An Obituary is an article written by the staff of a newspaper that describes the life of a deceased person.

Large publications may not let family members publish an Obituary, but smaller, local publishers may.

In these cases, it's called a Death Notice, a similar term, but specifically used to announce that someone has passed.

Typically, these are written by surviving family members and provide details about the Funeral or Memorial Service and explains how to provide support.

It may include also a short biography of the deceased and is typically published in a local newspaper and then shared on social media.

Note that in some cases, the term Obituary and Death Notice may be used interchangeably.

Information for either include, but is not limited to:

• Photo of deceased


• Full name and nickname (if applicable)


• Date and location of birth / death


• Cause of death (not required)


• Biographical overview: early life, education, career, military service, organizational memberships, hobbies / interests, etc


• Who the deceased is survived by (family members)


• Date, time and location of funeral or memorial service (specify if open or closed to the public)


• Ways to support the family, or name of charity to which donations can be made

Note that publications may charge by the word, so be judicious when writing.