Obituary Format: Structure, Word Count, and Wording Guidelines

The Standard Five-Part Obituary Structure

Every obituary — from a 50-word death notice to a full-page memorial — follows the same underlying structure. Newspapers, funeral homes, and online registries all expect these five sections in this order:

1. Identification. Full legal name, age, city of residence, and date of death. This is the only section that's truly non-negotiable. Some families add a nickname in quotation marks after the first name.

2. Biographical narrative. Education, career, military service, community involvement, hobbies. This is where the personality comes through. Two to four sentences for print; as long as needed for online.

3. Survivor list. Spouse, children (with spouses' names), grandchildren, siblings, parents if living. People preceded in death come at the end.

4. Service details. Visitation dates, funeral time and location, burial or cremation information.

5. Memorial preferences. Charitable donations, memorial fund information, or "in lieu of flowers" designations.

Word Count Guidelines by Publication Type

Obituary length depends entirely on where you're publishing and what you're willing to spend.

Newspaper death notice (50-75 words): Name, age, city, date of death, one-sentence identifier, survivor summary, and service details. A shorter notice uses less print space, but the charge depends on the paper's rate and layout. Request a quote for your draft.

Standard newspaper obituary (150-250 words): The full five-part structure with enough room for a meaningful biography. Regional or local papers can cost $100-$500 and major metropolitan dailies $400-$2,000+, before photo and publication-date surcharges.

Extended print obituary (300-500 words): Detailed life narrative with specific anecdotes. This format can exceed $500 in a major metropolitan paper and is better suited for an online memorial, where newspaper line charges do not apply. Check the platform's length limits and hosting terms.

Online memorial: Platforms such as Ever Loved and funeral home websites may offer free or flat-rate options and more room than print. Check each site's length limits, price, and hosting terms before posting detailed stories, photos, and guest-book content.

One cost-saving approach is to publish a short death notice in print (50-100 words) with a link directing readers to the full online tribute. Ask the paper for the exact charge and formatted proof.

Wording That Works (and Wording to Avoid)

Opening lines

The opening line needs to be factual and clear. Avoid flowery language that buries the essential information.

Clear: Robert James Callahan, 74, of San Antonio, Texas, died March 2, 2026.

Acceptable variation: Robert James Callahan, 74, of San Antonio, passed away peacefully on March 2, 2026, at home with his family.

Avoid: On a quiet morning as the sun rose over the Alamo City, the angels welcomed home a beloved son, father, and friend... — This delays the essential information and adds lines to a print bill.

Describing the cause of death

There's no legal or editorial requirement to name the cause of death. Common approaches:

• Omit entirely: "died March 2, 2026" — the most common approach.
• General reference: "after a long illness" or "after a brief illness."
• Specific but neutral: "after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer."
• Person-first language for sensitive causes: "died by suicide" (never "committed suicide"); "succumbed to the disease of addiction" (not "died of a drug overdose").

If the family wants privacy, silence is perfectly appropriate. No newspaper will reject an obituary for not naming the cause.

Survivor list phrasing

Standard order is spouse → children → grandchildren → siblings → parents. Each generation typically gets one sentence.

He is survived by his wife, Karen; children, Michael (Jennifer) and Sarah (David); six grandchildren; and his brother, Thomas. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Mary Callahan.

For complex families, keep the language neutral. "Survived by his children" works without specifying step-, half-, or biological relationships when that distinction would cause conflict.

Formatting for Newspaper Submission

Newspapers have specific formatting expectations that directly affect your bill:

• Double-space the draft when submitting. Editors mark up the copy, and cramped text slows the review.
• Spell out numbers under 10 (three children, not 3 children). Most papers follow AP style.
• Use formal names on first reference, nicknames in parentheses: Robert "Bobby" Callahan. After the first mention, use the first name or nickname consistently.
• Photos add cost. A portrait in a major daily can add $100-250 as a flat surcharge. Digital-only publications typically include photos at no extra charge.
• Proofread for line count. Standard newspaper columns may fit roughly 25-40 characters per line. A 200-word obituary can occupy several dozen lines, depending on column width and formatting. Request a formatted proof from the newspaper before authorizing payment — the per-line cost can change significantly based on the paper's layout.

The obituary writing toolkit includes newspaper-ready templates pre-formatted for standard column widths, a cost estimation worksheet, and a pre-submission checklist that catches the formatting and security issues most families miss.