What is a death notice?
A notice of death is a paid announcement in a newspaper that provides the name of the person who passed away. It has the details of the memorial or the funeral service, where donations are to be made in the name of the deceased, and some biographical information. You can write and submit a death notice to a national or a local newspaper and have them publish it for free.
How to write a death notice?
To write a death notice first you need some basic information about the deceased person, and the memorial or the funeral service. Besides, there can be other details that may be required for the notice. Let’s look at the requirements and the process below.
The basic information required for the death notice:
- The full name of the deceased person, including their nickname and maiden name
- Cause of death
- Location and date of death
- Names of the person’s family members. This is optional.
- Information on the memorial service. It can be public or private. Add the location, time, and date of the service.
- Name the charity where the donation could be made in the name of the dead person.
Additional biographical details on the death notice
- Place and date of birth
- Place and date of marriage, name of the spouse
- Military service, including the awards and honors, received
- Educational history. Schools attended with honors and degrees received.
- Membership in organizations.
- History of employment, including special achievements and awards, received
- Interests and hobbies
Steps to writing a death notice
To write a notice of death, you have to follow some steps. Here, take a look at the steps below.
Step1- Work collaboratively: There is a lot of information that must be collected about the deceased person when you are writing a death notice. Sitting down with the family members or everyone who knew the person is the greater way to accomplish the goal. You will get the basic to additional information, and help in cutting down some points that are not necessary for the death notice.
Step 2- Agree upon the opportunity: Before starting to write the death notice, you have to figure out the things you want to include and the ones you want to exclude. For instance, if the person had several grandchildren, it will be wise to leave that part, because naming all of them will be expensive.
Step 3- Proofread: Allow at least two different people to proofread the notice, to avoid informational errors, grammar and spelling. Include things to look such as:
- Ensure the name of the cities, clubs, and companies, are spelled correctly.
- Make sure you have the correct names of the people
- Check the information on the memorial service, and make sure it’s correct.
- If there’s a donation section in the name of the deceased, ensure that the instructions are flawless.
Death notice example
Here are some examples of a death notice:
1. In loving memory of (insert the name), we are grieved to announce their passing on (add the date). (Insert name) was born on (the date of birth). A memorial service is planned (mention the date, venue, and time). His or her memorial service is to follow after the burial in the church cemetery.
2. The family of (Insert name) announces with saddened hearts his or her passing on (insert date). (Insert the name of the deceased and if they were suffering from a disease that may have been the cause of the death). A public or private funeral service will be held at (insert date, time, and location).
Must a death notice be published
It’s not a legal requirement to publish a death notice in America. However, a death certificate must be filed with the state office when someone passes away. Learn more about death certificates in this post.
How much does it cost to put a death notice in the paper?
Based on the newspaper and where you live in the USA, the price will vary from $200 to $600 and if the circulation is higher, the cost will be more expensive. An average death notice may cost around $200, including the photograph.
Death notice to creditors
A death notice to the creditors is a public announcement informing the demise of a person to alert the creditors about the situation. It can be published in the local newspapers, and the notice is filed by the executor of the estate, and they are meant to monitor the process. After getting the notice, the creditors will have a limited time to respond to the news, and it can be filed as bankruptcy by individuals.
Difference between obituary and death notice
There are few significant differences between a death notice and an obituary. Let’s look at the details below:
- A notice of death is paid news that families can write and submit to the local or national newspapers for publication. Death notices mainly announce the death of the person, and the details on the memorial service, or donations, with some biographical information.
- An obituary is an article about a deceased person and it offers the details and biographical information. Unlike a death notice, which mostly the family member writes, obituaries are done by reporters or editors of the newspaper. However, the newspaper finally decides whether or not to publish the story. For more information about obituaries, check out this post.
- A death notice is short with important information so that people can know about the essential news.
- Whereas, obituaries are lengthier, and have several paragraphs. It may not have the information on the memorial service, but the biographical details, their achievements, and the name of the family members can be on it.
- Usually, the family members or the funeral home writes a death notice and it’s submitted to the newspaper.
- An obituary is written by the editors of the newspaper or the family of the deceased and it’s published as news.
