The loss of a loved one involves a certain number of essential personal and administrative steps: informing the deceased’s relatives, posting the obituary, etc.
How to announce a death to the relatives and family of the deceased
To write an obituary, it is essential to remember that it is an “informational” communication; as such, it must be written in a simple manner without appearing too cold or detached because it is still a painful and personal communication.
What to write
To announce a death, you must first indicate the personal data of the deceased, especially the deceased’s last name and first name, always in that order to avoid giving too formal and detached an aura. Professional titles may be used if necessary. The date of birth and the date of death. The place, day, and time of the ceremony or the opening of the funeral home, if you want acquaintances and friends to attend the funeral. In addition to these three pieces of information, sacred images or photographs of the deceased can be added, or a farewell thought, or even a thank you note for those who want to attend the funeral. If desired, you can include a reference to funeral gifts: perhaps the person would have preferred charitable donations over floral gifts, and it is good to let participants know. The names of those communicating the obituary will be indicated: usually the closest relatives of the deceased such as father/mother, spouse/husband, children, and siblings. The location, date, and time of any ceremony are then provided. The choice of words and tone are important: the announcement must indeed take into account the personality and beliefs of the deceased, using a different tone depending on whether the deceased was religious, atheist, practicing, or of another religion.
Online obituaries
Nowadays, it is possible to communicate the obituary not only to local and national newspapers but also on specialized online platforms. This system allows many people to directly leave a memory of the deceased to express affection and closeness to the bereaved family. The online version allows for greater closeness, as it enables people to leave a memory directly on the page dedicated to the deceased. Communicating the obituary online has now become a widespread and well-appreciated practice both by families and the relatives of the deceased because it allows them to honor their memory in a respectful manner.
