Obituary writers share their secrets on How to Write a Great Obituary

Great title makes you want to read this obituary

My brother Joe recently sent me an  article about how to write an obituary. The article was an interesting interview of two professional obituary writers, Maureen O’Donnell and Linnea Crowther who both write obituaries for the Chicago Sun-Times and Legacy.com

I thought my readers would find it helpful to hear what professional obituary writers suggest when writing a memorable obituary.

Daughter Writes the Perfect Obituary for Her Father

Amanda Lewis with her Dad Harry Stamps. What a great final tribute she paid to him

When it came time to write her father’s obituary, Amanda Lewis said, “I don’t understand why people do a résumé for an obituary. It never captures the spirit of the person. My dad had such a big spirit. He had such a big personality. And I didn’t think listing where he went to college and his résumé would do him justice. I liked the idea of setting it up as kind of a contrast where at first you think it’ll be a pretentious obituary — everyone’s great when they die in an obituary — and then I tried to use what would have been his sense of humor to describe my dad. And clearly it worked. I was pleased with it.”

Here’s how it started:

“Harry Weathersby Stamps, ladies’ man, foodie, natty dresser, and accomplished traveler, died on Saturday, March 9, 2013.”