Free tool

Write an obituary

Give a few facts and whatever you remember, and this will write a draft you can change. It is free, there is nothing to sign up for, and nothing you type is kept.

Start with the plain facts

Their name, and the years they were born and died. The year is enough; an obituary rarely needs the full date, and leaving it out is the safer habit.

Then say what you remember

Where they worked, who they loved, what they were always doing. Half-sentences are fine. A draft made from a few true details reads better than one made from none.

Choose the length

A program holds about 250 to 400 words on one panel. A full obituary for a funeral home or a newspaper is usually a little longer, nearer 400 to 600.

Then make it yours

The draft is a starting point, not an answer. Change anything that does not sound like them, and take out anything you would not say aloud.

There is more on what belongs in a program, and what to leave out, in the guides.