The Tribute Journal
Obituary for a Husband: 10 Examples to Copy
An obituary for a husband usually runs 150 to 400 words: his name, age and the date he died, the shape of his life, the family he leaves, and the service details. Most are written by his wife, often in the first days after his death. Below are ten complete examples to start from, each in a different situation.
For the general method, see our guide on how to write an obituary. There are more styles in our obituary examples.
How to name yourself in his obituary
This is the line widows ask about most. The obituary is written in the third person even when you write it, so you name yourself the way anyone else would:
- A long marriage: "He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Linda." The number of years is the detail people remember.
- A second marriage or blended family: "his wife, Carol; his children, Michael and Sarah; and his stepchildren, Daniel and Emily." Listing stepchildren by name, in the same sentence, tells everyone they were his.
- A long-term partner: "his partner of 22 years, Teresa." There is no need to explain why you did not marry.
- A same-sex marriage: "his husband of 15 years, David."
- Divorced and remarried: a former wife is usually not listed among the survivors unless the family wants her to be. Her children are listed as his children.
By convention, survivors come first ("He is survived by…"), then those who died before him ("He was preceded in death by…"): his wife, then children with their spouses in parentheses, then grandchildren, then his siblings.
What to leave out
AARP advises leaving out "the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name," and never printing the home address, because burglars use funeral times to find empty houses. The examples below follow that: a birth year at most, a town rather than a street. Our obituary for a mother covers this in more detail.
1. Short obituary for a husband
Richard Allen Moore, 76, of Springfield, Missouri, died on October 3, 2026, at home with his family. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Janet; his sons, Kevin and Brian; and four grandchildren. A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 9, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church.
2. After a long marriage
Walter James Henderson, 88, of Lexington, Kentucky, died peacefully on September 28, 2026, holding the hand of his wife of 64 years, Dorothy.
Walt and Dot met at a church picnic in 1960, and he proposed three weeks later. He worked as a machinist for 38 years, built most of the furniture in their house, and never once forgot to bring her coffee in bed on a Sunday morning.
In addition to Dorothy, he is survived by his daughters, Susan (Mark) Ellis and Karen (Paul) Fisher; his son, Thomas; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 3, at 11 a.m. at Grace Methodist Church, with burial to follow at the town cemetery.
3. Traditional obituary
George Edward Collins, 71, of Akron, Ohio, passed away on October 1, 2026, after a short illness.
George spent 35 years at the tire plant, coached youth baseball for two decades and spent every free weekend at the lake with a fishing rod and a radio tuned to the ballgame. He was quiet, steady and the first person his neighbors called when something broke.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children, Lisa (Robert) Grant and Michael (Jennifer) Collins; five grandchildren; and his brother, Frank. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Ruth.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hillcrest Funeral Home, with the funeral the following morning at 10 a.m.
4. Faith-filled obituary
Deacon Charles Lee Robinson, 79, of Jackson, Mississippi, went home to be with the Lord on September 30, 2026.
Deacon Robinson served the Mount Zion Baptist Church family for more than forty years, teaching the men's Bible class and visiting the sick every Tuesday without fail. He loved his wife, his church and a good plate of fried catfish, in that order.
He leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife of 55 years, Mother Annie Robinson; three sons, Charles Jr., Marcus and Andre; one daughter, Cynthia; eleven grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews and church family.
A homegoing service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, October 10, at 11 a.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church.
For the service itself, see our guide to the homegoing service, and our funeral resolution examples if his church or a deacon board will present one.
5. For a veteran
Sergeant First Class Robert Earl Davis, U.S. Army (Ret.), 74, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died on September 26, 2026.
Bob enlisted at 18, served two tours in Vietnam and spent 22 years in uniform before retiring to coach high school wrestling. He never talked much about the war, but he never missed a Veterans Day parade either.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Brenda; his daughters, Angela and Nicole; and four grandchildren.
A funeral service with military honors will be held on Thursday, October 1, at 1 p.m. at Westview Presbyterian Church.
6. Second marriage, blended family
Thomas Wayne Bennett, 67, of Spokane, Washington, died on October 4, 2026.
Tom was an electrician, a trivia champion and a man who married into a family of four and treated every one of them as his own from the first day. He taught all six kids to drive, three of them twice.
He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Carol; his children, Jason and Megan; his stepchildren, Daniel, Emily, Ryan and Hannah; and nine grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, October 17, at 2 p.m. at the family's church, Grace Lutheran, with a reception to follow.
7. For a young husband and father
Andrew Michael Torres, 38, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died on September 22, 2026, in a car accident.
Andy was a firefighter, a youth soccer coach and the loudest fan at every one of his kids' games. He was the kind of husband who left notes in lunch boxes and the kind of friend who showed up with a truck before you finished asking.
He is survived by his wife, Maria; his children, Lucas, 10, and Isabella, 7; his parents, Daniel and Rosa; and his sisters, Gabriela and Elena.
A funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, September 29, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Contributions may be made to an education fund for Lucas and Isabella.
8. After a long illness
Harold Francis Murphy, 82, of Worcester, Massachusetts, died on October 2, 2026, after a long illness, with his wife at his side.
Hal was a mail carrier for thirty years and knew every dog on his route by name. Parkinson's disease slowly took his steadiness but never his sense of humor; he was cracking jokes with his nurses to the end.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Margaret; his children, Kathleen, Patrick and Brian; and six grandchildren. The family is deeply grateful to the hospice team who cared for him at home.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, October 8, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul's Church.
9. After a sudden death
Steven Ray Parker, 59, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died suddenly on September 29, 2026.
Steve ran a small landscaping business for twenty-five years and could not walk past a crooked fence without offering to fix it. He was a grill master, a Sooners fanatic and the first one on the dance floor at every wedding.
He is survived by his wife, Debra; his sons, Tyler and Cody; his granddaughter, Ava; and his mother, June.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 4, from 5 to 7 p.m., and the funeral on Monday, October 5, at 11 a.m., both at Hillcrest Funeral Home.
10. For a celebration of life
Jim "Jimmy" O'Brien, 70, of Savannah, Georgia, died on October 5, 2026, at home.
Jimmy was a sailor, a storyteller and a terrible golfer who never let that stop him. He was married to Kathleen for 45 years, and he told everyone who would listen that she was the smartest decision he ever made.
He is survived by Kathleen; his daughters, Erin and Claire; and three grandsons who inherited his laugh.
There will be no funeral. Instead, family and friends are invited to a celebration of his life on Saturday, October 24, at 4 p.m. at the riverfront park. Wear something comfortable and bring a story about Jimmy.
More in that style in our celebration of life obituary examples.
Tips for writing it
- Let someone else draft it if you need to. A son, daughter or close friend can write it from your notes; you approve it. Nobody expects a widow to write well in the first week.
- Lead with one specific detail. The Sunday coffee, the fishing rod, the notes in lunch boxes. One true detail says more than a list of virtues.
- Check every name twice. Spouses of children, spelling of grandchildren, and the order of the survivors are where most errors happen.
- Know the cost. Newspapers run family-written obituaries as paid notices, which Wikipedia notes are "usually run as classified advertisements." The version in the funeral program costs nothing extra and can be as long as you like.
Common questions
How do I write an obituary for my husband?
Open with his full name, age, city and the date he died. Add a short paragraph on who he was, built around one or two specific details. Then list the family he leaves, starting with you ("his wife of 40 years, Linda"), and finish with the service details. Write in the third person, even though you are writing it.
How do I list myself in my husband's obituary?
In the third person, first among the survivors: "He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Linda." Including the length of the marriage is common and meaningful. In a blended family, list his children and stepchildren in the same sentence.
Should stepchildren be included in the obituary?
Yes, if he was part of their lives. List them by name, usually right after his own children: "his children, Michael and Sarah; and his stepchildren, Daniel and Emily." Many families simply list them all as his children.
Do I need to report my husband's death to Social Security?
Usually not yourself. Social Security says a funeral home will usually report the death. Separately, a one-time $255 death payment can be made to a qualifying spouse or child; it must be claimed within two years and cannot be applied for online.
How long should an obituary for a husband be?
Usually 150 to 400 words. A newspaper death notice can be as short as 50 words, while the version printed in the funeral program is often longer and more personal, because there is no charge per line.
What should not be included in an obituary?
AARP advises leaving out details identity thieves use: the full date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. Never include the home address. A birth year and a town are enough.
