Picking words for an announcement card, program, or plaque can feel surprisingly hard. You may be trying to honor someone’s personality, comfort family members, and keep the tone appropriate all at once—on a small piece of paper that will be saved for years. If you’re searching for memorial quotes, funeral quotes, or simple in loving memory quotes, this roundup is meant to be usable first and “perfect” second. The best quote is the one that sounds like love and reads clearly in the space you have.
This guide includes more than fifty celebration of life quotes and sayings that work for obituary announcements, funeral programs, cards, and engraved memorials like plaques or urn nameplates. You’ll also find quick choosing tips—tone, length limits, and how to credit poems or authors when needed.
Quick Choosing Tips (So You Don’t Overthink It)
Start with tone. Before you choose a quote, decide whether the message should feel religious, spiritual-but-not-specific, or secular. A quote that is “beautiful” can still feel wrong if it doesn’t match your loved one’s values or your family’s comfort level.
Match the length to the format. What reads beautifully on a program can feel cramped on a plaque. For an engraved memorial, short is often better. For programs and cards, you can use a longer line or two.
Use line breaks to improve readability. Even a short quote looks more thoughtful when it’s spaced well. This matters for headstone inscription quotes and memorial plaque inscription layouts as much as it does for printed programs.
Credit poems and authors when needed. If you use a famous poem excerpt, include the author name (and sometimes the poem title) when space allows. For engraving, a simple “—Author” line often works. If space is tight, you can credit in the program and keep the engraving text author-free.
If your quote will be engraved on an urn or plaque, it can help to browse engraving-friendly options while you choose words. Funeral.com’s engravable cremation urns and personalized urn engraving page can help you think about line breaks, character limits, and what reads cleanly on real materials.
Short Memorial Sayings for Cards and Programs
- In loving memory.
- Forever loved.
- Always remembered.
- Gone, but never forgotten.
- Always in our hearts.
- Love lives on.
- Beloved and missed.
- Rest in peace.
- Forever in our thoughts.
- Deeply loved. Deeply missed.
- Your memory is our treasure.
- A life well lived.
- Thankful for every moment.
- We carry you with us.
- In gentle remembrance.
- Held in love.
- Always near.
- Always family.
Celebration of Life Quotes (Warm and Uplifting)
- What we once enjoyed, we can never lose.
- Your light remains.
- Grateful for the life you lived.
- Love was your legacy.
- You made the world brighter.
- Your kindness continues in us.
- We will live the lessons you gave.
- We remember you with love and gratitude.
- Your story continues in all of us.
- In every laugh, you’re still here.
- In every sunrise, we remember.
- Not goodbye—love doesn’t end.
- We find you in the moments you taught us to notice.
- Forever part of our story.
Non-Religious Memorial Quotes (Comforting and Universal)
- Those we love never truly leave us.
- Time passes; love remains.
- Wherever we go, you go with us.
- What we keep is love.
- Love doesn’t end; it changes form.
- In the quiet, you are still with us.
- Some people leave a mark that time can’t erase.
- Our hearts are better for knowing you.
- We miss you in ways words can’t hold.
- You will always be part of who we are.
- We loved you then. We love you now.
- Forever in our hearts, always in our lives.
- Memories are the way love stays.
- Love is the bridge between us.
Religious and Scripture-Inspired Quotes
- Safe in God’s care.
- Forever with the Lord.
- In God’s peace.
- The Lord is my shepherd.
- Peace I leave with you.
- In the light of God’s love.
- God called you home.
- Well done, good and faithful servant.
- Resting in God’s promises.
- May perpetual light shine upon you.
- We walk by faith.
- In heaven’s peace.
Longer Quotes for Programs and Memorial Cards
- Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, your love a gift we keep forever.
- We loved you in life, we love you still, and we will carry you with us always.
- Not a day goes by that we don’t miss you, but we are grateful for everything you gave us.
- Those we love shape us forever. Thank you for the love you shared and the life you lived.
- You are gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.
- We remember your kindness, your courage, and the joy you brought into our lives.
- Love is stronger than death, and memory is stronger than time.
- Your presence was a comfort; your memory remains a refuge.
- To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
- We carry forward what you taught us, and we will keep telling your story.
Quote Formats That Personalize Easily
If you want something that feels specific without needing a famous quote, these formats work well for memorial announcement wording, programs, and plaques. They’re also easy to adjust for relationship and tone.
- In loving memory of
[Name]
[Dates] - Beloved [relationship]
[Name]
[Dates] - Forever loved
[Name] - Always in our hearts
[Name] - A life well lived
[Name] - Grateful for your love
[Name]
Engraved Memorial Quote Tips (Plaques, Urns, and Headstones)
Engraving has practical constraints that printing doesn’t. If you’re choosing an engraved memorial quote or memorial plaque inscription, aim for clarity over complexity. Short, clean lines read better at a distance and age better over time.
When space is limited, consider using a name and dates on one line, then a short quote below. If you have room, you can add a third line for a relationship descriptor (“Beloved father,” “Beloved partner”). If you’re engraving on an urn or plaque, it can help to confirm character limits and proofing before production. Funeral.com’s engraving guide explains timelines and what to expect, and the engravable urn collection helps you choose styles built for clean inscription.
Crediting Poems and Authors (When You Use a Famous Line)
If you’re using a well-known poem or author line, it is generally considerate to credit the author, especially in printed programs. For engraving, space may make credit difficult, so many families do this instead: put the quote alone on the plaque or urn, then credit the author in the program or on a printed card tucked into the memorial folder.
If you want to keep author credit short, a simple “—Author” line is usually enough. If you are printing in a program, you can include the author’s full name and the poem title. If you are unsure whether a quote is attributed correctly, it is worth double-checking before you engrave it, because engraving makes corrections harder.
A Simple Way to Choose One Today
If you want to make a decision without spiraling, pick one quote that fits the tone your loved one would have wanted, then test it in the space you’re using. Write it on paper with the name and dates, and see whether it reads calmly. If it feels crowded, choose a shorter quote. If it feels too generic, choose one line that sounds like how your loved one lived—kindness, humor, courage, faith, or gratitude.
If you’re choosing a memorial gift or engraved item, you can also pair a quote with a practical keepsake. Funeral.com’s urn accessories include plaques and display supports, and cremation jewelry can be a way for family members to keep a small connection close while the primary urn stays safely contained.
The best quote is the one your family can read years from now and feel steadied by. It doesn’t have to be famous. It only has to be true.
