Exploring The Burial Plot Selection Process

Posted on: 26 February 2015

At some point in their life, almost everyone is involved in writing an obituary. Whether it's for a family member or a friend, putting together a representation of someone's entire life can be a challenging and emotional task. Because it's something that most people simply don't have much experience with, it's easy to make a mistake when writing an obituary. Here's a look at some of the most common mistakes, and what you should do instead.

Mistake #1: Making the obituary about the loss

This is likely the most common obituary mistake. It's understood and assumed that the remaining family has certain feelings regarding the loved one's passing. It's not really necessary to include this in the obituary. Expressions like, "The family of John James is deeply saddened to announce..." shouldn't be included. The obituary is about the deceased, not those behind who are mourning.

Mistake #2: Including too much about the death

An obituary is intended to serve as a representation of someone's life: their family, their interests, their work and their passions. In general, it's not recommended to focus too much on the actual death. If someone passed away from an illness, don't explain the details, but simply write that they "passed away from an illness." You may also use phrasing like "passed away suddenly" if the death was unexpected or "passed away peacefully" if the death was expected. Specific details of their death shouldn't be mentioned here. Limit those details to private conversations. 

Mistake #3: Thanking people

While this seems innocent enough, and well-intended, thanking people in an obituary should be avoided. There are several ways this could have unintended results. In the business of funeral planning, it would be very easy to miss someone. Feelings could be hurt, and thanking people that helped with funeral arrangements leaves out those who helped throughout the rest of life. You may even thank someone that would be embarrassed to be thanked publicly, and you may thank (or not thank) people the deceased would have wanted differently. It's always best to handle this sort of correspondence though a nice, hand written letter or card.

As with just about anything written, it's always best to have someone else look over it beforehand. Make sure you haven't fallen in to these mistakes, and proofread what you've written carefully. With a little bit of planning beforehand, you can put together a tribute that's perfect for your loved one. For help with funeral arrangements, contact Walker Brothers Funeral Home.