Obituary examples
Here are six complete sample obituaries, each in a different style, with a note on what makes it work. Every person in them is made up.
Facts checked at the sources on October 23, 2026.
Traditional
Harold James "Hal" Brenner, 81, of Muncie, Indiana, died October 4, 2026, at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. He was born in 1945 in Hartford City to Walter and June Brenner and grew up helping on his uncle's dairy farm.
Hal served in the Army from 1965 to 1967 and spent 34 years as a machinist at BorgWarner, where he trained more apprentices than anyone could count. He married Carol Sutter in 1969; they raised two daughters in the same brick house on Wheeling Avenue.
He could fix anything with a motor, and he could not drive past a yard sale. He kept a coffee can of spare bolts for every neighbor who asked, and most of them did. His answer to any problem was "Let's take a look."
Hal is survived by Carol, his wife of 57 years; daughters Lisa (Mark) Owens and Jennifer Brenner; four grandchildren; and his brother, Dale. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Ruth.
Visitation will be Thursday, October 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Meeks Mortuary, with the funeral Friday at 11 a.m. at High Street United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests gifts to the Muncie Mission.
Why it works: it answers the reader's questions in order, and the coffee can of bolts tells you more about Hal than an adjective could.
Short notice
Rosa Delgado Ortiz, 77, of San Antonio, died October 12, 2026. A retired school cafeteria manager who fed three generations of Harlandale students, she is survived by her husband, Rubén; three children; and nine grandchildren. A rosary will be prayed Monday at 7 p.m., and the Funeral Mass is Tuesday at 10 a.m., both at St. Leonard Catholic Church. Her full obituary is at obituaryus.org.
Why it works: one specific line about her life, then only what readers need. It is short enough to keep a newspaper bill low.
Veteran
Master Sergeant Dennis Ray Pruitt, U.S. Air Force (retired), 72, of Abilene, Texas, died October 1, 2026. Dennis enlisted in 1972 and served 22 years as an aircraft maintenance technician, with tours at Dyess, Ramstein and Kadena. He liked to say he never flew a plane but kept a few thousand of them in the air.
After retiring he spent fifteen years teaching aviation maintenance at Cisco College and never missed a Thursday breakfast at VFW Post 2012. He is survived by his wife, Linda; his son, Corey (Amanda); and two granddaughters, who could recite the phonetic alphabet before they could read.
Services with military honors will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene. Memorial gifts may be made to the Fisher House Foundation.
Why it works: rank, branch and years are up front, the service record is specific, and his own joke keeps it from reading like a form. See the veteran template.
Faith
Evelyn Mae Carter, 90, of Jackson, Mississippi, went home to be with the Lord on October 9, 2026. A member of New Hope Baptist Church for 68 years, she taught the fourth-grade Sunday school class until she was 85 and kept a list of every child she taught, more than 400 names, in the back of her Bible.
She raised five children, sang alto in the choir and believed no one should leave her kitchen hungry. She is survived by four of her children, 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, and was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Otis Carter, and her son, Marcus.
A homegoing service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at New Hope Baptist Church. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
Why it works: faith is in the facts (68 years, the Sunday school list), not only in the phrasing. The quote library has public-domain scripture and prayers by tradition.
Celebration of life
Jackie Lindqvist would like you to know she left the party early but had a wonderful time. Jackie, 66, of Duluth, Minnesota, died October 15, 2026, after two years of telling cancer exactly what she thought of it.
She sold real estate for thirty years and swam in Lake Superior every Fourth of July, ice or no ice. She hosted Friday fish fries for anyone who showed up, learned the accordion at sixty and played it badly and proudly.
Jackie leaves her partner, Tom; her sons, Erik and Nils; her grandchildren, Ada and Leo; and Biscuit, a dog of questionable manners. Join us for a celebration of her life Saturday, November 7, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Lester Park pavilion. Wear something bright. Bring a story.
Why it works: it opens in her voice, it is funny without being flip, and the invitation tells people exactly how to show up. See the celebration of life template.
For a young man
Tyler James Moore, 19, of Asheville, North Carolina, died October 3, 2026. Tyler was a sophomore at Western Carolina University studying forestry, a left-handed pitcher with a slow curveball, and the person his friends called when their car wouldn't start at two in the morning.
He could name every tree on the Blue Ridge Parkway and would, whether you asked or not. He loved his dog, Moose, his mother's chicken and dumplings, and long drives with the windows down.
Tyler is survived by his parents, Brian and Shannon; his sister, Kayla; and his grandparents, Earl and Joan Moore. A memorial service will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at First Christian Church. The family has set up the Tyler Moore Forestry Scholarship at WCU.
Why it works: it is about who he was, not how he died, and the scholarship gives people something to do with their grief. See the young person template.
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Questions families ask
Are these real obituaries?
No. Every person here is made up, so you can borrow phrasing freely. We never copy real families' obituaries.
Can I copy an example and change the names?
You can use the structure, but the details have to be your person's. The examples work because the details are specific; borrowed details won't sound like anyone you knew.
What makes an obituary memorable?
One or two concrete details: a phrase they always said, a habit, a story. Readers remember the coffee can of bolts, not "loving husband and father".