Free Obituary Template

What Is an Obituary and Who Needs a Template

An obituary is a published notice of someone's death that combines a factual announcement with a brief biographical tribute. Newspapers, funeral home websites, and online memorial platforms all accept them in roughly the same format: opening announcement, life story, surviving family, and service details.

Templates help because most people writing an obituary are doing so under grief and time pressure. Funeral homes often need copy within 24 to 48 hours of a death. A blank template tells you exactly which information to gather before you sit down to write, which turns an overwhelming task into a manageable checklist.

A free obituary template in Word format is particularly useful because it can be emailed directly to a funeral home or newspaper for submission. Most newspapers charge by the word or by the column inch, so having a structured template also helps you control length and cost. Online memorial platforms have no word limit, giving families space to write a fuller tribute.

• Immediate family members helping to plan a funeral
• Funeral home staff drafting on behalf of the family
• Newspaper copy editors needing a standard structure
• Anyone pre-writing their own obituary in advance

What to Include in an Obituary

A complete obituary covers six core elements. Every piece of information you include makes the tribute more meaningful and ensures readers know how to pay their respects.

• Opening announcement: full name, age, hometown, date, and place of death
• Birth information: date and place of birth, parents' names
• Life narrative: education, career, military service, faith, community roles, hobbies
• Marriage and family life: spouse name and wedding date, family highlights
• Survivors: list living family members by relationship, name, and city
• Service details: date, time, and location of visitation, funeral, and burial
• In lieu of flowers: preferred charity or memorial donation option

How to Write an Obituary Step by Step

Writing a strong obituary is easier when you work in order. Gather facts first, then draft, then edit for length. Most newspaper obituaries run 150 to 300 words; online memorials can be longer.

1. Collect the facts: full legal name, birth date, death date, birthplace, hometown, education, career history, marriage date, spouse name, names and cities of all survivors
2. Draft the opening sentence first. It anchors everything else and sets the tone.
3. Write the life narrative in past tense, focusing on two or three defining traits, passions, or accomplishments rather than a full resume
4. List survivors by relationship starting with spouse, then children (with spouses), then grandchildren, then siblings; include city of residence for each
5. Add service details: confirm date, time, and venue with the funeral home before publishing
6. Note any donation preference or charitable fund established in the person's memory
7. Edit to your target word count; read aloud to catch awkward phrasing

Obituary Examples and Variations

Obituaries range from brief newspaper death notices (50 to 80 words) to full-length tributes of several hundred words. The right length depends on where you are publishing and what the family wants to share.

A simple death notice includes name, date, city, immediate survivors, and service information, and nothing more. A full obituary adds the biographical narrative. A celebration-of-life tribute shifts the tone toward memory and personality, using warm anecdotes and first-person quotes from family. Military obituaries typically include branch, rank, and years of service near the opening. For a free obituary template in Word format, the structure above pastes directly into any word processor without additional formatting.

A fill-in-the-blank obituary template (like the one on this page) is the fastest approach when you need to write under time pressure. Work through the sections in order, skip any that do not apply, and you will have a complete draft in 20 to 30 minutes. The biographical narrative section is the only part that benefits from sitting with longer, and even that can be written in a single pass if you focus on two or three defining qualities rather than a comprehensive life history.

• Brief death notice: name, dates, survivors, service info only
• Standard obituary: 150-300 words with full biography
• Celebration-of-life tribute: anecdote-driven, warmer tone
• Military obituary: includes branch, rank, and service years
• Pre-written obituary: drafted in advance by the individual

Tips for Writing a Respectful Obituary

A few practical guidelines help obituaries read well and avoid common mistakes.

• Write in third person past tense throughout for consistency
• Avoid vague phrases like 'passed peacefully' without context; be specific about what made the person remarkable
• Double-check spelling of all names, including grandchildren and extended family
• Confirm service times directly with the funeral home, as incorrect times are the most common obituary error
• Keep the cause of death optional; many families omit it and newspapers do not require it
• Proofread for date math: verify the age listed matches birth year and death year
• Get a second family member to review before submission