A funeral is the beginning of grief, not the end of it. In the months and years that follow, many families want meaningful ways to continue honoring the person they lost. Here are 30 ideas — organized by type — to help you find what fits.
Simple, Personal Gestures
- Plant something they loved. A tree, a rosebush, a perennial that comes back every year. Many families plant in their garden; others contribute a tree to a park or memorial forest.
- Cook their recipe. The meal they always made for holidays, the soup they always made when someone was sick. Do it on their birthday, their anniversary, or whenever you miss them.
- Write them a letter. Even after they're gone. Some people continue writing to someone they've lost for years. There's evidence this helps with grief — and it's a way of keeping the conversation going.
- Watch their favorite film. On a day that matters, gather and watch the movie they always quoted.
- Wear something of theirs. A piece of jewelry, a shirt, a watch. Something they touched every day.
- Revisit a place they loved. The town they grew up in, the park they walked every morning, the restaurant they always chose.
Gathering and Remembrance Events
- Annual dinner on their birthday. The whole family, their favorite food, their favorite music. A tradition that continues their presence at the table.
- Celebration of life. A less formal gathering than a funeral — more like a party in their honor. See our guide to planning a celebration of life.
- Memory sharing circle. Gather close family and friends, bring a photo, and each person tells one story. Laughter is allowed. So is crying.
- Volunteer day in their honor. If they were passionate about a cause, gather people to volunteer together on their birthday or death anniversary.
- Create a memory box together. Each family member contributes one object, one photo, one written memory. Keep the box somewhere it can be opened and added to.
Creative Tributes
- Commission a portrait. A painted or drawn portrait from a photo. Some artists specialize in memorial portraits.
- Create a photo book. A printed book of photographs across their life, organized by decade or chapter. Services like Shutterfly or Artifact Uprising make this straightforward.
- Record family memories on video. Ask each family member to record a short video talking about their favorite memory. Archive them together.
- Have their handwriting preserved. If you have letters, cards, or notes in their handwriting, several companies can engrave or print handwriting onto jewelry, keepsakes, or art.
- Create a digital memorial. A private memorial page with photos, stories, and documents where family can gather online. FinalKeepSake's memorial builder is designed for exactly this.
- Write their story. A family history document — their childhood, their life story, their own words if you have them. Something future generations can read.
Charitable and Community Tributes
- Establish a scholarship. Even a small scholarship at a local school or community organization in their name creates an ongoing legacy.
- Donate to a cause they cared about. A one-time donation, or an annual one, in their memory.
- Sponsor a bench or tree in a public park. Many cities and parks offer named benches or memorial trees. A physical place where people can sit and remember.
- Donate books to a library. Books they loved, inscribed with their name and a note.
- Start a fund in their name. At a local foundation, a GoFundMe memorial fund, or through a donor-advised fund at a community foundation.
Jewelry and Keepsakes
- Memorial jewelry. Rings, pendants, or bracelets made from their ashes, a lock of hair, or their handwriting.
- Pressed flower preservation. Flowers from the funeral or their garden, preserved and framed.
- A star named for them. Several registries allow you to name a star. Whether or not it has scientific recognition, many families find it meaningful.
- A custom illustration. An illustrated portrait of their home, their garden, or a meaningful scene from their life.
Legacy Documentation
- Record their stories before they're gone. If you still have time, sit with them and record — audio or video — their stories about their childhood, their life, what they believe. This is the most valuable tribute of all.
- Preserve their family history. Digitize old photographs, transcribe letters, record oral histories from older relatives while you can.
- Store their documents in a legacy vault. A private, organized place where their important papers, letters, and wishes are kept safe for the family. FinalKeepSake was built for this.
- Leave a legacy letter. If you're planning your own legacy: write a letter to your family. Tell them what you want them to know. See our legacy letter examples to find your starting point.