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Free obituary template and writer

Find the words to honour a life.

Writing an obituary is hard when the loss is fresh. Start from a blank template you can fill in yourself, or let our free writer shape a warm first draft from a few details. Either way it is yours to edit, download and share. No cost, and no catch.

Download template (Word)Download template (PDF)

Free, no sign-in needed, nothing to fill in first.

Any format is fine, whatever you have, a year on its own is enough.

Notes are enough, they do not need to be sentences. The sections that bring an obituary to life most are the little things and hobbies and social life, one true detail says more than a full CV. And if it is all too raw today, a line or two is enough to begin; you can add more and rebuild it any time.

Where did they feel most at home as a child? What did they want to be?

How did they meet their partner? What did Sunday look like in their house?

What were they proudest of? What did workmates come to them for?

What did a good ordinary day look like, lately?

The garden, the allotment, the team, the pub quiz, the caravan. Where were they happiest?

What did they always say? What would make the family smile through tears?

Longer pieces need more detail to draw on. We never pad or invent, so if the notes are brief, the obituary will be honest and brief too, and you can always add more and rebuild.

Free to write, no sign-in needed. We only use the details you enter, and never invent facts. Copy, print or download your draft straight away; sign in only if you want to save it, invite family to add memories, or publish it to a memorial.

A warm first draft will appear here, ready to copy, print or download straight away.

Free obituary template

If you would rather start from a shape than from a blank page, this is the outline most obituaries follow. Fill in what you know and leave out anything that does not fit. Download it as a Word document or a PDF, or work straight from the outline below.

Word (.docx)PDF

How our free obituary generator works

  1. 1. Share a few details. Their name and dates, and whatever you can about their life: family, work, faith, hobbies, and the little things that made them them. Every field is optional.
  2. 2. We write a warm first draft. The obituary generator shapes your notes into a heartfelt tribute in seconds, using only the facts you gave it, never invented ones.
  3. 3. Edit, download and share. Change any word, download it, and invite family and friends to add their own memories, which you approve before they are woven in.

What makes a good obituary

A good obituary is not a list of dates. It is a small portrait of a person. Read our guide on what makes a good obituary for the shape most obituaries follow, with a full worked example.

Our writer never invents facts. It works only from what you enter, so the result is always true to the person you are remembering. When you are happy with it, you can publish it on a free online memorial where family and friends can add their own tributes, photographs and candles.

The obituary outline, and examples

This is what the downloadable template contains, so you can read it before deciding whether you need the file at all. The generator above produces the same structure written out in full, which many families then edit into their own words.

[Full name], of [town], died on [date], aged [age].

Born in [place] on [date] to [parents], they [schooling, early life, national service, arrival in this country].

They spent [number] years as a [work or calling], and were known for [the thing colleagues or neighbours would say first].

They married [name] in [year]. They are survived by [children, grandchildren, siblings], and were predeceased by [name].

Away from work they [hobby, faith community, club, garden, the small ritual everyone remembers].

The funeral will be held at [place] on [date] at [time]. Family flowers only, with donations to [charity] if desired.

For a finished example written out properly, with the reasoning behind each part, see our guide on how to write an obituary.

Writing an obituary for a mother, father, husband or wife

The structure does not change when the person is yours. What changes is how hard it is to write, and that is worth naming rather than pretending otherwise. Two things help. Write about them as they were to other people, not only to you, because an obituary is read by neighbours and colleagues who knew a different side of the same person. And let one specific detail carry the weight: the chair they always sat in, the way they answered the phone, what they grew. A single true detail says more than a paragraph of praise.

If you cannot face writing it at all, that is common and it is not a failure. Enter what you can into the generator above, however fragmentary, and edit what comes back. Starting from something is easier than starting from nothing.

Obituaries by faith and tradition

Tell the generator which tradition to honour and it will write with that in mind, or with none at all if that is truer to the person. What changes between traditions is mostly timing and emphasis rather than the words themselves: a Muslim or Jewish funeral usually happens within a day or two, so the notice often has to go out before there is time to write anything considered, while a Hindu family may be marking the thirteenth day when the obituary appears. Our funeral guides by faith set out what each tradition expects, including what is usually said and what is better left unsaid.

Common questions

Is the obituary generator really free?
Yes. Writing, editing, downloading and inviting family to contribute are all free, with no catch and no card required. There is no paid tier of the writer and no word limit you have to pay to pass.
Is this an AI obituary generator?
Yes. The first draft is written by AI from the details you enter, which is what makes it take seconds rather than an evening. It works only from the facts you give it and never invents a memory, a relative or a cause of death. Every word is yours to change afterwards, and most families do change some.
Do I need an account?
No. You can write, edit, copy, print and download your obituary without signing in. An account is only needed if you want to save it permanently, come back to edit it later, or invite family to add their own memories.
Is there a free obituary template I can download?
Yes. There is a blank fill-in-the-blank obituary template on this page in both Word (.docx) and PDF. It is free, needs no sign-in, and you do not have to use the writer to get it. Open it, fill in what you know, and delete anything that does not fit your family.
Can I edit the template in Word?
Yes. The .docx opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice, and every line is editable. The PDF is there for printing or for filling in by hand.
What should an obituary include?
Their full name and the years they lived, the death itself, the people closest to them, the work or causes that filled their days, one or two details that were unmistakably them, and the funeral or memorial arrangements if they are known. Anything beyond that is yours to choose.
Can family and friends add their memories?
Yes. Share your private link and anyone can add a memory. You approve each one, then rebuild the obituary to weave them in.
Which faiths does it cover?
Every faith, and none. The obituary honours the tradition you name, or none at all, with the same care. Our funeral guides cover Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Hindu, Buddhist and humanist funerals if you need the customs alongside the words.