Reading examples is often the best way to understand what an obituary can be. Below are ten sample obituaries for different situations — a parent, spouse, young person, veteran, someone with a sense of humor, and more. Each one models different approaches to structure, length, and tone.
Use these as inspiration and starting points, not templates to copy. The best obituaries are specific. The details — the name of the town, the job they held for 30 years, the thing they always said — are what make a tribute feel real.
How to Use These Examples
For a step-by-step guide to writing an obituary from scratch, see our complete obituary writing guide. These examples show what the finished product looks like across a range of situations and styles.
Example 1: A Parent (Traditional Style)
Margaret "Maggie" Ann Holloway, 79, of Springfield, passed away peacefully at home on June 4, surrounded by her family. She was born March 12, 1947, in Burlington, Vermont, the daughter of William and Ruth (Hartley) Connors.
Maggie devoted 35 years to teaching fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary School, where she was known for her patience, her annual classroom garden, and her ability to make every child feel seen. She was a devoted wife to her husband of 52 years, Robert Holloway, a dedicated mother, and an extraordinary grandmother who remembered every birthday and never missed a school play.
She is survived by her husband Robert; her children David (Sarah) Holloway and Karen Holloway Mitchell; and five grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, James Connors.
A service celebrating her life will be held Saturday, June 10, at 11am at First Presbyterian Church, 400 Main Street, Springfield. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Lincoln Elementary School's literacy fund.
Example 2: A Spouse (Intimate and Personal)
Thomas Richard Chen, 64, died June 1 at Mercy Hospital after a brief illness. He was many things — a structural engineer, a patient teacher, a man who made everyone at his dinner table feel they were the most important person in the room. But most of all, he was Ruth's husband for 38 years, and the father of three children who never once doubted they were loved.
Tom grew up in San Jose, California, earned his engineering degree from Cal Poly, and spent his career designing bridges for Hensley & Associates, where he worked for 27 years. He coached Little League for eleven seasons, made a perfect pot of chili, and had an inexplicable loyalty to the Oakland A's.
He is survived by his wife Ruth; his children Michael, Jessica (Marcus), and Andrew; and four grandchildren. Services will be private. The family asks that in his memory, you take someone you love to dinner.
Example 3: A Young Person (Early Death)
Jordan Lee Park, 28, died unexpectedly on May 30. He was born June 14, 1997, in Portland, Oregon, to David and Susan Park.
Jordan was the kind of person who made rooms brighter. He was a gifted musician — anyone who ever heard him play guitar in his apartment on a Sunday afternoon knows what that means — and a loyal friend who showed up without being asked. He worked as a graphic designer at Bloom Studio, where his colleagues described him simply as the best they'd ever worked with.
He is survived by his parents, his sister Mia, and a community of people who loved him more than he ever knew.
A celebration of Jordan's life will be announced by the family in the coming weeks. In his memory, listen to something beautiful today.
Example 4: A Veteran
Edward "Ed" Joseph Morales, 88, a proud veteran of the United States Navy, passed away peacefully on June 2, at his home in Tucson. He was born February 3, 1938, in El Paso, Texas.
Ed served in the Navy from 1956 to 1962, including two years stationed in Japan. After his service, he returned to Texas, married his wife Gloria, and built a 30-year career as a machinist at Southwest Industries. He was a man of few words and complete reliability — if Ed said he would do something, it was done.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gloria; four children; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A military service will be held at the National Cemetery of Arizona on June 12. The family is grateful to the staff at Southern Arizona VA Health Care System for their compassionate care.
Example 5: A Person With Humor (Celebration of Life Style)
Patricia "Pat" Louise Greer, 71, died June 3 after announcing she had no intention of doing so. She was wrong, but that was not unusual — she was wrong about very little else.
Pat was a retired schoolteacher, a competitive card player, an unreliable vegetable gardener, and the best mother to three daughters who didn't deserve her. She made every gathering better and every holiday more chaotic. She taught us that you can love people fiercely and argue with them at the same time, and that a good laugh is more important than being right (though she was usually both).
She is survived by her daughters Kelly, Claire, and Susan; her son-in-law Marcus; and four grandchildren she absolutely spoiled. A celebration of her life will be held June 14. Come in color — she would have hated black. Bring a story. Bring her grandkids something chocolate.
Example 6: An Older Parent (Long Life Well Lived)
Dorothy "Dot" Anne Haskell, 94, passed away on June 1 at Brookside Care Center, where she had lived with grace and spirit for the past four years. She was born October 10, 1931, in a farmhouse outside of Bozeman, Montana — the fourth of seven children.
Dot lived a full century's worth of living in 94 years. She milked cows as a girl, met her husband Harold at a dance in 1952, raised four children in a house she cleaned so thoroughly it nearly sparkled, worked as a bookkeeper for 22 years, and in her eighties, learned to use an iPad well enough to beat most of her grandchildren at Scrabble.
She was preceded in death by her husband Harold, her son Peter, and her sister Elaine. She is survived by three children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren who were the joy of her final years.
Services will be at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, June 10. The family invites you to share memories of Dot on her memorial page.
Example 7: Brief Death Notice Style
Robert William Ashton, 57, of Baltimore, died June 5 after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife Patricia, his daughter Emma, and his son Daniel. A private service will be held for the family. Condolences may be sent to the family at [address].
Example 8: Someone Who Died After a Long Illness
Helen Marie Kowalski, 66, passed away peacefully on June 2 after a three-year battle with ovarian cancer — fought, as all who knew her expected, with stubborn optimism and a complete refusal to be defined by it.
Helen was a registered nurse for 30 years at Memorial Hospital, where her colleagues called her the best nurse on the floor and her patients called her the only person who ever made them feel better just by walking in. She was a mother, a grandmother, a maker of extraordinary pierogi, and the person everyone called when they didn't know what to do.
She is survived by her husband Frank, her children Anna and Michael, and three grandchildren. The family thanks the staff at Midlands Hospice for their extraordinary care. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance are gratefully accepted.
Example 9: Short and Poetic
James Arthur Fontaine, 83, died at home on June 3, with his family around him, in the room where he'd read the newspaper every morning for forty years. He was a good man, a quiet man, and a man who knew exactly what mattered. He is survived by everyone who loves him, which is more people than he ever knew.
Example 10: A Young Child
Lily Rose Brennan, 4 years old, passed away on June 4 after a long and courageous illness that she endured with more grace than anyone should have to. She was born February 28, 2022, and in her brief life she was loved more completely than most people are in a lifetime.
Lily loved pink, dinosaurs, her dog Biscuit, and making her big brother laugh. She leaves behind her parents James and Sophie Brennan, her brother Owen, her grandparents, and a community of people who were changed by knowing her.
A private service will be held for family. Donations to the pediatric oncology unit at Children's Memorial Hospital are welcomed in her name.
Write Your Own
If you want help writing an obituary, our step-by-step guide walks you through the process from start to finish. FinalKeepSake's AI Writing Studio can generate a personalized draft based on information about your loved one — a starting point your family can edit and make their own.