Obituary Examples
Reading real examples is one of the best ways to find the right words. Browse full-length obituaries in different tones to guide your own writing.
Why Reading Examples Helps
When you sit down to write an obituary, the blank page can feel paralyzing. You know what you want to say, but finding the right structure and tone is difficult, especially while grieving. Reading examples written for different people and in different styles gives you something concrete to work from. You begin to see patterns in how obituaries open, how they transition from facts to personality, and how they close with grace.
The three examples below represent distinct approaches: warm and personal, formal and traditional, and celebratory. None of them is more correct than the others. The right tone depends on who the person was, what the family prefers, and where the obituary will be published. Read through each one and notice which voice feels closest to what you are trying to express.
Example Obituaries
Dorothy Mae Henderson, 87, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 2, 2026, with her daughters at her side. Born on June 14, 1938, in Duluth to Harold and Edna (Larson) Novak, Dorothy grew up along the shores of Lake Superior and carried its quiet steadiness with her throughout her life.
She married Richard "Dick" Henderson in 1960, and together they built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and the constant hum of a sewing machine. Dorothy was a gifted quilter whose work hung in churches, community centers, and the homes of nearly everyone she loved. She believed that a handmade quilt could say what words sometimes could not, and she gave them freely to new babies, grieving friends, and anyone who needed to feel held.
Dorothy was a devoted member of Grace Lutheran Church and volunteered with Meals on Wheels for over twenty years. Her grandchildren knew her as "Grandma Dot," the woman who always had sugar cookies cooling on the counter and a story ready at bedtime.
She is survived by her daughters, Karen (Tom) Engstrom and Linda Henderson; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and her sister, Beverly Olson. She was preceded in death by her husband Richard and her son, David.
A funeral service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church on March 7 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Robert James Whitfield, 80, of Boston, Massachusetts, died on February 18, 2026, at Massachusetts General Hospital following a brief illness. He was born on September 3, 1945, in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of James Edward Whitfield and Margaret (Collins) Whitfield.
Mr. Whitfield earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1967 and a Master of Engineering from Cornell University in 1969. He began his career at Raytheon, where he spent thirty-one years and rose to the position of Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering. His work on guidance and navigation systems earned him two patents and the recognition of his peers across the defense and aerospace industries.
A disciplined and principled man, Mr. Whitfield served on the boards of the Boston Engineering Society and the New England chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was a dedicated mentor to young engineers and contributed regularly to scholarship funds at both MIT and Cornell.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, Catherine (Murray) Whitfield; his sons, James R. Whitfield of New York and Thomas E. Whitfield of Chicago; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, William.
Services will be held privately. The family requests that memorial contributions be directed to the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering Scholarship Fund.
Maria Elena Gutierrez, 73, of San Antonio, Texas, left this world on April 5, 2026, leaving behind a community of students, friends, and family members whose lives she shaped in ways large and small. Born on November 22, 1952, in Laredo, Texas, to Ernesto and Rosa (Delgado) Gutierrez, Maria was the eldest of five children and the first in her family to attend college.
She graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in Education and spent thirty-four years teaching third grade at Alamo Heights Elementary. Her classroom was known for its hand-painted murals, a reading corner she built herself, and a policy that every child deserved to feel seen. Former students still speak about the way she remembered their names years later and asked about their lives with genuine interest.
Maria loved to dance. She and her husband, Jorge, were fixtures at every family gathering, always the last ones off the floor. She cooked with abundance, filling her kitchen with tamales at Christmas and menudo on Sunday mornings, feeding anyone who walked through the door.
She is survived by her husband of forty-eight years, Jorge Gutierrez; her children, Ana Gutierrez-Lopez, Carlos Gutierrez, and Sofia Reyes; nine grandchildren; and her siblings, Ernesto Jr., Luis, Patricia, and Carmen. Her parents preceded her in death.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at San Fernando Cathedral on April 10 at 10:00 a.m. The family invites everyone to a reception afterward at the Gutierrez home. In Maria's spirit, bring a story to share.
How to Choose the Right Tone
The tone of an obituary should reflect the person it honors and the wishes of the family. There is no universal rule, but a few practical considerations can guide you.
- Think about who they were. A warm, conversational tone suits someone whose personality was defined by closeness and humor. A more formal approach may feel right for someone who valued professionalism and dignity. A celebratory tone works well for a person who lived with visible joy and generosity.
- Consider the audience. If the obituary will appear in a newspaper of record, a traditional structure may be expected. If it will live on a funeral home website or memorial page, you have more freedom to be personal and narrative.
- Ask the family. When writing on behalf of others, check whether they want something restrained or something that feels like a conversation. Small preferences matter, and asking early prevents difficult revisions later.
- Mix approaches when it feels natural. Many of the best obituaries blend formality with personal warmth. You can open with traditional phrasing and transition into anecdotes, or lead with a story and close with structured details.
Find Examples by Relationship or Length
The relationship you had with the person often shapes the language you use. Writing about a parent feels different from writing about a spouse, and the details you emphasize will naturally shift. We have put together dedicated pages with examples tailored to specific relationships:
- Obituary examples for a mother
- Obituary examples for a father
- Obituary examples for a husband
- Obituary examples for a wife
Length matters too. Not every situation calls for a full-length tribute. If you need something concise for a newspaper listing or a brief announcement, our short obituary examples page offers templates and samples under 150 words. For those who want to write something more expansive, the examples on this page provide a solid starting point, and our step-by-step writing guide can help you structure a longer piece with confidence.
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