "talk to me," and we did. Now it's our turn to listen for you, in each other. Thank you for everything.

For a son whose father answered 'Talk to me' · 27 words · 133 characters
Why it works: the opening phrase comes back as a farewell. Make it yours: write the ending right after the opening so they match.

The window

simple

Mom, the tea is still on the windowsill. We'll drink it this time. Rest now.

For a daughter whose mother read by the window · 15 words · 76 characters
Why it works: the image closes the circle without explaining it. Make it yours: short is stronger here.

Speaking directly to them

Thank you

warm

Grandma, thank you for the Sunday dinners, for the sweaters we pretended to like, and for loving every one of us as if we were the only one. We love you.

For a granddaughter · 31 words · 153 characters
Why it works: three concrete thank-yous, then the simplest words. Make it yours: list real things.

See you

simple

Mike, you always said "see you around" instead of goodbye. So: see you around, my friend.

For a friend · 16 words · 89 characters
Why it works: his words, not a formula. Make it yours: find how they said goodbye.

Well done

formal

Grandpa, you served, you came home, and you built a family that is here today because of you. Well done. Rest easy.

For a grandson, military service · 22 words · 115 characters
Why it works: formal, brief, fitting for military honors. Make it yours: check with the family whether honors will follow your eulogy.

Religious endings

Until we meet again

warm, Christian

Mom, you believed with your whole heart that this is not the end. Today, we are holding on to your faith as well as ours. Until we meet again.

For a daughter, at a church service · 29 words · 142 characters
Why it works: it speaks of her faith honestly, without imposing it on the room. Make it yours: use this only if it reflects the person's beliefs.

A blessing

formal, Jewish

Abba, may your memory be a blessing. For all of us who knew you, it already is.

For a son · 17 words · 79 characters
Why it works: a traditional phrase, completed with a personal sentence. Make it yours: ask the rabbi how the service will close so that your ending fits.

Rest in peace

formal, Catholic

Uncle Joe, eternal rest grant unto you. We will see you at the table again.

For a nephew · 15 words · 75 characters
Why it works: a familiar prayer line, then a family image. Make it yours: the priest leads the liturgy; keep your ending brief.

Turning to the room

Do one thing

uplifting

Karen spent her life doing small kind things nobody asked for. So here is my request: this week, do one of them, for anyone. That is how we keep her here.

For at a celebration of life · 31 words · 154 characters
Why it works: it gives grief something to do. Make it yours: the action should match what the person actually did.

Thank you all

simple

Thank you for loving him, for the meals and the calls this month, and for being here today. He would have been embarrassed by the fuss, and very glad to see you.

For speaking for the family · 32 words · 161 characters
Why it works: gratitude, then a touch of the person's character. Make it yours: name one specific kindness the family received.

To the family

simple

To Carol's family: we only knew her from nine to five, and it was more than enough to know we were lucky. Thank you for sharing her with us.

For a coworker · 29 words · 140 characters
Why it works: a colleague closes by honoring the family. Make it yours: say what you saw, humbly.

What to avoid at the end

  • Adding new stories. If you think of one more thing, it probably belongs earlier or not at all.
  • A long poem you did not write. A few lines are enough, and check that you are allowed to share it; funeral poems has classic public-domain poems and original verses you may use freely.
  • Ending on the loss alone. The last line should be about them, not about the illness or the day they died.

After your last line, pause, look up, and step down. There is no need to say "that's all." For the full structure, see how to write a eulogy; for the beginning, how to start a eulogy.

Common questions

What is the last line of a eulogy?

Often a few words addressed directly to the person who died, such as "Thank you, Dad" or "We love you, Grandma," sometimes after returning to the image you opened with. Keep it simple; the room will remember it.

Should a eulogy end with a prayer or a poem?

Only if it fits the person and the service. In a religious service, the officiant usually leads the prayers, so a short blessing or a line of scripture the person loved is enough. In a secular service, end with your own words.

How do I end a eulogy if I get emotional?

Plan a very short final line you could say even while crying, and practice it. If you cannot finish, it is fine to stop, say "Thank you," and sit down.

Related guides