Obituary Writing Templates for Families: Simple Formats, Examples, and What to Include

The first time you open a blank document to write about someone you love, it can feel like the room gets quieter. Not peaceful—just quiet in the way grief makes everything louder inside your head. You might be juggling phone calls, paperwork, and family group texts, and then someone asks, “Do you have the obituary yet?” That question can land like a deadline and a judgment at the same time, even though it isn’t meant that way.

If you’re here because you need a steady place to start, you’re not alone. A simple obituary template doesn’t reduce a life. It gives you a structure so you don’t have to invent one while you’re tired, grieving, and trying to get the details right. In this guide, you’ll find flexible formats you can copy and personalize, a practical checklist of what most publications require, and prompts that help your words sound like a person—not paperwork.

Why a template helps when you’re trying to write through grief

Most families aren’t struggling because they don’t know their loved one well enough. They’re struggling because the mind doesn’t work the same way in the days after a loss. A template turns “Where do I begin?” into smaller, more manageable questions: What basic facts do we need? Who should we include? What does the family want people to know next?

If you want an expanded walkthrough with additional guidance and variations, Funeral.com has a step-by-step resource on how to write an obituary. But if you only have the bandwidth for one page today, stay here: you can write a complete, publish-ready draft using the templates below.

Obituary vs. announcement: two different kinds of writing

An obituary is usually both a public notice and a brief life story. It tells people that someone has died, identifies them clearly, and shares service information or what the family wants to happen next. A funeral announcement is more narrowly focused: it’s meant to deliver logistics (time, place, livestream, reception) without asking you to “sum up” a whole person.

If you need the practical message first—and the obituary later—start with a funeral announcement template. Funeral.com’s funeral announcement wording guide can help you send a clear, compassionate text or email while you’re still gathering details for the longer obituary.

The obituary checklist details that prevent stressful rewrites

Most delays and do-overs happen for one simple reason: families start writing before they have the spellings, relationships, or service plans confirmed. You don’t need every detail in the first hour, but collecting the basics up front will save you from rewriting the same paragraph three times.

Here are the obituary checklist details that are worth gathering before you draft:

• Full legal name (and the name they actually used day to day, if different)
• Age, city/state of residence, and date of death (month/day/year or month/year)
• Birth information (date and place, if you’re writing more than a short notice)
• Spouse/partner and close family names (confirm spellings and preferred names)
• A few life anchors (work, service, faith/community involvement, passions)
• Service details (public/private, date/time/location, visitation details if applicable)
• Flowers vs. donations (and the exact name/URL of the charity if you include one)
• A single “true detail” (one specific habit, love, or trait that sounds like them)

If you’re also handling early logistics, Funeral.com’s first 48 hours checklist can help you track the immediate steps without losing your place.

Three obituary writing templates families actually use

There isn’t one “correct” way to write an obituary. Most families choose a format based on where it will be published (newspaper, funeral home site, memorial page), how much space they have, and what the family feels emotionally ready to share. The goal is to pick a structure that fits the moment, then write one solid version that can be shortened or expanded.

Short obituary format: a clear notice with a human touch

A short obituary format works best when time is tight, space is limited, or you simply can’t write more right now. You can use this as a newspaper notice, a funeral home listing, or a simple online obituary. If you’d like a fill-in version with additional options, Funeral.com also offers a copy-and-paste short obituary template.

[Full Name], [age], of [City, State], died on [Day, Month Date, Year].

Born on [Month Date, Year] in [City, State], [First Name] was known for [one true detail].
They loved [one or two specifics], and they made people feel [seen/welcome/safe/at home].

[First Name] is survived by [spouse/partner], [children], and [other close family].
They were preceded in death by [name(s), optional].

A [funeral/memorial/celebration of life] will be held [Day, Date] at [time] at [location].
[Optional: visitation details]. In lieu of flowers, [donation instructions].

Notice what makes this feel like a person: one specific detail and one sentence about how they showed up in the world. That’s often enough to turn a short notice into something that people keep and reread.

Standard obituary: the “life story” version that still stays readable

This is the format most people picture when they think of an obituary: a few paragraphs that sketch the arc of someone’s life and name the relationships that mattered most. It is also the easiest format for relatives to review for accuracy, because it has a predictable flow.

[Full Name], [age], of [City, State], died on [Day, Month Date, Year], [optional: brief context such as “peacefully,” “surrounded by family”].

[First Name] was born on [Month Date, Year] in [City, State] to [parents’ names, optional].
They [grew up/attended school/served/worked] and built a life rooted in [work, community, faith, service, or a defining value].
They were proud of [one or two meaningful milestones], and they found joy in [specific hobbies, people, or places].

[First Name] is survived by [spouse/partner], [children and partners], [grandchildren], [siblings], and [other close family].
They were preceded in death by [name(s), optional].

A [visitation/service/memorial] will be held [Day, Date] at [time] at [location].
[Optional: reception details]. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests [donation instructions].
Condolences may be shared at [optional memorial page or funeral home website].

If you’re writing for both print and online, this “standard” version is a good anchor. You can trim the life story paragraph for a newspaper and keep the fuller version online without changing the tone.

Celebration of life obituary wording: when you want the voice to feel lighter

Some families prefer celebration of life obituary wording because it reflects how their loved one lived: with humor, warmth, and a focus on gratitude. This format is still an obituary—it still includes the required facts—but it opens with a tone that feels more like a toast than an announcement.

With love and gratitude, we remember [Full Name] ([nickname]), who died on [Day, Month Date, Year] at the age of [age].

[First Name] was the kind of person who [one vivid truth: “never let anyone leave hungry,” “showed up early,” “made strangers feel like friends”].
They loved [specific loves], and they were happiest when [a scene: gardening, fishing, cooking, cheering at games, reading to grandchildren].

[First Name] is survived by [key family], along with [optional: “many friends and extended family who felt like family”].
They were preceded in death by [optional].

A celebration of life will be held [Day, Date] at [time] at [location].
[Optional: dress preference or tone]. In lieu of flowers, please consider [donation instructions].

Celebration-of-life language works best when it stays specific. One true detail will feel more honoring than a paragraph of generic praise.

Wording prompts for hobbies, values, and the hard-to-say parts

When families ask for obituary examples, they’re often looking for language that feels real without oversharing. If you’re stuck, use prompts that point you toward specifics. You do not have to capture everything. You only have to capture something true.

• “People knew them for…” (a habit, a phrase, a kind of generosity, a sense of humor)
• “They never missed…” (a holiday, a call, a game, a weekly ritual)
• “Their favorite place was…” (a porch, a lake, a church, a garden, a workshop)
• “They loved…” (two or three concrete loves will do more than a long list)
• “They taught us…” (a value they lived, not just a value they said)
• “They made people feel…” (welcome, safe, brave, understood)

If you’re writing with siblings or relatives, it can help to ask each person for one sentence that starts with “My favorite thing about them was…” Often, you’ll find the line that becomes the heart of the obituary.

The survivor list obituary: how to include family without added stress

The survivor list obituary section is practical, emotional, and sometimes complicated. Families worry about leaving someone out, using the wrong name, or exposing private relationships in a public space. The good news is that you can keep this portion simple without being cold.

A common approach is to list immediate survivors (spouse/partner, children, parents, siblings) and then use an umbrella phrase for extended family. For example: “They are also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.” If minors are involved, or if there are safety concerns, you can choose privacy and list relationships without full names.

Here is a flexible example you can adapt:

She is survived by her husband, Robert; her children, Alicia (James) and Daniel; four grandchildren; her sister, Ana; and many nieces, nephews, and friends who felt like family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elena and Miguel.

When you can, have one person act as the “name checker.” Many publication issues come down to spelling—especially hyphenated last names, middle initials, and preferred names.

Common errors that cause publication delays

When an obituary gets held up, it’s rarely because the writing wasn’t poetic. It’s usually because something is missing or inconsistent. If you want to reduce the odds of a delay, do one slow review before you submit.

• Names misspelled or inconsistent (especially partners, grandchildren, and place names)
• Dates that don’t match (birthdate vs. age, service date vs. day of week)
• Missing service details (no location, no time, unclear whether it’s public or private)
• Unclear donation instructions (no charity name, no link, or conflicting requests)
• Copy-and-paste errors (leftover brackets, duplicated sentences, wrong city/state)
• Family disagreements submitted as edits (too many “versions” at the last minute)

A simple technique that helps: read the obituary out loud once. Your ear catches missing words and confusing sentences faster than your eyes do, especially when you’re tired.

If the obituary will be printed in a program, it can also help to review Funeral.com’s guide to what to include in funeral programs, so the obituary length and layout match what you plan to hand out.

After the obituary: what families often decide next

Writing an obituary is one part of a larger season of funeral planning. Once the obituary is drafted and the service details are settled, families often face a quieter set of decisions: what to do with personal belongings, how to create a memorial space, and—if cremation is involved—what to do next with the ashes.

Cremation is increasingly common in the U.S. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025 (with the burial rate projected at 31.6%). According to the Cremation Association of North America, the U.S. cremation rate was 61.8% in 2024, with projections continuing upward. Those numbers don’t tell any one family what to do—but they do explain why many modern obituaries now include cremation language and flexible memorial plans.

If you’re navigating these choices, it can help to think in “containers” and “meaning.” Some families choose one main urn and keep it close. Others share, scatter, or create multiple keepsakes.

If your plan includes a primary memorial at home or a cemetery, you may start with cremation urns for ashes. If you’re sharing or creating multiple memorial points, small cremation urns and keepsake urns can be a gentle way to make room for different family needs.

Some families also choose wearable keepsakes. cremation jewelry—including cremation necklaces—holds a small, symbolic portion, which can feel comforting for people who want closeness in everyday life. If you’re considering this, Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry 101 guide explains how it works and what to ask before buying.

And if your family is grieving a pet, you may be making very similar decisions—just with a different kind of loss. Funeral.com offers collections for pet cremation urns and pet figurine cremation urns, as well as pet urns for ashes designed for sharing. Many families find comfort in creating a small space at home—a photo, a collar, a favorite toy—alongside a memorial vessel.

If your next question is keeping ashes at home, you’re not unusual. Many families do. What matters most is emotional fit, family agreement, and safe, respectful storage. Funeral.com’s guide to keeping ashes at home walks through practical considerations and common concerns. If your loved one wanted a scattering or sea ceremony, you may also hear the phrase water burial—and it helps to understand what that means in plain language. Funeral.com’s water burial and burial at sea guide explains the terminology and planning factors.

Two other questions often come up in the same week: what to do with ashes and how much does cremation cost. If you need a calm overview of ideas, Funeral.com’s guide to what to do with ashes offers a wide range of options. For budgeting and planning, Funeral.com’s cremation cost breakdown can help you understand common fees and add-ons, and why prices vary by location.

A gentle way to finish: write the draft that can exist today

Families sometimes assume an obituary has to be perfect before it can be published. In reality, it has to be accurate, clear, and respectful. Start with the template that fits your energy today. Put the basic facts down first. Then add one true detail—the kind that makes someone smile through tears because it sounds like them.

If you want help tightening your draft, comparing formats, or seeing more obituary examples, you can use Funeral.com’s family obituary writing guide as a companion. But even without any extra reading, you can write something meaningful by telling the truth plainly: who they were, who loves them, and how you plan to honor them.

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