An obituary, or obit, is a news article announcing a person’s death, offering a summary of his life, and details of a forthcoming funeral. An obituary will usually contain personal details, and will therefore typically be written by a family member or a friend. An obituary usually includes more details of a person’s life and accomplishments.

Even the most sensational obituary must contain critical details about a person’s life and death. Some families prefer to include details about the circumstances surrounding a person’s death. Families generally wish to list the full name of the deceased, as well as the birth date of death, however, due to scams and identity theft, this is discouraged.    

First, you will want to include the person’s name, place of birth, age, date of death, place, and cause of death (optional). An obituary does more than share the date of birth and death, but usually includes at least one photograph of the individual, as well as highlights about his or her achievements or even his or her personality. An obituary also serves as a notification that someone has passed and provides information about any services scheduled. 

Like a mini-funeral, the purpose of an obituary is; to acknowledge the death of one of us, to celebrate the gifts the person’s life brought to us, to share parts of a life that may not have been known by us all, and to express our sorrow for the loss. In the obituary, we also wish to represent the important events and attributes of the person who died, note that person’s impact on the family and on the world around them, and recognize family members who are held, dear.

Funeral Templates

Many people write their obituaries themselves, and that can be an excellent exercise, but what these obituaries miss is any mention of the effect that the deceased had on their family members, as well as on their community. An obituary, or an online death notice, can be a great way to spread the news about the person’s death to the family, friends, and your local community.   

Not only can the grieving family modify and add to a life story, but it is also possible to get condolences from the obituary guest book. The guestbook can be a central location where everyone can read about the life story, share thoughts, and preserve memories of the person who died. This guestbook messaging format is more similar to obituaries, in that it will be detailing specific parts of the deceased person’s life with you are most familiar with.    

More than just saying goodbye to a deceased person, an obituary is a goodbye detailing their life chronologically. Writing the announcement of the death within the opening paragraph serves the purpose of informing the community about the details surrounding the loss of their loved one. Their surviving family members are the ones others may look to for condolences and help at such a time of grief.