Do we need to have an obituary notice and what is included in one?

It is highly recommended to have an obituary notice that’s either placed in a local newspaper, or placed online.  An obituary lets the public know that a death has occurred, and gives them information about the service.  Obituaries generally include the deceased’s full name, age, city and date of birth and the city they were living in when they died.  It also includes the name of the deceased’s spouse, along with the names of anyone else significant in their lives, such as parents, children or grandchildren.  Space may be limited in a newspaper obituary, but you may include a little blurb on the life and legacy of the deceased.  An online obituary or memorial website offers you the chance to add a lot more about the deceased.

Are obituaries important?

Obituaries are critically important as they enable families to honour the deceased, recognize their surviving family and serves as a keepsake for many not just the family. It is circulated to over half a million readers making it an efficient invitation to family, friends, colleagues (past and present) including people that have lost connection with the deceased and it also serves to protect the executor. Obituaries are historical documents that assist future generations with Ancestry and Genealogy.

How important is the heading of the obituary?

The funeral home staff will create the obituary heading and start the Obituary and Death Notice prior to the arrangement. It is very important to proof the entire obituary including this heading. If any spelling of names, place of birth, are added or dates change from the first call, be sure to let the funeral director and administration know so the heading for the Obituary and Death Notice can be corrected. The heading of the obituary is what gets cataloged in the archives and online so it is extremely important that this is free on errors.

What does (nee) refer to in an obituary?

Nee refers to a Woman’s maiden name. In an obituary a ladies first name and married last name is followed by nee in brackets then the maiden name. nee would not capitalized. This maiden name is included in obituaries so older friends that don’t know a woman’s married name will recognize the maiden name. It is important to remember that obituaries are historical documents that assist future generations with ancestry and genealogy so these small additions are very important for a number of reasons.

What is included in the first Paragraph on an obituary?​

In the first paragraph of an obituary generally, you will see included the first and last name of the deceased and the name of the surviving spouse (include nee after her name followed by her maiden name) To assist readers associate with the deceased the city that the deceased lived in is then added followed by the full date of death including the day of the week including the age at time of passing. Remember that the age is always numerals vs written in long form.

Is the place of passing listed in the obituary?​

Generally the place of death is not listed in an obituary because hospices and care facilities have asked not to list their name every time a death has occurred, as they can have many deaths in a day or week. As with all elements and rules regarding an obituary they are always flexible and if this is important the funeral home would contact the care facility to confirm that they understand why it is being included. This is most often done in thank you sentiments later on in an obituary vs listing them as the place of passing.

What is the best way to list a date in an obituary?
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To make the obituary as easy for the reader the day of the week is written out in long form and is added prior to the date listed. For many readers the day of the week is more important that the day of the month and end up needing to look this up if not included.

How are nick names or names that one goes by written in an obituary?​

In an obituary, if a person uses a nick name then this nick name would be placed in (brackets). If a person uses their middle name as their went by name then this name is placed in “quotes”

What is the biography in an obituary and what order is it placed?​

In an obituary the biography typically comes immediately after the opening paragraph that introduced who passed away. An obituary is about the deceased and that is why it is recommended to place the biography before survived by. The biography is a chronological snapshot of the milestones in one’s life. There are multiple ways to introduce these sections of ones life… To start the biography the place of birth can be introduced in multiple ways two examples are • Stan was born in London, England • Stan grew up or was raised in London, England. Moving cities can be introduced in multiple ways four examples are; • Stan immigrated to Canada with his parents when he was 12. • Stan moved to Canada with his parents • Stan came to Canada with his parents when he was 12. • Stan emigrated from London and made Calgary his home. Remember you Immigrated to or emigrated from The biography section of the obituary is not limited to, but often includes some of the below life milestones • Places lived in, • Schooling, • occupation & career (including milestones or victories) • Date of Marriage • Memberships/associations/charitable work or causes • Life’s greatest moments/achievements • Activities enjoyed or had a passion for • Favourite saying There are multiple ways to conclude a biography one common way is to include a comment such as …She will be remembered for….

​How are numbers listed in obituaries?

To make it as easy for the reader, numbers are written out in long form with the only exception being one’s age and an events date and years. For example, Two brothers should always be written in long form.

What is the Survived by Paragraph in an obituary​?

Obituaries enable families to recognize their surviving family members. The goal of an obituary is to make this paragraph to be as easy to read as possible so it might look different based on each family’s situation. It is recommended to start by not listing any family members in brackets and list them by relationship to the deceased. If the significant other is easier for the reader to list in brackets then that is always a second option. Following each family member, it is recommended to include their last name and where they reside, an obituary should allow the reader to associate with those listed as easily as possible, this is why it is suggested to include the married names of daughters as some friends may not recognize their maiden name and to include nee followed by the maiden name of other family members. In an obituary the general order of survived by would be the spouse followed by • children • grandchildren • great-grandchildren • parents • grandparents • siblings • nieces / nephews • in-laws

What is the visitation section of the obituary?
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The visitation is the opportunity for the public to be with the family and friends and if they desire, pay their respects by viewing the deceased. To make it as easy for the reader of the obituary the address of the visitation should be hyperlinked so it can be clicked on and online maps and gps can assist finding the location. The date of the visitation should include the day of the week in long form to make it as easy for the reader as possible to get the correct date. If there is a visitation prior to Prayers or prior to Service the visitation is generally not listed in the obituary as friends and family will be presented with this opportunity by the funeral staff prior to being seated.

What is the Prayers section of the obituary?​

Prayers or vigil prayers is a term often used by Catholics for services when a time of prayer and tributes is scheduled in the evening the day prior to the funeral mass. The obituary would include the full address of the prayers' location followed by the date & time including the day of the week in long form to ensure it was as easy for the reader to note the date and find the location.

What are some common grammatical errors in obituaries pertaining to the Survived by paragraph?​

In an obituary a few common grammatical errors are;

• In an obituary a few common grammatical errors are; Daughter in laws – this common phrase should have an s on daughters, no s on law and have a dash between each word, Daughters-in-law. Great-grandchildren requires a dash between great and grandchildren otherwise it is misread as though the grandchildren are great. Stepfather is not flagged in most spell check programs as incorrect although the recommended spelling is with a space or dash between step and father. If the deceased has one daughter it is recommended to list a daughter vs “one daughter”. Two sons should be listed with 2 spelled in long form like all numbers and when there are multiple sons and daughters-in-law only the number on the sons is listed and and not the number on daughters-in-laws, two sons and daughters-in-law. It is recommended that when listing a family member in the survived by paragraph including spouses then the predeceased paragraph should also include the same degree of connection with the deceased. Always double check that a sister-in-law is included in the survived by if including a brother in the predeceased by.