Overview
How to Write an Obituary With a Clear Template
Learning how to write an obituary is mostly a matter of working from a good obituary template. An obituary announces a death, summarizes a life, names the surviving family, and tells readers when and where the service will be held. This free generator gives you a section-by-section outline you can fill in, so you cover every important part without staring at a blank page during a hard week.
Choose one of three formats below — a brief death notice, a standard obituary, or a longer narrative tribute. The tool builds a labeled outline with placeholder prompts and a suggested word count for each section, then estimates the total length so you can match it to a newspaper budget or memorial page. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere; everything runs in your browser.
About This Tool
This tool provides structure and guidance only - it does not write the obituary for you. The goal is to help you organize your thoughts and ensure you cover important sections. Every obituary should be personal and reflect the unique individual being remembered.
Choose Obituary Style
Select a format that fits your needs
Your outline
Traditional Obituary Outline
Estimated length: 275-465 words
Announcement
[Full Name], [age], of [City, State], passed away [peacefully/suddenly/after a long illness] on [Date] at [Location].
Tip: Include maiden name, nicknames in quotes
Background
[He/She] was born on [Date] in [City, State] to [Parents' Names]. [He/She] graduated from [School] and [College if applicable].
Tip: Set the foundation of their life story
Career & Achievements
[Full Name] worked as a [Profession] for [Company/Industry] for [X] years. [He/She] was known for [achievements, awards, contributions].
Tip: Focus on what they were proud of
Personal Life
[He/She] married [Spouse's Name] on [Date]. [His/Her] passions included [hobbies, interests]. [He/She] was a devoted [parent/grandparent] and active member of [church/community organizations].
Tip: Share what brought them joy
Survivors
[Full Name] is survived by [spouse]; children [names and spouses]; grandchildren [names]; and siblings [names]. [He/She] was preceded in death by [names].
Tip: List in order of relationship closeness
Service Information
A [funeral service/memorial service/celebration of life] will be held at [Time] on [Date] at [Location]. Visitation will be [details]. Interment will follow at [Cemetery].
Tip: Include address if location isn't well known
Memorial Donations
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to [Organization Name] at [Address or Website].
Tip: Choose causes meaningful to the deceased
Reading your results
How to Use This Obituary Outline
The outline above is your working draft skeleton. Each card is a section of the obituary, in the order it should appear. The bracketed prompts such as [Full Name] and [City, State] are placeholders — replace them with real details. The small label on the right of each card is the suggested word count for that section, and the Tip line under each one explains what editors and funeral homes usually expect there.
The estimated length shown at the top of your outline is the sum of every section's low and high word counts. Treat it as a planning range, not a rule: it tells you roughly how long the finished piece will run so you can match it to a newspaper's pricing or a memorial page. Use the Copy button to paste the outline into a document, fill in the brackets, then read it aloud and trim anything that does not sound like the person. When the draft is ready, the obituary cost calculator can estimate what publishing that word count will cost.
Benchmarks
Typical Obituary Length & Format in the U.S.
There is no required length for an obituary. These are the common U.S. formats and the word counts most newspapers and memorial pages expect. Because publications usually charge by the line, word, or column inch, length is also a budget decision.
| Format | Typical Length | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Brief / Death Notice | 75–150 words | Facts only: name, dates, service details, donations |
| Standard Obituary | 200–400 words | Life summary plus survivors and service information |
| Narrative / Feature | 400–700+ words | A fuller story of the person's life and legacy |
* Length ranges reflect common U.S. publishing conventions; exact pricing and word limits vary by newspaper and online provider.
Privacy & ethics
Why Obituary Safety Matters
Leave out for safety
- Full birth date: publish the birth year only, not the exact day and month
- Mother's maiden name: a classic security-question answer fraudsters look for
- Home address: can signal an empty house and aid mail or identity fraud
Protect the estate
- Notify Social Security promptly so the record is flagged against post-death fraud
- Name survivors carefully: first name and city is enough; avoid full details
- Be honest and inclusive: verify spellings and dates, and treat the person's story with care
Craft
Writing Tips
Gather Information First
Collect dates, names, and details before starting to write
Write from the Heart
Use your own voice; don't feel bound by formal language
Include Specific Details
Specific memories and traits are more meaningful than generic praise
Proofread Carefully
Check spelling of names, dates, and places multiple times
Get Input from Family
Others may remember important details you've forgotten
It's OK to Use Humor
If it reflects their personality, humor can celebrate their life
Questions answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Start by gathering the facts: full name, age, hometown, and the date of death. Then add a short life summary (birthplace, education, career, and the things they loved), a list of surviving and predeceased family, the service details, and any memorial-donation request. Our obituary template below organizes these into named sections so you can fill each one in and copy the outline. Write a plain draft first, then read it aloud and tighten it — most published obituaries land between 75 and 700 words depending on the format you choose.
The essential elements are the full name (a nickname in quotes is fine), age, town of residence, the date of death, the immediate surviving family, and the funeral or memorial service details. Common optional additions include education, career, military service, hobbies, faith or community involvement, and a memorial-donation request. You are never required to include cause of death, a maiden name, or a home address — and for safety reasons it is wise to leave the last two out (see the identity-theft note below).
There is no required length. A brief death notice runs roughly 75-150 words and states only the facts. A standard obituary is about 200-400 words. A narrative or feature obituary that tells the person's full story can run 400-700 words or more. Because newspapers usually charge by the line, column inch, or word, length is also a budget decision — see our obituary length and obituary cost guides for specifics.
No law requires you to publish an obituary at all — it is optional and separate from the legal death registration. If you do publish, most U.S. newspapers charge for the space, commonly from around $100 for a short notice to $500-$1,500+ for a long obituary with a photo in a major-market paper, while many online memorial and funeral-home pages are free. Writing the obituary yourself rather than having the funeral home draft it can lower the bill.
Third person is the traditional and most common choice ("Jane Smith passed away..."). First person ("I lived a full life...") is increasingly popular for obituaries people pre-write for themselves. Either is acceptable; pick the voice that best honors the person and stay consistent throughout.
Obituaries are public and are routinely scraped by fraudsters. The Funeral Consumers Alliance and consumer-protection guidance recommend you do not publish a full birth date, a mother's maiden name, the deceased's home address, or other answers commonly used as security questions. List the year of birth rather than the full date, name survivors by first name and city only, and notify Social Security and the credit bureaus promptly to flag the account against post-death fraud.
You control what is included. Cause of death is not required and is often omitted. Estranged relatives can be left out, and previous marriages can be mentioned or not. Focus on celebrating the life rather than explaining the death, and have a second family member proofread before you submit it.
Yes, and many people do. A pre-written obituary ensures accuracy, captures details only you know, and relieves your family of the task during grief. Store it with your other end-of-life documents and review it every few years so the service and survivor details stay current.
Trust & accuracy
Data sources & methodology
Section structure and length conventions follow NFDA consumer guidance and standard U.S. newspaper obituary practice; the identity-theft and privacy guidance draws on the Funeral Consumers Alliance and FTC consumer resources. This tool builds an outline only — it does not write the obituary or publish it, and any publication price you encounter will vary by newspaper and region.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Estimates Only
All calculations are estimates only. Actual costs, timelines, and requirements may vary significantly by location, provider, and individual circumstances. This tool does not constitute legal, medical, or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional — such as a local funeral home, licensed attorney, or financial advisor — for information specific to your situation.