How to Write Obituaries for Friends: A Guide to Honoring Their Memory

It is always tough to write obituaries for friends, but life is full of surprises. Therefore, you may be tasked to write an obituary for a friend or family. Since it is a tough time, so it is quite human to find it hard to understand where to start.

Even if you are a professional writer, penning obituaries is not easy. As you go down the emotions, sorting the right words to express the grief of a passed away friend is heavy. 

Moreover, by preparing a eulogy, you can offer a heartfelt tribute to shed light on the incredible times you had spent together. Reminiscing the beautiful moments, you both shared.

So, on how to write down an obituary, we will give you examples of writing a befitting and heartfelt eulogy for a friend.

Particulars of a Simple Obituary 

There are certain points you should keep in mind while writing an obituary for a close friend. Any obituary should contain the following elements.

• Full name of the deceased 
• Date of birth
• Date of death
• Aged when they died
• Cause of death
• Occupation
• Education

In addition to the above information, you can also include the following details.

• Where they lived
• Where they died
• Family members (died before them)
• Surviving family members
• Church and club memberships
• Hobbies
• Memorial donation information

However, this is not final, as you can add and omit any details as per your liking. For instance, you can add the achievements of the person. Likewise, you can also add information about the funeral and memorial services.

Tips for Writing an Obituary for a Friend

People usually wonder what to write in obituaries for friends. However, those obituaries that tell stories about the beloved’s life in their tone and point of view are the best ones. 

Therefore, if you ever are tasked with writing a friend’s obituary, always try to put yourself in his shoes and write down as if you were chitchatting with your friend.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to write a befitting obituary for your friend.

• What was the most important for your friend?
• What did not matter to him?
• How your friend would have loved to be remembered?
• Why would remember him for the rest of your life?
• What inspired your friend?
• How your friend did influence others?
• Who was closest to your friend?
• What was the one thing that set your friend apart?

The answers to these questions will put you in a better position to write down an obituary that will resonate with your friend’s preferred choices. Moreover, it will help you create a touching eulogy. Moreover, you can keep the tone as per your friend, like jolly, serious or creative.

Further, always have your obituary proofread at least by two family members to highlight spelling mistakes or factual errors.

Step-by-Step Guide to Write an Obituary

We are making it easy for you to write an obituary as it is always challenging to accumulate your thoughts while going through such a tough time.

The below steps will help you develop obituaries for friends. 

• Step 1: Gather Information

Firstly, you must gather all the basic information like full name, birth and death place, family details, career, achievements, and other related details.

• Step 2: Select Template

You can select a template, as there are several different options available online. These templates will support you design a well-crafted obituary.

• Step 3: Customization

Always select a customizable template, it will help you add information as per your liking. Further, you can add quotes, anecdotes, or stories to express your friend’s life.

• Step 4: Funeral Details

Funeral details are one of the most important parts of an obituary. You must consult family members to mention the right time and place.

• Step 5: Closing Statement

A closing statement must contain your love for the friend and acknowledge their enduring presence.

• Step 6: Edit and Proofread

Proofreading is another key part of an obituary. We recommend having it read from two different family members. It will help you remove any errors and omissions.

• Step 7: Finalize and Share

Once it is proofread and approved, the next step is to share it with family and friends in a preferred format. Further, you can also submit to newspapers and post it on social media platforms. 

Obituary example for a close friend

If you are tasked to write an obituary, keep in mind that an obituary is different from a eulogy. Although, modern obituaries contain phrases that, are traditionally part of eulogy. However, it is better to keep both of these separate.

Since, it is an honor to write an obituary, thus consulting a few examples will give you ideas and a starting point. Here are obituary examples for your friend. 

• Example One

[Friend Name] was a good friend to many. He was the highlight of every party, as we knew that it would start upon his arrival with his bongos. Jolliness was natural to him; he could engage people for hours with his witty jokes about his time at the office. 

Even though [Name] did not have parents, he was never alone. His mourners are in thousands as he made everyone his friend whom he met in his life.

His friends have organized a Celebration of Life on [mention date and time] at [mention the place]. Until then, we are collecting donations for his end-of-life services. All money collected through donations over expenses will go to scholarships in his name. Organizers of the event request you to wear Hawaiian shirts to honor our friend.

• Example Two

[Name], 80, passed away on [mention date] at the convent where she lived in the presence of her loved ones and religious community.

[Name] was born in [country name] on [date of birth]. She entered teaching as a high school teacher of biology at [college name] on [date]. Two years down the lane, she joined [university name] as a professor of biology on [date], where she served the students for the rest of her life.

Those who interacted with her knew her of his humility, kindness, and eternal smile. She had a great love for her work and students. She would joyfully go beyond normal hours to support her students in understanding difficult topics.

[Name] is preceded in death by her parents [names of parents]. While she is survived by [name of family members].

Her loved ones can pay tribute at [place name] on [date] from [time]. The Rosary is scheduled at [time] and the Mass of Christian burial is planned to be celebrated on [date and time].

Conclusion 

Hitting the keys to write down obituaries for friends is an overwhelming task. Many writers find it tough to offer words to their feelings when writing down obituaries.

However, you can perform this tough task by understanding the obituary and applying certain techniques. You can start writing an obituary by asking yourself a list of questions about your friend. For instance, remember his likes and dislikes, and what mattered to him the most, answers to these questions will help you write good lines.

Likewise, you can mention his achievements, his dreams, and how he made the world a better place. Moreover, you can also add funny quotes or incidents that you shared with the departed soul.

In short, composing a good farewell message is a way to say goodbye to lovely friends, so it should contain the true flavor of your feelings.