Writing a tribute to your late father is hard, and harder still if he was a man who said little and showed his love through what he did. This guide gives you sample tributes to a late father that you can copy and adapt, short ones for when space is tight, and a simple way to write your own for the funeral programme, the service or a post online.
What a tribute to a father is
A tribute is a short piece, written by someone who loved him, that says who he was and what he meant to them. It is printed in the funeral programme, read at the service, or both.
It is not the same as the biography. The biography gives the facts of his life in order: his birth, his schools, his work, his marriage and his children. The tribute is personal. It is what you would say to him if you had one more evening together.
How to write a tribute to your late father
Ask the person putting the programme together how long it should be and when it is needed. Then follow these five steps.
- Start with the name you called him. Daddy, Papa, Dad, Baba, Pa. Use the real one.
- Give one picture of him. His chair, his radio, his walk to work, the way he called your name.
- Say what he stood for. One or two things he would not bend on, each with a small example.
- Say what he did for you. Fees paid, a trade taught, advice given at the right moment.
- Say thank you, and goodbye. A promise to carry his name well, a prayer, or a plain farewell.
Write to him directly, as "you". It is easier, and it reads more warmly.
Opening lines you can use
- Daddy, you were a man of few words, so I learned by watching you.
- Papa, the house is too quiet without the sound of your radio in the morning.
- My father never told me how to live. He lived, and let me watch.
- Dad, I am writing this at your desk, and I can still smell your (tobacco, aftershave, books).
- Baba, they say a child does not know the worth of a father until he is gone. I know it now.
Closing lines you can use
- Rest well, Daddy. You have done your part.
- I carry your name, and I will carry it carefully.
- Good night, Papa. Your work speaks for you.
- Sleep on, Dad. We will take it from here.
- Till we meet again, Baba, rest in the peace you earned.
Sample tributes to a late father
Replace the words in brackets with your own details. Each sample is between 120 and 180 words, which fills about half a page of a programme.
Tribute to my late father from his son
Daddy,
You were a man of few words, so I learned by watching you. I watched you leave for (work, the farm, the shop) before sunrise for (number) years. I watched you keep your word even when it cost you. I watched you treat (the driver, the tenant, the stranger) with the same respect you gave a chief.
You told me that a good name is worth more than money, and you lived as though you believed it. When I failed, you did not shout. You asked what I had learned, and then you helped me start again.
I carry your name, and I will carry it carefully. I will look after Mummy and keep the family together as you did.
Rest well, Daddy. You have done your part.
Your son,
(name)
Tribute to my late father from his daughter
My dear Papa,
You were the first man to believe in me. When others said a girl did not need so much schooling, you sold (land, your car, your goods) to pay my fees. You came to every prize-giving day in your best clothes and sat in the front row.
You taught me to speak the truth, to be on time and to depend on God. You walked me down the aisle, and you prayed over each of my children when they were born.
I will miss your voice on the phone on Sunday evenings. Thank you for protecting me, for correcting me and for being proud of me.
Sleep on, Papa. Your daughter loves you.
(name)
Tribute to our father from all his children
To our dear father,
You gave us a home, a name and an example. You worked hard without complaining so that we would lack nothing. You were strict, but you were fair, and we always knew that you loved us.
We thank God for your life and for the years we had with you. We promise to stay united, to care for our mother, and to pass on to our children what you taught us.
Rest in perfect peace, Daddy.
Your children,
(names in order of birth)
Tribute from the first son
Daddy,
You began to prepare me for this day long ago, though I did not know it. You took me with you to family meetings and made me sit and listen. You showed me where the documents were kept. You told me that the first son does not inherit comfort. He inherits duty.
I understand now. I will settle quarrels as you did, quietly and fairly. I will make sure my brothers and sisters lack nothing that I can provide. Your house will remain a home for all of us.
Thank you for trusting me. I will not let your name fall.
Rest well, Daddy.
(name)
A Christian tribute to a father
Daddy,
You were the priest of our home. Every morning you gathered us for prayer before school, and every night you blessed us before we slept. You served at (church) for (number) years as (role), and you gave to the work of God without counting.
You have fought a good fight, you have finished your course, you have kept the faith. We do not mourn as those who have no hope. We know that we shall see you again.
Rest in the bosom of the Lord, Daddy, until the resurrection morning.
(name)
20 short tributes to a late father
Use one of these when the programme gives each person only a few lines, or for a wreath card, a WhatsApp status or a post online.
From a son
- Daddy, you were my hero and my guide. Thank you for every sacrifice. I will make you proud. Rest in peace.
- Everything I know about being a man, I learned from watching you. Sleep well, Dad.
- You never said much, but you were always there. I did not know how much that meant until now. Rest well, Papa.
- I have your walk, your temper and your name. I will try to earn your character too. Good night, Daddy.
- You gave me my first tools and my first lesson in honest work. Thank you, Baba.
From a daughter
- Papa, you were the first man I loved and the standard for every other. Thank you. Rest in peace.
- You made me feel safe every day of my life. I miss that already. Sleep well, Daddy.
- You believed a daughter could do anything, and so I did. Thank you, Dad.
- No one will ever call me "my princess" again. Good night, Papa. I love you.
- You walked me to school, then down the aisle. Walk with God now, Daddy.
From all the children
- Daddy, you gave us a good name and a good example. We will keep both. Rest in peace.
- You worked so that we could rest. Now it is your turn. Sleep well, Papa.
- A pillar has fallen, but the house you built still stands. Thank you, Dad.
- You were strict because you loved us. We understand now. Rest well, Daddy.
- We thank God for a father who stayed, provided and prayed. Good night, Baba.
Short and simple
- Thank you for everything, Daddy. Rest in peace.
- Gone from our sight, never from our hearts. We love you, Dad.
- A good father, a good husband, a good man. Rest well.
- Forever in our hearts, Papa. Till we meet again.
- Your life was your sermon. Sleep well, Daddy.
When he lived long, and when he did not
After a long life, a tribute can give thanks as well as mourn. Say what he lived to see: his children settled, his grandchildren, a work finished.
When he died young, say plainly that it was too soon. Do not force a cheerful ending. One true sentence, such as "I had so much still to ask you", says more than a long paragraph.
When things were not easy between you
Not every child was close to their father. Some fathers were away, or hard to know. You do not need to pretend. Choose the things that were true and good, say them briefly, and stop there. A short honest tribute is better than a long one you do not mean.
Dad, we did not have the years together that I wished for, and there is much we never said. But I am your child, and I am grateful for the life you gave me. I hope you have found peace. Rest well.
Bible verses to end a tribute to a father
Many families close a father's tribute with a verse. These are often chosen. The wording here is from the King James Version, which is free to print.
- 2 Timothy 4, verse 7. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
- Proverbs 20, verse 7. "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him."
- Psalm 37, verse 37. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace."
- Psalm 103, verse 13. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him."
- Matthew 25, verse 21. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
For more, see Bible readings for a burial service.
What to leave out
- Details of his illness, unless the family has agreed to share them
- Old family quarrels, and anything about property or the will
- Anything that would hurt your mother, or your brothers and sisters, to read
- Praise so general that it could be about any father
Questions people ask
How long should a tribute to my late father be?
For a printed funeral programme, 150 to 250 words is usual, which is about half a page. If many people are writing, the family may ask for four or five sentences each. A tribute read aloud at the service should take under two minutes, which is about 250 words.
How do I start a tribute to my father?
Start with the name you called him, then one thing you can still see him doing. For example: "Daddy, I can still see you at the gate each evening, waiting for the last of us to come home." A plain opening like this is easier to write and more moving to read than a grand one.
Who writes the tribute to a father?
Usually his children, either one tribute signed by all of them or one from each child. His wife, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, in-laws, church, workplace and friends may each add their own. The family decides how many will fit in the programme.
What is the difference between a tribute and a eulogy?
A tribute is short and personal, and several people may write one. A eulogy is one longer speech given at the service, which tells the story of his life as well as what he meant to people. In many programmes the life story is printed as a biography and the tributes follow it.
What do I write if I did not know my father well?
Write what is true. You can thank him for your life, name one thing you were told about him or one thing you share with him, and wish him peace. Three honest sentences are enough.
Before you send it
- Check the spelling of every name and title.
- List the children in order of birth.
- Read it aloud once. If it will be read at the service, keep it under two minutes.
- Send it as typed text, so that it can go into the programme without errors.
For the facts of his life, see the sample biography of a late mother or father. The grandchildren can use tribute from grandchildren, and his wife can use tribute to a late husband or wife. For a mother, see tribute to my late mother.
Collect the family's tributes with Homegoing
Homegoing gives the family one link to share on WhatsApp. Each child, wherever they live, can open it on a phone and add a tribute to their father. The family chooses the order they are printed in, and the booklet is set out for printing. Start a programme