Sample Funeral Programs: 6 Complete Examples

Below are six complete funeral programs, written out panel by panel so you can see exactly what goes on each side of the paper — not just the order of service, but the cover wording, the obituary, and the thank-you on the back. All names are invented. Copy the sample closest to your service, swap in your own details, and you have a finished program.

One sheet, printed both sides. The most common choice, and completely sufficient for a short service — around 150 words in total.

Front

• In Loving Memory
• Margaret Ann Fields
• April 3, 1942 — March 3, 2026
• Portrait photograph, centered beneath the dates

Back — service details

• Memorial Service · Grace Chapel, Asheville
• Saturday, March 8 at 11:00 a.m.
• Officiant: Rev. Thomas Doyle

Back — order of service

1. 1.Prelude
2. 2.Welcome
3. 3.Hymn — "Amazing Grace"
4. 4.Scripture — Psalm 23
5. 5.Eulogy — Susan Fields
6. 6.Message of Hope
7. 7.Closing Prayer
8. 8.Recessional

A single sheet folded once. The most popular format by a wide margin, because it is the smallest one with room for a proper obituary — around 400 words across four panels.

Panel 1 — Cover

• Celebrating the Life of
• James Edward Whitaker
• June 4, 1947 — April 12, 2026
• Portrait photograph

Panel 2 — Order of service

St. Andrew's Parish, Dayton · Saturday, April 18 at 10:00 a.m.

1. 1.Musical Prelude
2. 2.Processional
3. 3.Opening Words — Fr. Michael Breen
4. 4.Opening Hymn — "How Great Thou Art"
5. 5.First Reading — Isaiah 25:6-9
6. 6.Responsorial Psalm 23
7. 7.Gospel Reading
8. 8.Homily
9. 9.Eulogy — Michael Whitaker
10. 10.Prayers of the Faithful
11. 11.Closing Hymn — "On Eagle's Wings"
12. 12.Recessional
13. 13.Committal — Woodland Cemetery

Panel 3 — Obituary

Jim was born in Springfield, Ohio, to Edward and Ruth Whitaker. He graduated from Springfield High 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.

He 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 (Angela) and Susan Reeves (Tom); six grandchildren; and his sister, Carol Nunn. More life stories in this shape, long and short, are collected in our obituary examples.

Panel 4 — Pallbearers and acknowledgement

• Pallbearers — Michael Whitaker, Thomas Reeves, Daniel Nunn, Peter Whitaker, Andrew Reeves, Sean Doyle
• Honorary Pallbearers — The men of St. Andrew's Holy Name Society
• Reception — to follow in the Parish Hall

For a longer life story, more photographs, or a service with many participants. The structure repeats the bifold but gives each element a page of its own.

• Page 1 — Cover: name, dates, portrait
• Page 2 — A poem or scripture, set alone on the page
• Page 3 — Service details, officiant and participants
• Pages 4–5 — Order of service across the spread
• Page 6 — Obituary in full
• Page 7 — Photo collage across the years
• Page 8 — Pallbearers, acknowledgements, reception details, donation line

The Mass follows a fixed structure, so the program's job is to let guests unfamiliar with it follow along. Cover wording is usually plain — "In Loving Memory of" with the name and dates — and the inside carries the liturgy.

1. 1.Reception of the Body & Greeting
2. 2.Placing of the Pall
3. 3.Entrance Procession — "Be Not Afraid"
4. 4.Opening Prayer
5. 5.First Reading — Wisdom 3:1-9
6. 6.Responsorial Psalm 23 — response: "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want."
7. 7.Second Reading — Romans 6:3-9
8. 8.Gospel Acclamation & Gospel — John 14:1-6
9. 9.Homily
10. 10.General Intercessions — response: "Lord, hear our prayer."
11. 11.Offertory — "Here I Am, Lord"
12. 12.Eucharistic Prayer
13. 13.Holy Communion — "I Am the Bread of Life"
14. 14.Song of Farewell & Prayer of Commendation
15. 15.Recessional — "On Eagle's Wings"

Our Catholic funeral program guide explains each part and which congregational responses are worth printing in full.

Warmer, less formal, and usually without a religious frame. The wording is noticeably lighter — deliberately so.

Front

• A Celebration of the Life of
• Patricia "Patty" Nolan
• 1952 — 2026
• "She lived every single day of her life."

Inside

Goodman Community Center, Madison · Saturday, June 20 at 3:00 p.m. · Hosted by Meg Nolan

1. 1.Welcome & Opening Words
2. 2.A Favorite Song — "Here Comes the Sun"
3. 3.Photo Slideshow
4. 4.Shared Memories — open to all
5. 5.Reading — "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep"
6. 6.Tribute — Claire Nolan
7. 7.A Moment of Reflection
8. 8.Closing Words & Thanks
9. 9.Invitation to the Reception

Short, and usually printed as a single card guests can hold in the wind. Cover: Graveside Service · Robert Lee Hanley · 1943 — 2026. Cloverdale Memorial Gardens, Saturday, February 15 at 2:00 p.m.

1. 1.Gathering at the Graveside
2. 2.Opening Words
3. 3.Scripture — Psalm 121
4. 4.Words of Remembrance
5. 5.Prayer of Committal
6. 6.Placing of Flowers
7. 7.The Lord's Prayer — said together
8. 8.Benediction

A closing line invites guests onward: The family invites you to join them for refreshments at the family home.

• Proofread every name and date aloud, with a second person. Misspelled names are the most-remembered error in any program.
• Confirm the order of service with the officiant before printing — services change late more often than you'd expect.
• Print 10–15% more than your guest count. Couples share, but people take one home.
• Use cardstock, not copier paper. It folds cleanly and holds up in a pocket for years.
• Do a single test print and fold it before running the full batch.