Knowing how to write dates in an obituary helps readers understand a person’s life timeline and find service information without confusion.
A few consistent choices about order, punctuation, and certainty can make the notice easier to read and share.
Which dates belong in an obituary?
Most obituaries include the dates of birth and death, often alongside a person’s age and place of residence.
A longer life story may also mention dates tied to milestones, such as a marriage, graduation, military service, or career, when those details are relevant and confirmed.
If the obituary announces a funeral, memorial, visitation, or celebration of life, include the event’s date and time in a clearly labeled section.
Readers need to distinguish these upcoming arrangements from the date of death.
Add the venue and location details, and identify any time zone when people may be joining remotely or traveling from another region.
Choose a date format readers can understand
Use a format that fits the publication and audience, then keep it consistent throughout the notice.
In the United States, writing the month as a word avoids confusion between formats such as 04/05/2026, which can mean April 5 or May 4 depending on the reader’s convention.
- Month written out: “April 5, 2026” is clear in most U.S. publications.
- Day before month: “5 April 2026” is common in many other English-speaking settings and avoids a comma.
- Numeric format: Use it only if the newspaper, funeral home, or family’s style guide requests it.
Include four digits for the year when space allows.
For a U.S.-style date, place a comma between the day and year: “April 5, 2026.” In a sentence, place another comma after the year when the sentence continues: “She was born on April 5, 1942, in Albany.” A date at the end of a sentence does not need an extra comma.
How should birth and death dates appear?
A compact date line is a familiar option: “January 12, 1948 – October 3, 2026.” An en dash can mark the span between the dates.
Some publications prefer a hyphen or a different layout, so follow their house style when submitting a notice.
You can also weave the dates into the first sentence: “Jordan Lee was born on January 12, 1948, and died on October 3, 2026, at age 78.” This format works well when the obituary begins with a short biographical introduction.
Avoid repeating the same dates in several places unless a publication’s template calls for it.
Check that the age matches the birth and death dates.
A person’s age depends on whether their birthday had occurred in the year they died.
If the exact dates are private or the family prefers not to share them, consider using years only, an age alone, or a phrase such as “in their 80th year,” as appropriate and accurate.
How can you write dates for services?
Put service arrangements in a separate paragraph or a labeled section so they stand out from life-history details.
Spell out the month and include the weekday only after verifying it against a calendar.
Fictional example: “A memorial service will take place Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Northview Community Hall, 100 Example Road, Sampletown.”
Use the venue’s preferred name and confirm the address, start time, and whether the event is open to the public.
If arrangements are pending, say so plainly rather than giving an unconfirmed date.
The family or funeral home can update the obituary when details are finalized.
What if a date is unknown or uncertain?
Do not guess.
Verify dates with reliable family records, an existing obituary, a memorial program, or another source the family considers trustworthy.
If records conflict, ask the person coordinating the notice which version to use before publication.
When the exact day is unavailable, a less specific detail may be more respectful and accurate:
- Use a year only: “born in 1948 and died in 2026.”
- Use a month and year if both are known: “died in October 2026.”
- Omit a date if sharing it is not necessary or the family does not want it published.
Do not use an approximate date as if it were exact.
If the family chooses to mention an estimate, make the uncertainty explicit and check the wording with them.
How do you make an obituary’s dates accurate?
Before sending the notice, compare every date with the family-approved source material and check names, ages, weekdays, and event times.
Pay special attention to dates copied from older drafts, where a changed service plan or a mistyped year can go unnoticed.
- Confirm birth and death dates with the family or its chosen records.
- Recalculate the stated age from those dates.
- Verify weekday and calendar details for services.
- Use one date format throughout the obituary.
- Ask the newspaper, funeral home, or memorial platform about any required formatting.
Publications may apply their own style rules, and newspapers set their own rates for paid notices.
Ask the publication or funeral home about formatting, deadlines, fees, and correction procedures before submitting.
This helps ensure the dates are both readable and aligned with the outlet’s requirements.