The first sentence or two traditionally provides the deceased person’s full name, place, and date of death, nickname if applicable, and sometimes the cause of death.Įxample: Nicetown lost a beloved member of our community on May 16 when lifelong resident Margaret Jane Example (Peggy) passed away in the Niceville Regional Hospital after a short battle with cancer. This can help with conciseness, which is good for both readability and cost (as you will learn about below). A lot of information from these different groups can be combined in one or two sentences. The order you present this information in is up to you, but there are a few tried-and-true structures.

funeral and memorial service information.

military history (branch, years, place).

occupation (place, job title, start/retirement years).

education (attendance/graduation years).

The key people and events are listed below: People

Obituaries typically contain certain biographical details, but it is up to you and your family to determine what is appropriate and applicable for your loved one’s tribute. I’ve explained the details behind these five steps below in the hopes that it eases the process of honoring your grandmother or grandfather in writing. Well, those ARE all the steps you need, but it may still seem a bit like a secret code, but not to worry!

Draft obituary-roughly 200 words-on your own or with assistance.

Choose people, events, memberships, clubs, & hobbies to include.

Contact publisher/website for forms, restrictions, deadlines, fees.

Choose publisher: print/online news, online-only, website.

Here are the basic steps to writing an obituary for your grandparent: Not only is it a matter of finding all the relevant information, but it’s also combining it in the right order, publishing it in the right place and also allowing the right people to see it.

Writing one for your grandmother or grandfather may seem even more challenging for different reasons. Writing an obituary can feel like a daunting task.

Obituary draft sample