Crafting an Obituary

Writing Down a Life:

It can be difficult to know where to start. First and foremost, remember that we are here to help you.

An obituary serves as notification that an individual has passed away and details of the services that are to take place. But it can be for more than that. A well-crafted obituary can detail the life of the deceased, with style.

An obituary's length may be somewhat dictated by the space available (and the related costs) in the newspaper it is to appear in. Normally the obituary needs to appear in print a few days prior to the memorial service. There are some cases where this may not be possible, therefore give some consideration to the guidelines below when composing the obituary.

What Should You Include?

Naturally, it is vital that the full name, along with the location and date of passing is included so that there is no confusion over who has died.

You may wish to consider placing a photograph with the text.

If you wish, mention where the deceased resided. Do not include the street address, for security reasons; just mention the city and region/state/province/county.

In a concise manner, write about the significant events in the life of the deceased. This may include the schools he or she attended, and any degrees attained; you may also include any vocations or interests that the deceased was involved with.

Add the Names of Those Left Behind…

as Well as Those Who Went Ahead

It is common to include a list of those who have survived the deceased, in addition to those who passed away prior to the death of your loved one. The list should include (where applicable):



• Parents
• Spouse and children
• Adopted children
• Half & step children
• Siblings
• Half- & step-siblings
• Grandparents

The relatives listed above may be listed by name. Other relatives may or may not be mentioned by name but may be included in terms of their relationship to the deceased. In other words, the obituary may mention that the deceased had 5 grandchildren, or 7 great-grandchildren. 

Also, anyone listed as a special friend or companion is not normally included amongst the list of survivors unless the deceased's blood relatives request that it be so. The obituary's traditional purpose is to list survivors either related through the bloodline or marriage.

Additional information such as organizations, clubs, interests like sports teams, career details can be put in the second paragraph of the funeral notice.

At this point list the details of the time and location of any services for the deceased: these may include the funeral, burial, wake and memorial service where appropriate.

Tips for Crafting a Complete Obituary

If you don't know where to start, do read other obituaries to gain an idea of how personal and touching an obituary may be.

You may want to suggest that individuals who wish to honor the memory of your loved one do so with a “memorial contribution.” If so, in the final paragraph of the obituary you can include the words: "Memorial contributions may be made to" and then state the charity’s name.

Final Considerations

We will place the obituary on our website: www.BollmanFuneralHome.com and www.DallasTribute.com. From your loved one’s Book of Memories™ the obituary can be shared via Facebook and other social media hubs, should you choose.

Remember that we are here to help you. If at any point this task feels overwhelming just give us a call and we will help you. We can finish crafting the obituary for you. We will let you know the cost for placing the obituary in the newspapers you choose and proceed as directed.