Guides / Funeral programs
How to write an obituary for a funeral program
The obituary is often the page people hold onto longest. It tells the story of a life in a few hundred words, and it usually gets written in the middle of an exhausting week. Here is a simple way to write it, one piece at a time.
Before you start, gather the facts
Writing goes faster when the details are in one place. Ask a family member to help you collect:
- Their full name, including a middle name, maiden name or the nickname everyone used
- The date and place they were born, and the date and place they passed
- Their parents’ names
- Their spouse, children, grandchildren and siblings, and which loved ones passed before them
- Their church home and the ministries they served in
- Schools, work, military service and anything they were proud of
- The service date, time and place, if they go on the same page
Choose one person to check every name and date at the end. Spelling is the detail people notice most.
The five parts of an obituary
-
Open with the announcement
Start with their full name, their age, and when and where they passed. Many families use words that fit their faith, such as “entered eternal rest,” “was called home” or “transitioned from labor to reward.”
Mary Ellen Carter, 81, entered eternal rest on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at home, surrounded by her family.
-
Tell the story of their life
Move through their life in order: where they were born and who raised them, school, work or military service, marriage and family. Then add the things that made them who they were, like the garden, the Sunday dinners, the jokes, the way they sewed or sang or fixed things. Write it the way you would tell it at the kitchen table. A few specific details say more than a long list.
-
Share their faith
For many families this is the heart of the obituary. You might say when they gave their life to Christ, the church they called home, and how they served, whether on the usher board, in the choir, on the mothers’ board or in the kitchen.
She joined Greater Hope Missionary Baptist Church as a young woman and served faithfully on the usher board for more than forty years.
-
Name the family
Two short lists usually cover it. First, the loved ones who went before them: “She was preceded in death by her husband, James, and her parents.” Then the family who carries on: “She leaves to cherish her memory...” followed by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, and “a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.” List the closest family first, and use the names they would want to see in print.
-
Close with a word of comfort
End with a favorite scripture, a line of a hymn, or a sentence about how they will be remembered. If you quote scripture, copy it from your own Bible and name the translation, so the words are exactly right.
How long should it be?
For one program page, aim for about 350 to 500 words. That length reads comfortably at a size older guests can see without squinting. If the family has more to share, give the extra stories their own page, like a reflections or tributes page, instead of shrinking the type.
Where the obituary goes in the program
In most programs the obituary sits right after the cover, before or beside the order of service, followed by photos, tributes and the family’s acknowledgments. Our 8-page rose programs follow that order: a cover, an obituary page titled A Life Well Lived, the order of service, pages for reflections and photos, and an acknowledgment page for pallbearers, flower bearers, the interment and the repast.
A fill-in-the-blank starter
Copy this into your program and replace each blank. Change any wording that doesn’t sound like your family.
[Full name], [age], entered eternal rest on [day and date] in [city]. [He or she] was born on [date] in [city] to the late [parents’ names].
[First name] grew up [where and how], and graduated from [school]. [He or she] worked as [work] for [number] years [and served in the (branch of service)].
[He or she] gave [his or her] life to Christ at [age or season of life] and was a faithful member of [church], where [he or she] served [ministries].
[First name] was preceded in death by [names]. [He or she] leaves to cherish [his or her] memory [spouse], [children], [grandchildren], [siblings], and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
[A closing scripture, hymn line or sentence about how they will be remembered.]
Last checks before you print
- Read it out loud once. Anything that’s hard to say is hard to read.
- Have a second person check every name, date and spelling.
- Share it with the closest family before it goes to print.
- Print one test copy at home, fold it, and read it as a guest would.