Obituary Template: How to Write an Obituary, Example

An obituary is the public notice of a death, published in a newspaper, on a funeral home’s site or shared online. It gives the full name, age and date of death, a short account of the person’s life, the family, and the details of the service, so that people who knew them can come or send their condolences. It is shorter and more factual than a eulogy, which is spoken at the service.

Get these right before you write

1Check every name, date and spelling with the family before it is published.

2Give the service details exactly: date, time, full address, and whether it is private.

3Leave out home addresses and anything that tells strangers the house is empty during the service.

4For the stories, write a eulogy; keep the obituary to the facts and one or two lines about who they were.

Structure

The document opens with these headings and blanks.

[Full name], [birth year]–[death year]

[Full name], [age], of [town], died on [date] [at home / in hospital].

[Born [date] in [place]. Work, interests, what they were known for.]

[Survived by [family]. Predeceased by [family].]

##Service

[Date, time, place. Who is welcome.]

[In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [charity].]

A complete example

Written by the AI from this brief, exactly as the workbench would write yours:

An obituary for Rosa Delgado, 89, of Valencia, who died peacefully at home on 2 February 2027; born in 1937 in a village near Teruel, she came to Valencia at 19 and ran a corner grocery on Calle de la Paz for 40 years, and grew tomatoes on her balcony that she gave away to the whole street every August; predeceased by her husband Luis in 2015; survived by her four children, Carmen, José, Elena and Miguel, and nine grandchildren; the service is on Saturday 6 February at 11:00 at the Church of San Juan, Valencia, followed by a gathering at the family’s former shop; in lieu of flowers, donations to the local food bank.

Rosa Delgado, 1937 – 2027

Her Life

Rosa Delgado, 89, of Valencia, died peacefully at home on 2 February 2027.

Rosa was born in 1937 in a village near Teruel. At 19 she came to Valencia, the city that would be her home for the next seventy years. For 40 years she ran a corner grocery on Calle de la Paz, where generations of neighbours knew her by name and counted on her shop as a fixture of the street.

Rosa loved growing things. Every summer she raised tomatoes on her balcony, and every August she gave them away to the whole street. Many of her neighbours will remember her first for her generosity, and for those tomatoes.

Family

Rosa was predeceased by her husband, Luis, in 2015.

She is survived by her four children, Carmen, José, Elena and Miguel, and by her nine grandchildren.

Service

Date: Saturday, 6 February 2027
Time: 11:00
Place: Church of San Juan, Valencia

A gathering will follow at the family's former shop on Calle de la Paz. All who knew Rosa are welcome.

Donations

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the local food bank [name and address of food bank needed].

Names, figures and dates in the example are made up for illustration.

How it works

1Open the template: a document with the skeleton and the brief appears.

2Add one line about your case to the brief, or attach your notes as sources, and press First draft.

3Edit directly, or ask the AI to tighten, expand or translate any passage; every AI change is reviewed before it lands.

Questions

Can I use the example as it is?

The example shows the shape and tone; its names and figures are made up. Open the template and give the AI your own facts, and it writes yours in the same shape.

Does it work in English and Chinese?

Yes. The document is written in the language of your brief, and any passage can be translated afterwards.

Is it free?

Writing is billed by the tokens used, usually a few credits per draft; the template, the skeleton and the editor cost nothing.