Obituary Guidelines

Writing an Obituary

Please feel free to ask us to help you compose a meaningful and personalized obituary. We will assist with any final touches, as well as ensuring that the Obituary is published in any Newspaper you request.

What is an Obituary?

An obituary is many things. It is a formal notification that an individual has passed away, a story of a life, a record of the extended family, information about a funeral service, a thank you to those who helped out, a request for memorial donations.The basic information must be covered, accurately and completely. As well, an obituary can be a compelling story of a life. It is important to keep in mind the “Line Rate” charged by the newspapers as it is what usually dictates the length of the obituary.

Here are some tips to writing an obituary that is accurate, lively, and memorable.

Be Accurate and Complete

This sounds simple enough but it is not easy. Errors can occur. Names can be misspelled, dates could be wrong and important information can be missed. You have to proofread then proofread again. Be extra careful when listing family members to not forget anyone. It is a difficult time and a simple omission of a relatives name can result in feelings being hurt.

Include a photo

When people are reading the obituary section in their local paper they quickly scan through all the photos looking to see if they recognize anyone. Adding a photograph is a great idea but you should be aware of the associated cost. The cost varies for different newspapers but the Edmonton Journal charges $100 per day for the addition of a photo.

Decide how many family members to include

Remember the “Line Rate”? This is where it becomes important as listing too many family members will drive up the cost of the obituary. Consider listing only those immediate family members of the deceased and not the surviving spouse. For example, you can include the deceased’s brothers and sisters but not their brother or sister- in-laws.
You may also want to consider writing two versions of the obituary. An informative but brief version for the newspaper and a more in-depth version for the funeral homes’ online obituary system and the memorial folders. Trinity Funeral Home places every obituary on our website at NO additional cost to the family.