Obituary Template: How to Use One to Write a Complete Tribute

An obituary template provides the structural framework that makes writing a tribute manageable when you’re grieving and working against a publication deadline. Obituary templates break the task into discrete sections — identification, life narrative, survivors, and service information — so you can complete one part at a time rather than facing a blank page. Whether you use a basic fill-in-the-blank format or a more guided sample obituary template from a funeral home, the template does the organizational work and lets you focus on the content.

This guide explains how to use obituary templates effectively, what a good sample obituary template should include, how to write an obituary template from scratch if no pre-built option fits your needs, and where to find sample obituary templates across different contexts and publication requirements.

What a Good Obituary Template Includes

Standard sections and their purpose

Most obituary templates organize content into five sections. The opening line identifies the person: full name, age, city of residence, date of death. The life narrative covers education, career, service, and significant life events in chronological order. The survivor section lists immediate family members by relationship and name. The predeceased section names significant family members who died before the subject. The closing section includes service details and any memorial giving preferences.

A sample obituary template designed for newspaper submission will format these sections differently than one intended for a funeral home website or an online memorial platform. Newspaper templates prioritize brevity — most papers charge by the word or column inch. Online templates allow more space and often include photo galleries, video tributes, and interactive comment sections. Choose an obituary template format that matches your publication target before you start writing.

Optional sections to consider adding

Beyond the standard structure, some obituary templates include optional sections: a quote from the deceased, a poem or scripture passage chosen by the family, a note about the cause of death (if the family chooses to share it), or a “About [Name]” section that goes deeper into personality, hobbies, and impact. These additions work well in longer tributes for online memorial platforms, where word count is not restricted.

How to Write an Obituary Template That Fits Your Needs

If the sample obituary template options you find online don’t match your situation — for a young person, a non-traditional family structure, or a very brief notice — you can build one by working backward from the final document you want to produce. List every piece of information you plan to include, then group related items into sections. Draft a one-sentence header format for the opening, a paragraph structure for the narrative, and a list format for survivors and service details. Test the template against a draft before committing to it.

How to write an obituary template from scratch also means deciding on tone. Formal templates use complete sentences and traditional phrasing; informal templates use first-person narration or conversational language. The tone should match the person — a formal retired judge may call for a more structured template; a creative, irreverent personality might inspire something less conventional. Either approach is valid when used consistently throughout the document.

Finding Sample Obituary Templates

Sample obituary templates are available from funeral homes, newspaper websites, and dedicated memorial platforms. Most funeral homes provide multiple sample obituary templates as part of their planning resources, often with instructions for each section. Newspaper websites sometimes publish style guides for obituary submissions, which function as de facto templates by specifying what information to include and in what order.

Online memorial platforms — Ever Loved, Cake, Legacy.com — offer guided obituary builders that function as interactive obituary templates, prompting you through each section with questions rather than blank fields. These platforms store your draft securely, allow family members to contribute via shared access, and handle formatting for both online display and print export.

Next Steps After Choosing a Template

Once you’ve selected or built your obituary template, gather the factual information before you start writing: full legal name, dates, military records if applicable, educational history, career summary, survivor names and relationships, and service logistics. Having these details ready prevents interruptions mid-draft. Write the narrative section last — after the factual sections are complete, the life story section becomes easier because you can see the full shape of the person’s life in front of you.

After completing the draft, read it aloud and have at least one family member verify all names, dates, and relationships before submission. Errors in obituaries are painful to correct after publication and may affect archived records that future generations access. When you’re satisfied with the content, format it according to the publication’s specifications and submit with the required lead time.