How to write an obituary

An obituary starts with the announcement: their full name, age, where they lived and when they died. Then comes a short story of their life, the family they leave behind, and the details of the service. A printed newspaper obituary is usually 200–300 words. Leave out the home address and the full date of birth, because obituaries are a known source for identity thieves.

You don’t have to get it right in one sitting. Write it down first, then make it better.

Use the free obituary writer

Updated October 27, 2026

Step by step

1. Gather the facts

Make a list before you write, so you don’t have to stop halfway to look things up.

• Full name, including a middle name, maiden name or nickname
• Age, and the town they lived in
• The date and place they died
• Where they were born and grew up
• School, military service, work
• Marriage, and the names of their husband, wife or partner
• Children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters (and their partners, if you include them)
• Who died before them
• The visitation, service, burial and reception: day, time and place
• A charity for donations, if the family wants one

2. Write the opening announcement

One or two sentences: who died, how old they were, where they lived and when. You can say how they died if the family wants to, or leave it out. Both are normal.

Robert James Okafor, 78, of Lansing, died on October 12, 2026, at home with his family.

3. Tell the story of their life

Go in rough order: where they were born, how they grew up, school, work, marriage, family. Then add two or three things that made them themselves. A sentence like “he fixed every bike on the street” says more than “he was generous.”

Pick details that the people who knew them will recognize. You don’t need to cover everything.

4. Name the family

The usual wording is “survived by” for the living and “preceded in death by” for those who died first. List the closest relatives first: husband or wife, then children, then grandchildren, then brothers and sisters. For a long family, you can give numbers instead of names (“seven grandchildren”).

5. Give the service details

Say what will happen, when and where: the visitation, the funeral or memorial service, the burial, and any meal or reception. If the service is private, say so.

6. Add donations or a thank-you

If the family would rather have gifts to a charity than flowers, end with “In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to…” and name it. Many families also thank a hospice, a care home or a nurse here.

7. Check it, then make a short version

Ask someone else in the family to check every name, date and spelling. People notice a misspelled grandchild. Read it aloud once. If you’re placing it in a newspaper, make a shorter version for print and keep the full one for online and the funeral program.

What to include, in order

1. Full name, age, town, date of death
2. Birth: where, and the parents’ names
3. Growing up and school
4. Military service, if any
5. Work
6. Marriage and family life
7. What they loved: faith, hobbies, causes, the people they spent time with
8. Survived by
9. Preceded in death by
10. Visitation, service, burial and reception details
11. Donations in place of flowers, and thanks

A fill-in-the-blanks obituary template

Copy this, fill in the brackets, then cut anything that doesn’t fit the person.

[Full name], [age], of [town], died on [date] at [place, or “at home”]. [Optional: after a short illness / surrounded by family.]

[First name] was born in [town] to [parents’ names]. [He / She / They] grew up [a detail about childhood] and graduated from [school] in [year].

[Optional: [First name] served in the [branch] from [year] to [year].]

[He / She / They] worked as [job] at [place] for [number] years. [One sentence about what that work meant to them.]

In [year], [first name] married [spouse’s name]. [A sentence about their life together.]

[First name] loved [two or three specific things]. [A detail people will recognize.]

[He / She / They] is survived by [spouse]; [children, with their partners in brackets]; [number] grandchildren; and [brothers and sisters]. [He / She / They] was preceded in death by [names].

Visitation will be held from [time] to [time] on [date] at [place]. The funeral service will be at [time] on [date] at [place], with burial at [cemetery]. [A reception will follow at …]

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [charity]. The family thanks [carers or hospice].

The obituary writer does the same thing in a guided way. You answer questions and get a first draft that uses only what you told it.

How long it should be, and what newspapers charge

Most printed newspaper obituaries run about 200–300 words, and 250–300 is the most common length. Some families go as short as 100 words or as long as 400. Online obituaries and the life story inside a funeral program have no set limit. In a program, the life story has one page, and the maker tells you if it gets too full to print well.

Newspapers usually charge for obituaries, often by the line or by the word, and a photo usually adds to the cost. Prices vary a great deal from paper to paper, so ask your local paper for its rates before you write the final version. A short notice in the paper that points readers to a full version online is one way to keep the cost down.

What to leave out

Obituaries are public, and identity thieves read them. It is a common recommendation to leave out:

• The home address. It also tells strangers the house may be empty during the service.
• The full date of birth. The month and year, or just the age, is enough.
• The mother’s maiden name, which is often used as a security question. You can name the parents without it if you prefer.
• Anything the person would have wanted kept private, such as a diagnosis, unless the family agrees to share it.

Questions

Related guides

• Obituary examples: eight samples, from a long tribute to a three-line notice
• How to write a eulogy: if you are also speaking at the service
• What goes in a funeral program: where the life story fits

Use the free obituary writer