Free printable
Obituary Information Sheet (Printable)
By Jason Su · Updated October 12, 2026
An obituary gets written in the worst possible week, by people who are guessing. The details that go wrong are never the big ones — it is the spelling of a maiden name, the year someone left a job, whether a grandchild was born before or after a move.
This sheet is for before writing. Fill it in while the facts are still easy to confirm, and the notice becomes a ten-minute job instead of an evening of phone calls. If you want the writing side of it, see how to write an obituary.
The details that actually cause trouble
It is always the same three:
- Names, spelled the way the family spells them. Maiden names, middle initials, a name someone used at work, and the difference between “Sue” and “Susan” on a legal document.
- Dates and places. Birth, marriage, and the year a family moved. The certificate in the file is the authority, not memory — how to get the certified copies covers ordering them.
- What the person would want said. Not everything true belongs in print. Ask what they would have left out.
The sheet
The person
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Full legal name | |
| Name they were known by | |
| Maiden name, if any | |
| Date and place of birth | |
| Date and place of passing | |
| Last town they lived in | |
| Photo to use (where it is) |
Family
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Spouse or partner | |
| Children (in order, with spouses) | |
| Grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) | |
| Parents | |
| Siblings | |
| Family members who have already passed | |
| Anyone to name, and anyone to leave out |
Work, service, and community
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Employers, and the years | |
| Military service, branch, and rank | |
| Memberships and volunteer work | |
| Church, congregation, or place of worship | |
| Education, and the year they finished | |
| Anything they were known for |
The service, and where to send donations
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Service date, time, and place | |
| Visiting hours, if any | |
| Officiant or speaker | |
| Burial, cremation, or both | |
| Charity for memorial donations, with address | |
| Whether flowers are welcome | |
| Where to read the full notice online |
How to use it
- Start with the family table, in pencil. Order and wording are the two things families change their minds about.
- Write down the source for each date. A certificate number or a document name beats someone’s memory when two relatives disagree.
- Ask one person to be the authority on spelling. It is a real job, and it prevents the most common correction.
- Ask about the donation line before you need it. Memorial donations are often the thing the family has to decide in a day — see the Charity Donation List for recording the details a charity and a tax return both need.
- Keep this sheet with the service wishes. It sits naturally alongside the Funeral Wishes Worksheet, and both belong wherever the family will look first.
Frequently asked
Should I write the obituary myself, or does the funeral home do it?
Both happen. Funeral homes often provide a template and submit it on your behalf; they generally will not invent the facts, so the sheet is yours to fill. Some families write their own notice and give the funeral home nothing to draft.
How much does publishing cost?
That depends entirely on the newspaper, and it is usually priced by length. Ask the paper for its rate per line (or per inch) before you write long — and ask whether a shortened version can run for free, which many local papers offer.
What goes in a short notice rather than a full obituary?
A short notice carries only the facts — name, dates, and service information. The fuller story is the obituary. Many newspapers run both, and the short one is often free.
What if the family cannot agree on the wording?
Write the facts first and the adjectives last. The facts are not in dispute, and once they are on paper the rest gets shorter.
Next step
Fill in the person table today, while the documents are out. Then hand the sheet to whoever is writing the notice, and put it in the same folder as the service wishes.
This is a record sheet, not legal advice. Newspaper policies, costs, and what a funeral home offers to draft all vary — confirm the details with the paper and the funeral home you are working with.