How to write an obituary for your father
Lead with the facts, then show him through what he did with his hands, his time and his jokes. Fathers are often described by their jobs; the best obituaries also say how he was on a Saturday.
Facts checked at the sources on October 23, 2026.
Find the details
- What did he do on his day off?
- What did he fix, build, grow or coach?
- What did he say when you made a mistake?
- Which of his jokes did the family groan at every year?
- What was in his truck, his pockets or his workshop?
- If he served, what branch, years and where? (If he did, consider the veteran template.)
Sample: for a father and grandfather
Robert Lee "Bobby" Haynes, 79, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, died October 10, 2026, at The Medical Center. He was born in 1947 in Glasgow and was the first in his family to finish high school.
Bobby drove a route for Coca-Cola Bottling for 38 years and knew every store owner in Warren County by name. He married Sharon Gentry in 1968. They raised three sons, two bird dogs and a vegetable garden that fed half of Shive Lane.
He fished Barren River Lake every Saturday it didn't storm and some Saturdays it did. He coached Little League for twenty years and told every boy who struck out the same thing: "Good. Now you know what it looks like." He never once let anyone else carve the turkey.
Bobby is survived by Sharon; his sons, Rick (Tammy), David and Jason (Leah); seven grandchildren; and his sister, Brenda. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Jimmy.
Visitation is Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at J.C. Kirby & Son, with the funeral Tuesday at 11 a.m. Memorial gifts may be made to the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society.
Notice the order: job, marriage, then a full paragraph about who he was before the list of survivors. The Little League line is the one people will repeat at the visitation.
Sample: written by a daughter
My dad, Gary Lindstrom, 74, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, died October 14, 2026. He taught high school chemistry for 33 years and was proud that he never set the lab on fire on purpose. He made pancakes shaped like the first letter of your name, drove me to every swim meet for ten years, and listened to the Brewers on the radio even when the game was on TV. He leaves my mom, Karen; my brother, Nate; me; and his three grandchildren. We'll gather to remember him on Saturday, October 24, at 2 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church.
What to keep out
- His full birth date and the home address: both help identity thieves.
- Long lists of every job. Pick the one he was proudest of.
- Generic praise. "Hard-working family man" is true of many men; the coffee route and the Little League line are true only of him.
Ready to write? Start with the traditional template.
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Questions families ask
How do I write about a father who was a veteran?
Put branch, rank and years near the top, add where he served and any honors he talked about, and mention military honors at the service. The veteran template is built for this.
Should I mention his ex-wife?
Only if she was part of the family's life and the family is comfortable with it. If she is the mother of his children, many families list her among survivors with a plain description, for example "the mother of his children, Susan".
How long should an obituary for a father be?
Most run 250 to 450 words. If you are paying for newspaper space, print a short version and put the full story online for free.