How to write an obituary correctly?
The obituary emerged as a genre of newspaper journalism. It was a notification of the death of a recently deceased person.
The obituary was widely practiced as an announcement in the workplace and, in European countries, on the streets in public places — near churches and in market squares.
Until recently, the newspaper obituary was considered the dominant form of obituary. The newspaper notified the local community of the time and place of the dead person’s burial. With the advent of the Internet and social media, obituaries became a rubric of news sites and topics of communication groups.
The 6 rules of an obituary are
1. Surname, first name and photo in the obituary
Include the full name of the deceased. Even if you call the deceased by their short name, the obituary should still include the full name of the deceased at least once.
The photo for the obituary should show the person as those around him or her remember him or her during the prime of his or her life or career.
2. Announcement of death
The obituary should include the dates of birth and death. The date of death will indicate to friends, acquaintances, relatives, and other interested people when the person is gone.
Relatives may not specify why the person died, especially if the cause of death may be perceived ambiguously. Death reports in the obituary are brief, but you can include more details if you wish — it’s all individual.
3. Facts: biography, hobbies, character
The obituary briefly notes the main periods of life: place of birth, cities and institutions of the deceased’s working career and fields of activity. Emphasis can be placed on the person’s achievements, community service, awards, and the importance of the deceased to his or her loved ones and colleagues. Also in the obituary you can show the character of a loved one, his role and relationships in the family, hobbies and values.
How to write in an obituary about a person’s life?
Key character traits.
The important moments of life that had the strongest impact on the person...
A quote or recollection that supports this personality trait.
4. An obituary is no place for criticism
If there were deeds in the life of the deceased that are socially reprehensible, you should not criticize him or her in the obituary. It is enough to limit yourself to pointing out life difficulties and difficult circumstances that influenced his fate. It is important to avoid negativity in the memorial.
5. Death is a loss to loved ones
The text of the obituary mentions loved ones, for example:
«...was a caring father, a loving husband, a wise mentor to his grandchildren.»
«...cared for his elderly parents, brothers and sisters...».
6. Sincerity, sensitivity and a sense of proportion
On the one hand, the obituary should reflect the individuality, identity and exceptionality of the person of the deceased. Therefore, truthfulness and cordiality in the text is a pledge that the obituary will cause trust, more interest and be better remembered by the reader.
Therefore, sincere emotions must be conveyed in calm, precise and restrained phrases. Such words that, after many years and decades, will not lose their significance, weight and dignity.
When there is a sudden death, it happens that a close relative of the deceased must write an obituary unexpectedly quickly. There is no time not only to check the text, but even to create it. Don’t despair, remember someone in your inner circle who writes beautifully. Reach out to him and ask for help! Include those facts and character traits that you want to mention in the obituary.
Additional recommendations
1. Before compiling an obituary you need to make sure about the exact reasons and circumstances of the person’s passing. History knows quite a few examples where reports of death have turned out to be false. Of the famous cases, there is the story of the posthumous note to the living Alfred Nobel;
2. The text should not contain unnecessary pathos and graphomania. When drafting a note, one should adhere to the principles of brevity, modesty and restraint, while retaining notes of sincerity;
3. To avoid various embarrassments and misunderstandings, the text should be fully coordinated with the deceased’s loved ones before being written.