Free obituary template and writer

Answer a few questions for a draft, or copy the template. Both are free, and nothing you type is kept.

Who they were

A nickname family and friends used, for example Bob.

Family

For example 56 years.

Names or a number.

Life and faith

Hobbies, passions, sayings, what made them who they were.

Service

Where and when, as you'd like it printed.

Tone

Privacy: before the writing helper sees anything, every name, place, church, employer and date is replaced with a placeholder, and the real words are put back on our server. Your answers are not stored.

Your obituary

Answer what you can on the left. Only the name is required; anything you leave out stays out.

Answer a few questions, get a draft obituary

Only the name is needed; every other answer makes the draft fuller. Choose a tone (traditional, warm or joyful) and whether the obituary should speak of faith. The draft keeps to what you wrote: no invented memories, no cause of death unless you give one. Read it, change any word, then copy it.

What the writer sends, and what it doesn’t

The writing helper uses an AI service, DeepSeek. Before your answers leave our server, the names, places, church, dates, phone numbers and emails are swapped for placeholders such as [NAME] or [CHURCH]. The real words go back in on our side, so the service doesn’t learn who the person was. Write names with capital letters, as you would in a letter: that is how the writer recognises them. Your answers are not stored. Privacy.

If the helper is busy or you have written five drafts today, you get the same draft from the template instead, still free.

Obituary template (copy and fill in)

Replace each part in brackets. Leave out anything that doesn’t fit.

[Full name], [age], of [city], passed away on [date] at [place], surrounded by family.

[First name] was born on [date of birth] in [birthplace] to [parents' names]. [He/She] graduated from [school] and worked as [job] at [employer] for [number] years.

[First name] married [spouse's name] on [wedding date]; they shared [number] years together. [He/She] was a faithful member of [church], where [he/she] [served / sang / taught].

[First name] loved [hobbies, passions, what made them happy]. [He/She] will be remembered for [qualities].

[First name] is survived by [spouse], [children and their spouses], [number] grandchildren and [siblings]. [He/She] was preceded in death by [names].

A [funeral / memorial] service will be held on [date] at [time] at [church or funeral home], [address]. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to [charity].

Christian obituary examples

Six examples written by the template above, for different churches and services. The people are invented.

  • Margaret Ann Doyle

    Catholic, for a mother

    Margaret Ann Doyle was called home to the Lord on September 21, 2026 in Albany, New York. Margaret was born on May 2, 1938 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Thomas and Rose Kelly.

    Margaret married the late John Doyle. She taught second grade for thirty years and never forgot a student's name. Margaret was a faithful member of St. Teresa of Avila Parish.

    Margaret loved her rosary group, her garden roses and Sunday dinners with the whole family.

    Margaret is survived by the late John Doyle; children Patrick (Ellen) Doyle, Mary Doyle Hart and Thomas Doyle; grandchildren five grandchildren.

    A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Teresa of Avila Parish. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the parish food pantry.

  • James Earl Whitaker

    Homegoing, for a father

    James Earl Whitaker went home to be with the Lord on October 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan, leaving behind a life full of love and laughter. James was born on January 19, 1945 in Macon, Georgia.

    James married Loretta Whitaker; they shared 52 years together. He worked thirty-four years at the auto plant and served as a deacon. James was a faithful member of Greater Grace Missionary Baptist Church.

    James loved singing in the men's chorus, barbecue on the Fourth of July and his grandchildren's ball games.

    James is survived by Loretta Whitaker; children James Jr., Denise and Michael; grandchildren nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; siblings his sister Ruth Ann.

    A homegoing celebration will be held at Greater Grace Missionary Baptist Church.

  • Evelyn Grace Turner

    Celebration of life

    Evelyn Grace Turner, known to family and friends as “Evie”, passed away on August 30, 2026 in Asheville, North Carolina. Evie was born on July 11, 1952.

    Evie married Daniel Turner. She ran a small pottery studio and taught evening classes at the community college.

    Evie loved mountain trails, her wheel and kiln, and long porch suppers with friends.

    Evie is survived by Daniel Turner; children Hannah and Luke.

    Friends are invited to a celebration of her life at the studio. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the local arts council.

  • Robert James Lindqvist

    Methodist, for a grandfather

    Robert James Lindqvist, known to family and friends as “Bob”, was called home to the Lord on October 12, 2026 in Duluth. Bob was born on March 14, 1941 in Two Harbors, Minnesota.

    Bob married Carol Lindqvist; they shared 56 years together. He taught shop at the high school for thirty-one years. Bob was a faithful member of First United Methodist Church.

    Bob loved fishing on Lake Superior and fixing anything with a motor.

    Bob is survived by Carol Lindqvist; children Karin and Erik; grandchildren seven grandchildren.

    A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held at First United Methodist Church.

  • Rosa Delgado Martinez

    Pentecostal, for a grandmother

    Rosa Delgado Martinez went home to be with the Lord on July 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas, leaving behind a life full of love and laughter. Rosa was born on February 24, 1950 in San Antonio, Texas.

    Rosa married the late Miguel Martinez. She cooked for her church's food ministry for over twenty years. Rosa was a faithful member of Templo de Fe.

    Rosa loved praise music, her tamales at Christmas and praying with anyone who asked.

    Rosa is survived by the late Miguel Martinez; children Ana, Luis and Teresa; grandchildren eleven grandchildren; siblings her brothers Carlos and Ramon.

    A funeral service will be held at Templo de Fe.

  • Daniel Hayes

    Veteran, with military honors

    Daniel Hayes was called home to the Lord on June 5, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Daniel was born on November 8, 1948 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

    Daniel married Linda Hayes; they shared 48 years together. He served twenty years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a sergeant first class, then worked as a postal carrier. Daniel was a faithful member of Grace Baptist Church.

    Daniel loved woodworking, Tennessee football and coaching Little League.

    Daniel is survived by Linda Hayes; children Sarah and Ben; grandchildren three grandchildren.

    A funeral service with military honors will be held at Grace Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a veterans’ charity of your choice.

Put your obituary in a funeral program

Under the draft, Put it in a funeral program opens a new program with the obituary, the name and the dates already filled in. Pick the church tradition and a design, add photos, and check the free proof. The program download is paid, once; the writer and the template stay free. Funeral program templates.

Questions

What should an obituary include?

Full name, age, the dates and places of birth and death, a short life story, faith and church life, family, the service details and memorial donations.

How long should an obituary be?

Newspaper obituaries are often 200 to 400 words; the newspaper charges by length. Online and program obituaries can be longer.

Is the obituary writer free?

Yes. The writer and the template are free. You only pay if you put the obituary in a program and download the program.

Is what I type stored?

No. The answers are used for the draft and then dropped. Names and places are replaced with placeholders before anything reaches the AI service.

Make a program

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