How to Write an Obituary
An obituary is a combination of many things. It's an announcement of death, a celebration of a life, a record of immediate and extended family members and a notice of funeral or memorial times and places. An obituary is an expression of thanks to any and all who have helped in a time of hardship and can also be a request for donations. While all of these, the goal of an obituary is to show honor and respect for the loved one we have lost and to provide a compelling story of their lives in the process.
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Instructions
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Determine what you're willing and able to pay to place the obituary in your local newspaper. Contact the newspaper to get information about their rates and specifics about what the word limit is and how much each additional inch of column space costs. Ask approximately how many words are in a column inch for obituaries and if there are any length restrictions. Ask what the deadline is for the obituary to be submitted so that it appears in the newspaper on or near the date you desire.
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Purchase a copy of the newspaper to get an idea of what a typical obituary looks like and what style it is written in. Some newspapers require the obituary to be written in a particular style and prefer not to deviate from that. Try to get the obituary in as early as possible to ensure accuracy when it is printed. If submitted at the last minute, editors may not have sufficient time to properly edit it.
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Decide exactly what you would like to include in the obituary. Contact relatives to get any information that you don't have or aren't sure of. If you're not sure exactly what facts should be included, contact the newspaper or funeral home and ask if they have templates for obituaries that you can use. These are pre-written obituaries that simply require you to fill in the blanks with the pertinent information.
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Include basic information such as full name of the deceased; age; date of birth; city and state of residence where they were living when they passed away; name of significant other (alive or deceased); and time, date and place of viewing, burial, wake and memorial service arrangements. Additional information may be added such as education, employment, activities and interests. Decide if you want to include a photo.
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Consider writing more than one version of the obituary. For example, a shorter version to fit the word count requirements of the newspaper, a longer version to read or display at the funeral and an even longer version for a family scrapbook.
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Revise and edit the obituary. Have someone else read it and make suggestions or corrections, or put it aside for a day or two (time permitting) and come back and read it again. Finally, proofread and then proofread again.
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References
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