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Free obituary templates and examples
Fill-in-the-blank templates for the relationships families write about most, each with completed examples, wording help for the parts people get stuck on, and guidance on length. Copy anything here and use it however you need to.
The standard obituary template
Nearly every obituary follows the same six movements: the announcement, the biography, the marriage, the person, the family, and the service. This works for anyone. The relationship-specific templates below adjust the emphasis and the wording.
[Full name, including maiden name or nickname], [age], of [city, state], died on [date of death] [optional: at home / after a long illness / unexpectedly].
[He/She/They] was born on [birth date] in [birthplace] to [parents' names]. [Education, military service, or training.] [Work or occupation, and for how long.]
[Marriage: name, date, and number of years. Note if the spouse died earlier.]
[One paragraph about who they actually were: what they did with their time, what they were known for, one concrete habit or saying.]
[He/She/They] is survived by [spouse]; [children and their spouses]; [number] grandchildren; and [siblings]. [He/She/They] was preceded in death by [names and relationships].
A [funeral service / memorial service / celebration of life] will be held on [date] at [time] at [location]. [Visitation details.] In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [organization].
Free printable
Obituary worksheet, two pages, ready to print
Gather the facts by hand before you try to write anything. It collects names, dates, family, and service details, then gives you the fill-in-the-blank draft on the second page. No email required.
Download the PDFTemplates by relationship
Each page includes a fill-in-the-blank template, a short version sized for a newspaper, a longer version for a funeral home page, and wording help specific to that relationship.
For a mother
Obituary template for a mother
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a father
Obituary template for a father
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a grandmother
Obituary template for a grandmother
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a grandfather
Obituary template for a grandfather
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a husband
Obituary template for a husband
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a wife
Obituary template for a wife
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a son
Obituary template for a son
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a daughter
Obituary template for a daughter
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a brother
Obituary template for a brother
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
For a sister
Obituary template for a sister
Template, two fictional examples, and wording guidance.
How long an obituary should be
Length is decided by where the obituary will appear, not by how much there is to say. Most families write the long version first and cut it down.
Newspaper notice
75 to 200 words
Most papers charge by the line or column inch, so families cut personality first. Keep the announcement, the family list, and the service details, and add one identifying sentence if the budget allows.
Funeral home website
250 to 500 words
Usually free and usually the version people actually read and share. This is where the specific stories belong.
Funeral program or keepsake
150 to 350 words
Must fit a printed panel alongside a photograph and the order of service. Write it last, after the service details are fixed.
Read aloud at a service
About 130 words per minute
A 400-word obituary takes roughly three minutes to read aloud. Shorter sentences are easier to deliver when the reader is upset.
When you are ready
From wording to a printable program
These templates stay free. If you also need the printed pieces for the service, TributeReady drafts the wording with you, lets you edit every line, and produces a print-ready funeral program, memorial keepsake, and thank-you card for a one-time $34.99. You see the full draft before you decide anything.
Common questions
- Are these obituary templates really free?
- Yes. Every template and example on this page is free to copy, edit, and publish. There is no sign-up, no email required, and no watermark. TributeReady sells an optional paid product that turns finished wording into print-ready funeral programs, but nothing on this page requires it.
- What should an obituary always include?
- At minimum: full name, age, city, date of death, and service information. Nearly all obituaries also include birth details, surviving family, and family who died earlier. Cause of death, exact home address, and full birth date are all optional, and many families omit them for privacy and identity-theft reasons.
- How much does it cost to publish an obituary in a newspaper?
- Newspaper pricing varies widely by market and is typically charged per line, per column inch, or per word, with photographs priced separately. Rates commonly range from under a hundred dollars in small local papers to several hundred or more in large metropolitan dailies. Ask the paper for its current rate card and word limit before you finalize length, and ask whether your funeral home submits on your behalf.
- Can I write an obituary myself instead of using the funeral home?
- Yes. Funeral homes will usually submit and format the notice, but the text is normally written by the family. Writing it yourself costs nothing and almost always produces a more personal result. Ask the funeral home for the newspaper's deadline and word limit before you start.
- How do I list surviving family members?
- The most common order is spouse, then children with their spouses in parentheses, then grandchildren and great-grandchildren, then siblings, then nieces and nephews. Name individuals while the list stays readable and switch to counts when it does not. Confirm every spelling with one family member before publishing.