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View our recent obituaries

How to Write an Obituary

MemorialAdmin • October 31, 2016

Why was this never covered in English class?

20 OTA3MDItNDE1LmpwZw== When the time comes to write an obituary, it’s best to follow a fairly structured formula to make the exercise easier on yourself. Before you begin, assume an attitude of acknowledgement and consider what was most important to your loved one. Your writing should be an expression of care and thoughtfulness, so take your time to make it right.

The first section of the obituary is the announcement of death. Begin with the name, age, and place of residence of your loved one and then follow with the time and place of death. Some people choose to include the method of death as well, but that depends on your own comfort level. If you want to avoid blunt words like ‘died’, there are many other alternatives: ‘passed away’, ‘went to be with the Lord’, ‘is resting peacefully’, or ‘has left us’.

The next step to writing an obituary is sketching out the life of the deceased, highlighting accomplishments, notable experiences, and special endeavors. The most universally important milestones to include would be date and place of birth, parents’ names, date of marriage, name of spouse, education, work, children, and grandchildren. Feel free to omit information if you feel that it’s unnecessary or awkward. Though it may be easier to write in chronological order, it may read better if the most important and impressive information is near the beginning.

Once you get started, the difficult question becomes: how do I select what is most important and most interesting for others to read? You should include significant achievements and contributions, but in as few words as possible. A long list of honors and awards is not as interesting as unique passions and priorities.

Beware of falling into the “list” pattern. If you feel like the obituary needs something to break up the monotony, add a piece of nostalgia in there. What was a humorous experience your loved one had? Did they have a favorite sports team? A quirky habit? A favorite joke or catch phrase? Were they a social person or someone who preferred to be alone? Did they take a special interest in something unique?

At this point it is essential that you consider all the family who is left grieving the deceased, and the relatives who have preceded them in death. It may be tiresome and confusing to include this section of relatives, but remember that the obituary is for the living, too. List parents, spouse(s), siblings and children by name. Some families choose to include daughters- and sons-in-law. Grandchildren are often numbered, as are great-grandchildren. Cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews are commonly left out unless they were particularly close with the deceased.

To conclude the obituary, name the place, time and date of the service, along with the name of the officiant. Include the name, date and time of the burial or interment, and any memorial services to be held.

The post How to Write an Obituary appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

John Allen Gilbert “Pop Pop”

By MemorialAdmin • April 5, 2023
John Allen Gilbert, “Pop Pop”, passed away April 1, 2023 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was born July 23, 1956 in Los Angeles, California to John Allen Gilbert and Patricia Sanderson. He married Delene Ann Gilbert on April 16, 1986. John was a mechanic, handyman, and a jack-of-all-trades. He loved music, playing … Continued The post John Allen Gilbert “Pop Pop” appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Austin David Westley

By MemorialAdmin • September 27, 2022
Austin David Westley, 32 passed away peacefully at home surrounded by those he loved after a brutal fight with appendix cancer. His beautiful soul touched so many lives and we will all forever be changed having known him. The world became a brighter place when Austin was born to loving parents David and Janis Westley … Continued The post Austin David Westley appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Grief Integration

By MemorialAdmin • September 21, 2022
  Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house Grief Counselor, Amanda Nelsen How can I get closure? This is a question I hear on a pretty regular basis. And I completely understand what is behind it – we want to be able to put the painful feelings of grief behind us. We want to be … Continued The post Grief Integration appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Regret

By MemorialAdmin • June 30, 2022
Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house Grief Counselor, Amanda Nelsen The topic of regret has been on my mind recently. I often hear clients talk about the regrets they had after a loved one died – some become quite reflective on things they could have done differently or “better” while their loved one was … Continued The post Regret appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Patrick Arthur Murphy

By MemorialAdmin • May 30, 2022
Our most beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend unexpectedly returned to his loving God on May 20, 2022.   Patrick Arthur Murphy was born on July 4, 1942 in Coronado, California. Pat was a twin to his brother, Pete, rounding out the four sons of John Tennyson Murphy and Mable Burnett Murphy. Pat spent … Continued The post Patrick Arthur Murphy appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Navigating Grief During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic

By MemorialAdmin • March 30, 2022
    As a grief therapist, I have seen a lot of people grieving loved ones who died from Covid-19 over the past couple of years. A recent study has shown that people who have experienced the death of a loved one due to Covid-19, have increased mental health issues than a pre-pandemic death (Breen, … Continued The post Navigating Grief During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

An Update regarding COVID-19 and its impacts on funeral, burial, and memorial services

By MemorialAdmin • April 23, 2020
We are grateful your family has chosen to entrust your loved one into our care. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has required us to enact some adjustments to how we conduct arrangement conferences, viewings, funeral or memorial services, and other aspects of our processes. Our goal is to allow you and your family to spend as … Continued The post An Update regarding COVID-19 and its impacts on funeral, burial, and memorial services appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Why is a funeral so important?

By MemorialAdmin • September 26, 2019
  Recently, an article came out highlighting the incredible relationship between a mother Orca and her baby calf, who passed away shortly after being born. The mother, Tahlequah, used her snout to keep her deceased calf afloat for 17 days and covered over 1,000 miles of ocean in the process, an unprecedented display of mourning … Continued The post Why is a funeral so important? appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Coping With A Terminal Illness

By MemorialAdmin • May 7, 2019
Many of us have seen a loved one struggle with a terminal diagnosis. It isn’t something we like to talk about, but many of us will also get our OWN terminal diagnosis.  Having a terminal diagnosis brings its own type of grief and decisions to be made. How do you grieve your own death before … Continued The post Coping With A Terminal Illness appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Grief Resources for Children

By MemorialAdmin • January 3, 2019
Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house grief counselor, Amanda Nelsen: I am often asked for resources for young children who have lost someone close to them. Stories are often a good way to open up dialogue with children and illustrate death in a more concrete fashion. I compiled some of my favorites for easy … Continued The post Grief Resources for Children appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.
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