How to Write an Obituary

Writing an obituary can be a painful ordeal if you know the deceased. It can also be an important thing to do if announcing a person's death is relevant to a small community.

There are five parts of an obituary: announcement, biographical information, survivor information, scheduled ceremonies, and contributions.

Begin with the announcement. It should include who the person is, the date they died, and how they died. Be short and concise. All this can be typically included in one sentence.

Write a short biographical piece about the person's life. This should include where and when the person was born, where they lived throughout their life, notable awards and times in their life, important hobbies, where they went to school.

Include who the person is survived by. Include, in this order, immediate family members (spouse and children or parents and siblings step-children) and secondary family members (aunts, uncles, grandchildren, close cousins).You can include spouse names such as Mary (John), John (Anna), etc.

Use baptism names for Relatives. Nicknames should be added in quotes such as "bud"

Deceased relatives should be listed last with the phrase the late...

Note where and when important ceremonies will take place, such as memorial services, grave-side burials, etc.

Tell people where they can make donations in remembrance of the person who has died.