Writing an obituary for a grandparent

Grandparents often leave behind large families and long lives, which makes their obituaries both rich and tricky. Here's how to keep it organized and personal.

Listing a large family

List children by name with spouses in parentheses — "Linda (Paul) Rivera." For grandchildren and great-grandchildren, it's acceptable to give a number ("12 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren") instead of every name, especially if newspaper space is tight.

Capture the era they lived through

A grandparent's life often spans enormous change: immigration, wars, moving across the country, building a family business. A sentence or two of that context makes their story come alive.

Let the grandkids in

What did the grandchildren call them? Abuela, Pop-Pop, Nana? Using that name in the obituary is a small touch families treasure.

Example

Fictional example.