An obituary should provide facts, but a really great one includes personal insights, comments, and observations. By reading an example obituary, you can find it easier to write one for a loved one, or for yourself.

 Or, if you prefer some assistance, our editors can write a beautiful, custom-made obituary for your loved one. As a family member, one of the most important things you should do is to write a beautiful obituary that celebrates your loved one’s life. To help you inform others about the passing of your loved one, you can use obituary examples to write a respectful obituary that celebrates his or her life.

 If you are faced with the task of writing a loved one’s obituary, it may help to look at some examples of obituaries to get some ideas flowing. These sample obituary templates provide guidance that will get you started on writing a death notice for a deceased friend or loved one. This step-by-step guide to writing an obituary includes useful information, tips, and obituary examples so that you can write a respectful, meaningful obituary.

Sample Obituary Templates

Whether you are looking for a brief obituary for a family member or a humorous one for a close friend, you can hopefully use the obituary examples below to help you write a perfect obituary. As you read through the obituary examples, note how there is still a bit of the typical obituary format, but how many of these obituaries expand upon the information that you would find in a typical obituary, and include extra details that describe the unique person and life lived by the person who died. Family members and close friends are often perfectly happy to contribute helpful facts, anecdotes, and insight — all of these things that make an obituary more meaningful for the people reading it.

 The person writing an obituary is being asked to produce a document that will be read by many, many people. For most authors, the obituary is going to be the most-read piece of writing that they have ever created — or will ever produce. The obituary is usually the first thing that people read each day in their newspapers – and, for many, will probably be the last written of their lives.

 An obituary is the medium used most frequently when communicating a loved one’s death to others outside of the family. More than just saying goodbye to a deceased person, it is a send-off detailing his or her life chronologically. An obituary is a short summary of the person’s life, typically including names of family members, funeral or memorial service arrangements, and preferences regarding flowers and donations.

 It is a good example of how you can infuse the personality of the person you loved into their obituary. If your loved one who has just passed away was extraordinary too, use this obituary as an example of how to recognize her (or his) achievements.