Writing a Good Obituary

Death is never an easy aspect of life to overcome. With that in mind, it is important that when dealing with the subject, as touchy as it may be, that the author writes good obituary to display significance of the deceased.

When writing an obituary, it is pivotal to know and understand who the individual is. An obituary that is poorly written or written with incorrect statements is very disrespectful and can cause more issues. While containing all the basic information -- name, age at death, date, etc. -- a good obituary will display the positives of the individuals life, including accomplishments and the impact he/she had on both individuals and society alike. Likewise, including topics such as hobbies can really draw more respect from the readers. It shows the audience that the person was active and wasn’t wasting his/her life away. Lastly, a key aspect is to let the audience know who the deceased is “survived by.” This means that you are telling the readers who the deceased has left behind (i.e. Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Laura Smith).

People read the obituaries for a variety of reasons. Some may be old themselves and are reading to see if they know any of the deceased or in small towns, individuals are reading the obituaries because they know the majority of the town members. Whatever the reason may be, it is important that the obituaries are written correctly and respectfully.