The loss of a spouse is an indescribably difficult experience. One of the most challenging tasks during the grieving process is to write a heartfelt obituary for your husband to capture his life and legacy.
The responsibility can seem daunting, and knowing where to begin is hard. To help you through this process, we prepared a step-by-step guide and some inspiring examples to help you craft a heartfelt obituary.
Key Takeaways
An obituary will help you remember your husband and share the beautiful person that he was. Family and friends will look at an obituary to remember the person they have lost and always cherish the time they shared with him.
To write an obituary, start by communicating the passing, creating an opening statement, and determining critical details of the obituary.
Some different structures of obituaries to use as a reference include a classic obituary, a heartfelt obituary, a hopeful obituary, a comical obituary, and a minimalist obituary.
Steps to Write a Heartfelt Obituary for Your Husband
A heartfelt obituary is a great way to remember your husband and let others know about the unique individual he was. Here are some easy steps to follow to help you represent your husband meaningfully and touchingly.
Communicate the Death to Family and Friends
The first step of an obituary is to notify your family and friends of your husband’s passing. Also, be sure to give them time to prepare and arrange to attend the funeral or any other services. You can use Trustworthy’s guide to asking for time off for a funeral and send it to family and friends, too.
Before you begin writing, collect as much information as possible about your husband. Family and friends can help you gather the details and prepare for the initial release of the obituary.
Some important information to include in the announcement of your husband’s passing includes:
Full name
Age at the time of passing
Birthdate
Birthplace
Optional additions include cause/time of death
Trustworthy offers you and your family a secure, organized place to store your loved one’s information and important documents. Our family operating system keeps essential details secure and easy for family and trusted advisors to access.
Create an Opening Statement
After the initial notification of your husband’s passing, the next step is to write an opening statement.
It introduces your husband and leads into the recap of his life that will inspire and touch those who read. However, we’re not all literary geniuses, and creating an artful masterpiece of writing is no easy task.
Writing the opening statement after you finish can help you create a fitting intro that sets up the later parts. This is why some people hold off on writing it until the body of the obituary is complete.
Determine Key Details of the Obituary
Before you begin writing the body of the obituary, you must first consider key details. Factors such as what you want to include, the central theme, and where you wish to publish it will determine how it’s shaped.
For example, it’s common to publish obituaries in the newspaper, but there are several things to consider in this process. Depending on where you publish and the medium you select, the format of your obituary will change.
You can follow our guide on where to post your obituary to help decide how the choice affects the writing. We cover all the factors to consider, like available word count, picture options, and overall cost.
The theme of the obituary and what you plan to include help determine if you want to post on a public medium or something only shared between family and close friends.
List the Main Events in Your Husband’s Life
It’s essential to remember the nature of an obituary before planning what to include.
An obituary resembles a highlight reel, a short showcase of your husband’s most treasured and valuable moments. Many people might confuse obituaries with eulogies, which are typically much longer and tell your loved one’s story in greater detail.
Consider what moments or accomplishments carry the most meaning from your husband’s life and what message you want to tell with the highlights you select. The moments you choose are, of course, a personal decision. There are no requirements or rules for what you want to showcase.
Samuel Stewart from HonorYou advises on how to start the obituary:
“We start any story with a beginning, and the beginning of the story is where and when they were born. This is where you list their parents and also their siblings.”
List Details About Family, Hobbies and Character
To give you some ideas on selecting the best memories from your husband’s life, you can consider details specific to him. Examples include some unique stories about his family, his favorite hobbies, or anything that can show the person he was.
There are no rules regarding how you tell your husband’s story and what you can/can’t include. The details are entirely up to you and close family/loved ones.
Include How You and the Community Will Remember Him
It’s always lovely to mention your and your close family’s plans for remembering your husband. Although how you choose to honor your husband is very personal, you can include special messages and the different ways you’ll always have him in your heart.
In addition to your family, include how communities or other groups plan to remember your husband. This section may also help you shed light on any communities your husband was a part of.
You can get started with Trustworthy to make a collaborative effort on the obituary and any future responsibilities easier. We offer effortless organization and sharing of the most sensitive and vital documents between you, your family, and any trusted advisors/professionals.
Trustworthy helps remove the chaos of sorting through and constantly sharing documents during the grieving process. You can use our system to simplify this process and focus your energy where it needs to be.
Wrap Up with Details on the Funeral Service
The final part of the obituary includes the details of any funeral services you plan to hold. Typically, you want to include the time, date, address/place, and any additional guest requests or directions.
However, if you’re having a private ceremony and do not wish to share the service's details, that’s perfectly okay. Even a mention of a service can be part of how you share your intentions to remember your husband.
5 Obituary Examples for Your Husband
Writing an obituary for your husband will be difficult no matter how much preparation or time you have. Every person is different, and no two obituaries are the same. You will have to draw from your experience with your husband, but to help you get started, here are a few different obituary examples.
Classic Obituary
This obituary follows a very traditional structure, introducing the deceased and his roles in his family’s lives. Next are some highlights and fond memories that family or friends might know and be able to relish. Following that is how the family will remember the deceased and, finally, the funeral information.
“Thomas Quiero was a loving husband, father, brother, son and friend. With no prior warning, Thomas passed away on July 15, 2023, in his residence in Dallas, Texas.
Throughout his lifetime as a Cowboys fan, Thomas had some of his best memories at all the home games he could attend at the AT&T Stadium. His smile and cheer at every touchdown brought life to any game, and he was more passionate than anybody.
Nobody could ever dislike Thomas. He was there when we needed him most. We will always carry him in our hearts and continue his helping, caring spirit. His children, Tommy and Drew, will always look up to their father as their hero.
Thomas’s funeral will be held on October 10, 2023 at the church he attended his whole life. We hope to see all the friends and family who can attend to help us remember Thomas and the great man he was.”
With more straightforward obituaries, you can keep people’s attention and relay all the necessary information in fewer words. People will be more likely to read the entire obituary, and you won’t have to spend as much to publish. There are also several templates and examples of more traditional obituaries online to draw from.
Heartfelt Obituary
This obituary follows an almost identical structure to the classic obituary. However, instead of focusing on the deceased’s personal hobbies, the highlights and memories relate more to heartfelt, touching traits of his personality.
“Nobody can ever deny that Thomas Quiero was a saint. He was a father, brother, husband, and son who truly embodied what it meant to care for others and be there when it really mattered. Our hero sadly fought his last battle on July 15, 2023, in his beloved hometown of Dallas, Texas.
Family and friends, his children Tommy and Drew, all looked up to him while he lifted the world's weight off their shoulders. Nobody was there more than Thomas if anybody had a problem or something they were struggling with.
His family was the only thing Thomas loved more than football and the Cowboys. Oftentimes, even more than himself, Thomas never put anything above family. Nobody can fill Thomas' shoes, but we know he will always be with us, watching over us.
We will remember Thomas with love and fondness at his funeral on October 10, 2023, held at the church he attended his whole life. We hope to see all the friends and family who can attend to help us remember Thomas and the phenomenal man he was.”
A heartfelt obituary will allow family and readers to connect to your husband’s memory emotionally and allow you to capture the person he was through deep expression.
Hopeful Obituary
The next example also follows a structure similar to the classic obituary with a few key differences. First, it introduces the deceased and how he impacted the lives of those close to them.
“To remember the man that Thomas Quiero was is to remember the hope and positivity he had in any situation. We lost a father, a son, a brother, and a husband on July 15 of this year, but we will never lose the hope he instilled in all of us.
Thomas never gave up in any situation, and no matter what, he looked out for his family and those closest to him when they needed him. He tried to see the light in any situation even when they couldn’t.
Even when it came to his own life, after the Cowboys had the worst regular season performance in years, he never gave up. Sure enough, they went on to win the Super Bowl. Tommy and Drew, his children, will surely learn from their father’s example and never give up in the face of adversity.
We ask that you join us in remembering Thomas on October 10, 2023, at his local church. We will grieve and miss but never lose hope and take solace in knowing Thomas is always here with us, picking us up and reminding us never to give up.”
The key difference in this example is how the highlights of your husband's life resemble a beacon of hope rather than a memory. Family can look at your obituary and be inspired by your husband’s story and the person he is.
Comical Obituary
Although obituaries only come after tremendous loss, for some families, the fitting obituary for their loved ones is not as serious. A comical obituary can feature jokes, funny memories, and your husband’s life highlights. That way, you and your family can remember your husband in the way you deem best.
“The Thomas Quiero we all knew had bad jokes and even worse taste in music, but the only thing that could top those was how bad he was at letting those close to him down. Our loud, sometimes obnoxious Thomas was a handful, but as a father, a son, a husband, and a brother, he never ceased to make this earth a better place.
We all remember how serious he got when the Cowboys were on their fourth down in front of the end zone. But that was the only time. His lighthearted and kind nature radiated and filled our lives with fun that could only come from him.
I know our boys, Tommy and Drew, always considered him as the cool parent, and I’m okay with it. After all, if it weren’t for me, they would be stuck eating the only dish he knows how to cook for the rest of their lives: instant ramen.
I want to invite you all to join us in remembering Thomas and the fun-loving person he was on October 10, 2023, at his local church. Family and friends know he would never want a serious funeral, so please bring all the smiles you can to help us send Thomas off in the only way he would approve of.”
This obituary's structure does not feature some of the concrete details, such as the date or place of death. If your goal is to make your family, friends, and loved ones smile while reading, you can utilize a more light-hearted, comical obituary.
Minimalist/Factual Obituary
A minimalist obituary seeks only to relay information about the deceased and funeral information. This structure removes some of the more personal details or memories and focuses on time, date, cause, and place of passing, as well as facts about the deceased and his surviving family.
“Thomas Quiero passed away on July 15, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. He was a husband and a father to two sons, Tommy and Drew. He unfortunately passed away in a traffic accident where an out-of-control vehicle ran into him on his way to work.
Thomas was 54 years old and lived a successful life as a banker and long-time Dallas Cowboys fan. Some of his hobbies included football, hiking, and fishing. He always cherished his little brother Samuel, and they frequently spent their days enjoying the outdoors together.
Thomas is survived by his two sons, brother, wife and close friends. Thomas always said the happiest moments of his life were when his family was all gathered together. We will carry on his will and continue to stay strong and united as a family.
Thomas’s funeral will be held at his local church on October 10, 2023. We welcome all willing to pay their respects and help us remember Thomas.”
You can write a more factual obituary if you do not wish to use the obituary as the primary way to remember your husband. For example, if you want to save personal stories and memories for a eulogy or simply use the obituary to notify family and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I write a good obituary for my husband?
There is no correct answer for what makes an obituary good. However, you can try to include information about any funeral services you have planned, your husband’s passing, and any surviving family.
How do you write a meaningful obituary?
To write a meaningful obituary, always remember your loved one who has passed. Remember the person they were and recall your most cherished memories with them. You can use the obituary to capture them as a person and tell their story to make it as meaningful as possible.
How do you write an uplifting obituary?
To write an uplifting obituary, focus on the positive energy and love your loved one left behind. Although their loss is devastating, an uplifting obituary will always focus on staying hopeful and remembering the deceased in an inspirational light.
What is a beautiful grieving quote?
An example of a famous grieving quote is an old Chinese proverb: "You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair."
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