An obituary poster tells a town that someone has died and when the burial will be. It is pasted on walls and gates, and today it is also sent as a picture on WhatsApp. This guide tells you what to write on an obituary poster, gives ten sample write-ups you can copy, and explains how to set out the design so that it can be read from across a road.
What goes on an obituary poster
A poster is read from a distance, by people walking past. Keep the words few and large.
- A heading
- A large, clear photo
- The full name, with titles
- The age, or the dates of birth and death
- A short announcement, in one or two sentences
- The burial arrangements, each with its day, date, time and place
- Who is announcing, such as the family or the children
- One or two phone numbers
Some posters also carry the names of the children, the dress code or family colour, and the name of the church or society.
Choosing the heading
The heading sets the tone. Families usually choose it by the age of the person and the way they died.
- For an aged person: "Celebration of life", "A life well spent", "Call to glory", "Home call", "Glorious exit", "Transition to glory"
- For a younger person or a sudden death: "Obituary", "Gone too soon", "Painful exit", "Shocking exit"
- Plain: "Obituary", "Funeral announcement", "In loving memory"
- For a later anniversary: "Remembrance", "In memoriam"
If the family is not sure, "Obituary" is always correct.
Obituary poster write-up samples
Replace the words in brackets with your own details.
For an aged mother
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
With gratitude to God for a life well spent, the (surname) family of (town) announces the call to glory of our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,
(TITLE AND FULL NAME),
which took place on (date). She was (age) years old.Service of songs: (day, date, time, place)
Funeral service: (day, date, time, church)
Interment: (place)
Reception: (place)Announcer: (name), for the family
For an aged father
A LIFE WELL SPENT
The (surname) family announces the glorious home call of our father, grandfather and head of family,
(TITLE AND FULL NAME),
who slept in the Lord on (date) at the age of (age).Wake: (day, date, time, place)
Funeral service: (day, date, time, church)
Interment follows at (place).Signed: (name), first son, for the family
For a chief, an elder or a titled person
TRANSITION TO GLORY
The (surname) family, the (society or council) and the entire (town) community announce the passing of an illustrious son,
(CHIEF, SIR, ELDER) (FULL NAME), (titles and honours),
on (date), aged (age) years.Lying in state: (day, date, time, place)
Funeral service: (day, date, time, church)
Interment: (place)
For a younger person
GONE TOO SOON
With heavy hearts and total submission to the will of God, the (surname) family announces the sudden death of our son, brother and friend,
(FULL NAME),
on (date), at the age of (age).Wake: (day, date, time, place)
Funeral service: (day, date, time, place)
Interment follows at (place).Signed: (name), for the family
For a husband or wife
OBITUARY
With deep sorrow, (name) and the children announce the death of a beloved (wife, husband) and (mother, father),
(TITLE AND FULL NAME),
on (date), aged (age).Funeral service: (day, date, time, place)
Interment: (place)
For a Muslim family
Muslim burials usually take place very soon after death, so the poster often announces a prayer on a later date. Ask your imam for the right wording and the right name for the prayer in your community.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
With total submission to the will of Allah, the (surname) family announces the death of our father,
(TITLE AND FULL NAME),
who died on (date) at the age of (age). He has been buried according to Islamic rites.The (prayer, such as Fidau) will hold on (day, date) at (place), by (time).
May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannah Firdaus.
With the chief mourners listed
In Ghana and some other places, a poster names the chief mourners and the close family.
CALL TO GLORY
(TITLE AND FULL NAME), aged (age)
Chief mourners: (names)
(Widow, Widower): (name)
Children: (names in order of birth)
Brothers and sisters: (names)Burial service: (day, date, time, place)
Final funeral rites: (day, date, place)
Thanksgiving service: (day, date, church)
A plain write-up
We announce with sadness the death of (full name), who died on (date) at (place), aged (age).
The funeral will be held on (day, date) at (time), at (place).
Enquiries: (phone number)
When the dates are not fixed
Print the first poster without them.
OBITUARY
(TITLE AND FULL NAME), aged (age)
Burial arrangements will be announced by the family.
Then print or share a second one when the church and the venue have confirmed. Do not guess a date. A wrong date on a wall cannot be called back.
A remembrance poster
IN LOVING MEMORY
(TITLE AND FULL NAME)
(year of birth) to (year of death)One year has passed since you left us. You are remembered every day.
Memorial service: (day, date, time, place)The family
For more of these, see one year remembrance messages.
Words to choose with care
- The verb. "Died", "passed on", "slept in the Lord", "was called to glory". Use what your family and church would say.
- Cause of death. You need not give it. "After a brief illness" is common. Saying nothing is also fine.
- Titles. Chief, Elder, Deaconess, Alhaji, Alhaja, Sir, Lady, Engr, Dr. Use those the person used, in their order.
- Names of children. List them in order of birth. If the list is long, write "children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren".
- Blame and quarrels. Never use a poster to accuse anyone. It hurts the family and can bring legal trouble.
Obituary poster design
A good funeral poster design can be read in five seconds from the other side of the road. Set it out from top to bottom in this order.
- Heading, in capitals, across the top.
- Photo, filling about a third of the poster.
- Name, the largest words on the poster, with the age or dates beneath.
- Announcement, in one or two sentences of smaller type.
- Arrangements, one event to a line.
- Announcer and phone numbers, along the bottom.
These choices help.
- Use one photo, taken in good light, with the face filling most of the frame.
- Use dark words on a light background, or light on dark. Avoid busy backgrounds behind the text.
- Use no more than two typefaces and two or three colours. Many families use the family colour for the heading and border.
- Leave a clear margin all round. Posters are often trimmed or pasted over at the edges.
Obituary poster size and printing
Printers commonly offer posters in A3 and A2. A3 suits gates and notice boards. A2 is read more easily from across a road. Ask your printer what they stock and what each costs before you fix the design, and ask for one test print before the full run.
For WhatsApp, a tall picture works best, because it fills a phone screen.
Check before printing
- Read the name and titles aloud to an elder in the family.
- Check each date against a calendar, so that the day of the week matches the date.
- Call the church and the venue to confirm the times.
- Ring each phone number on the poster.
- Ask one person outside the family to read it. Fresh eyes catch mistakes.
Close relatives and old friends should hear the news by phone before the poster goes out.
Questions people ask
What do you write on an obituary poster?
A heading, the full name with titles, the age or dates, one or two sentences announcing the death, the burial arrangements with day, date, time and place, the name of the announcer, and one or two phone numbers.
What is the best heading for an obituary poster?
"Obituary" is always correct. For an aged person who lived well, families often choose "Celebration of life", "A life well spent" or "Call to glory". For a young person, "Gone too soon" is common.
What size should an obituary poster be?
A3 for gates, doors and notice boards. A2 if it must be read from across a road. For sharing on a phone, make it tall, like the screen.
What is the difference between an obituary poster and a funeral programme?
The poster announces the death and the burial arrangements on one sheet. The funeral programme is a booklet given out at the service, with the order of service, the life story, tributes and photographs.
Can I make an obituary poster on my phone?
Yes. Homegoing's free poster maker asks for the heading, photo, name, dates and arrangements, and gives you a picture to share and a file to print.
For more on announcements, see funeral announcement wording and burial invitation card wording. When the dates are set, the same details go into the booklet: see what goes in a funeral programme.
Make a free obituary poster with Homegoing
Homegoing makes a free obituary poster from the details you enter: the heading, photo, name, dates and arrangements. You get a picture to share on WhatsApp and a file to print. The same details then go into the funeral programme when the family is ready. Open the free poster maker