The Tribute Journal
Obituary for a Mother: 10 Examples to Copy
An obituary for a mother usually runs 150 to 400 words: her name, age and the date she died, a few sentences on who she was, the family she leaves, and the service details. The hardest part is the first sentence. Below are ten complete examples to start from, each in a different voice.
If you need the general method first, our guide on how to write an obituary walks through it step by step, and there are more styles in our obituary examples.
What to include
- Her full name, including the name everyone knew her by
- Her age, the city she lived in, and the date she died
- Where she grew up and the shape of her life: marriage, work, faith, what she loved
- The family she leaves, then those who died before her
- The service details: date, time and place
- Your wishes on flowers or donations. See our in lieu of flowers wording
By convention, surviving family is listed first ("She is survived by…"), then those who died before her ("She was preceded in death by…"). Spouse first, then children with their spouses, then grandchildren, siblings and others.
What to leave out
Obituaries are read by more than family and friends. AARP advises: "When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name." It also warns against including the home address: if the obituary gives the date and time of the funeral, "burglars can break into the presumably empty house during the service."
For a mother, her maiden name is often part of her story, and many families keep it. If you do, leave out her full date of birth and her mother's maiden name, so the combination a thief needs is not all in one place. The examples below follow this: a birth year at most, a town rather than an address.
1. Short obituary for a mother
Linda Marie Carter, 74, of Columbus, Ohio, died peacefully on September 12, 2026, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Robert; her children, Michael and Susan; and five grandchildren. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 18, at 11 a.m. at Grace Community Church.
2. Traditional obituary for a mother
Margaret Ellen Hughes, 81, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, passed away on August 30, 2026, at home with her family beside her.
Margaret grew up on a dairy farm outside Lancaster, the oldest of six children, and learned early how to work hard and laugh while doing it. She married Thomas Hughes in 1965 and together they raised four children in the house where she lived for the rest of her life. She was a familiar face at St. Mary's, where she taught Sunday school for thirty years, and at the county fair, where her pies took more ribbons than anyone could count.
She is survived by her children, Anne (David) Miller, Paul (Karen) Hughes, Joseph Hughes and Catherine (Mark) Ellis; eleven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, and her sister, Ruth.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 8, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the hospice that cared for her.
3. Faith-filled obituary for a mother
Dorothy Jean Williams, 86, of Birmingham, Alabama, went home to be with the Lord on September 4, 2026.
Mother Williams gave her life to Christ as a young girl and never looked back. A faithful member of Greater New Hope Baptist Church for more than sixty years, she served on the Mothers' Board, sang in the senior choir and prayed for her children and grandchildren by name every morning. Her kitchen table was where the whole neighborhood came for a hot meal and good advice.
She leaves to cherish her memory three daughters, Patricia, Gloria and Denise; two sons, James and Calvin; fourteen grandchildren; twenty-two great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews and church family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Deacon Henry Williams.
A homegoing service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, September 12, at 11 a.m. at Greater New Hope Baptist Church. "Well done, good and faithful servant."
4. For a devoted homemaker
Rosa Elena Martinez, 77, of San Antonio, Texas, died on September 20, 2026, at home.
Rosa's home was the center of her family's world. She raised seven children, cooked for every birthday, graduation and Sunday dinner, and somehow knew exactly who needed a phone call on any given day. Her garden of roses and chiles was the pride of the block, and her tamales were the reason the whole family came home every Christmas.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Manuel; her children, Ana, Luis, Carmen, Jorge, Teresa, Ricardo and Elena; nineteen grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A rosary will be prayed on Thursday, September 24, at 7 p.m., and the funeral Mass will be held on Friday, September 25, at 10 a.m., both at St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
5. For a mother with a career
Karen Louise Brooks, 68, of Madison, Wisconsin, died on September 9, 2026, after a short illness.
Karen taught third grade at Lincoln Elementary for 34 years, and there are grown adults all over Madison who still read because of her. She believed every child could learn and every parent deserved a phone call with good news. After she retired she volunteered at the public library, led a book club for twenty years and finally learned to play the cello.
She is survived by her husband, Daniel; her daughters, Emily (Ryan) Clarke and Sarah Brooks; and three grandchildren who were the light of her life.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, September 19, at 2 p.m. at Lakeside Unitarian Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the public library she loved.
6. For a young mother
Jessica Lynn Turner, 41, of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on September 2, 2026, after a courageous three-year fight with breast cancer.
Jess was a nurse, a runner, a terrible singer and a wonderful mother. She coached her daughter's soccer team, never missed a school play, and turned every ordinary Saturday into an adventure. Even in the hardest months of her illness, she was the one making everyone else laugh.
She is survived by her husband, Chris; her children, Emma, 12, and Noah, 9; her parents, Richard and Diane; and her brother, Kevin.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 12, at 1 p.m. at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to a college fund for Emma and Noah, details of which will be available at the service.
7. For a grandmother and great-grandmother
Helen Ruth Anderson, 96, of Des Moines, Iowa, died peacefully on September 15, 2026.
Helen lived through nearly a century of change and met all of it with curiosity. She worked as a telephone operator during the war, raised five children, and learned to send text messages at ninety so she could keep up with her great-grandchildren. She never forgot a birthday and never let anyone leave her house hungry.
She is survived by her children, Carol, Richard, Janet and Steven; fourteen grandchildren; and twenty-three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter, and her son, Thomas.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, September 21, at 11 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, with burial to follow at Glendale Cemetery.
8. After a long illness
Barbara Ann Collins, 79, of Tucson, Arizona, died on September 18, 2026, after a long journey with Alzheimer's disease.
Long before the illness, Barbara was the sharpest person in any room: a bookkeeper who could add a column of figures in her head, a crossword champion and a fierce defender of her family. In her final years, when so much else was lost, her love for music and her smile never left her.
She is survived by her children, Mark and Julie; and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward. The family is deeply grateful to the staff of her memory care community for their gentle and patient care.
A private family service will be held, and a celebration of her life will be shared at a later date.
9. After a sudden death
Angela Marie Rossi, 58, of Providence, Rhode Island, died unexpectedly on September 10, 2026.
Angela was the heart of a big, loud Italian family and the first call anyone made with good news or bad. She ran the front office of a busy pediatric practice for twenty years, where she knew every family by name, and she never missed her Sunday dinner or her granddaughter's dance recitals.
She is survived by her husband, Paul; her sons, Anthony and Nicholas; her granddaughter, Sofia; and her mother, Grace.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hillside Funeral Chapel. The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, September 16, at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony's Church.
10. For a celebration of life
Patricia "Patty" Lane, 71, of Asheville, North Carolina, died on September 6, 2026, at home in the mountains she loved.
Patty was a potter, a gardener, a terrible cook and a world-class friend. She raised two daughters to be brave and kind, and she never met a stray animal or a stranger she would not take in. Her kitchen was always full of clay dust, music and people.
She is survived by her daughters, Lily and Rose, and her granddaughter, Juniper.
In keeping with her wishes, there will be no funeral. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of her life on Saturday, October 10, at 3 p.m. at the community garden she helped plant. Wear something colorful, and bring a story.
For more in that warmer style, see our celebration of life obituary examples.
Tips for writing it
- Start with one true detail. Her pies, her garden, the phone calls. One specific memory says more than a list of virtues.
- Ask a sibling to check every name. Spelling, spouses' names in parentheses, and the order of children are the most common errors.
- Read it aloud before it is printed. If a sentence is hard to say, it will be hard to read.
- Know the cost. Newspapers run obituaries as paid notices, usually written by the family. As Wikipedia notes, they are "usually run as classified advertisements," and many papers charge by the line. If the funeral home places it for you, the FTC's Funeral Rule requires that charge to be itemized on your bill as a cash advance item. The program version can be as long as you like.
Common questions
How do you write an obituary for your mother?
Open with her full name, age, city and the date she died. Add a short paragraph on who she was, built around one or two specific details. List the family she leaves, then those who died before her, and finish with the service details and any donation wishes. Write in the third person and use her name.
What should you not put 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. It also warns against including the home address, because burglars use funeral times to find empty houses. Many families keep the birth year and the town and drop the exact date and the street.
How long should an obituary for a mother 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.
Should I include my mother's maiden name?
It is a personal choice. Many families include it because it connects her to her own family. If you do, leave out her full birth date and her mother's maiden name, so the details a thief would need are not all in one place.
Who writes the obituary?
Usually a child or the spouse, often with help from siblings. The funeral home can help with the newspaper submission, and some families ask a writer or their program designer to draft it from their notes.
Do you have to pay to publish an obituary?
In most newspapers, yes. Obituaries written by the family run as paid notices, and many papers charge by the line. Funeral home websites usually post the obituary at no extra charge, and printing it in the program costs nothing beyond the program itself.
