Writing a tribute for the funeral programme

Start with one memory

Before you write facts, write one small memory: the way she laughed at the radio, the mango tree he planted, the phrase they always used. A tribute that begins with something true and particular carries the rest.

A simple shape

• Beginnings: where and when they were born, their parents, their home town.
• Work and faith: schooling, work, church or mosque, the roles they held.
• Family: marriage, children and grandchildren, the people they cared for.
• Character: two or three qualities, each with a short example.
• Farewell: a closing line from the family, a prayer or verse.

Gather voices

Ask siblings, children and friends for one memory each. A programme can hold short tributes from the spouse, the children and the grandchildren, each on its own page.

Keep it gentle in length

Most programme biographies run to one or two pages. Read it aloud once. If you stumble over a sentence, shorten it.

Let us help

Our coordinators can type, lay out and print your programme, and read the final wording back to you before printing.