Newspaper Death Notice

Things you should know before you go:

Newspaper Death Notices
By Andrew Hodges
October 2006

This article is a how to guide in composing a death notice for either the newspaper and/or radio.

In regards to print, there is technically a difference between a death notice and an obituary. A death notice is information placed in a newspaper announcing a death, a list of family members and the details of a service. An obituary is an article about a deceased person. For this article we will focus on the death notice which is put together soon after a death has occurred.

During the arrangement, the funeral director will help compose the death notice. Sometimes, families will bring in a draft copy they created and, once decisions have been made, service details are added.

The purpose of the death notice is to inform others of the death and provide service information. Whether a notice has every detail or just the essentials, just know that there are no set rules in writing one. When I meet with a family, I like to start by simply making a list of people that could be mentioned, either as survivors or predeceased family members. The order can be parents, spouse, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, any other family such as nieces and nephews, friends and predeceased family members. If there are too many family members or friends to mention, the phrase will be missed by many family members and friends is a suitable way to include everyone.

After completing the list of names, the next step is to complete the body of the notice by starting with the person who has died. The person's name can appear in full: Betty Agnes Smith (nee Jackson) or the name they went by: Bee Smith or a combination Betty Agnes Smith. Sometimes after the name is mentioned, where the person lives or formerly lived is included to help people make the connection: resident of St. Marys, formerly of London. Or mentioning where they worked and/or membership of a certain organizations: Former employee of Bill's Garage and long-time member and Elder at St. Paul's Church. This is followed by the date of death, where the death took place and possibly the circumstances of the death: suddenly, peacefully or after a brave battle with cancer. The person's age may also be in the opening lines of the notice.

Then the family members can be included. The towns or cities where they live can be mentioned. However, I strongly discourage including exact street addresses for security reasons. To make the notice read more smoothly, adverbs are often placed before names: Beloved husband of or Proud grandfather of. The service details are then usually mentioned, followed by naming charities where people can donate to as expressions of sympathy. As for the phrase "in lieu of flowers" placed before charity information, I think there is little use in placing it in. In my experience, the people who usually send flowers with send flowers and the people who make donations will make donations, regardless of what is mentioned in the death notice.

When I am asked whether to include more information about the person's life, I always quote a fellow funeral director: If the person's whole life written into a notice then there will be nothing left to say at the funeral.

Lines from prayers, poems and words of thanks to care givers, for example, are sometimes included.

Newspaper notices and radio announcements can be placed wherever a family chooses. When they appear will depend if the media is daily or weekly, and when the cut-off time is for placing the information. The cost of a newspaper notice or radio announcement depends on the media outlet as some charge per line, while others have a flat rate. Including a picture or service club logo with a death notice is extra.

The funeral director will forward the death notice information to the media. If a family member does so, the newspaper or radio station will call the funeral home to make sure that the death has indeed occurred and someone is not playing some kind of practical joke.