Obituary Templates
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How to fill these in
Copy a template into whatever you write in, then work through it from the first line to the last, replacing one bracket at a time. Resist the urge to jump to the parts you know. Working in order is what keeps the piece from turning into a pile of fragments.
Every sentence in these templates can be removed on its own. If there was no college, no military service, no second marriage, delete the line and close the gap. Half the obituaries printed in any given week are shorter than the traditional template below.
If you would rather answer questions than fill in blanks, Reposa asks for the same information a field at a time and writes a first draft for you to edit, then places it in the funeral program.
1. Traditional obituary template
The standard full-length form, suitable for a funeral home website, a memorial page or the inside of a program. Filled in completely it runs about 250 to 350 words.
Traditional obituary template
Fill-in-the-blank · about 250–350 words when complete
[Full legal name] [“Nickname”], [age], of [city, state], died on [day of week], [month day, year], at [home / name of hospital / name of care facility].
[First name] was born on [month day, year] in [city, state], to [father’s full name] and [mother’s full name (maiden name)]. [He/She] graduated from [high school] in [year] and [attended / graduated from] [college or trade school] in [year].
[He/She] married [spouse’s full name] on [month day, year] in [city, state]. They were married for [number] years.
[First name] worked as [job title] at [employer] for [number] years. [He/She] was a member of [church, union, lodge or club] and [volunteered with / served on] [organization] for [number] years.
[Two or three specific things this person actually did. Something they made, somewhere they went every year, the habit everyone in the family recognized.]
[He/She] is survived by [his/her] [wife/husband/partner], [name], of [city]; [his/her] children, [name (spouse’s name)] of [city] and [name (spouse’s name)] of [city]; [number] grandchildren, [first names]; [number] great-grandchildren; and [his/her] [brother/sister], [name] of [city].
[He/She] was preceded in death by [his/her] [relationship], [name], in [year], and by [his/her] parents.
Visitation will be held from [time] to [time] on [day, month day], at [funeral home name], [street address], [city].
A [funeral service / memorial service] will be held at [time] on [day, month day], at [venue name], [street address], [city], with [burial / interment] to follow at [cemetery name].
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to [organization name], [address or website].
2. Short obituary template
Everything essential in about 90 words: who, when, the shape of a life, who is left, and where to come. Use this when the newspaper charges by the line, or when the family simply wants something brief.
Short obituary template
Fill-in-the-blank · about 80–120 words when complete
[Full legal name], [age], of [city, state], died on [month day, year], at [home / place].
Born [month day, year] in [city, state], [first name] [one sentence covering work and years: worked twenty-six years as a [job] at [employer]]. [He/She] [one specific thing: sang in the choir at [church] / never missed a home game / kept bees].
[He/She] is survived by [his/her] [spouse], [name]; [his/her] children, [names]; and [number] grandchildren. [He/She] was preceded in death by [name].
A [service / memorial service] will be held at [time] on [day, month day], at [venue], [city].
If you want to see this length finished rather than blank, the short obituary examples are all written to fit a paid notice.
3. Newspaper death notice template
A death notice is the short paid announcement, not the life story. It is what most papers sell cheapest, and for many families it is all they run in print while the longer obituary lives on the funeral home site.
Death notice template
Fill-in-the-blank · about 40–60 words when complete
[LAST NAME], [First Middle], [age], of [city], on [month day, year]. Beloved [husband/wife] of [name]. Loving [father/mother] of [names]. [Brother/Sister] of [names]. Also survived by [number] grandchildren.
Visitation [day, time to time] at [funeral home], [address]. [Service / Mass] [day, time] at [venue]. Interment [cemetery].
Memorial contributions to [organization].
Papers vary in how they want the name set, so ask before you submit. Deadlines, pricing by the line and the free alternatives are covered in how to submit an obituary to a newspaper.
4. Celebration of life template
Warmer wording, less formal structure, and an invitation rather than an announcement. This suits a gathering rather than a funeral, and it matches the tone of a celebration of life program handed out on the day.
Celebration of life obituary template
Fill-in-the-blank · about 180–260 words when complete
[Full name], [age], of [city, state], died on [month day, year]. [He/She] was [one clause that says who this person was: a builder of decks nobody asked for, a devoted and terrible fisherman, the loudest person at every school play].
[First name] was born in [city] on [month day, year] and spent [most of / all of / the last thirty years of] [his/her] life in [city], where [he/she] [worked as / raised / built / taught] [what].
[He/She] [three things, written the way you would say them out loud: made the coffee too strong on purpose, drove four hours for a wedding and three hours home the same night, knew the name of every dog on the street].
[First name] leaves [his/her] [spouse or partner], [name]; [his/her] children, [names]; [number] grandchildren; and more friends than a notice can hold.
A celebration of [first name]'s life will be held at [time] on [day, month day], at [venue name], [address], [city]. [Come as you are. / Please wear something bright. / Bring a story you are willing to tell out loud.]
[In place of flowers, the family asks that you donate to [organization]. / No flowers, please. Bring a photograph for the table.]
5. Veteran or military obituary template
For a veteran, the service details belong near the top of the biography, with rank, branch and years. Military honors at the graveside are usually noted at the end so guests know to expect them.
Veteran obituary template
Fill-in-the-blank · about 220–320 words when complete
[Rank if used] [Full legal name], [age], of [city, state], died on [month day, year], at [place].
[First name] was born on [month day, year] in [city, state], to [parents' names]. [He/She] graduated from [high school] in [year] and [enlisted in / was commissioned into] the [United States Army / Navy / Air Force / Marine Corps / Coast Guard] in [year].
[He/She] served [number] years, including [tours / duty stations / conflict], and was discharged at the rank of [rank] in [year]. [He/She] was awarded the [decorations, if the family wants them listed].
After [his/her] service, [first name] [worked as [job] at [employer] for [number] years / attended [school] on the GI Bill and became a [job]].
[He/She] married [spouse’s name] on [month day, year]. [He/She] was a member of [VFW Post / American Legion Post number, church, union] and [one line about what he or she did there].
[Two or three specific things this person actually did.]
[He/She] is survived by [spouse], [children with spouses in parentheses], [number] grandchildren, and [siblings]. [He/She] was preceded in death by [names].
Visitation will be held from [time] to [time] on [day, month day], at [funeral home], [address].
A funeral service will be held at [time] on [day, month day], at [venue], [address], with burial to follow at [cemetery name]. Military honors will be rendered by the [branch] Honor Guard.
Memorial contributions may be made to [organization].
The honors themselves, the flag folding and how they are printed in the booklet are set out in the military funeral program guide.
6. Faith-centered obituary template
For families who want the faith in the wording rather than only in the service details. The language below is Christian; the notes underneath cover the two adjustments most often needed.
Faith-centered obituary template
Fill-in-the-blank · about 220–300 words when complete
[Full legal name], [age], of [city, state], went home to be with the Lord on [day of week], [month day, year], at [home / place], surrounded by [his/her] family.
[First name] was born on [month day, year] in [city, state], to [parents' names]. [He/She] was baptized at [church] and confessed [his/her] faith at [age or year].
[He/She] married [spouse’s name] on [month day, year] at [church]. They were married [number] years and raised [number] children in [city].
[First name] worked as [job title] at [employer] for [number] years, and served [his/her] church as [deacon / elder / usher / Sunday school teacher / choir member] for [number] years. [One sentence about what that service looked like week to week.]
[Two or three specific things this person actually did.]
[He/She] leaves to cherish [his/her] memory: [his/her] [spouse], [name]; [his/her] children, [names and cities]; [number] grandchildren; [number] great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. [He/She] was preceded in death by [names and relationships].
The family will receive friends from [time] to [time] on [day, month day], at [funeral home / church], [address].
[Funeral services / Homegoing services] will be held at [time] on [day, month day], at [church name], [address], with [Pastor/Reverend/Father] [name] officiating. Interment will follow at [cemetery].
[Optional closing verse, with the reference: for example Psalm 23:6, John 14:2, or Revelation 21:4.]
Two adjustments. For a Catholic family, the service line normally reads A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at [time], often preceded by a vigil or the recitation of the Rosary the evening before; the Catholic funeral program template has the exact wording. For a Jewish family, burial usually takes place within a day or two, so the notice generally names the funeral chapel and the shiva address and times rather than a visitation. Verses for the closing line are collected in Bible verses for funeral programs.
One template, filled in
This is the traditional template above with every bracket replaced. The family, the town and the employer are invented, so you can copy the phrasing without borrowing anyone’s life.
Traditional template, completed
281 words
Wendell Roy Kimbrough, 81, of Sedalia, Missouri, died on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Bothwell Regional Health Center.
Wendell was born on January 9, 1945 in Clinton, Missouri, to Roy and Della Kimbrough. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1963 and completed an apprenticeship with the pipefitters union in 1967.
He married Judith Ann Mowrer on August 15, 1968 at Grace United Methodist Church in Sedalia. They were married for fifty-seven years.
Wendell worked for the Sedalia municipal water department for thirty-four years, the last eleven as superintendent. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church and served on the volunteer fire department in Hughesville for nineteen years.
He built a porch swing for every grandchild on their sixteenth birthday, whether or not they had anywhere to hang it. He drove the same truck for twenty-two years and washed it on Sundays. He answered every question about the weather with more detail than anyone wanted.
He is survived by his wife, Judith, of Sedalia; his children, Karen Petit (Marc) of Columbia and Dale Kimbrough (Rhonda) of Sedalia; six grandchildren, Cole, Ainsley, Ruth, Grant, Nora and Wendell; two great-grandchildren; and his sister, Marlene Buchanan of Warrensburg.
He was preceded in death by his son, Roy Kimbrough, in 2011, and by his parents.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 11, at Rea Funeral Chapel, 800 South Ohio Avenue, Sedalia.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at Grace United Methodist Church, 1425 South Limit Avenue, Sedalia, with burial to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department.
Notice how little of it is description. Three sentences carry the person: the porch swings, the truck, the weather. If you can find three like that, the rest of the template is bookkeeping. For more finished versions written for a mother, father, spouse or grandparent, see the obituary examples.
The blanks people get stuck on
| The blank | What to put | If you cannot answer it |
|---|---|---|
| [Nickname] | The name people actually used, in quotation marks after the legal first name. | Leave it out. Not every name needs one. |
| [Mother’s maiden name] | Either as a middle name or in parentheses after the surname. | Skip it, and consider skipping it anyway if you are also printing the full date of birth. Together they are the standard bank security questions. |
| [Cause of death] | One clause, or nothing at all. | Leave it out. It is the most commonly omitted line in any obituary. |
| [Two or three specific things] | What you would tell a stranger who asked what they were like. | Ask two relatives what they will miss on an ordinary Tuesday and use the first thing each of them says. |
| [Number] grandchildren, [names] | A count is enough. Name them only if the list is short. | Write "several grandchildren" or "a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren". |
| [Organization] for donations | The exact legal name plus a website or mailing address. | Write that memorial arrangements will be announced, or omit the line entirely. |
| [Service details] | Day, date, time, venue name, street address, city. | Write "Services will be announced" and publish anyway. Waiting costs you the deadline. |
One last pass before it goes anywhere. Search the text for a left square bracket and make sure there are none left. Read the survivors list out loud to someone who knows the family. Then confirm the service time with the funeral home on the day you submit, because times move while arrangements are still being made.
If the shape of the piece is what is bothering you rather than the wording, the obituary format guide breaks the standard structure down part by part, and how to write an obituary walks through the whole job in six steps.
Common questions
Which template should I use?
What do I do with a blank I can’t fill in?
Can I use these templates for a newspaper?
Do I have to keep the sentences in this order?
Is it acceptable to use a template at all?
How much of this can I skip?
Keep reading
- Obituary ExamplesNine complete obituary examples in short, standard and full length, plus three or four more written for each relationship, with wording you can adapt in minutes.
- How to Write an ObituaryA calm, six-step way to write an obituary when you don’t know where to start, with the exact information to gather and full examples.
- Obituary FormatThe standard obituary format explained section by section, with the order newspapers and funeral homes expect and how long each part should be.
- Short Obituary ExamplesShort obituary examples between 50 and 150 words, written to fit newspaper line limits without losing the person.