An obituary is a written account of a person’s life and death, usually shared with a community through a newspaper, funeral home, or online memorial.
Understanding what it includes—and how it differs from a brief death notice—can help families decide what to share and where.
What is an obituary?
An obituary is a public notice that announces someone’s death and offers a short portrait of their life.
It commonly identifies the person, gives the date and place of death, describes important relationships and milestones, and shares information about a funeral, memorial, or other gathering when the family chooses to include it.
Obituaries serve both practical and personal purposes.
They can inform friends, relatives, colleagues, and neighbors who may not have heard the news, while preserving details about the person’s experiences, values, interests, and contributions.
An obituary does not need to recount an entire life.
A clear, accurate selection of meaningful details is often more helpful than an exhaustive list.
What information does an obituary usually include?
There is no single required format.
Families can adapt the content to fit the person’s life, their preferences, and the publication’s guidelines.
A typical obituary may include:
- Announcement: The person’s full name and a simple statement that they have died.
- Key dates and places: Birth and death dates, age, and places of residence or death, if the family wants to share them.
- Life story: Selected details about education, work, military service, community involvement, interests, or other experiences that mattered to the person.
- Family relationships: Names or descriptions of close relatives, such as a spouse, children, siblings, or other loved ones.
Families may also acknowledge people who died earlier. - Service details: The date, time, and location of a funeral, memorial, visitation, or celebration of life, if those details are public.
- Additional wishes: Optional information about flowers, charitable donations, condolences, or an online memorial page.
Details about family members, locations, and gatherings are optional.
Consider privacy and safety before publishing home addresses, personal contact information, or details the family would prefer to keep private.
How is an obituary different from a death notice?
A death notice is generally a short announcement that confirms a death and may provide service information.
An obituary usually includes a fuller account of the person’s life, relationships, and accomplishments.
In practice, publishers and funeral homes may use these terms differently, so check their definitions and submission options.
A funeral home may also prepare or host an online obituary page.
Such pages can combine biographical information with service details, photographs, condolences, or memorial contributions.
Their features and publication policies vary by provider.
Where can an obituary be published?
Families commonly share an obituary through a local or national newspaper, a funeral home’s website, an online memorial platform, or a community organization.
Some people publish in more than one place to reach different audiences.
A funeral home may help prepare and submit the notice, while a newspaper may require the family to send it directly.
Before submitting, check the publisher’s current rules for word count, formatting, deadlines, photographs, and editing.
Newspapers set their own publication rates, which can vary by outlet and by the length or format of a notice.
Ask the publication directly for current pricing rather than relying on estimates from another source.
How do you write an obituary?
Begin by gathering verified facts and deciding who will review the draft.
Helpful sources may include family records, a résumé, a calendar, or notes from people who knew the person.
Confirm spellings, dates, locations, and relationships with someone familiar with the details.
- Write the announcement. Use the person’s preferred name and state the date of death.
Include the cause only if the family wishes to share it. - Choose life details. Select a few experiences, qualities, interests, or contributions that help readers understand what was distinctive and meaningful about the person.
- Describe relationships with care. Confirm which relatives or loved ones should be named and how they want their names or relationships presented.
- Add public service information. Include confirmed details about gatherings and any preferred way to share condolences or make a memorial contribution.
- Review for accuracy and privacy. Check names, dates, and logistics, and remove information the family does not want shared publicly.
Use a tone that feels appropriate to the person and the family.
Some obituaries are formal; others include gentle humor or focus on everyday interests.
There is no obligation to make the writing sound grand.
Specific, accurate details can make a brief account feel personal.
What if the family is not ready to publish a full obituary?
Families can share a short notice first and provide a fuller account later, if the publisher permits it.
They can also choose not to publish an obituary at all.
The right approach depends on the family’s needs, timing, privacy preferences, and budget.
A funeral home or publication can explain its submission process, deadlines, and available options.
Fictional example of a short obituary
The following is a fictional example.
The names and details are invented and do not refer to a real person.
Jordan Lee, a devoted gardener and longtime neighborhood volunteer, died on [date] in [place], at [age].
Jordan enjoyed sharing homegrown vegetables with friends and helping care for the community garden.
Jordan is remembered by [family members or loved ones].
A memorial gathering will take place on [date and time] at [location].
This sample uses placeholders where details should be confirmed.
Families should tailor the wording to reflect the person accurately and include only information they are comfortable making public.