Obituary

How to Write an Obituary

An obituary announces a death and tells a life in a few paragraphs. The usual order is the announcement (name, age, city, date), the life story, what they loved, the family who survive them, and the service details. Most run 200 to 450 words online and less in a paid newspaper notice.

Updated September 30, 2026

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.

Before you write: gather the facts

Collect these before you start, and check them with a second family member. Mistakes in names and dates are the most common regret families mention.

Full name, including a middle name, maiden name or nickname if used.
Age, city of residence, and date of death.
Place of birth and parents' names.
Education, work, military service, faith community, memberships.
Spouse or partner, children (and their spouses), grandchildren, siblings.
Family members who died before them.
Service details: visitation, funeral or memorial, burial or interment, reception.
Where to send memorial donations, if the family prefers them to flowers.

The usual order

The announcement. "Margaret Ann Ellis, 84, of Tucson, passed away on September 21, 2026, at home." Add a short phrase about how, only if the family wants it.
Birth and early life. Where and when they were born, and to whom. One or two sentences on growing up, if there is something meaningful.
Life story. Education, career, service, marriage, the big landmarks. Keep it to what defined them.
What they loved. Hobbies, passions, the details people will recognize. This is where an obituary comes alive.
Survivors. "She is survived by..." in order: spouse, children (with spouses in parentheses), grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, others.
Preceded in death. "She was preceded in death by..." parents, spouse, siblings, children.
Service details. Date, time and place of each event, and whether it is public or private.
Donations and thanks. "In lieu of flowers..." and, if the family wishes, a thank-you to caregivers or hospice staff.

You can fill these in with the free fill-in-the-blank obituary template, which assembles the sentences in this order.

A complete example

Margaret Ellis

traditional≈ 1 min 42 sec read aloud

Margaret Ann "Peggy" Ellis, 84, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home on September 21, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Peggy was born in March 1942 in Dayton, Ohio, to John and Ruth Miller. She graduated from high school in Dayton and earned a degree in library science. In 1964 she married Robert Ellis, and the couple moved to Tucson in 1971, where Peggy worked as a school librarian for thirty years. Generations of students remember her reading aloud with all the voices.

Peggy loved her garden, her Sunday crossword and a good mystery novel, and she never met a stray cat she did not feed. She volunteered at the public library's literacy program for fifteen years after she retired, and she taught more than forty adults to read.

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Robert; her children, Mark (Susan) Ellis of Phoenix and Julie (David) Carter of Tucson; five grandchildren, Emma, Sam, Olivia, Noah and Grace; and her sister, Carol Hughes of Dayton. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Tom Miller.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2026, at the funeral home chapel in Tucson, followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the literacy program of the public library. The family thanks the nurses of her hospice team for their kindness.

For a mother and grandmother, funeral home website · 237 words · 1,356 characters

Why it works: the order is the one readers expect, the life story stays brief, and two concrete details (reading aloud with all the voices, feeding stray cats) make her recognizable. Make it yours: check every name, date and spelling with a second family member before it is published.

More models, from traditional to modern, are on the obituary examples page, and shorter newspaper versions on short obituary examples.

How to list survivors

Survivors are usually listed from closest to most distant relationship. A few conventions:

A child's spouse goes in parentheses: "her son, Mark (Susan) Ellis."
Grandchildren can be named or counted: "five grandchildren" is fine if the list is long.
Blended families: many obituaries say "children" for all children, including stepchildren, if that is how the family lived. Ask the people concerned how they want to be named.
Unmarried partners can be named first: "his partner of twenty years, Linda Ross."
If you are unsure whether to include someone, ask; leaving a person out is remembered for a long time.

Protect the family from scams

Obituaries are public, and some people use them to target grieving families. Consider leaving out the full date of birth (month and year are enough), the home address, and anything that shows when the house will be empty during the service. Ask a neighbor to watch the house during the funeral if you can.

Where obituaries are published

Most funeral homes publish the obituary on their website at no extra cost and can submit it to local newspapers. Newspapers usually charge for obituaries, often by the line, by the word or with a photo fee, and some also post them online. Ask each for their price and deadline before you send the text, and keep the full version for the funeral home and the shorter one for print.

Writing the life story

An obituary does not need adjectives like "loving" and "devoted" in every sentence. One specific detail, the voices she used reading aloud, the fence he painted every spring, tells readers more. Ask each family member for one detail, and choose two or three.

If you would like help, we can write a full obituary, a newspaper version and an online announcement from the facts you give for $15.

Common questions

Who usually writes the obituary?

A close family member, often with help from the funeral home, which usually publishes it on its website and can send it to newspapers. Some families share the writing among siblings.

How long should an obituary be?

Online, on a funeral home site or a memorial page, 200 to 450 words is common. In a printed newspaper, where you usually pay by the line or by the word, families often use a shorter version of 100 to 150 words.

Do you have to include the cause of death in an obituary?

No. It is the family's choice. Many obituaries say "passed away peacefully" or "after a long illness," or give no detail at all. Some families name an illness to encourage donations to a related charity.

How soon should an obituary be published?

Usually within a few days of the death and before the service, so people know when and where to come. Ask the funeral home about their deadlines and the newspaper's.

What should not be included in an obituary?

For safety, many families leave out the full date of birth, the home address and anything that shows when the house will be empty. Leave out family conflicts, and do not list anyone who would not want to be named.