Eulogy · obituary · sympathy · funeral program
Words for a goodbye
When you have to find the words, you do not have to find them alone.
Real examples of eulogies, obituaries and sympathy messages, each with notes on why it works. Free tools to time a eulogy, outline it and print a funeral program. And, if you want it, a text written from your own memories in a few minutes.
- Examples you can learn fromEvery example was written for this site, and each one says why it works and what to change.
- Free, private toolsTiming, outlines, obituary and program builders run in your browser. Nothing is sent, no sign-up.
- Your memories, your wordsThe personalized texts use only what you tell us. Nothing is invented about the person you lost.
Guides and examples
What do you need to write?
Each guide explains the structure, gives several complete examples with notes, and links to a free tool.
Free, private, no sign-up
Tools that work in your browser
Where to start
If you have to speak at the service, start with how to write a eulogy: it explains the five-part structure most eulogies follow, how long to speak, and how to get through the reading. Then look at the example closest to your situation: a eulogy for a mother, for a father, for a grandmother or for a friend.
If the funeral home has asked the family for an obituary, read how to write an obituary and use the fill-in-the-blank obituary template: it turns what you know into a first draft in your browser.
If you need to write a card, the sympathy messages guide gives short, honest wording for a friend, a coworker or a neighbor, and what to avoid saying.
If you are planning the service, the printable funeral program lays out a folded program you can print at home, and the celebration of life guide covers what to include when the family wants something less formal.
Written for you
A text built from your own memories
Our personalized texts are written by an AI writing assistant from your answers, under rules we wrote for grieving families: nothing invented, no clichés, no religious language unless you ask. You read it, revise it, and make it yours.
- Answer a few questions
Who they were, your relationship, one or two memories, the tone. It takes about ten minutes.
- Pay once
By card on Stripe's secure page. No account, no subscription.
- Read, revise, make it yours
Your text appears on screen in about a minute. Ask for a revision in one sentence if something is not right.
Personalized eulogy
A complete eulogy written from your memories and timed to the length you choose, three delivery tips and a large-print reading copy. 2 revisions included.
Write my eulogyPersonalized obituary
A full obituary for the funeral home or an online memorial, a shorter newspaper version and a short announcement for social media, written from the facts you give. 1 revision included.
Write my obituaryPersonalized sympathy or thank-you message
Three versions (short, medium, long) of a sympathy card, condolence letter, funeral thank-you note or announcement, written from your answers. 1 revision included.
Write my messageOne-time payment, taxes included · shown on screen about a minute after payment · copy, print or save as PDF
Common questions
How long should a eulogy be?
Most eulogies last three to five minutes, which is roughly 420 to 700 words at a steady speaking pace of 140 words per minute. Ask the officiant or funeral director how much time you have, especially if several people will speak.
What is the difference between a eulogy and an obituary?
An obituary is written, usually in the third person, and announces the death with the key facts, family and service details. A eulogy is spoken at the service, usually in the first person, and tells who the person was through stories.
Are the examples on this site real eulogies?
No. Every example was written for TributePen, and the people and details in them are invented. They show structures and tones you can borrow; your own memories are what will make your text true.
How do the personalized texts work?
You answer a short questionnaire, pay once by card, and an AI writing assistant writes your text from your answers alone, following rules we wrote for grieving families. It appears on screen in about a minute, with revisions included, and you can ask for a refund.