How do I announce a death? Templates to copy

How does a family announce a death?

Most families go from the closest circle outward, and keep the message the same in every form. The steps are short enough to follow from a phone.

The June's Help death announcement checklist

1. Agree who will send the news, so it comes from one voice and not three.
2. Call the closest relatives and friends first, one by one, before anything is written down or posted.
3. Write the facts the family is ready to share: the name, the date, and whether a service is planned yet.
4. Decide what stays out of public view. The home address, travel plans and the time of a service are better sent in a private message.
5. Copy the email, text or post template below and fill in the brackets. Read it aloud once.
6. Send the email to the main list, and put the names in the blind copy line so nobody's address is shared.
7. Send the text to the people who do not use email.
8. Post online last, if the family wants to. Check who can see the post before it goes up.
9. Keep a list of who has been told, and by whom.
10. Send a second, short message when the details of a service are settled.

See also: Who to notify when someone dies: the full list, How long after someone dies is the funeral?

What can a death announcement say?

A death announcement says only what the family chooses to share, and a few plain lines are enough. Name the person, say when they died, and say how people can reach a family member.

Some details are better left out of any message that could be forwarded: the cause of death, the address of the home, the dates the house will be empty and the full details of a service. A family can add them in a later message to the people who need them.

The wording matters less than the order. Calling the closest people first means fewer people learn the news from a post, and that is what the order of the checklist is for.

What does a short email announcing a death say?

A short email gives the news in the first line and says what comes next in the last. Copy these lines into an email and replace everything in brackets:

• Subject: [Name] died on [date]
• Dear [first name],
• I am writing to tell you that [Name] died on [date]. We wanted you to hear it from us.
• [Name] was [my mother, our friend, your cousin]. [One warm line about them.]
• Plans for a service are not set yet. I will write again when they are.
• If you would like to share a memory, you can reply to this email, and I will pass it on to the family.
• With love, [your name]

See also: How do I protect a loved one's identity after death?

What does a text message announcing a death say?

A text is the shortest form, for close friends and relatives who will want to call back. Copy one of these two lines, depending on whether a service is planned:

• [First name], [Name] died on [date]. I wanted you to hear it from me. I will send the plans for a service when we have them.
• [First name], [Name] died on [date]. A service is planned for [day]. Call me tonight if you would like the details.

How can a death be announced on Facebook?

To announce a death on Facebook, a family writes a short post, checks who can see it and leaves the practical details out.

A public post can be read by anyone. The FTC has an alert on imposters who pose as a funeral home and press a family to pay. Leaving the home address and the time of a service off a public post, and sending them in a private message to the people who need them, makes it less likely that a stranger sees them.

A page that stays open after a death is a separate question, and it has its own guide. Copy these lines for a post and replace the brackets:

• [Name] died on [date]. [One warm line about them.]
• Our family is grateful for the kind thoughts of friends. We will share plans for a service with those closest to us.
• If you have a photo or a memory of [Name], we would love to read it in the comments.
• Please do not send gifts or flowers to the house. A message to [family contact] reaches us.

• Federal Trade Commission Imposters prey on families preparing for the funeral of a loved one A short alert on callers who pose as a funeral home and press a family to pay., official page, opens in a new tab

See also: How do I close or memorialize Facebook and Google accounts?, How do I protect a loved one's identity after death?

What does June's Help do after the news goes out?

June's Help does not send an announcement and writes no post. The family keeps its own voice. The one part that touches an announcement is "tell everyone", which keeps a list of the companies and offices that have been told. The people on the family's own list stay with the family.

Letters and cards that come back after the news can be photographed and added to June's Help. June reads a letter from a bank, a life insurer, a pension or Social Security in plain words, and lists the dates printed on it. With the assistant plan, a relative who lives in Texas can read along through a family seat, an extra on top of the plan, so a second person can read the same letters.

See also: Who to notify when someone dies: the full list