Helpful Information on Writing a Funeral Obituary or Death Notice
This lens explores different aspects of obituaries or death notices including useful information to help in writing an obituary for someone else or for yourself.
Image Modified from Sophie. Bit of newspaper 1. Royalty Free Use.
Contents for Writing an Obituary
- What is an Obituary?
- An Obituary or Death Notice is often a Paid Listing
- What is a News Obituary?
- Discovering Your Death is Not Newsworthy Enough
- What is a Pre-written News Obituary?
- More about Pre-written Obituaries
- Things to Consider before Placing an Obituary
- Free Obituary or Fee Obituary
- Sections to Include When Writing an Obituary
- Create your own obituary at obitNow.com
- The Obituary Checklist
- What Information do I Need for the Obituary or Death Notice?
- What is an Online Obituary or Memorial?
- Publishing an Online Obituary or Virtual Memorial
- More Articles on How to Write an Obituary
- Examples of Obituaries
- Books to Help You Write an Obituary on Amazon
- Final thoughts on Obituaries
Greeting the Morning with the Obituary Page
I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up.
Benjamin Franklin
Obituary
...the first thing many people read in the news each day. May be the last word written about a person.
Obituary or Obtuary Notice or Death Notice
Check the terms used for different types before submitting one. You may discover that what you thought was free requires a fee.
- Obituary
An obituary is a brief notice of the death of a person, particularly a newspaper notice, usually includes a short biography. - Obituary Notice
One paper defined an obituary notice as "a paid listing, often provided for you by the attending mortuary." - Death Notice
A death notice is a paid listing announcing the death of someone. - News Obituary
The report of a death that is considered newsworthy because of the prominence of the individual or his or her place in the community or country. - Featured Obituary
A basic news report expanded upon with biographical information, including anecdotes, descriptions, quotes, reminiscences. Feature obits are usually limited to prominent, influential or famous people. - Pre-written Obituary
A pre-written obituary is one that the newspaper keeps on file to use in case of an unexpected death. The pre-written obituary has already been written about a person before they die.
Start the Morning Reading the Obituaries
Begin Each Day with Coffee and Obituaries
Like everyone else who makes the mistake of getting older,
I begin each day with coffee and obituaries.
Bill Cosby
What is an Obituary?
An obituary is a notice or announcement, especially in a newspaper, of a person's death, often with a short account of their life.The obituary page is often the first part of the newspaper many people read each day and may be the last word written about a person's life.
Obituary information is often provided to the newspaper by the attending mortuary, funeral home or crematorium. This service may be included in the price paid to the mortuary, funeral home or crematorium.
Image Source: Alan Light. John Johannsen obit. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
An Obituary or Death Notice is often a Paid Listing
It is important for people to realize that many newspapers and most larger papers regard the obituary notice is a paid listing.Death Notices and Obituary Notices are viewed as advertisements so they are handled by the Classified Advertising Department and require payment to run a "Death Ad."
Many of larger newspapers charge to publish an obituary or death notice, unless the death is judged as "newsworthy." These newsworthy obituaries are written by staff writers. Only those notices with the broadest community interest are published.
Newspapers in smaller towns may publish the obituary as a courtesy to locals, or those who spent significant amounts of time in the town. For smaller papers, the deaths of local citizens may be quite newsworthy events and will run the obituaries for as a news story.
Image Source: Modified Microsoft Image.
I read the obituaries everyday
to remind myself
of my own mortality.
What is a News Obituary?
A news obituary expands on a regular obituary or death announcements. These are deaths that are determined to be "Newsworthy events," and therefore require news coverage.The deaths of national or local public figures, prominent people and celebrities are typically featured as news obituaries. Also included are those who made significant contributions during their lifetimes and those who have died a tragic, accidental or unusual type of death.
Newspapers judge potential news obituaries based on news value and other factors. The deaths of prominent, notable or even interesting local people may also be featured obituaries depending on the newspaper.
The News Obituary is typically a longer obituary that tells interesting stories or anecdote of the person who has died. It is generally written by a journalist or staff member at the newspaper.
Image Modified from Sophie. Bit of newspaper 1. Royalty Free Use.
Discovering Your Death is Not Newsworthy Enough
You may write many memorable pieces for the New York Times, create buzz for one of their sections and create good will for the paper everywhere. But don't get too secure.
The fact is, if you die too young, the paper of record will simply ignore you.
Roger Friedman
Sometimes we discover that a death is determined not to be 'newsworthy enough' to be a news obituary. This happended at the end of July 2008 when Monique Yazigi, lost her battle with breast cancer at the age 45.
Despite having written many memorable stories, mostly for the Styles' section of the New York Times, the Times publishers decided her death was simply not worth mentioning.
Eventually Yazigi's friend James Markarian wrote a check and paid $5,000 private obit that ran on Wednesday in the New York Times.
- New York Times Snubs Dead Writer
- A look at New York Times Snubs Dead Writer from FOXNews.com from Roger Friedman.
- An Obit that's not fit to Print
- New York Post Online Edition takes a look at the Obit that's not fit to Print.
The Portable Obituary: How the Famous, Rich, and Powerful Really Died on Amazon
The Portable Obituary: How the Famous, Rich, and Powerful Really Died
Amazon Price: $13.16 (as of 07/05/2009)
Michael Largo compiled a fascinating, off-beat, and darkly humorous necrology that provides the grim, often outrageous details about the passing of influential persons.
He meticulously researched archaeological records, published obituaries, official documents, and forensic evidence to create this authoritative, one-of-a-kind reference presents the unabashed truth about a multitude of celebrity deaths.
What is a Pre-written News Obituary?
Many newspaper affiliates, such as the Associated Press, have pre-written or pre-taped obituaries on file for public figures, famous and high-profile people who are still alive. In general these pre-written or pre-taped obituaries are for the ill or elderly.
These obituaries can be quickly updated for publication when the well-known person dies.
With the recent unexpected deaths of Health Ledger and Brad Renfro this year and Anna Nicole Smith, newspapers publishers are trying to decide who's pre-written obituaries they need to keep on file.
The AP has about 1,000 prepared obituaries in its files on a wide variety of public figures although most are on people over 70.
More about Pre-written Obituaries
- Debate rages over prewritten obituaries for young, living stars
- An Article from the San Francisco Chronicle debating prewritten obituaries for young, living stars.
- AP Readies Britney Spears' Obituary
- A look at pre-written obituaries from The New York Observer.
- Report: AP Admits Pre-Writing Obit For Spears
- If Britney Spears were to die today, it appears that The Associated Press is admitting that it is ready to go with her obituary.
- EXCLUSIVE: The AP Has Written Britney Spears' Obituary
- Us Weekly Magazine takes a look at the news that the AP has a pre-written obituary for Britney Spears.
- Pre-Written Obituaries and Celebrity Death
- Death of Brad Renfro and Heath Ledger, along with news about Britney Spears and pre-written obituaries.
Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries in the Amazon Spotlight
Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries
Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 07/05/2009)
In this book Paul Donnelley chronicles the lives and deaths of more than 1,200 movie personalities. He includes a wealth of important characters from the history of film, not just the big stars.
Some achieved world fame or great power, some were consigned to obscurity and others hid dark secrets that would only emerge after their deaths.
Things to Consider before Placing an Obituary
- Not everyone who dies has a notice placed in the newspaper.
- Some newspapers have limited space so do not publish every obituary submitted.
- The obituaries that are chosen to be publish are often the ones with the greatest public interest.
- Some newspapers publish obituaries or death notices for free.
- Some newspapers require a significant fee to publish an obituary or death notice.
Free Obituary or Fee Obituary
When getting ready to submit an obituary to the paper, be sure to check to see how that newspaper publishes obituaries.Some are published for free but many others require a fee.
Free Obituary Publication
- * Some papers run a limited number of lines or a brief announcement for free.
* Some papers (usually smaller or local ones) publish a longer obituary for free.
* Most papers will publish newsworthy obituaries (deaths of public figures, prominent locals and celebrities) for free.
- * Larger papers publish Obituary/Death Notices for a fee. Mortuaries or families write and submit the obituary to the paper.
* Many larger papers also offer Online-only Death Notices for a fee.
Sections to Include When Writing an Obituary
The following list are the more common elements included in an obituary.
Source: Guide to Writing an Obituary. Cremation.com
- Announcement
This section includes the date, location and may include the cause of death.
If you do not want the cause of death listed please be certain to note this. - Biographical Information
This section includes a bit about the person's life, their accomplishments, education, honors, hobbies, etc. - Survivor Information
This section includes the family. List the spouse, children, grandchildren, in-laws, other close relatives and if wished close friends. - Scheduled Ceremonies and Gatherings of Remembrance
This section includes the time and location of any viewings, funeral services, memorial services, scatterings or inurnments; or any other gathering. - Contributions or Flowers
This section includes where flowers can be sent or if the family requests that contributions be made to a meaningful organization instead of sending flowers or in lieu of flowers. - Arrangements
This section includes the day, the time, directions, or any other needed information for scheduled ceremonies and gatherings or contribution information to florists or friends. Providing information can help to ease the burden of phone calls to the family.
Create your own obituary at obitNow.com
ObitNow.com is a great resource. The website provides everyone a readily accessible, easy-to-use location to record last wishes, create meaningful epitaphs, and to write an obituary which features those accomplishments which YOU want others to know.
- Welcome to ObitNow.com
- Create your own obituary at obitNow.com
This Is My "Will": How To Write Obiographical Sketches (Your Own Obituaries) on Amazon
My Original Poetry Editions 1 And 2: How To Write Obiographical Sketches (Your Own Obituaries)
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 07/05/2009)
This Is My "Will" - How To Write Obiographical Sketches (Your Own Obituaries) is a handbook to help families and churches write creative obituaries for burial programs.
The handbook is intended to give you operational tools to use before an emergency to get your loved one to help write their own obituary.
The Obituary Checklist
Source: How to Write an Obituary: Style and Usage Guide to Writing Obituaries. Post News Obituaries.
- First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name
- Age
- City, State, Zip
- Cause of Death
- Place of Death (may specify hospital or nursing home, or may simply say name of city)
- Date of Death
- Eulogy Comments (can be used throughout the obituaries, may include loving comments such as "beloved husband of" or "dedicated volunteer", or whatever description deemed appropriate)
- Occupation (list job title or function, name of company and number of years employed at that company. May list more than one occupation if applicable)
- Community Involvement
- Hobbies (list clubs, memberships, volunteer work, other noteworthy accomplishments, etc)
- Military Service (dates and branch of service and years served)
- Marriage (list spouse's name, date of marriage. May also say the maiden name and state of origin. If spouse deceased, say s/he was preceded in death by...)
- Other Survivors (list in order by the name and city: parents, children, grandchildren, step-children, brothers and sisters, cousins)
- Religious Affiliation
- Place and Time of Service (name of funeral home, viewing hours, time of funeral)
- Pallbearers and Honorary Pallbearers (verify spellings)
- Contributions and Other Memorials
An Obituary is an Exercise in Recent History
An obituary should be an exercise in contemporary history, not a funeral oration.
Peter Utley
What Information do I Need for the Obituary or Death Notice?
How much information is needed depends on whether you are going to publish a short obituary notice or a more lengthy (paid) death notice.
Information Needed for an Obituary
The following items are required in all obituaries:
- * Name, age, occupation and city of deceased.
* Time and place of death. Some include cause of death.
* Birthdate and birthplace.
* Survivors. Survivors listed depend on the age of the person who had died. Survivors may include:
- Spouse
Children
Grandchildren
Siblings
Parents
Other close relatives
* Memberships in local or national organizations
* Military service.
* Funeral, Memorial and Burial arrangements.
Many obituaries or longer paid death notices may also include:
- * Education.
* Occupation and work or employment history.
* Outstanding achievements, publications and/or awards
* Offices held in government, professional or community organizations.
* Memberships in fraternal, religious, community or civic organizations.
* Service in armed forces.
* Interesting hobbies or activities.
* Anecdotes and recollections of friends and relatives.
"Man" Reads the Obituary
The News of my death was greatly exaggerated
The report of my death was an exaggeration...
Mark Twain
After reading his own obituary, June 2 1897
Books on Obituaries Available on Amazon
Life on the Death Beat: A Handbook for Obituary Writers
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009)
The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries (P.S.)
Amazon Price: $12.55 (as of 07/05/2009)
Priests And Prelates: The Daily Telegraph Clerical Obituaries
Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 07/05/2009)
OBIT. Inspiring Stories of Ordinary People who Led Extraordinary Lives
Amazon Price: $13.38 (as of 07/05/2009)
Obituaries in American Culture
Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 07/05/2009)
What is an Online Obituary or Memorial?
Online Obituaries and Virtual Memorials allow family and friends to post their condolences and share their grief online 24 hours a day 7 days a week. These are rapidly becoming popular options for families with members scattered around the country as a way of creating a space where everyone can remember their loved one who has died and can mourn online together.Websites known as "virtual cemeteries" or "virtual memorial sites" provide space for photographs and biographical information about the dead. Visitors have opportunities to sign the guest book, even leave virtual flowers.
Reading the Obituaries Online
Publishing an Online Obituary or Virtual Memorial
Some companies and websites offer basic obituary publishing for free. Most Online Obituaries or Virtual Memorials require a fee to publish, however the fees for online obituaries are often significantly less and provide a virtual obituary for a much longer time period than publishing a newspaper obituary. The Online and Virtual Memorials are a more cost effective option.
Online Obituary/Virtual Memorial Options
Many Online Obituaries or Virtual Memorials generally include:
- A place online where family, friends guests can visit and pay their respects 24/7.
- A certain number of words of text.
- A place for photos or photo gallery.
- A Guest Book or condolence book for visitors to submit their condolences, poems, images. (Entries may be screened for appropriate content before posting.)
- Links to funeral homes and florists.
- Ability to "send" virtual condolence flowers.
- Available for one year or longer depending on the fee chosen or the online service chosen.
- Option for visitors to sponsor (pay to host) a Guest book for a particular period of time.
A Featured Lens on Texting and Emailing Condolences
With so many people going online to deliver condolences, it is good to a look at the etiquette involved in sending email or text message condolences.-
Can I Send My Condolences by Text, IM or Email?
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Even in an era of so many different ways of being in touch with people, there are some personal communications, such as condolences or sympathy, that should still be delivered in person or by snail mail. I started this lens to find an answer to the...
The Latest News on Online Obituaries
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMore Articles on How to Write an Obituary
- How to Write an Obituary
- An article on How to Write an Obituary from eHow.
- Learn How To Write An Obituary
- An obituary serves as notification that an individual has passed away while giving him the honor and celebrating the life of the deceased. Learn how to write an obituary and read sample obituary formats at Cremation.
- How to Write an Obituary
- An obituary is an account of someone's life that is published in the paper or online shortly following his or her death from Mahalo.
- How to Write an Obituary - wikiHow
- A wikiHow article about How to Write an Obituary.
- How to Write an Obituary
- An article on How to Write an Obituary from Associated Content.
- How to write an obituary
- Writing an obituary needs to be tactiful, well thought out and written with these things in mind.
- How to Write an Obituary People Will Remember
- An article on How to Write an Obituary People Will Remember from ehow.
- How To Write An Obituary
- An article on How to Write an Obituary from Hubpages.
- How to Write an Obituary for a Newspaper Announcement
- An article on How to Write an Obituary for a Newspaper Announcement from eHow.
- What to say in an Obituary or Tribute
- A look at what to say in an obituary from Eons.com.
- How to Write an Obituary: Tips for Gathering Information and Writing a Death Notice
- An obituary is often the last news article written about a person. Some obituaries are short death notices run for free, others are more elaborate and run for a fee.
Examples of Obituaries
- Great Obits
- Examples of Great Obits from the Obitpage.com
- Example Obituary
- An example of the obituary with the sections.
- Example Obituaries, Epitaphs, and Last Wishes
- Example Obituaries, Epitaphs, and Last Wishes from obitNow.com.
- Obituary Policy
- The Obituary Policy page from The Albany Herald provides examples along with prices for the different types of obituaries offered.
- What to say in an Obituary or Tribute
- This article from Eons.com includes different types of Obituary examples.
- Example Obituary
- An example of an obituary from The Wave of Long Island Rockaway's Newspaper.
- Obituary Examples
- Obituary examples from US Obituary.
- Writing an Obituary
- This article on Writing an Obituary from Connelly-McKinley include different obituary examples.
- Obituary Samples
- Obituary Samples from the Obituary and Memories online at ObitsIndia.com
Books to Help You Write an Obituary on Amazon
My Original Poetry Editions 1 And 2: How To Write Obiographical Sketches (Your Own Obituaries)
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 07/05/2009)
Remember Me When I'm Gone: The Rich and Famous Write Their Own Epitaphs and Obituaries
The Kindle Edition
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
Our Journey Is Our Work: Creating My Obituary
Amazon Price: $9.86 (as of 07/05/2009)
Obituaries of the Finest Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen (Times) in the Amazon Spotlight
The Times Great Military Lives: Leadership and Courage-in Obituaries (Times (Times Books))
Amazon Price: $19.72 (as of 07/05/2009)
Collected here are the obituaries of some of recent history's finest military leaders-among them Napoleon, Montgomery, Patton, and MacArthur-each reproduced in facsimile of its first printing.
Together these lives tell stories of grand strategy, tactical boldness, courage and ingenuity under fire, and an enduring commitment to selfless service.
Featured Lenses on Writing Sympathy Cards, Condolence Notes and Condolence Letters
Sympathy Cards, Condolence Notes and Condolence Letters are often sent following the death of a loved one.-
How to Write a Sympathy Card
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Sending your sympathy following the death of a loved one or a major loss is still best done by sending a hand-written card, a note or a letter. It is estimated that Americans send nearly 125 million sympathy cards annually for many different types o...
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How to Write a Condolence Letter
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Finding the right words to write a condolence letter or sympathy note may be challenging, yet the benefits can be immeasurable. A well-written, heart-felt condolence letter is a show of your support and sympathy for the person grieving the death of a...
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How to Write a Condolence Note or a Sympathy Note
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Taking a bit of time to write a condolence note or condolence letter can be a great source of comfort and provide a gift of healing for a friend or a loved one who is grieving a loss. According to research by Hallmark, Americans send nearly 125 mill...
A Featured Lens on Loss, Grief and Bereavement
More information on loss, grief and bereavement to help those who have lost a loved one cope with the death.-
Loss, Grief and Bereavement
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Loss is the disappearance of something cherished, often the death of a person, loss of a relationship, loss of a job or loss of health. Grief is the entire response--mind, body and spirit--to the loss. Bereavement is the often term used when the loss...
The Latest on Obituaries in the News
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byA Featured Grief and Loss Club Lens
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Grief & Loss Club Headquarters
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The Grief & Loss Club is for lenses that have information, resources and support to anyone grieving a loss. The Grief & Loss Club is one that people do not choose to join, rather it is a club that their experience of grief has given t...
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Writing an Obituary can be a Very Difficult Challenge. Find here Help on How to Write an Obituary and What to Write for a Newspaper Funeral Notice. This Page Includes Loving Words, Funeral and Memorial Planning, Help Links, and Helpful Books Deep...
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Funeral Obituaries - Writing An Obituary - Sample Obits
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Funeral Obituaries - Writing An Obituary - Sample Obits. Deaths and the accompanying funerals, obituaries, eulogies all come at the worst possible time - when you are struck by grief, in tears, shaken to the core - THEN all the big decisions have to...
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Genealogy and the obituary — friends or enemies?
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How to write an obituary, and how to -- or more appropriately, how NOT to -- use the information found in obituaries in your genealogical research. Plus, a little humor.
Obituary Collectibles Available on eBay
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Final thoughts on Obituaries
Live so that when the final summons comes you will leave something more behind you than an epitaph on a tombstone or an obituary in a newspaper.
William A. Sunday
Image Credits
"Man" Reads the Obituary - Randy. Honey, You're Always Reading that Paper. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Reading the Obituaries Online - Visnup. Huned using Safari. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Copyright Information
Creative Commons License. Some rights reserved.
Creative Commons License © 2006-2008 Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT. Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
The material in this resource book may be copied and reproduced on websites or in newsletters, ezines provided that the Author's Biography information is included with any article.
Longer excerpts from this online resource book may not be copied, duplicated or reproduced for use in a for-profit setting without prior written permission by the author.
Contact the Author at the Contact Me link above.
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What did you think about the Obituary Lens?
KimGiancaterino wrote...
This reminds me of my early journalism classes. Obituaries were always our first assignments. I'll keep this handy as a reference. Squid Angel Blessings.
Posted September 20, 2008
by Comfortdoc
Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor...
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