An obituary is a short written tribute that announces a person’s death and celebrates the life they lived. A good one includes the person’s full name, dates, the people they loved, what they cared about, and something that makes a stranger feel they have missed knowing them. This guide gives you a step-by-step process, a fill-in template, real examples, and a checklist so nothing important gets left out.
What Is the Difference Between an Obituary and a Death Notice?
These two terms are often used as if they mean the same thing, but they serve different purposes. A death notice is a brief, factual announcement, typically two to five sentences, that states the person’s name, date of death, and sometimes the time and location of services. Newspapers and funeral homes often charge by the word for these.
An obituary is longer and more personal. It tells the story of a life. It includes biographical details, relationships, accomplishments, personality, and the things that made this person who they were. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, more than 70 percent of families now publish an obituary online in addition to, or instead of, a print version, which means there is often no word-count limit to worry about.
If you are writing something brief for a newspaper listing, you are writing a death notice. If you are writing something that will be read at a service or posted online as a tribute, you are writing an obituary.
What Should You Include in an Obituary?
A complete obituary covers several categories. Not every piece of information will apply to every person, and that is fine. Use this as a master list and select what fits.
Obituary Checklist
- Full legal name (and any nickname used by family and friends)
- Date of birth and date of death
- City or town of birth
- City or town of residence at time of death
- Education (high school, college, trade training)
- Career and professional accomplishments
- Military service (branch, rank, years served)
- Religious faith or spiritual community
- Marriage(s) and long-term partnerships
- Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren (names or numbers)
- Siblings, parents, other close family members who survive them
- Family members who predeceased them
- Hobbies, passions, and interests
- Volunteer work, community involvement, memberships
- A memorable personality trait, phrase they often said, or story that captures them
- Funeral or memorial service details (date, time, location)
- Preferred charitable donations in lieu of flowers (if applicable)
- Contact information for the funeral home (if applicable)
How Do You Structure an Obituary?
Most obituaries follow a loose structure that moves from facts to feelings. Here is a pattern that works for nearly any life.
Opening sentence: Name, age or birth year, date of death, and where they passed. Keep it brief.
Early life: Where and when they were born, family background, education. One to three sentences.
Work and community: Career, military service, volunteer work, faith community. Focus on what they were proud of.
Personal life: Marriage, family, friendships. Who did they love and who loved them back?
Personality and passions: This is the heart of a good obituary. What did they love? What made them laugh? What will people miss most? This section transforms a list of facts into a portrait of a person.
Survivors and predeceased: List the names of surviving family members and those who preceded them in death.
Service information: Date, time, and location of any services open to the public or community.
Closing line: A sentence about how they will be remembered, or a quote they loved.
What Does a Good Obituary Template Look Like?
Copy this template and fill in the brackets. Every bracket can be expanded or compressed depending on how much you want to say.
OBITUARY TEMPLATE
[Full Name], [age], of [City, State], passed away on [date] at [location, optional]. [He/She/They] was born on [date] in [City, State] to [Parent Names]. [He/She/They] attended [School Name] and later [graduated from / studied at] [College or Trade Program, optional]. [He/She/They] went on to [career or life path], where [he/she/they] [brief description of work or contribution]. [First Name] was [married to / partnered with] [Spouse/Partner Name] on [date] in [City, optional]. Together they [built a family / spent X years / shared a life described briefly]. [He/She/They] was a devoted [parent / grandparent / sibling / friend / volunteer / community member].Those who knew [First Name] will remember [him/her/them] for [memorable trait or quality]. [He/She/They] loved [hobby or passion], [hobby or passion], and [hobby or passion]. [Optional: A phrase they often said, or a story that captures them in one image.] [First Name] is survived by [spouse/partner name]; [children’s names]; [grandchildren, number or names]; [siblings’ names]; and [other surviving family]. [He/She/They] was preceded in death by [names of predeceased family members].
A [funeral service / celebration of life / memorial] will be held on [date] at [time] at [location, address]. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to [charity name and link].
[Optional closing line: A quote the person loved, or a final sentence about how they will be remembered.]Can You Show Some Obituary Examples?
These are original examples written for this guide. They are not based on real individuals.
Example 1: Short and focused
Margaret Louise Calloway, 81, of Asheville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at home on March 12, 2026, surrounded by her family. Born in 1944 in Charleston, she spent 40 years as a high school music teacher and directed her church choir for three decades. Margaret was known for her lemon cake, her inability to lose a card game, and the way she made every student feel like the most promising musician she had ever heard. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Thomas; her three children; seven grandchildren; and a large and grateful community of former students. Services will be held Saturday, March 15, at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Asheville.
Example 2: Middle length, more personal detail
James Aurelio Moreno, 67, of San Antonio, Texas, died on January 4, 2026, after a brief illness. He was born in 1958 in Laredo, the youngest of six children, and earned a welding certification at 19 that he put to use for the next four decades. Jimmy, as everyone called him, built things: houses, friendships, Saturday afternoon barbecues, and a family that filled every room he ever walked into. He married Rosa Gutierrez in 1983 and spent 42 years showing his four children that hard work and a good joke were the only tools you needed. He was proudest of his grandchildren, of whom he had nine, and of the workshop in his backyard where he spent his best hours. He is survived by Rosa; his children, Maria, Carlos, Lucia, and Esteban; his nine grandchildren; and two brothers. He was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters. A rosary will be held Friday evening at Our Lady of the Lake Church; a funeral Mass follows Saturday morning.
Example 3: Closing line emphasis
Dr. Anita Priya Sharma, 74, beloved physician, mother, and reader of long novels, died on February 22, 2026, at her home in Portland, Oregon. She practiced internal medicine for 38 years, retiring in 2020, and was known for returning patient calls at 10 p.m. and for the stack of paperback novels she kept at the nurses’ station. She is survived by her husband, Rajan; her children, Deepa and Vikram; and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Kamla. “She made you feel like you were the most interesting patient she had ever seen,” one colleague said. “She probably made everyone feel that way. That was the gift.” Memorial gathering: March 5, 2026, 4:00 p.m., Portland Botanical Garden, Rose Garden Pavilion.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes in Obituaries?
The most common mistake is leaving out personality. A list of dates and survivors tells people that someone existed. A good obituary tells people who they were.
Other frequent gaps include: forgetting to mention the person’s sense of humor, leaving out community involvement and volunteer work, listing only professional achievements and not personal ones, and omitting the charitable donation request that many families prefer to flowers. A 2024 survey by the NFDA found that charitable memorial donations have increased by 34 percent over the past decade, so including a preferred recipient is worth the extra line.
Avoid writing in a tone that does not match the person. A funny, warm person deserves a funny, warm obituary. A more private, reserved person may be better served by something quieter and understated.
How Do You Write an Obituary for Someone With a Complicated Life?
Some lives do not fit the standard format. A person who struggled with addiction, estrangement, mental illness, or difficult relationships still deserves an honest and compassionate tribute. You do not have to mention everything. Focus on what was true and good. A few sentences that capture a moment of joy, a relationship that was real, or a quality that people who loved them recognized is enough.
If there is unresolved pain in the family about what to include or leave out, it can help to focus the writing on the person as they were at their best, and to let the eulogy or celebration of life hold space for the fuller, more complex story. For help writing that next layer, see our guide on how to write a eulogy.
How Can Video Help Preserve the Stories an Obituary Cannot Hold?
An obituary, even a long one, can only hold so much. The stories that did not fit, the voices of people who loved them, the laughter at a specific memory, those belong in a different format. A group video tribute lets family and friends contribute personal video messages that capture what words on a page cannot.
Tribute (tribute.co) is a group video gift platform that lets you collect personal video messages from friends, family, and community into a polished memorial montage. It works by sharing a link, contributors record from any device, no app needed, and Tribute compiles everything automatically. It is free to start, requires no app download, and adds no watermark. More than 8 million messages have been sent through the platform, and 82 percent of recipients cry tears of joy.
An obituary tells people who someone was. A group video tribute shows them.
👉 Start a free memorial video tribute for your loved one
For more on preserving a full life story beyond the obituary, see our guide on how to preserve a loved one’s legacy, and our collection of in loving memory quotes for inscriptions and tributes. You may also find how to honor the memory of a loved one helpful as you plan the next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long should an obituary be?
- For a print death notice, aim for 100 to 200 words to manage cost. For an online obituary with no word limit, 300 to 600 words allows room to include personality, relationships, and meaningful detail without becoming exhausting to read.
- Who writes an obituary?
- Usually a family member or close friend writes the obituary, sometimes with help from the funeral home. There is no requirement that a professional write it. The most meaningful obituaries are often written by people who knew and loved the person.
- What is the difference between an obituary and a death notice?
- A death notice is a brief, factual announcement of a death, typically published in a newspaper for a fee. An obituary is a longer tribute that tells the story of a person’s life, relationships, and character.
- Do you have to publish an obituary?
- No. There is no legal requirement to publish an obituary. Many families choose to publish one online, in a local newspaper, in a church bulletin, or in a combination of places. Some families keep the tribute private and share it only at the service.
- Can you write an obituary in advance?
- Yes, and many people find it meaningful to write their own obituary or help a terminally ill loved one write one before they pass. It ensures accuracy, captures the person’s own voice, and reduces the burden on grieving family members.
- What should you not include in an obituary?
- Avoid information the family wants kept private, including manner of death if that is the family’s preference, estranged relatives, or financial details. Also avoid language that sounds like a form rather than a person. Generic phrases like “beloved mother and wife” are fine as supporting details but should not replace specific, personal ones.
- How do you write an obituary for a young person?
- Write honestly about the life they lived, however short. Focus on who they were: their personality, their relationships, what they loved, the people they touched. There is no formula for grief or for the tribute that follows it. Let the love come through.
