An obituary is one of the oldest forms of tribute we have, and it's also one that has changed more dramatically than almost any other funeral tradition in the last decade. Print obituaries in local newspapers still exist, but they're increasingly expensive and limited in reach. Meanwhile, online obituaries can be published for free, include photos and video, and can be found by anyone who knew the person, no matter where they live.

This guide walks through exactly how to write a strong obituary and where to publish it without spending money.

What Should an Obituary Include?

A complete obituary typically covers several categories of information. You don't have to write them in this exact order, but covering all of them will give readers a full picture of the person's life.

The Essential Facts

  • Full name (including maiden name if applicable)
  • Age at time of death
  • Date and place of birth
  • Date and place of death
  • Where they lived most recently

Their Life Story

This is the heart of the obituary. Two or three paragraphs about who the person was: where they grew up, what they did for work, what they cared about, how they spent their time. Try to capture their personality, not just their resume. What made them laugh? What were they known for among friends and family? What would they have hated you saying at a funeral?

Survivors and Those Who Preceded Them

List immediate family members who are still living ("survived by") and those who died before them ("preceded in death by"). The traditional order is spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents. You can include more or less depending on what feels right for the family.

Service Information

Include dates, times, and locations for the visitation, funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life. If the family prefers private services, say so clearly to avoid confusion.

Memorial Donation Instructions

If the family is requesting donations in lieu of flowers, specify the organization and how to donate. Be precise about the charity name and donation method to avoid donations going astray.

How to Write One That Sounds Like a Person, Not a Form

The biggest mistake people make when writing obituaries is writing in passive, formal language that strips the personality out of the person. "He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed golf" tells you almost nothing.

Compare that to: "Bob had a handicap of four and spent forty years trying to get it to two. He never got there, but he made some of his best friends on those fairways."

Specificity is everything. One concrete detail does more than three paragraphs of general praise. Think about what made this particular person different from anyone else who could have lived a similar life.

Some questions to ask family members before you write:

  • What's a story about them that always comes up at family gatherings?
  • What were they genuinely passionate about?
  • What phrase or saying of theirs will you always hear in your head?
  • What would they have wanted people to know about their life?
  • What's something surprising about them that most people didn't know?

Where to Publish an Online Obituary for Free

Several platforms let you publish obituaries at no cost. Each has slightly different features.

MyFarewelling Memorial Pages

A free digital memorial page gives you a permanent home for photos, the obituary, and memories shared by family and friends. Unlike a newspaper or third-party obituary site, a memorial page is living and ongoing, allowing people to continue adding tributes long after the initial publication.

Legacy.com and Tributes.com

These are the largest obituary aggregators. They're often linked from newspaper websites and show up well in search results. Basic listings are usually free, though they do offer paid upgrades.

Social Media Announcements

Many families now publish a death announcement directly on Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms. This can reach a wide network quickly, though the content lives within a social media feed rather than as a permanent searchable page.

Your Funeral Home's Website

Most funeral homes include obituaries on their own site as part of their services. Ask your funeral director about this during planning.

Structuring the HTML if You're Publishing Directly

If you're pasting the obituary into a website editor, basic formatting improves readability. Use paragraph breaks between sections, bold text for the person's name on first mention, and consider a short italic quote or epigraph at the top if the person had a phrase they were known for.

One Thing Most Online Obituaries Are Missing

A static text obituary captures the facts but doesn't capture the person. The most meaningful online memorials include photos across different life stages, video clips if available, and contributions from multiple people who knew the deceased from different parts of their life.

A neighbor might remember something entirely different from a college roommate or a grandchild. Inviting people to contribute creates a richer, more complete portrait than any single obituary can offer.

You might also consider pairing the obituary with a remembrance candle that family members can light virtually as a way of marking the anniversary of the death each year.

How Long Should an Online Obituary Be?

Print obituaries are limited by space and cost. Online, you have no such constraint. That said, most people read online content in fairly short bursts. Aim for 400 to 800 words. If the person lived a particularly full or interesting life, longer is fine, but keep each paragraph tight and purposeful.

Writing an obituary takes time and care. If you're doing it in the days immediately after a death, give yourself grace. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be true.