Dos and Do Nots of Writing an Obituary

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Bennie Smith Funeral Home under Funeral Education
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Writing the obituary for a loved one who has passed away is something that can be tough to do. Here are some dos and do nots of this process that can help you write the obituary.

One of the things that you may be asked to do when you lose a loved one is to write their obituary. This is an important thing to consider, since it can allow people to learn about the death and about the services that are planned for the deceased. If you have never written an obituary before, this may not be something that you know how to handle, so you want to take some time to learn a bit about the process. Here are some dos and do nots that directors of funeral homes in Dover, DE want you to consider when you set out to write the obituary of a loved one.

Do read examples of obituaries. There are lots of resources out there that can make this possible and although all obituaries are different, you can get a good sense of the tone and the length that the obituary should have. You can also get a good idea of what you need to add to the obituary.

Do not add too many details to the biographical section of the obituary. Adding too many things to this paragraph can end up confusing people. The best thing that you can do is write about the milestones of the person’s life so that anyone who reads the obituary can have a good idea of the overview of their life.

Do have someone read through the obituary before sending it out to be printed or posted. You want to make sure that there are no mistakes. This is also important if you have added a list of the people who survive the deceased, since it can ensure that you have not forgotten anyone.

Do add all of the important information on the funeral or memorial services at the end of the obituary. People need to be able to find this information at a glance and this can mean having the details in a larger font or even in bold print. Be sure to include all of the information you want guests to know, including flower requests or other donations that you may be asking for.

These are some of the most important dos and do nots that you want to keep in mind when putting together the obituary for a loved one. You want to remember to choose the information for the biographical section with care and to not skip asking someone to read through the obituary to look for errors. Writing an obituary does not have to be difficult if you have these things in mind. If you want to know more about the process of writing the obituary, you can reach out to a Dover, DE funeral home like us at Bennie Smith Funeral Home. We are ready to help you with all of the arrangements that you need for your loved one. You can give us a call right now or you can stop by our location today to learn more.

Bennie Smith Funeral Home

From humble beginnings on a farm in Faceville, Georgia, Bennie Smith evolved into a successful and caring businessman setting the standards for funeral homes across this country. Today, Bennie Smith Funeral Home(s) is one the largest African-American-owned Funeral Homes on the East Coast. With 13 locations up and down the Delmarva Peninsula, from Wilmington, Dover, Milford, Seaford, Millsboro, Salisbury, Easton, Princess Anne, Chestertown, the Eastern Shore of Virginia and more. For over 35 years, we've been caring for families like yours.