Obituary

Obituary template

This fill-in-the-blank obituary template turns the facts you know into the standard American obituary sentences, in the usual order. Skip anything you do not know yet: sentences without an answer are simply left out. Everything stays in your browser.

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.

Fill-in-the-blank obituary builder

Answer what you know and skip the rest: a sentence with no answer is simply left out. Nothing is sent anywhere; your answers stay in this browser.

Full nameAgeCity and state of residenceDate of deathHow (optional)Date and place of birthParentsSchool, work, serviceWhat they lovedSurvived byPreceded in death byService detailsIn lieu of flowers

Your draft

The wording, section by section

These are the phrases the builder uses, and common alternatives. Pick the one that sounds like your family.

Section	Standard wording	Alternatives
Announcement	"…passed away on [date]"	"died," "entered into rest," "went home to be with the Lord" (Christian)
Circumstances	"peacefully at home"	"surrounded by family," "after a long illness," "unexpectedly," or nothing
Birth	"was born [date] in [place], to [parents]"	"was born and raised in [place]"
Survivors	"is survived by"	"leaves behind," "will be deeply missed by"
Preceded	"was preceded in death by"	"was reunited with" (faith), "joins"
Donations	"In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to…"	"Memorial contributions may be made to…"

Blank templates to copy

If you prefer to write on paper or in a document, here are two blank templates. Replace everything in brackets.

Standard template

traditional≈ 50 sec read aloud

[Full name], [age], of [city, state], passed away on [date], [circumstances, optional].

[First name] was born on [month, year] in [place], to [parents' names]. [He/She/They] graduated from [school] and worked as [job] at [employer or field] for [number] years. [He/She/They] married [spouse's name] in [year].

[First name] loved [two or three passions or habits]. [One sentence about what people will remember.]

[He/She/They] is survived by [spouse]; [children, with spouses in parentheses]; [number] grandchildren; and [siblings]. [He/She/They] was preceded in death by [names].

A [funeral / memorial service / celebration of life] will be held at [time] on [day, date], at [place]. [Burial or reception details.] In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to [organization].

For a blank template, standard length · 116 words · 792 characters

Why it works: it contains every section families usually need. Make it yours: delete any sentence you cannot fill in; an obituary does not need every section.

Short template

simple

[Full name], [age], of [city], died [date]. [He/She/They] is survived by [closest family]. Services will be held at [time], [day, date], at [place]. [Donations line, optional.]

For a blank template, short newspaper notice · 26 words · 176 characters

Why it works: the minimum a newspaper notice needs, to keep the paid length short. Make it yours: add the one detail that matters most if you can afford one more line.

Before you submit it

Check every name and date with a second family member.
Ask the funeral home whether they publish it on their website and send it to newspapers.
Ask the newspaper for its price and deadline, then use a short version in print and the full one online.
Protect the family: month and year of birth are enough, and never include the home address.

For finished models, see obituary examples and short obituary examples. If you are also preparing the service, the free printable funeral program can reuse your obituary on its inside page.

Common questions

Is there a free obituary template?

Yes. The builder on this page is free, works in your browser without sign-up, and produces a draft you can copy into an email, a funeral home form or a word processor.

What is the basic format of an obituary?

Name, age, city and date of death; birth and parents; life story; what they loved; survivors; those who died before; service details; donations. The template follows that order.

Can I add a photo to the obituary?

Funeral home websites and most newspapers accept a photo, sometimes for an extra fee in print. Choose a clear, recent photo in which the person looks like themselves.