How much does it cost to publish an obituary?

Funeral home websites and online memorials are typically free. Newspapers charge roughly $100–600 for a standard notice, and large metro papers can exceed $1,000. Length drives cost — see our short template.

How quickly does an obituary need to be published?

If it announces the service, it should run at least 2–3 days beforehand. If services are private or already held, there is no deadline at all.

Who should be listed as survivors?

Convention: spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, then others. But it is the family's notice — include chosen family, dear friends, even the dog if that's who they were.

Can I use a template or AI help and still make it personal?

Yes — structure is not the personal part. The template holds the bones; the specific details you add are the person. That's true whether you fill in blanks or use our writing assistant for a first draft.

How to Write an Obituary

Seven calm steps. If you'd rather start from a structure, the free fill-in template applies everything on this page.

1. Gather the facts first

Full legal name (and nickname), age, city, date of passing, birth date and place, parents' names, education, work, marriage, and the names of surviving and predeceased family. Confirm spellings with a second family member — corrections after publication are painful and sometimes impossible.

2. Choose the format

A standard notice runs 100–300 words. If the newspaper charges by the line, a short 50–80 word version saves real money — you can publish the full story free on the funeral home's site. Religious, military, and celebration-of-life formats each have their own conventions; our templates cover all of them.

3. Write the announcement line

One sentence: name, age, city, date. 'Margaret "Peggy" Whitfield, 84, of Cedar Falls, passed away peacefully on March 3.' Choose the verb that fits your family's voice — died, passed away, entered eternal rest — there is no wrong answer.

4. Tell the life in two paragraphs

Paragraph one: the biography (born, raised, educated, married, worked). Paragraph two: the person — what they loved, one specific detail people will recognize. 'She taught three generations of second-graders cursive and kindness' outlives any list of adjectives.

5. Name the family

'Survived by' and 'preceded in death by,' in the conventional order: spouse, children (with partners in parentheses), grandchildren, siblings. Counting ('five grandchildren') is fine when names would run long. Blended and chosen family belong wherever love puts them.

6. Give the service details

Date, time, place, and any livestream link. If there is no service, say so kindly: 'At her request, no formal services will be held.' Add the charity line if the family wishes: 'In lieu of flowers…'

7. Read it aloud, then have one other person read it

Reading aloud catches the wrong-feeling phrases. The second reader catches the missing cousin. Then publish — newspaper, funeral home site, online memorial, or all three.