How to Personalize an Obituary

By: John W. Moles
Sunday, August 7, 2016

Writing an obituary for your loved one can be a challenging task considering the short amount of space. Making it a true reflection of how much your loved one meant to you and communicating that in the right way, can be tough to fit into a few short paragraphs. The most important factor is to keep it lively by focussing on their life rather than the death itself.

 

Here is the main checklist of what every obituary includes:

  • Name of the deceased
  • Where they were born, grew up, and their hometown at the time of the death
  • Cause of death (Depending on the comfortability of the family sharing this detail)
  • Any donation or memorial fund information
  • Their life and profession
  • Location, time, and name of funeral home the service will be held

 

Here are some tips on personalizing an obituary:

 

Describe them: The point of an obituary is to inspire those left behind and give them a true and meaningful reflection of the deceased. You want to focus on the life they shared and lived with their family and close friends. Make it significant by explaining who and what this person believed in and loved.

 

Characterize: Show character by adding in some humor for a sense of life and celebration of the deceased honor, is also a good way to remember the positive side and traits. Talk about their hobbies and unique traits that made them who they are. Were they always making jokes? Or maybe they were quiet but had the funniest stories?

 

Illustrate Personality: Using specific examples and stories that can illustrate a picture in the audience’s head can help to really connect who the deceased was to the people. For example, instead of saying, “My mom was always her kids through the tough times.” You could explain a time she was really there for you and how that impacted you and helped you move forward.

 

What did they mean to you? : Talk about what made the deceased unique and how much they meant to you. This can be one of the most difficult parts to write because it evokes emotions and memories. Speak from the heart and let those emotions seep through your pen. This is not only the best way to connect the deceased to the people but also therapeutic to you in your grieving process.

 

If you have any further questions about writing an obituary, you can contact, Moles Farewell Tributes, here. 

Leave a comment
Name*:
Email:
Comment*:
Please enter the numbers and letters you see in the image. Note that the case of the letters entered matters.
Refresh
Audio

Comments

Please wait

Previous Posts

10 Facts about Grief and Grieving

The following is an excerpt from a great article on our website written by Dr. Bill Webster One reason that we often find grief such a difficult challenge is that we have never learned what to exp...

Support for Losses Through Miscarriage and Stillbirth

All of the deaths we encounter through our clients are difficult, but it’s those that deal with the loss of an infant that really hits home. Our funeral directors in Bellingham and Ferndale take ex...

Helping Men Cope With the Death of a Loved One

Everyone grieves differently and there’s no right or wrong way to do so. As funeral directors in Bellingham and Ferndale we’re very familiar with this. There’s one major aspect of grief that’s quit...

Remembering the History of Funeral Cookies

Are you familiar with the old concept of funeral cookies? If you aren’t, that’s probably because they haven’t been used in many years. The use of funeral cookies was huge during the colonial age bu...

Everything You Need to Know About Urn Towers

If you read the previous blog post you may already be familiar with the term urn towers. If not don’t worry, you’re going to learn all about them now! Since we plan to incorporate them at Greenacre...

Love Lives On

Those we love are never really lost to us-- we feel them in so many special ways- through friends they always cared about and dreams they left behind, in beauty that they added to our days . . . in...

The Importance of the End-of-Life Talk With your Loved Ones

An end-of-life conversation with your loved ones in important to ensure you gather all their wishes and desires to hold a memorial that honors them and celebrates their life. Having this conversati...

How Does a Celebration of Life Differ from a Funeral?

For many people, the passing of a loved one is marked in just one way; a funeral service. But in recent years, there have been additions of alternatives to the traditional funeral that have helped ...

How to Plan a Celebration of Life If No Instructions Were Given

While there is no easy way to deal with the loss of a loved one, some things can make the experience a smoother one, such as advanced planning that lays out exactly how the deceased would like a fu...

Moles Farewell Tributes Expands Use of Social Media

In today’s fast-paced world where everything is just a click or tap away, even the funeral home industry is adapting and changing. Moles Farewell Tributes has a history dating back to 1910, an era ...