Writing a memorable and meaningful obituary is an art—one that can certainly be learned. At our obituary-writing workshop in February, journalists Ken Garfield, Kevin Duchschere, and our founder Cathy Wurzer talked about what makes a great obituary. One of the things they discussed is the importance of writing a solid intro, commonly referred to among journalists as a “lede.”
So, what makes a good intro? You want to capture the essence of the person in a sentence or two that draws people in and tells readers what made the person tick, what mattered most to them, or what was particularly special about them. Then, from there, you can unpack the rest of their life and relay the important dates and details.
Workshop attendees spent some time practicing writing an obituary lede, either for themselves or a real or fictional loved one. Because we think they did a fantastic job, and because we know how helpful examples are in bringing a concept to life, we wanted to share some of them (please note that we inserted a fictional name for each lede that didn’t have one):
“Lois spent her life caretaking for others. She was the first one to offer help to anyone in need—a family member, a neighbor, a fellow churchgoer.”
“Otto was born in Detroit, was a school counselor in Minneapolis, and finished his career helping young Chinese kids find their voice in Hong Kong. He was a kind, and often solitary, voice of affirmation for a generation of children growing up in an authoritarian regime.”
“Candy loved to make lists. She used them to guide others, keep herself on track, and make sense of big problems by breaking them into manageable parts.”
“There never was a local church or cemetery that Jeff didn’t enjoy visiting! His love of his Norwegian heritage, and travels to Norway and internationally, were the joy of his life.”
“Rachel’s remarkable thread throughout her life was one of love—love of husband, children, grandchildren, needlework, and cooking…but not necessarily in that order.”
“Jim blossomed creatively after his retirement from corporate America. He took improv lessons, and acting classes and did stand-up. He actually became a paid actor and loved it! However, he really enjoyed making others laugh through his self-deprecating humor, which became more judgey humor after his third glass of chardonnay.”
“Jane, a farm girl who was hard-working since birth, found joy in drywalling and woodworking. Known for her humor and being the life of the party, she loved her kids more than anything and embraced organic living long before it became popular.”
“With a razor-sharp wit and an eternal sense of optimism, Betty’s approach to life meant she had friends everywhere she went.”
“BC was always a cool guy in a crisis. He often claimed to be ‘as ready as I will never be,’ but he thrived as one of the first board certified emergency medicine physicians in the U.S.”
“Lynette was born on Jan. 15, two weeks before her due date. It was the last time she was early for anything.”
“The only thing Sandra loved more than apricots was her friends. She savored and cherished each one by her gracious spirit and generous heart.”
“Heidi lived a life of family, friends, learning, and adventure. She was known for her laughter, especially at herself. She always had curiosity about the natural world, recording names of plants and animals, never understanding why others didn’t want to do it with her.”
Now it’s your turn. How would you begin your obituary or that of a loved one?
