What is a creative obituary?

A creative obituary captures the spirit and life story of a person and turns it into an enjoyable read. Similar to a feature article, creative obituaries go beyond simply listing a person’s jobs and survivors to give readers a true sense of who they were. Creative obituaries may include humorous anecdotes, inside jokes and heartfelt comments from the family.

When is the best time to work on a creative obituary?

We can work on a creative obituary anytime, but it’s usually much less stressful on the family to work on it ahead of a person’s passing if possible. That’s because it can take time to collect information, stories worth sharing, and give everyone time to review and suggest changes. It’s not uncommon for several rounds of revisions before everyone’s happy.

Is it possible to update an existing obituary and make it more creative?

Absolutely. Most funeral homes are perfectly willing to upload the revised version an obituary to their website. Especially in cases of unexpected deaths, the thought of doing a creative obituary can get lost amidst the grief and stress of the moment. We can use the information in a standard obituary as the basis for a more creative version.

Should an obituary be part of the funeral preplanning process?

Yes, it should. Completing at least a draft of an obituary should be part of your planning process along with drafting your will, buying a burial plot, and reserving space in a mausoleum. More people than ever are doing some form of funeral preplanning, and an obituary certainly can be part of that.

What are the benefits of having a creative obituary compared to a standard one?

Creative obituaries provide the reader with a glimpse into the personality of the person, and that can last forever. How many times have you read an obituary only to come away disappointed that it didn’t tell you anything about them beyond who their favorite sports teams were? Future generations will appreciate knowing more about their ancestors than where they worked.

Is a video obituary a good idea?

It’s a great idea! We produce video obituaries that feature a narration of the written video while photos play on the screen. Today’s digital record (YouTube, personal websites, etc.) makes creative obituaries and videos viewable forever. Think of how much you would like to know more about your ancestors than their names and birthdates? Video obituaries are wonderful ancestry assets.