Writing a Eulogy

 What is a Eulogy?

A eulogy is a short speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, often created for the honor of a deceased person.

Background Information:

Writing a eulogy is a difficult task. It is hard to condense a lifetime of experiences into a short speech to be delivered at a memorial service. Eulogies don’t have to be depressing and formal. A eulogy can include favorite poems, meaningful reminiscences, war stories, or even jokes. Here are some quick tips on how to put together a thoughtful eulogy.

What Do You Want to Say?

The first you'll need to do is decide what you want to say. Collect all the basic facts about the deceased: their age, names of children or survivors, marriages, places they've called home or loved to visit, and their career or educational information. Now think about the person you’re remembering. What kinds of stories about them or quotes capture you’re his personality?  What was important to them? Did they have a favorite charity or cause?

Decide on a Tone or Theme:

Whether you decided to give a solemn speech, a light account of their life with comical musing, or somewhere in between, a theme gives purpose to the eulogy. It helps the attendees see what the deceased’s life stood for.

Writing a Eulogy:

Organize all that you want to say.  Keep the eulogy short and to the point.  Think about the one thing you want them to be remembered for and expand on that one idea with examples.

A Few Examples of Short Eulogies:

Elizabeth Marie Smith was a woman that loved words.  She loved the way they rolled off her tongue, she loved to watch them interact on paper, and of course she never failed to feed us new words when our vocabulary revolved around simple words.  It is no surprise that Liz went on to win a Newbery Medal for her children's series.  Liz inspired all of us to take notice of words, to use them with passion, and to bring meaning to our lives through them.  Liz, your love for words and your memory will live on for generations to come.

-Sample author eulogy

 My father taught me to have a sense of humor about everything, no matter how sad -- not to take life too seriously because none of us is getting out of here alive, and little of what we do is going to matter in a few years. I remember him telling me about the funeral where everyone hated the deceased and nobody knew what to say, so the eulogist got up there and said, 'Well ... his brother was worse.' It's the opposite of the situation we have today.

-2000 by Charlie Matthau at the funeral of his famous father, Walter Matthau. 

 

My grandpa was a humble man; he never liked to be the center of attention. In life and now in death, he wouldn't want us to focus on him.  Grandpa always encouraged me to look around myself and see what the needs of others were.  He taught me to truly care about others more than myself.  It is because of Grandpa's loyal service with Red Cross that I chose to be a part of the Peace Corps.  I will never forget the wonderful man Grandpa was.

-Sample Eulogy for a Grandpa