WRITING A EULOGY

 

WRITING A EULOGY

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Questions to Think About or Information to Gather:

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How do you know the person? How long have you known the person?

What were their hobbies?  Did you share any of these hobbies together?  If you did, do you have a funny story to share?

What where some positive attributes about the person?  Do you have a story about a time when you saw this attribute in action?

What did they like to do?  What did they dislike doing?

Do you have a special memory that you want to share?

Did they have a favorite saying or motto for life?

Did they have an achievement they were particularly proud of?

Did your relationship with the deceased change you in any way?

What do you think their lasting effect on the world will be?

What is the one thing that you would like to say about the deceased?

Pick a Focus:

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Life story

Where were they born?  Did they get married, and have children?  Where did they live? This eulogy would tell the story of their childhood, any special awards they won, and any major accomplishments as an adult.  It would be used if the majority of the audience knows the person from the latter part of their life.

 

Personal Accomplishments

This type of Eulogy would be for an audience that is close family and friends.  The accomplishments would be focused on areas that directly affected the audience.  Ex: If the deceased was a devoted grandmother, and her grandchildren were present, this eulogy would focus on her devotion to them.  If the deceased especially enjoyed the holidays, then their ability to "host" could be discussed.  

 

Personal Stories

This type of eulogy focuses on personal stories between you (or other family members and friends) and the deceased.  This is usually a light-hearted and sometimes funny eulogy.

 

Before Writing the Eulogy:

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Once you have answered some general questions and picked a focus, get organized.

 

Choose the tone of the eulogy.  You may want to check with family members to determine if the service is formal, casual, religious or secular.  Your tone should match the tone of the service.
 

Compile your information.  Organize the information that you have written according to the focus of the eulogy.

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Be concise and organized.  Check with the funeral organizer as to how long the eulogy should be.  Typically, eulogies should be between 5 and 15 minutes.

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When Writing the Eulogy, Organize It by Using the Following:

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Opening statement
It is important to identify yourself and your relationship to the deceased.  The opening statement will give the audience a clue about the topic of the eulogy.

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Briefly explain the theme or focus
Expand on the theme or focus and how the deceased affected your life. 

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Tell the story
This can be either be personal stories/wisdom/memories that you shared with the deceased, or it can be stories/wisdom/memories that a family member shared with you.  The stories/wisdom/memories should be help people remember the deceased or get to know the deceased better.

 

Poem, Quote, or Song 

Share a poem, quote or song that you think is reflective of the life of the deceased.  This is often a nice finishing touch.