Obituary example for a mother
Margaret “Peggy” Ann Collins, 85, of Tampa, Florida, passed away on October 10, 2026, at home, surrounded by her family.
Born in Dayton, Ohio, to Robert and Helen Miller, Peggy grew up on her family’s dairy farm, the oldest of five children. She worked as a labor-and-delivery nurse for 34 years, and by her own count helped bring more than 4,000 babies into the world. In 1962, she married John Collins; they shared 64 years of marriage.
She loved gardening, crossword puzzles and Ohio State football. She will be remembered for her kindness, her sense of humor and her devotion to family. She never let anyone leave her kitchen hungry.
Peggy is survived by her husband, John; her children, Mark (Lisa) Collins and Anne (David) Reyes; and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother, Thomas Miller.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the local hospice.
Obituary example for a father
Raymond Earl Dawson, 78, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, died peacefully on March 2, 2026.
Ray was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, in 1947 and served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969. He came home, married his high school sweetheart, Linda, and opened Dawson Auto Repair, which he ran for 41 years. Half the town has a story about a car he fixed and then refused to charge for.
He coached Little League for two decades, never missed a grandchild’s game, and told the same three jokes at every one of them.
Ray is survived by his wife of 56 years, Linda; his sons, Kevin (Tara) and Brian Dawson; his daughter, Michelle (Sam) Ortiz; and nine grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Maple Grove Funeral Home, with the funeral at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial with military honors will follow at Fairview Cemetery.
Obituary example for a grandmother
Rosa María Delgado, 92, of San Antonio, Texas, went home to be with the Lord on January 14, 2026.
Born in Laredo in 1933, Rosa married Joaquín Delgado in 1952 and raised six children in the house on Elm Street that every grandchild still calls “Grandma’s.” She sewed every first communion dress in the family and fed whoever came through the door.
She is survived by her children, Carmen, Joe, Teresa, Luis, Ana and Martín; 17 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joaquín.
A rosary will be prayed at 7 p.m. Thursday at Mission Funeral Chapel. The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Ann’s Catholic Church.
Obituary example for a grandfather
Walter James Pike, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on June 6, 2026.
Walt farmed the same 300 acres outside Mount Vernon for 52 years and kept a weather diary for every one of them. He served on the county fair board, sang bass in the Methodist choir and could name every tractor that passed on the road.
He is survived by his daughters, Karen (Phil) Ames and Judy Pike; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, and his son, Michael.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon.
Short newspaper obituary example
Dorothy Lynn Hart, 81, of Medford, Oregon, died Oct. 3, 2026. She taught piano to three generations of Medford children. Survivors include her son, Paul, and two grandchildren. Services: 1 p.m. Saturday, Oakview Funeral Home. Full obituary online at the funeral home’s website.
Obituary example for a veteran
Chief Petty Officer (Ret.) Samuel Okafor, 74, of Norfolk, Virginia, passed away on August 22, 2026.
Sam enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 18 and served 24 years, including two deployments aboard the USS Saratoga. After retiring, he worked as a machinist and volunteered every Tuesday at the VA hospital for 15 years.
He is survived by his wife, Grace; his children, Daniel and Ruth Okafor; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 29, at Bayside Memorial Chapel, followed by interment with military honors at the state veterans cemetery.
Obituary example for a teacher
Ellen Frances Marsh, 69, of Asheville, North Carolina, died on May 11, 2026, after a long illness.
Ellen taught English at Lakeview High School for 35 years, ran the drama club for 30 of them, and kept a box of every thank-you note a student ever wrote her. There were more than 600.
She is survived by her partner, Joan Whitfield; her sister, Claire; and generations of students who still hear her voice when they reach for a semicolon.
A celebration of her life will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, in the Lakeview High School auditorium. Donations may be made to the Lakeview Drama Club.
Celebration of life obituary example
With love and gratitude, we celebrate the life of Daniel “Danny” Reyes, 58, of Sacramento, California, who passed away on September 1, 2026.
Danny never met a stranger, a hot sauce he didn’t want to try, or a Raiders game he didn’t think they could still win. He spent 30 years as a city firefighter and coached his daughters’ softball teams for a decade.
He is survived by his wife, Carla; his daughters, Mia and Sofia; and his mother, Elena.
Please join us for a celebration of Danny’s life at 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, at William Land Park. Wear your loudest Hawaiian shirt; he would have.
What these examples have in common
- The first sentence always carries name, age, town and date.
- Numbers do the bragging: “34 years”, “more than 600”, “every Tuesday for 15 years.”
- Each has one line that could only be about that person.
- Family and service details are plain and complete, because people need them.
Questions
- Can I copy one of these obituary examples?
- Yes. Use them as a starting point and change every detail to fit your loved one. The people in them are fictional.
- What makes an obituary memorable?
- Specific details. A number, a habit or a saying tells readers more than a list of adjectives.