An obituary serves as the notification that someone has passed away. Included in the obituaries are usually details of the funeral service that's about to take place. An obituary is also a way for someone to say their final goodbyes in writing. But if you are in charge of writing an obituary, it could be a very stressful and frustrating time period. The length of the obituary may be somewhat regulated by the availability in the newspaper, so it's best to check with the newspaper you are going to be publishing the obituary in before you begin writing it.

Here are some simple guidelines for you to follow when you are writing an obituary.

What to Include in the Obituary

Obviously the name of the deceased along with the location of their residence and when they passed is included. You may want to place a photograph of the individual along with the obituary as well. Sometimes there are extra charges with the photograph, so check with your newspaper.

In a brief summary, you want to write about the certain events in the life of the deceased. This could include where they went to school, the degrees they have, and where they spent their career. 

Survivors of the deceased

It's quite common to include a list of those who survived the deceased. The list should include:

• The parents of the deceased.
• Spouses and children of the deceased
• Siblings of the deceased
• Grandparents, cousin, aunts and uncles of the deceased

The surviving relatives are usually listed by name, but it depends on how far down the line you want to go. You'll obviously list the spouse, the children and the parents, but you may not want to list every niece and nephew. If there is a special friend or a special companion, that can be listed among the survivors as well.

Announcing the Funeral 

When you announce the funeral, you'll want to include whether or not the wake will be receiving friends, or if it is a private wake just for family members. You'll also want to indicate the place and time of the funeral, and where the burial will take place.

Any and all information included in the obituary should  be verified by another family member before it is published. The newspaper will also want to verify that the funeral home you state you're using is, in fact, handling the deceased's arrangements. For more information, contact a company like Parsippany Funeral Home Inc. with any questions or concerns you have.