What to write in a funeral notice: Templates and examples

It can be overwhelming to place a funeral notice, but we are here to help. In this article, we will provide guidelines and templates for writing a funeral notice for both newspaper and online.

Cost of a funeral notice

Funeral notices range in price depending on the newspaper and amount of details you include. If you choose to write the notice yourself, keep in mind that reducing the information included in the notice might not always work out to be the best choice. Whilst you can try to keep the wording to a minimum to ensure less lines in your notice, it's important to include all of the necessary details so people are well informed. Ultimately, the wording is completely up to you and it needs to say what you want it to.

To help you understand the cost of a funeral notice, take advantage of My Tribute's Price Estimator tool when placing a funeral notice, death notice or tribute notice here.

My Tributes funeral notice price estimator tool

Writing a print funeral notice

When it comes to writing a print funeral notice, you might like to keep it simple and share only important information. If you don't feel comfortable writing the notice yourself, a funeral director will be able to assist you. Each funeral provider company may have specific templates or styles they use, but generally speaking the below is a good example of a funeral notice:

[LAST NAME, First name]
Late of [Suburb]
Passed away [Date] Age [xx years]
Beloved Husband/Wife/Partner of [Name]
Proud/Loved Father/Mother and Father/Mother-in-Law to [Names]
Adored Grandfather/Grandmother to [Names]
Family and friends are invited to attend [deceased name's] funeral service to be held in the [Name of place where funeral, burial, wake is to be held], [Address incl Street number, Street Name, Suburb] on [Day, Date, Time].

If the funeral has already taken place, you can tweak the above wording to read:

A private funeral was held on [Day, Date, Time] at [ Name of place where funeral, burial, wake is to be held].

You may also include any special wishes, such as requesting no flowers or suggesting donations to a particular charity.

You might also like to include a touching line of sentiment to express your feelings and commemorate your loved one, please find 60 examples here to help you further.

You can find a funeral notice, death notice or tribute in the newspaper and online.

Writing an online funeral notice

An online funeral notice allows for a little more flexibility than a printed funeral notice. Typically, the first sentence will include the full name of the deceased, the city in which they lived, the date they died, and on occasion where they died and the cause of death, this of course is a personal choice.

Next, you might wish to include information about the deceased's birthplace and family members, such as their partner, children, grandchildren, parents, and siblings. A list of surviving family members can also be included.

Following this, you might wish to share some of the deceased's accomplishments and provide a chronological account of their life and education.

The notice should close with the funeral, burial, wake, or memorial details and information about any foundation where memorial gifts can be donated.

Remember to be sincere and empathetic in your writing. Writing an online funeral notice can be a wonderful opportunity to honour the life of your loved one and share memories with others who knew them.

Examples of funeral notices

If you need inspiration, you can find current examples of funeral notices on My Tributes.

There are also templates below to help guide you through the writing process.

Example for writing a print funeral notice:

DOE, John

Late of Brunswick

Passed away 3rd April 2023 Age 76

Beloved Husband of Jane Proud Father and Father-in-Law to David and Sarah, Michael and Rachel Adored Grandfather to Emily and Liam.

Family and friends are invited to attend John's funeral service to be held in the Brunswick Chapel, 123 Main Street, Brunswick on Wednesday, 10th April 2023 at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Council.

If the funeral has already taken place, you can tweak the above wording to read:

A private funeral was held on Saturday, 6th April 2023 at the Brunswick Chapel.

Example for writing an online funeral notice:

John DOE

Brunswick, Victoria 3rd April 2023

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of John Doe, aged 76.

John was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and spent his life as a loving husband to Jane, a proud father to David and Michael, and an adored grandfather to Emily and Liam.

John enjoyed a successful career in finance and was an avid golfer and member of the Brunswick Golf Club. He will be remembered for his kind heart, quick wit, and unwavering love for his family.

A memorial service will be held virtually on Thursday, 11th April 2023 at 2:00 PM AEST. Please visit [insert website link] to join the service and share your memories of John.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Council in John's memory.

Placing your funeral notice

Once you have written your funeral notice, it's time to place it. My Tributes offers different options to provide families with a heartfelt way to communicate a death, funeral or tribute in print and online.

You can get started with placing your notice here.