Can a dead person write his own obituary?

Making the decision to write your own obituary is a personal choice—and one that can be quite emotional, depending on the reason for writing. Traditionally, obituaries have been written either by obituary editors, or loved ones of a deceased person with knowledge of their life.

Who is Lonnie Dillard?

Lonnie Dillard, 75, of Austin, Texas, who died Dec. 18 just more than one month after receiving a stage-four pancreatic cancer diagnosis, avoided the typical stale obituary format by taking matters into his own hands.

How do I write my own obituary?

Here are the steps to writing an obituary:

1. Basics: Begin by stating the full name of the deceased and the date of death.
2. Summary: Next, share a summary of your life.
3. Relatives: List any relatives, living or dead.
4. Funeral details: Share funeral home or memorial details.

Is it normal to write an obituary?

Writing it yourself and in advance ensures that you’ll get all of the important details and express yourself with flair. So go ahead and start working on a draft of your obituary. Doing so is a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression on your family, while sharing your story with the world.

How do you list family members in an obituary?

Listing Family Members List the spouse first, include the town or city where the spouse lives, children in the order of when they were born and their spouses, if any, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, in-laws, nephews or nieces, all listed in birth order.

How long after someone dies is the obituary?

For both online and newspaper obituary posts, you should try and publish within a week after the death of your loved one. If the obituary has funeral notifications such as the location and timing of the funeral, you should post at least three days prior to the funeral.

Who is listed first in an obituary?

1. Standard survivor list: A standard list of survivors usually starts with the spouse and children (full, step, and adopted), then grandchildren, then the parents, then siblings, then aunts and uncles, then cousins, nieces, and nephews.