Eulogies & Obituaries

Giving a meaningful eulogy, or writing an obituary, can be a nerve-wracking situation for even the most accomplished public speaker. We have gathered some resources to help you along the way.

Eulogies

A eulogy gives those gathered an impression of the life that is being celebrated. Eulogies can be uplifting, heart-rendering or tearful. The following tips will assist you in preparing an effective eulogy.:

  1. Write down all relevant memories to establish the foundation to your eulogy.
  2. Family or friends may offer to share meaningful stories that you may never have thought of. This is a great way to include others close to the person you are honouring.
  3. The eulogy should pay respect to the person that has died. Always remain positive about the person that has died by focusing on their best qualities.  Remember that this is not the time to relive bad memories.
  4. Think of a eulogy as a way to give a brief summary about the life of a person. Consider  beginning with, "I remember..." Everyone loves to hear a good story. The memories that you have gathered will provide a foundation to how your audience will remember them in the future.
  5. Mention people by name who were a special part of the person's life. Your audience will appreciate hearing of the strong relationship that they had with children, grandchildren, a spouse, or close friends and it will mean the world to those who are mentioned.
  6. Be honest and remain true to facts. Share your feelings and experiences about them. Never embellish qualities in order to make them seem bigger or better than they really were.
  7. It may help to build your eulogy around a theme; a word that best describes the individual, or a hobby or past time they enjoyed. Examples of themes include, "My father's hands," or " Seasons of life."
  8. Keep in mind that this will be one of the most difficult speeches you will deliver in you life. Don't be embarrassed if you are overcome with emotion. Take a moment to regain your composure, and then continue. your audience is sympathetic and will understand that you may be emotional.
  9. The eulogy should be between three and five minutes. This will allow you plenty of time to paint a lasting memory of the person to your audience.

Presenting the eulogy is a tremendous honour to give to family and friends. You have been chosen to make a contribution towards the final farewell for someone. Be honest and talk from the heart and it will be a loving tribute much appreciated and long remembered.

Obituaries

Writing an obituary is a difficult and emotional task.   We are happy to assist you with content and submissions to any publication. Begin with gathering content. The following template will be helpful for content and structure:

Paper to submit to:
Date to appear:
Last name, first name
Peacefully/Suddenly or At [Place of death] in his/her ___ year (The number is one year after a person's age. I.e. a person that is 80 is in their 81st year.) Beloved wife/ husband of  ________ (or predeceased by his/her husband/wife _______. Dear father/mother of _______ (spouse), of city, province or country. Loving grandfather/mother of. Great grandfather/mother of. Brother/sister of _____ (spouse), of city, province or country. Predeceased by his/her ... Obituary life information, service clubs attended goes here. Cremation has taken place. A memorial/ celebration of life will be held at [Location name and address] on [Date] at [Time] Expressions of sympathy and donations (Charity name suggestion) would be appreciated and may be made through Ontario Cremation Services (519) 472-2200 or online at www.ontariocremation.com. Special thanks to the staff at ...


Remember most newspapers charge by the line. Provide all of the information necessary in as few words possible.  This template is only a guideline and can be changed to your liking.  Make any adjustments you may feel necessary.

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