An example of writing an article about a deceased professor leader. Obituary samples. Mandatory composition and structure of an obituary

1. Enter your full name (Last name - First name - Patronymic) deceased. Even if, in an effort to emphasize kinship, spiritual closeness or past friendship with the deceased, you call the deceased by his short name, the obituary must still include the full name of the deceased at least once.

Dates in the obituary are required.

2. Mandatory in the obituary. there must be dates of birth and death. Birthday (important when searching online) will also allow you to quickly find this obituary among the documents of full namesakes and namesakes. The date of death will be indicated to friends, acquaintances, relatives and simply interested people, when to remember deceased for 40 days, on the anniversary of death and on other traditional dates of commemoration.

Important for an obituary in a newspaper: Indicate the place of the proposed burial, and, if the obituary also invites the reader say goodbye to the deceased, then also the time and place of the ceremony (farewell to the body).

Brief summary of life and the role of man in society

3. The obituary notes (briefly)main milestones of life's journey- place of birth, cities and institutions of work career, areas of activity of the deceased, iconic places, points of peak fame or public benefit, fame, recognition. If this obituary about the death of a colleague, then you need to especially emphasize his contribution to the business, to the company, his role in the department or institution as a whole, and the significance of the deceased for the team, employees. Brief obituary for a colleague may be a fragment of a letter of condolence from a company or organization.

Obituary is not the place for criticism

4. If in the life of the deceased there were actions that cause public censure, you should not criticize him in a farewell speech. It is enough to confine oneself to pointing out the difficulties in life, the difficult circumstances that influenced his fate; to the imperfections of the world, deprivation and temptation, but there should be no accusations and blame in the obituary. Suicide or death from a vice or misdemeanor does not give rise to an exception to the rule: “about the deceased - either well or not at all”. In the obituary, it is more correct to mention this in the form of an admission of guilt, the responsibility of loved ones for not saving, not seeing trouble, not being able to support in difficult times, not having time to help, etc. There should be no hint of retribution, no gloating, not a drop of negativity. Examples of epitaphs for a suicide will help you find the right words in your farewell speech.

Death is a loss for loved ones

5. Traditional printed/newspaper obituary surviving immediate family members are mentioned. Previously, they even advised order: ancestors (grandmother grandfather), parents (father, mother), husband (wife husband), children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters. Today this has ceased to be a strict rule, however, even now the text of the obituary mentions the closest people, for example:

“...was a caring father, a loving husband, a wise mentor to his grandchildren” ;

“... left behind is an adult daughter, a minor son and a widow (Name)” ;

“... was hope and support for his elderly parents, a responsible brother, a faithful friend...” .

Sincerity, delicacy and a sense of proportion

6. On the one hand, the obituary must reflect the individuality, originality and exclusivity of the personality of the deceased. Therefore, truthfulness and cordiality in the text is the guarantee that the obituary will arouse trust, greater interest and will be better remembered by the reader. However, catchy phrases, common cliches and vulgar words, so beloved by the yellow press and tabloid shows, are inappropriate in an obituary. Therefore, sincere emotions must be conveyed calm, precise and restrained phrases. Such words that, after many years and decades, will not lose their significance, weight and dignity. In the event of a sudden death, it happens that a close relative of the deceased must write an obituary unexpectedly quickly. There is no time not only to check the text, but even to create it. Don't despair: you will probably remember someone from your inner circle who is good with words. Contact him and ask for help! Indicate those facts and character traits that you want to mention in the obituary.

Obituary - the last word for centuries

A story about the death of a person, including all information about: his work activity, position in society, character and other data is called an obituary. Many other additions are included at the request of the customer.

There is no official division of obituaries by type or type. But still, obituaries can be divided into certain groups: professional, detailed, brief, personal.

Simply put, an obituary is not a biography, but a simple informational article.

Writing an obituary depends on the purpose of the ordering person. Obituaries differ in both volume and content. It indicates the cause of death, all the successes of the deceased person, a list of mourning relatives, the date and time of burial, and an assessment of the entire life of the deceased. By the way, this assessment distinguishes an obituary from ordinary information in a newspaper.

How to write an obituary?

Heart-tugging, emotional or harsh text is not very difficult to write. When compiling an obituary, one should not deviate from the following simple rules:

It is necessary to take into account that you are not writing a funeral speech, but a “message” to readers about a tragic event.
It is worth noting the positive qualities of the character of the deceased, his services to the family and to society, in order to emphasize what a good person has passed away.
After writing the person's full name, dates of birth and death, talk about the cause of his death: after a long illness or due to some kind of accident, and so on.
Then it is necessary to note those for whom the death of this person was a sad tragedy: relatives and close acquaintances of the deceased. According to the rules, they first write about the parents, wife, children and grandchildren, sisters and brothers of the deceased.
If the obituary is specialized, compiled due to the death of an honored worker, then it is not customary to mention the names of colleagues.
It is worth indicating the main lifetime achievements of the deceased: professional or personal, main services to the state and family, and all his positive qualities.
It is strictly forbidden to mention in the text about dreams that did not come true for the deceased, or to condemn his character and actions. As people say: “It’s either good about the dead or nothing at all.”

When completing your obituary, do not forget to indicate that the deceased person will forever remain in the memory of loved ones, friends and acquaintances. At the end of the article, you need to indicate the date, place of burial and funeral service, so that those who wish can say goodbye to this person.

Please include your full name in your obituary.

Dates in the obituary are required.

Brief summary of life and the role of man in society

Obituary is not the place for criticism

Death is a loss for loved ones

“...was a caring father, a loving husband, a wise mentor to his grandchildren” ;

“... left behind is an adult daughter, a minor son and a widow (Name)” ;

“... was hope and support for his elderly parents, a responsible brother, a faithful friend...” .

Sincerity, delicacy and a sense of proportion

Obituary - the last word for centuries

7. The obligatory word in the obituary is promise of eternal memory of the deceased. Moreover, if the poetic or pathetic form of this oath may be appropriate on a monument or on a tombstone memorial plaque, then in the text of the obituary such an appeal or promise should be formulated discreetly and briefly, without a shadow of falsehood.

An important element of human culture, aimed at experiencingloss , is a complex of formalized rituals:memorial services, burial, commemoration, grave improvement etc. And this has a deep psychological basis. After all, ifmountains If it does not find its way out, it can “burn” the mourner from the inside. Personal grief is a deeply intimate feeling and therefore, as if in contrast to it, demonstrative publicity has historically developedrituals of farewell to the dead . Part of the rite of farewell to the “last journey” and remembrance isobituary - one of the forms of public demonstration of grief.The reason forobituary stands out, first of all, the news itself aboutdeath person, even if it came to us late, after any long period of time aftermoment of death . Essays in the genre are also quite appropriateobituary , timed to coincide with generally accepted dates of remembrance (nine, forty days, six months, anniversaries), as well as public events closely related to the name of the deceased (his birthday, completion of the work he started, etc.). List of motives forobituary , of course, is not limited to any specific, complete list. Let us recall at least the lines from Mayakovsky’s poem:"Time! I'm starting a story about Lenin.But not because there is no more grief.Time because there is acute melancholyIt has become clear and conscious pain...!”However, over time, mournful notes naturally sound more and more moderately and, in the end,obituary gives way to a presentation of biographical information - important, instructive or simply interesting to descendants. And it should be noted that for a person’s microclimate, family legends play no less a role than the biographies of “wonderful people,” leaders, national heroes. All normal people tend to experience warm feelings when they remember and retell stories about their ancestors. “Unremembering kinship” - this seal in the old days doomed its wearer to the fate of an outcast.A sad melody is definitely the main signobituary . But at the same time he must be optimistic! Gloomy pessimism and extreme manifestations of depression not only contradict the very essence of the collective of the living, but also question the value of the deceased’s life, which is completely inappropriate at the moment.The man lived, loved, and was loved. He is gone, and our sadness is immeasurable! But in our hearts there remains gratitude for the fact that he was with us, for the good that he did to us during his life! And even in grief we cannot forget about this. Our despair has no right to erase the bright memory of the departed. We must cope with the pain, because the one we are mourning would be very upset to see the suffering of loved ones.Thus,obituary In addition to demonstrating grief, it is also intended to demonstrate that we are in control, that the pain of loss has not eclipsed or destroyed in us the love and affection that we felt for the deceased.Main Impactdeath of a person strikes the people closest to him. The further someone is from this circle, the weaker theirbitterness of loss . And this is natural. Moreover, for the enemies of the deceased, his death can cause a feeling of satisfaction and even joy (alas, our world is still so cruel!). But even in this extreme, regrettable situation, there are laws of honor and nobility of spirit. Anywayobituary is a necessary fact of showing, if not gratitude, then at least respect for the deceased.Analysisobituaries , published in recent decades, shows that most often they are signed by those people who, although they experience sincere grief at death, but whose experienced feelings are still not as severe as the grief of those closest to them. And here there is a danger thatobituary (which, as we have emphasized, always necessarily carries within itself an element of formal, ritual action) with its emotional inconsistency with the severity of the tragedy can cause additional moral suffering to the deeply grieving.However, firstly, refusalobituary (at least in the shortest form - in the form of condolences to loved ones) will even more offend people overwhelmed by enormous grief. And secondly, the dangers of a “poor” obituary can easily be avoided by following a few simple principles when writing it. These are politeness, restraint (sense of proportion) and tact.

1. The name of the deceased must be given.

This seemingly self-evident rule is often violated in condolences. For example: “...the enterprise team expresses its condolences to Pyotr Sidorovich Ivanov in connection with the death of his father.” And after these words there is a period. Thus, we seem to sympathize with our comrade, colleague, but due to a misunderstanding we show complete disregard for the deceased himself.Sometimesauthor of the obituary calls the deceased only by name, emphasizing the special closeness to him. This can be justified, as it allows one to convey more intimate shades of grief. But in any case, in the obituary, the deceased must be named at least once by his full name and surname.

2. It is necessary to indicate the exact dates of birth and death

These two events are naturally the most important in the life of the deceased. The date of death is also needed so that other people have information and the opportunity to remember the deceased in the traditionally accepted time frame.

3. It is necessary to say about the place of birth and the place of actual or intended burial

Where did man's earthly journey begin and end? And where you can come and venerate the deceased.

4. You need to choose your words with care when mentioning the circumstances of death.

Ifa person died a violent death , then sometimes they write: “...was brutally killed...”. Of course, any criminal murder is a vile and vile act. But in Russian, “brutal murder” implies that it was committed with particular cruelty, accompanied by mockery of someone who was still alive or mockery of a corpse. If this did not really happen, then shades of falsehood involuntarily creep into the words of the obituary.Often inobituary When referring to a young or not-so-old person, one encounters the words: “...we mourn the premature death …”. This is a very serious speech error! What means "premature " death? Really, if a person died not now, but a little later, we would then be able to call his death “timely”. We can talk about untimely death if we want to emphasize the additional grief for a person whose age allowed us to hope for more or less long years.It is quite appropriate to talk about “sudden “death, about death after”severe " or "long illness ”. When we talk about “tragic death ”, we mean that it occurred due to circumstances that, in principle, could have been avoided. The words “died in the performance of ... duty” have a different meaning (as we understand, a person cannot evade these circumstances). Expression "died heroically ” enhances the pathos of the obituary, but so that the pathos does not refute the very pain of loss, it should immediately be noted that this makes our grief even greater...The most difficult (and at the same time most necessary) thing to write isobituary for suicide . As is knownsuicide - a grave sin, and the fact that the deceased decided to take it on his soul is also our fault, the fault of the living. And we must ask the deceased to forgive us for “not saving him from trouble, not having time to come to the rescue in time...”

5. A promise to remember the deceased is required.

We understand perfectly well that “eternal memory” in the literal sense of the word is almost impossible. Generations come and everything is forgotten someday. But while we are alive, we can remember our loved ones! And, to be honest, it is not entirely clear how such words sometimes appear in obituaries - “the memory of him will be preserved for a long time by those who knew him.” “For a long time” does not mean forever, but only for a while! This is also, of course, a speech error, but too unforgivable!

6. It is unacceptable to criticize the deceased in an obituary.

Even an inveterate enemy of the deceased is prohibited from gloating about death. And if you are a friend, and even writing a public obituary, then refrain from even a hint of criticism, from the slightest doubt (words like “the deceased was a difficult person... not all people had it easy with him...”, etc.) are unacceptable. If the life of the deceased was not always completely pious, and it is impossible to avoid mentioning this, then one should express regrets about unfavorable life circumstances, but not reproaches against the personality of the deceased. For example, “...he was a man of difficult fate...it was not always easy for him to find a way out of difficult life situations...”, etc. Such hints are the limit of negativity allowed in an obituaryIf a person was endowed with true virtues, then one cannot inadvertently diminish their importance. A very common phrase - “...his merits were appreciated, he was awarded orders...” - does not sound correct. The words “worthily”, taken literally, mean that a person has already received everything in full, that he no longer deserves more recognition. This does not correspond to the psychological mood of people who are seeing off a loved one whose achievements they are proud of. They are proud and do not at all believe that the dignity of these merits and achievements is limited by some formal assessments.

7. It is necessary to mention those closest to the deceased

At the same time, politeness requires remembering the hierarchy of proximity statuses. They are usually located in the following order: parents and grandparents, spouse, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, brothers and sisters. Other relatives and in-laws can be inserted into this row in the appropriate place if they had a real, sufficient family closeness with the deceased. For example - “he was a caring son and grandson (son-in-law, nephew), a loving husband, a good father and grandfather (father-in-law, uncle), a kind and reliable brother, a loyal friend and comrade.” If the obituary is written by relatives, then the hierarchy remains the same, only viewed from the other side - “with sorrow we announce the death of our beloved father and grandfather (father-in-law, uncle), husband, son and grandson (son-in-law, nephew), brother and friend.”

A wise proverb says: “The word heals and the word hurts " But, writingobituary , don't be too afraid of the latter. After all, your sincerity is, of course, more important, and it will cover up any possible style errors a hundredfold.

The art of how to write an obituary originated in ancient Greece and Rome. The most famous examples of such works are the rhetorical rules for funerals, written by a certain Dionysius of Helicarnassus, and the funeral speech delivered by Julius Caesar on the death of his wife Cornelia. Modern obituaries have taken the form of publications in newspapers and Internet publications. Traditionally, they stand out from the mass of other texts with a black, mournful frame.
Today, writing an obituary can be entrusted to a specialist. In some cases, relatives or friends of the deceased take on this matter on their own.

Photo of obituary writing

Over the centuries, the existence of a culture of memorial texts has developed a set of rules on how to write an obituary. It includes five main points, following which will help anyone who has lost a friend, colleague or relative to write an obituary that complies with the rules of this genre.

Photo of how to write an obituary

One of the first postulates laid down by Roman orators was the mandatory mention of the full name, patronymic and surname of the deceased. This is done regardless of the degree of relationship and closeness between the deceased and the person who took on the task of preparing the obituary.
A publication dedicated to a sad event must contain three dates. The first is the date and year of birth of the person to whose memory the text will be dedicated. The other is the exact number of deaths. The third is the date of the funeral, civil memorial service. Accuracy in composing the text of the notification will not only serve as an example for writing obituaries, but will also help friends and acquaintances of a person who has already left the world to navigate the time of his body’s farewell to its final journey.
Before writing an obituary, the author should collect all biographical information about the deceased. Everything is needed - place of birth and study, first job and career stages, its role in the development of a business, enterprise or institution.
According to Christian tradition, such a notice should not contain criticism of the behavior, actions, or character traits of the deceased. Even if the deceased was an immoral person or a suicide, a high-quality example of an obituary should express regret that they did not save, did not help, did not support, but not criticism of the deceased.
If you look at examples of how to write an obituary, it will become clear that the people who ordered the notification are indicated by seniority and proximity to the now deceased person.

Where to get a sample, how to write an obituary

A sample of how to write an obituary can be found on the Internet and in newspapers of different levels - from local to national. The most interesting and striking examples of how to write an obituary can be “spied” in publications dedicated to art or specializing in literature. The fact is that notifications about the death of their colleagues are written by venerable writers, from whom one can learn the restrained style and dignity needed in this case.

Sample photo of how to write an obituary

Obituary example

An important caveat: there is no one-size-fits-all obituary example. Different people require different text options. And although death has leveled everyone, it will be quite difficult to compose a memorial work about the director of a concern, a worker and a housewife, an old man and a child, according to a single template. Therefore, one of the main problems writers face is finding a good example of an obituary to use as a base.

Photo example of an obituary

If the question of how to write an obituary correctly arises in your mind urgently, suddenly, then the best option for solving the problem would be to contact an appropriate specialist. Our company will be happy to help you in such a delicate matter as organizing the writing of public notices about the death of a loved one, friend, or colleague.