What's involved in writing a good obituary? This is the first thing you should think about when sitting down to write one for a spouse, family member, or close friend. What information should it include and how can you find a balance between dry facts and engaging storytelling?
The obituary is a longer and more detailed look at the life of the deceased. The death notice is simply a compilation of relevant facts. The obituary also includes those essential details, but it expands on them to provide a complete look at the deceased's life experiences.
The first of the details is their name. If they had a maiden name or were commonly known by a nickname, you may want to add that in as well.
Other essential details to include when writing both a death notice and an obituary are:
It benefits families when we remind them of this simple truth: in writing an obituary for your loved one, you have the opportunity to serve future generations of your immediate family and society as a whole. You are, in effect, recording history on an individual scale. It's a humbling yet inspiring thought.
It's easy to find examples of obituaries worthy of attention. There are interesting obituaries for everyday folks that inspire us, make us cry or even make us laugh. When we're done reading the obituaries, often we say to ourselves, "I wish I'd had a chance to get to know that person." Obituaries are scattered in cyberspace, acting as digital records of lives, times, places and histories.
Will writing your obituary become a trend? Maybe. Many more people are writing their obituaries today – it's even given as an assignment in some college and university courses.
How you document your loved one's life story is up to you. With that said, we recommend the obituary also include these details:
It's now time to push the facts aside. Sit back and think about the anecdotes and memories you could share to shed some light on your loved one's character and personal interests. Bring factual details into play whenever you can to help the reader see who they were, how they lived, what they did, and who and what they loved. The richer in detail, the more memorable the obituary becomes.
Before you submit your final copy, be sure to read it through twice or even three times. You're looking for errors in spelling and grammar, but you also want to make sure your facts are straight.
We would be happy to offer some suggestions if you're stuck. Call us to discover how we can help you to shine a brighter spotlight on your loved one’s life.