8 Helpful Funeral Announcement Templates (2024)

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There are often cultural expectations when it comes to the wording or messaging surrounding the death of a loved one, so it’s important to know what the proper etiquette is when sending out funeral announcements. While there are general templates, you’re always welcome to adjust wording accordingly so that it fits with your style (or the deceased’s wishes) and feels natural coming from you and your family. This article will provide you with funeral invitation templates and samples so that you can send out funeral announcement cards with comfortability. If you're using Facebook or other social media, you can use these funeral announcement samples to

What is a funeral announcement?

A funeral announcement, or death notice, is a card or invitation that’s physically or digitally sent to family and friends of the deceased. It announces the passing of a loved one and usually gives information about any services or events being held. If no events are being held (or they’re small and private), the funeral announcement can simply announce the passing of a loved one with a brief overview of who they were.

Funeral announcements are not obituaries and should remain succinct. If it’s being used to invite others to an event, it’s important to include all relevant event information and details.

Send an online funeral announcement

Funeral Announcement Sample

If choosing to send a physical funeral announcement, a sample would look like this:

[Deceased’s full name]
[Date of birth] - [Date of Death]
The friends and community of the [last name] family are invited to attend the funeral services of [deceased’s name] to be held at [location] at [time], [date]. A reception will follow at [location] at [time].

Funeral Announcements Examples, Templates, and Samples

Maria Temple Kim
1945 - 2004
The friends and community of the Kim family are invited to attend the funeral services of Maria Kim to be held at Episcopal Church in Minnesota, 1101 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411 at 10:30AM, Saturday, December 19th. A reception will follow across the street at Fairpointe Park at 11:30 AM.

Following are some additional templates for different types of funeral events one might hold after someone passes away. When you’re writing a funeral announcement, keep it brief and to the point. The funeral announcement is not a place to tell the life story of the person who passed away, which is better told in an obituary. Think of a funeral announcement as an invitation and include the relevant information you’d include on a normal invitation.

Funeral Announcement Templates

If you're sending funeral service invitations, but have never created a funeral announcement - these samples and templates can help you. Best of all, they're free! You are welcome to use these funeral invites and edit them as you need to. A few key points you'll want to remember when sending out an invite to a funeral are as follows:

• The full name of the deceased
• The date of the services
• The time of the services
• The location of the services

Funeral invitations also can include a photo of the deceased, a favorite quote, or other information. It may also be worth notifying folks of other services (such as the Luncheon or Reception). An invitation to a funeral is also a time to collect RSVPs. You can request folks who received funeral invites respond with their RSVP by including your contact information.

Formal funeral announcement template with services

In Memoriam, [full name].
[date of birth] - [date of death]
The honour of your presence is hereby requested at the memorial service for [first name]. Services will take place at [location] on [day] at [time].

Example

In Memoriam, Juan Gabriel de Leon.
1932 - 2020
The honour of your presence is hereby requested at the memorial service for Juan. Services will take place at Cambridge Fields, 230 Sixth St, Newark, NJ 07104 on Sunday, November 15th at 9:45 AM.

Formal funeral announcement template without services / private services

In Memory of
[Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
The [last name] family is sad to announce the passing of [full name] on [date of passing]. [First name] requested private services, though we thank you for your support during this difficult time.

Example

In Memory of
Sarah Diane Schecter
1980 - 2020
The Schecter family is sad to announce the passing of Sarah Diane Schecter on Saturday, November 28th. Sarah requested private services, though we thank you for your support during this difficult time.

Longer funeral announcement template with services

In Memory of
[Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
[Full name], passed away after a [cause of death] on [date] surrounded by friends and family. [He/She] is survived by [surviving immediate family members]. Our family would like to thank everyone for their kindness and support during this difficult time. Services will be held at [location] on [date] at [time]. A reception with refreshments will follow at [location]. Donations can be made to [cause name] in lieu of flowers.

Example

In Memory of
Matthew Mason Eastwood
1973 - 2020
Matthew Mason Eastwood, passed away after a car accident] on 2011 surrounded by friends and family. He is survived by his wife, Ronae, and his children Darius & Kiana. Our family would like to thank everyone for their kindness and support during this difficult time. Services will be held at Greenwood Funeral Services, 409 Rhododendron Avenue, Reno, NV on Saturday, October 24th at 11:30AM. A reception with refreshments will follow at our home, 2910 Ashland Street, Sparks, NV. Donations can be made to Reno in lieu of flowers.

Longer funeral announcement template without services / private services

In Honor of
[Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
[Full name], passed away after a [cause of death] on [date] surrounded by friends and family. [He/She] is survived by [surviving immediate family members]. Our family would like to thank everyone for their kindness and support during this difficult time. Private services will be held. Donations can be made to [cause name] in lieu of flowers.

Example

In Honor of
James Edward Darcy
1960 - 2020
James Edward Darcy, passed away after a brief illness on November 12th, 2020 surrounded by friends and family. He is survived by his brother, Edward, and his sister Jane. Our family would like to thank everyone for their kindness and support during this difficult time. Private services will be held. Donations can be made to Crossroads Church Youth Program in lieu of flowers.

Religious funeral announcement with services

In Loving Memory
[Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
[Favorite religious quote]
Please join us in remembering and honoring the life of [name]. Services will be held at [location] on [date] at [time]. Reception will follow at [location].

Example

In Loving Memory
Jon Caen Arad
1982 - 2020
Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Please join us in remembering and honoring the life of Jon. Services will be held at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 8001 2nd Street, Indianapolis, IN on November 14th at 11:30 AM. Reception will follow at Central Street Park, 304 Central Street, Indianapolis, IN.

Religious funeral announcement template without services / private services

In Loving Memory
[Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
[Favorite Bible or religious quote]
Our family is sad to announce the passing of [full name] on [date of death]. [First name] will be deeply missed and never forgotten. Services will be held for the family only as [first name] did not wish to have a public service.

Example

In Loving Memory
Carl Marco Santos
1946 - 2020
6. Colossians 3:14: "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."Our family is sad to announce the passing of Carl Marco Santos on October 13th. Carl will be deeply missed and never forgotten. Services will be held for the family only as Carl did not wish to have a public service.

Celebration of life funeral announcement template

Please join us for a Celebration of Life
In Loving Memory of
[Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
[date of services]
[location of services]
Kindly RSVP with [your name] at [phone number or email address].

Example

Please join us for a Celebration of Life
In Loving Memory of
Martina von Grae
1985 - 2020
Saturday, November 7th at 10:00 AM
Montalvo Regional Arboretum, 1209 La Vista Road, Denver, CO 80014
Kindly RSVP with Arnold at 555-555-5555 or by email at example@example.com.

Celebration of life funeral announcement template #2

Please join us in celebrating the life of [Full name]
[date of birth] - [date of death]
Date of services: [date of services]
[location of services]
Kindly RSVP with [your name] at [phone number or email address].

We hope you can join us in celebrating the amazing life of our beloved [sister/brother/mother/father/friend], [First name]

Example

Please join us in celebrating the life of Gerard Sutler
January 3rd, 1982 - March 15th, 2020
Date of services: March 15th 2020
Peak Lake, Lot A
Kindly RSVP with Mariana at (555) 555-5555 or by email at email@example.com

We hope you can join us in celebrating the amazing life of our beloved friend, Gerard.

Online funeral announcements

Sending out funeral announcements by mail can be expensive, time-consuming, and difficult if you don’t have someone’s physical address. Dealing with event coordination and logistics during a time of grief can prove to be extremely difficult for families going through a time of grief. If you’re interested in an easier and quicker way to send out funeral announcements, creating a memorial website is a great place to start.

Memorial websites allow you to formally announce the passing of a loved one and keep their community informed on any events or services that will be held. You can add multiple events, include their locations, add additional details, and collect RSVPs. Creating a memorial website in place of sending out physical funeral announcements also offers the opportunity to reach many people, quickly, without having to know their physical address, since Ever Loved lets you send out a beautiful announcement via email that links to more information on the website.

Memorial websites are public, searchable online, easy to interact with, and easy to update. Many families have turned to an online memorial website as a way to better connect their community and share information about events in an organized manner.

If you’re setting up a memorial website in place of sending out physical funeral announcements, consider including the following:The type of event (funeral, celebration of life, other)The date and time of the eventAny additional information (Are masks required? Is there a dress code? Should they bring or wear something specific to honor the life of the deceased?)Whether or not they should RSVP

Subscribers to your memorial website will be updated whenever you change or edit event information, which makes it easy for them to stay up to date with any last minute changes. Memorial websites also offer a great space to share condolences and memories, collect donations for unexpected funeral expenses (or for a charity of your choice), and to explore the life of your loved one.

Create a memorial website