Obituary templates

Each template is a shape, not a script: the sections, their order and the tone. Pick the one closest to the person, answer the questions, and change anything you like.

Six templates, shown in three page styles. Every sample is an invented person, so you can see the whole page before you write a word.

In loving memory
Arthur Dean Whitcomb
“Art”
1938 – March 3, 2026
Decatur, IL
“To live in hearts we leave behind, Is not to die.”
— Thomas Campbell, Hallowed Ground
Arthur Dean “Art” Whitcomb, 87, of Decatur, died at home on March 3, 2026, with his wife of 61 years holding his hand.
What Art loved
Gardening
Woodworking
Cheering for the home team
Family and grandchildren
In honor of service
An honor medallion for the U.S. Army
U.S. Army
1956–1958
With gratitude for Art’s service to the nation.
Formal, warm · 250 to 450 words
Traditional
The classic newspaper shape: announcement, life story, family, services. Works for almost anyone.
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In loving memory
Teresa Ochoa Pierce
“Tere”
1956 – August 14, 2026
Tucson, AZ
“Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
— Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson
If you ever got a birthday card from Tere Pierce, it arrived three days early, had glitter in it, and was signed “your favorite.” She was. Teresa Ochoa Pierce died on August 14, 2026, in Tucson, at 69, after a short illness she refused to talk about at dinner.
What Tere loved
Teaching
Music
Summer evenings on the porch
Family and grandchildren
Warm, lively · 250 to 500 words
Celebration of life
Leads with who they were and what they loved, and invites people to a gathering rather than a formal service.
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In loving memory
Evelyn Marie Sato
1932 – October 2, 2026
Spokane, WA
Evelyn Marie Sato, 93, of Spokane, died October 2, 2026. A bookkeeper for 40 years and a fixture of the Manito Park rose garden, she was known for her sharp pencil and sharper bridge game.
What Evelyn loved
Gardening
Cards and puzzles
Plain, factual · 50 to 150 words
Brief notice
The essentials in about 100 words: the version you pay a newspaper for, pointing to the full page online.
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In loving memory
Raymond Earl Tuttle
“Ray”
1946 – January 19, 2026
Rochester, MN
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7, King James Version
Raymond Earl Tuttle, 79, of Rochester, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, died at home on January 19, 2026.
What Ray loved
Dogs
Cards and puzzles
Volunteering
In honor of service
An honor medallion for the U.S. Army
U.S. Army
Specialist 4 · 1966–1968 · Vietnam
With gratitude for Ray’s service to the nation.
Respectful, plain · 250 to 450 words
Veteran
Gives military service its own section, with branch, rank, years and era, and the honors at the service.
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In loving memory
Lorraine Adele Bouchard
1940 – May 8, 2026
Lafayette, LA
“Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.”
— Traditional Catholic prayer
Lorraine Adele Bouchard, 86, a lifelong parishioner of St. Anne Catholic Church in Lafayette, entered eternal rest on May 8, 2026, the morning after she finished her rosary with her granddaughter.
What Lorraine loved
Church life
Baking
Morning coffee
Family and grandchildren
Reverent · 250 to 450 words
Faith
Frames a life in the family's faith, with the congregation, the rite of the service and a closing verse or prayer.
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In loving memory
Caleb Thomas Brennan
2007 – June 2, 2026
Boise, ID
“He has outsoared the shadow of our night.”
— Percy Bysshe Shelley, Adonais
Caleb Thomas Brennan, 18, of Boise, died on June 2, 2026, two weeks after he graduated from Timberline High School.
What Caleb loved
Running
Guitar
Cycling
Fishing
Gentle · 150 to 350 words
Young person
For a child, a teenager or a young adult: gentle, centered on personality, with care for the privacy of the family.
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