Obituary Writing Guide

Writing Guide

To Help You Create a Publication that Meets your Expectations.

Writing Assistance

Obituary Writing Guide

01

Deceased’s Full Name, Date of Birth, Date of Death, Deceased’s Age, and Place of Death

This information helps identify the deceased and leaves a post-mortem record, for example, for genealogical research.

  • Deceased’s Full Name: name as you wish it to appear in the obituary.
  • Date of Birth: use the calendar to select the date.
  • Date of Death: use the calendar to select the date.

Entering these fields automatically generates a sentence.

In Montreal, on June 15, 2023, at the age of 92 years and 12 days, John Smith passed away.

02

Additional Description

You can write a text containing the following elements:

  • Names of parents, spouse, child(ren) (spouses), grandchild(ren)
  • Family
  • Friends
  • Colleagues
  • Other important people or elements in their life

e.g.: husband of Louise-Marie Provis, he is survived by his children: Myriam (Claude Mattielli), Marc (Sylvie Moreau), Philippe (Ada Luz Suarez) as well as Éric (Carine Chaput).

Étienne was a joyful person who…

Let your heart speak! You can add a description, a memory, an anecdote, any other relevant information not requested elsewhere in the form.

03

Photo

Here are the criteria to consider when choosing the photo:

  • Prioritize a high-quality, clear, sharp, and well-framed image. Avoid cell phone screenshots or a photo of a photo (e.g., taken in a frame that may cause reflections).
  • Ideally, choose a photo where the person is alone or a photo where the deceased’s face is distant from those of other people present.
  • Ensure the photo is in JPG, JPEG, PNG, or WEBP format, with a maximum size of 25MB.

After importing, you can crop the photo as you wish.

04

Events related to the death

For each event that applies to your needs, enter the following information:

  • Location: e.g.: Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
  • Address: e.g.: 1085 Cathedral Street, Montreal, QC H3B 2V3
  • Choose the date: Click on CHOOSE DATE, use the calendar to select the date. Enter the start and end times if necessary.

Events

  • Visitation

This is when the family of the deceased receives visitors and friends to receive condolences and comfort.

If there is no viewing, proceed to the next section.

  • Service

This is when the officiant, or religious representative, will pay tribute to the deceased. If the ceremony takes place at the same location as the viewing, you must still enter the name of the location and the address.

If there is no ceremony, proceed to the next section.

  • Interment

This is when the deceased will be interred or placed in a columbarium.

If there is no interment, proceed to the next section.

  • Reception

This is when the family welcomes family and friends following the ceremony and/or interment, to remember the cherished moments spent with the deceased.

Ensure you have the exact address of the reception venue.

If there is no reception, proceed to the next section.

05

Acknowledgements

You can thank those who accompanied the deceased in their life or in their final moments (e.g., care team, nursing staff, etc.).

You can also indicate the deceased’s last wishes (e.g., do not send flowers) or a message left by them.

If there is no donation, proceed to the next section.

06

Suggested Donations

You can choose from our list, by clicking on CHOOSE AN ORGANIZATION, the organization to which you would like people to send their donations.

If the desired organization is not on the list, enter it in the second box. A member of our team will ensure it is added.

If there is no donation, proceed to the next section.

07

Proof of Death

To ensure the compliance of our publications, you must provide the name of the funeral service company or proof of death. E.g.: Death Certificates, Attestation of Death.

Publideces.com reserves the right to contact the funeral service company in charge of the deceased for validation purposes.

  • Funeral Service Company in Charge
  • Attach Proof of Death

08

Billing and Payment Information

Enter the billing information:

  • Last Name
  • Billing Address
  • Email Address
  • Phone
  • Payment Information

09

Submit Your Obituary

Press the SUBMIT button

Once payment is authorized, the obituary is sent to our team for review.

10

Review and Approval

The quality of obituaries on publideces.com is paramount to us. Our team will review your obituary, to ensure its compliance with our standards.

Once this process is complete, you will receive an email for final approval before publication.

Simply reply to this email, and our team will notify you of the final online publication of your obituary.

You can then share it with your loved ones and on social media.

Your loved ones will be able to view the obituary and leave messages of sympathy if they wish.