Obituaries – Page 1770 – Quad Cities Daily (2024)

FAQs

What is the first line of an obituary? ›

Announce the death

Provide the name and a very brief description, the age of the deceased, and the day of passing. You can probably squeeze all of this information into one sentence. For example: On Monday, September 4, 2017, John Doe, loving husband and father of four children, passed away at the age of 74.

An obituary (obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case.

Obituary Example: Announcing the Funeral. [Full name], [age], of [where they lived], sadly left us on [date of death] due to [cause of death]. They leave behind [list of surviving family members]. A service will be held in their honor at [time] on [date] at [location].

Start the paragraph with the deceased's first name, and then “is survived by:” followed by the list of names. Appropriate immediate family: wives, husbands, brothers, sisters and parents are customarily listed, but you can add as many names as you think are most appropriate.

Concluding Message

Phrases like “We will always carry your memory in our hearts,” or perhaps a favorite quote of your loved one are heartfelt and personal.

When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. And don't include the deceased's home address.

Writing an obituary when there is no funeral isn't much different from writing a standard obituary. Simply omit funeral information from any obituary template and you've got what you need.

Why does it cost so much to post an obituary? Publishing an obituary in the newspaper is expensive because of the limited space papers have. Newspapers value every inch of each page, so they must charge to use that limited space for an obituary.

Publishing an obituary can be expensive , and the funds may be unavailable. The deceased has few family members or friends , so there might have, unfortunately, been no need for an obituary. Obituaries are also written for the living so that they may learn of an individual's passing.

It's important to remember that an obituary is supposed to be an announcement and brief biography of the deceased. Don't feel the need to recount every detail of their life. Also try to avoid bragging about every accomplishment or award the deceased received.

How long after death do you write an obituary? ›

There is no specific rule that requires you to publish an obituary right away. In most cases, people aim to publish an obituary 1-2 weeks following the passing of a loved one. However, publishing it months or even a year after a loved one's death is completely okay.

Obituary Sample for a Mother

[Deceased's First Name] was a devoted mother to [Name or Names of children], her pride and joy. She always said their birth changed her life for the better, and they felt that in the love and support she provided.

Children (in order of date of birth, and their spouses) Grandchildren / Great-grandchildren / Great-great-grandchildren. Parents / Grandparents. Siblings (in order of date of birth)

[Full Name], aged [age of the deceased], passed away peacefully on [date of death], at [location of death]. He/she was born on [date of birth], in [birthplace], to [names of parents]. He/she was a proud resident of [city of residence] and was a 1975 graduate of Holy Cross High School.

If you like to be technical, names should be listed as follows: first name, spouse's first name in parenthesis, then surname (ex: Tom (Sarah) Johnson). If the spouse or partner's surname is different, include their surname in the parenthesis along with their first name (ex: Tom (Sarah Williams) Johnson).

Opening – Start with the full name, date of birth, and date of death. Biographical Information – Provide a brief overview of their life, including education, career, and family. Achievements and Passions – Highlight notable achievements, hobbies, and interests.

Announce the name and time of death in the first sentence.

Keep this sentence brief and to the point so you can expand the obituary in other places. Some examples include: “On the morning of June 10, 2019, John William Smith of Atlanta died at the age of 80.”