[Full name]
[Year of birth]–[year of death]
How to use this template
Write what you know and leave the rest blank: the funeral home can confirm the service details, and family can fill in names. The order below is the one newspapers expect: the announcement, their life, the people they leave, then the service.
Survivors are listed closest first: a spouse, then children (each spouse in parentheses) with their towns, grandchildren, then brothers and sisters. Newspapers charge by length, so many families print the short version at the end and post the full one on the funeral home's website, with a clear photo where they look like themselves.
Before it's sent, go through the facts at the end with someone else, then delete this box and the example.
See an example
Walter James “Walt” Brennan, 84, of Dayton, Ohio, died Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at home, after a short illness.
Walt was born in 1940 and grew up on his family's dairy farm near Troy, the oldest of five. He served in the Army from 1959 to 1962, then spent 38 years as a machinist at a tool and die shop in Dayton.
In 1964 he married Joyce Miller, and together they raised three children. Walt could fix anything with a motor, and on Saturday mornings half the street's lawnmowers ended up in his garage. He coached Little League for twenty years and was a member of St. Mark's Church for fifty.
Walt is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce; his children, Ellen (Luis) Ortega of Columbus, Mark (Dana) Brennan of Dayton and Susan Brennan of Chicago; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sisters, Mary Kline and Ann Price. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Margaret Brennan, and his brother, Tom.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, at St. Mark's Church, 120 Oak Street, Dayton. Visitation will be on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hillcrest Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Hillside Hospice, which cared for Walt in his last weeks. Memories and condolences may be shared on the Hillcrest Funeral Home website.
Short version for print: BRENNAN, Walter J. “Walt”, 84, of Dayton, died March 4, 2025. Survived by wife Joyce; children Ellen, Mark and Susan; seven grandchildren. Service 10 a.m. Saturday, March 8, St. Mark's Church, Dayton. Memorials to Hillside Hospice.
[Full name], [age], of [town], died on [date].
Where they grew up; school, service and work.
Marriage and family, and two or three things people will remember them by.
Closest first, each with their town.
[First name] is survived by
[First name] was preceded in death by
The service, visitation and burial: the day, time and place of each.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to
Optional: No public service yet
Services will be private.
A celebration of life will be held in [month]; details will be shared at [website].
Optional: A saying or verse they lived by
Short version for print
About 40 words, last name first, as the newspaper prints notices.
Facts to confirm before it runs
What to check | Check it against | Confirmed by |
Full name, nickname and spelling | Funeral home records or ID | |
Age and date of death | Funeral home records | |
Each survivor's name, spelling and town | Someone from each branch of the family | |
Service day, date, time and address | The funeral home or venue, and a calendar | |
Charity name and how to give | The charity's own website | |
The photo and the final text | The closest next of kin |