When someone passes away, there is a lot to consider, procedures to follow, and people that need to be informed. This can be an incredibly difficult time and often people may struggle with how to break this news, how to word it, and the correct method for informing others.
Death announcements or ‘death notices’ are formal announcements that are sent out to friends, family and loved ones of someone who has died. Death announcements can be formal, written notices that are sent out to people on announcement cards. Or, if there is a large number of people, this formal notice may be written and posted somewhere for people to see. Traditionally, a death announcement would have been posted in the paper.
Tips
Writing a death announcement can seem daunting. Understandably, you may be unsure of how to phrase things or the correct etiquette for delivering this news. Below are some tips to consider when writing a death announcement.
- Death announcements will be brief, not sharing too many details.
- To begin, you should use the deceased’s full name and perhaps a small amount of additional information.
- Follow with the date of their death and the age they were when they died. You may also want to include the location of their death, but this is not always essential.
- Specify if there will be a funeral, including the location, time, and date. As well as information of whom may attend. I.e., “The funeral service is open to friends and family who wish to pay their respects.”
- Additionally, you may also include any relevant information for any charities or donations you wish people to make in name of the deceased.
- The tone should reflect the message and therefore the tone of the announcement must be sombre and neutral, as not to disrespect.
How to write
Death announcements do not need to be overly personal or lengthy. Typically, they give out the relevant information in a concise way to be delivered to friends and family. If you are struggling, you should follow the below template.
- The name of the deceased
- Date of their death
- Their date of birth or age they died
- Location of funeral, including date, time, and location
- Where to send donations
Examples
“The Campbell family announce the passing of their mother, [Name], who died peacefully on [date], at home. She was born [date], in her hometown of [location]. The funeral will be held on [date & time], at [location]. Following the funeral service, there will be light refreshments and a reception to be held at [location].”
“We are sad to announce the death of [name], who passed away [date]. A memorial and funeral service will be held at [location] for friends and family to attend at [date, time]. Any donations to their favourite charity [charity name] would be appreciated instead of flowers. Thank you.”
“[Name] passed away on [date]. They died surrounded by loved ones following a long battle with their health. Funeral service announcement to follow at a later date.”
“[Name] sadly passed away on [date]. They were born [date, location]. There will be a private memorial followed by a private memorial. Details will be sent out separately.
Funeral stationery
There are many ways to send out a death announcement. Some may choose to write a formal post to use on the deceased’s social media and deliver the news this way. Others may choose to create funeral stationery such as announcement cards and send their death announcement out this way.
Announcement cards may not be for everybody, but they can be a poignant way of delivering the news to friends or relatives, saving you the grief of having to individually break the news. Announcement cards can be fully customised and designed bespoke through Memorial Stationery to create something meaningful.
Alternatively, if you are looking for other funeral stationery, we also offer bespoke options for memory boards, order of service booklets, bookmarks, and more. Or, if you’d prefer, we also have a range of elegant and meaningful funeral order of service templates to browse.
