How to use the brackets
Each template below is plain text with blanks in [square brackets]. Copy the one you want with its copy button and paste it into a document or an email to yourself. Then replace every bracketed part with your own words and delete the brackets.
Where a blank offers choices, such as [peacefully / unexpectedly], keep the one that fits and delete the rest. If a line doesn’t apply, delete the whole sentence. The template is there to make sure nothing gets forgotten, and you can cut whatever doesn’t suit your family.
If you’d rather not edit text, the fill-in-the-blank obituary template gives you a box for each blank and writes the sentences for you.
The standard obituary template
This is the full version, about 250 to 400 words once it’s filled in. Use it for the funeral home website or an online memorial, and trim it to about 150 to 300 words for a page in the funeral program. It follows the usual order: the announcement, the life story, the family, then the service details.
Standard obituary template
217 words[Full name], [age], of [town, state], died [peacefully / unexpectedly / after a long illness] on [date of death], [at home / at the hospital / with family beside them].
[First name] was born in [birth year] in [birthplace], to [parents’ names]. [First name] grew up in [town], graduated from [school], and [served in the military / went to work at / moved to] [where]. In [year], [first name] married [spouse’s full name]. For [number] years [first name] worked as [job or role].
[Two or three things they loved, each with a real detail, such as the garden they planted every spring or the team they never stopped rooting for.] [One habit, saying or story people will recognize.]
[First name] is survived by [spouse or partner]; [children, with their spouses and towns]; [number] grandchildren; and [brothers and sisters]. [First name] was preceded in death by [parents, spouse, siblings or a child who died earlier].
Visitation will be held [day, date], from [time] to [time] at [funeral home]. [A funeral service / A memorial service] will be held [day, date], at [time] at [place], followed by [burial at cemetery / a reception at place].
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [charity or cause]. The family thanks [hospice staff, caregivers or neighbors] for [what they did].
The paragraph about what they loved is the one people remember. If you’re stuck, ask two or three relatives for one story each. The obituary examples show how other families wrote theirs.
Short template for newspapers
Newspapers usually charge by the line or by the column inch, so a printed obituary costs less the shorter it is. This template comes to about 60 words. Print it in the paper and put the full version online, then end the short one by telling readers where to find it.
Short newspaper obituary template
66 words[Full name], [age], of [town], died [date of death]. [A one-line description, such as “A nurse for 40 years” or “A lifelong farmer”], [first name] is survived by [spouse and children, or “two children and five grandchildren”]. [A funeral service / A memorial service] will be held [day, date], at [time] at [place]. [Funeral home] is in charge of arrangements. The full obituary is at [website].
Religious obituary template
Use this one when faith was central to their life. It names the congregation, the person’s role there and the clergy who will lead the service. Pick the wording your tradition uses for death and for the service, and leave out the verse if it doesn’t fit.
Religious obituary template
210 words[Full name], [age], of [town, state], [went home to be with the Lord / entered into eternal rest / died] on [date of death], [surrounded by family].
[First name] was born in [birth year] in [birthplace], to [parents’ names]. A lifelong member of [congregation], [first name] [sang in the choir / taught Sunday school / served as a deacon / volunteered at the food pantry] for [number] years. [First name] married [spouse’s full name] in [year]. [One or two sentences about how their faith showed in daily life, such as the meals they brought to neighbors or the prayers they said at every family dinner.]
[First name] is survived by [family]. [First name] was preceded in death by [names].
[A funeral Mass / A service of Christian burial / A funeral service] will be held [day, date], at [time] at [place of worship], with [Father / Pastor / Reverend] [name] officiating. [A rosary / A prayer service / Visitation] will be held [day, date], at [time] at [place]. Burial will follow at [cemetery].
Memorial gifts may be made to [congregation, mission or charity]. [A short verse with its reference, such as “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7]
Celebration of life obituary template
Use this when the gathering will be relaxed, the family wants a lighter tone, or the person asked for a party instead of a funeral. It describes them in the family’s own words and tells guests what the day will be like. For ways to plan the gathering itself, see celebration of life ideas.
Celebration of life obituary template
167 words[Full name], [age], of [town, state], died on [date of death]. [First name] was [a description in the family’s own words, such as “the first one on the dance floor and the last to leave”].
[First name] grew up in [town] and spent [number] years [working as / running / building] [job or business]. Weekends meant [what filled their free time]. [A story the family still tells, in two or three sentences.]
[First name] leaves behind [family members, close friends, and pets if the family wants them included].
Everyone who knew [first name] is invited to a celebration of life on [day, date], from [time] to [time] at [place]. [A dress note, such as “Wear something bright” or “Come in your team jersey.”] [Something to bring, such as a story to share or a photo for the memory table.]
Instead of flowers, [first name] would have liked you to [donate to a cause / do something they loved, such as plant a tree or take someone fishing].
Before you send it
Read the finished obituary aloud and check every name, date and time against the funeral home’s details. Make sure each weekday matches its date. Ask one relative who didn’t help write it to read the family list, since a missing name is the mistake people notice first.
For more help with any section, how to write an obituary goes through it step by step, with a sample sentence for each part.
Questions people ask
Is there a template I can fill in online?
Yes. The fill-in-the-blank obituary template has a box for each blank and writes the sentences for you as you type. You can copy the finished text when it reads right.
What if I don’t know some of the details?
Leave that line out. An obituary with no birthplace or no job listed is still complete. If a date or a name matters, ask the funeral home or another relative rather than guessing.
Should I write he, she or they?
Use whatever the person used. Some families repeat the first name instead of a pronoun, which also works and keeps the obituary clear when several family members are named.
Can I use the same obituary in the funeral program?
Yes. Most families write one full version for the funeral home website and the program, then cut a short version for the newspaper. A program page usually holds about 150 to 300 words.
How long should an obituary be?
A newspaper notice is often 50 to 200 words, because most papers charge by length. Online and in a program, 300 to 600 words leaves room for the life story.