The Tribute Journal
12 Obituary Examples You Can Adapt Today
Most people write exactly one obituary in their life, usually within two days of losing someone, often with a newspaper deadline in the morning. The fastest way through it is to start from something that already works. Below are twelve complete examples in different lengths and tones. All names are fictional — swap in your own details and the shape holds.
Short and simple
For a death notice or when the newspaper charges by the line. Around 60 words.
Margaret Ann Fields, 84, of Asheville, North Carolina, died peacefully at home on March 3, 2026. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Fields and Karen Boyd, and four grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Grace Chapel on Saturday, March 8, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Carolinas.
Traditional, full length
The standard newspaper obituary — around 200 words, covering a whole life without hurrying.
James Edward Whitaker, 78, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away on April 12, 2026, surrounded by his family. Jim was born on June 4, 1947, in Springfield, Ohio, to Edward and Ruth Whitaker. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1965 and served four years in the United States Navy. In 1971 he married Patricia Doyle, his wife of 54 years. He worked as a machinist at Ferris Tool & Die for 38 years, retiring in 2010. Jim was happiest in his workshop, at the lake with a fishing rod, or in the stands at his grandchildren's baseball games. He was a member of St. Andrew's Parish and volunteered with the Dayton Food Bank for two decades. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children, Michael Whitaker (Angela) and Susan Reeves (Tom); six grandchildren; and his sister, Carol Nunn. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Daniel. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Andrew's Parish on Saturday, April 18, at 10:00 a.m., with burial to follow at Woodland Cemetery.
For a mother or grandmother
Dorothy Mae Sullivan, 91, of Savannah, Georgia, went home to the Lord on January 22, 2026. Born in Macon in 1934 to Walter and Eliza Grant, Dorothy married Frank Sullivan in 1955 and raised five children in the house on Habersham Street where she lived for 62 years. She taught second grade at Bloomingdale Elementary for 31 years, and there are grown men and women all over Chatham County who still remember her reading aloud after lunch. Her kitchen was the center of the family. Nobody left it hungry, and nobody left it without being asked how they really were. Dorothy is survived by her children, Frank Jr., Anne, Michael, Patricia and Thomas; 14 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Ruth Delaney. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years. Visitation will be held Friday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Fox & Weeks, with services Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church.
For a father or grandfather
Robert "Bob" Lee Hanley, 82, of Boise, Idaho, died on February 9, 2026, at St. Luke's Medical Center with his family at his side. Bob was born in Twin Falls in 1943, the second of six children. He met Linda Pruitt at a church picnic in 1964 and married her eleven months later. He spent 41 years with Union Pacific, most of them on the night shift, and never once complained about it where his children could hear. He built the back deck himself, fixed everyone's cars, and answered the phone at any hour. He coached Little League for nine seasons and could still tell you the score of every close game. Bob is survived by Linda, his wife of 61 years; his sons, Robert Jr. and Daniel; his daughter, Christine Vance; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held at Cloverdale Funeral Home on Saturday, February 15, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Idaho Youth Baseball Fund.
For someone who died young
There is no formula that makes this easier. Keep it honest and let the life speak; nobody expects the obituary to make sense of it.
Emily Rose Carver, 26, of Portland, Oregon, died unexpectedly on May 30, 2026. Emily was born in Eugene on August 14, 1999. She graduated from Oregon State in 2021 with a degree in marine biology and worked as a research assistant at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, where she was known for staying late, laughing loudly, and naming every octopus she worked with. She loved cold water, bad karaoke, her rescue dog Barnacle, and her people — fiercely and without conditions. Emily is survived by her parents, David and Joanne Carver; her brother, Nathan; her grandmother, Ellen Foss; and more friends than this space allows. A celebration of Emily's life will be held at Cape Perpetua on Saturday, June 7, at 4:00 p.m. Bring a story. Wear something bright. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oregon Coast Aquarium's education program.
For a veteran
Master Sergeant Harold Dean Vasquez, USAF (Ret.), 88, of San Antonio, Texas, died on March 18, 2026. Harold enlisted in 1957 and served 24 years in the United States Air Force, including two tours in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Air Force Commendation Medal. After retiring from service in 1981 he worked another 20 years in aircraft maintenance at Kelly Field. He married Rosa Delgado in 1962; they were together 63 years. He was a member of VFW Post 76 and marched in the Veterans Day parade every year until he no longer could. Harold is survived by Rosa; his children, Ana Vasquez-Reed, Robert Vasquez and Elena Cruz; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Services will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Tuesday, March 24, at 1:00 p.m., with full military honors.
If military honors are being rendered, the program usually prints them as the closing section — our order of service examples include a military honors sequence you can copy.
Warmer, celebration-of-life tone
Increasingly common, and entirely acceptable. It works when the person genuinely was like this — not as a style choice imposed on them.
Patricia "Patty" Nolan, 74, has finished her last crossword. Patty died on June 11, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin, after a short illness, which she found extremely inconvenient. She was born in 1952, taught high school chemistry for 33 years, and terrified roughly 4,000 teenagers into learning the periodic table. She loved her students, though she would have denied it under oath. She is survived by her husband, Gerald; her daughters, Meg and Claire; five grandchildren, all of whom she claimed as her favorite; and a cat she insisted she never wanted. A celebration of Patty's life will be held at the Goodman Community Center on Saturday, June 20, at 3:00 p.m. She asked that nobody wear black and that somebody bring good cheese.
Practical notes
- Confirm every date and spelling against records — obituaries are quoted for generations and errors are permanent.
- List survivors in the conventional order: spouse, children (with their spouses in parentheses), grandchildren, then siblings.
- "Preceded in death by" comes before or after survivors, but stay consistent within the piece.
- Newspapers usually charge by the line or by the inch, and often want it by mid-morning for the next day. Ask the funeral home — they normally submit it for you.
- Write the version you want first, then cut for the paper. The full version goes in the program and online, where there's no line charge.
For guidance on writing rather than copying, our step-by-step guide on how to write an obituary covers what to gather and how to structure it from scratch.
How long should an obituary be?
A death notice runs 50 to 75 words. A standard newspaper obituary is 200 to 300 words. The version printed inside a funeral program can be longer, since there is no per-line charge.
How do you list family in an obituary?
Conventionally: spouse first, then children with their spouses in parentheses, then grandchildren and great-grandchildren by count, then siblings. People who died earlier go under "preceded in death by".
Who writes the obituary?
Usually a close family member. The funeral home will typically edit it and submit it to the newspaper for you, and many will write a first draft from your notes if you ask.
How much does it cost to publish an obituary?
Newspapers commonly charge $100 to $600 depending on length, photo, and circulation — most bill per line or per column inch. Online obituaries on funeral home sites are usually included at no charge.
