How to Write A Eulogy for a Family Member in 7 Simple Steps

econtentsol Published: October 15, 2024 21 min read

Best Eulogy Outline Examples for Beginners Listed Below

Every human being has to face the truth of death, as it is an inevitable part of this mortal world. It doesn’t matter how much we care for our loved ones; a day eventually comes when they get separated from us traveling to the infinite realm of spirituality. It is therefore important to know how to write a eulogy for a family member who has just passed, as that helps the grievers to show some sort of affection.

It is indeed an opportunity to write such kind of speech for those people who have always stood beside us, providing their support and love through our difficult times. It gives us a chance to share our thoughts about how much we miss them and how their existence meant a lot for us.

In this detailed article, we’ll let you know how to write a eulogy speech for a family member, describing his/her achievements on the day of funeral. But, before getting straight into the process, let’s first understand the basics of eulogy as why it matters on the day of funeral.

What is a Eulogy?

Eulogy Speaker

Eulogy is a typical speech created to honor people on the day of their funeral. It can be termed as a speech of remembrance that describes the beauty and essence of people who have remained close to you. Defining nature & personal traits, it is indeed an emotional speech that requires a lot of heart to deliver remembering the magnificence of your loved one.

Generally, the eulogy speech is delivered by the closest member of the deceased. It could be either his/her son or daughter, or could be a best friend as well. It is an opportunity to let the people know about the qualities of that person who have just passed, showcasing your true love and affection with them.

Based on the facts and closeness, it can be very emotional for few people who have never thought to get separated from their loved ones. Blended with the grief of teary eyes and heavy heart, the eulogy speech showcases the life of a late person in a nutshell, allowing people to understand his/her great contribution and importance in the society. 

If you do not know how to write a eulogy for a family member, you can either take speech writing services from the professionals or could follow some good examples. It all depends on your own choice and how well you know about writing a memorial day speech.

Who Delivers the Eulogy Speech?

Funeral speech

A eulogy is a heartfelt tribute delivered by someone who had a deep, meaningful connection with the person who has passed away. Typically, the individual giving the eulogy is someone who knew the deceased well—this could be a family member, such as a sibling, child, or spouse, or perhaps a close friend or confidant who shared a special bond with them. Regardless of their relationship, the person chosen to speak is usually someone who was present for many important moments in the deceased’s life.

The role of delivering a eulogy is both an honor and a responsibility. It requires the speaker to reflect on the life and legacy of the departed, drawing from shared memories and experiences to paint a picture of who they were. This might include recounting cherished memories, highlighting the individual’s achievements, or sharing anecdotes that reveal their personality, passions, and kindness. Because of their close relationship with the deceased, the speaker can convey a sense of authenticity, helping others to remember the person as they truly were.

In this way, the person giving the eulogy is not only paying tribute to the deceased but also offering comfort to those who have gathered to mourn. By sharing these personal reflections, they help to celebrate the life that was lived, honor the contributions and love the deceased brought to the world, and remind those present of the lasting influence that lives on in the hearts of those they left behind. The speaker’s familiarity with the departed makes them uniquely suited to this role, as they can articulate the emotions and memories that might otherwise go unspoken.

How to Write a Eulogy Speech: A General Eulogy Outline

Speech writing tips

Starting a eulogy can be difficult as it requires you to be mentally strong. However, think of it as an opportunity to express your feelings for the departed person. Here are some tips that will let you know how to write a eulogy for a family member who has just died recently.

  1. Introduce yourself firmly to all the members attending the funeral.
  2. Try to start with good things highlighting the memories of the deceased.
  3. Pick your words smartly, as sometimes you lose them in the wake of emotions.
  4. State basic information about the deceased and his family members.
  5. Tell the people how that person was so close to you like a rock solid pillar.
  6. Describe the personality of the deceased explaining some real life events and examples.
  7. Control your inner feelings at the start of this speech in order to make it more meaningful.
  8. Let the people know how that person started his life experiencing different struggles.

How Long is Eulogy?

The length of a eulogy doesn’t depend on anything particular. It could either take half an hour or could just end in 15-20 minutes depending upon the words and emotions you are trying to deliver during that period. Basically, the idea of eulogy is not to spend time talking about the deceased person, but to let the people know how his/her existence will always be remembered in our hearts. 

Besides delivering the speech, it is quite important to know how to write a eulogy speech covering all aspects of the late person. This could definitely take a lot of time and you must have to pay attention to every detail while writing such a big paragraph for the dedicated person.

How to Write a Eulogy Speech in 7 Simple Steps

Motivational speech writing

It is quite important to know how to write a eulogy for your loved one defining all the positive aspects of his/her life in detail. But, to do that perfectly, you need to keep a few things in mind in order to craft a proper remembrance speech.

Here are the seven important steps that will help you to learn how to write a eulogy speech. It will allow you to portray the best image of your friend or any other family member, so that people can always remember them.

Introduce Yourself

At first, try to introduce yourself to the audience, describing your relationship with the late person. It is the initial thing you will see in many eulogy outline examples, especially if they are written for any special friend. People need to know how you’ve forged your relationship with that person so strongly through the years, allowing both of you to be called as friends for life.

This helps you to portray a personal touch in the speech, giving people an idea how much that person was important to you among all. Furthermore, it also builds a trust factor in the speech, as people get to know you as the closest person who has got all the understanding and familiarity with the deceased.

Speech Writing

Deliver a memorable speech with our
expertly crafted speeches!

Inspire Your Audience
CTA-speech-mockup

Decide the Tone

Now, you have to decide the tone in which you want to deliver the final speech remembering your beloved person. It is a known fact that despite trying hard, it is an emotional moment and cannot be simply expressed by saying just a few words. The grief and pain of losing your loved one automatically makes your heart heavy, bringing the tears in your eyes.

Considering all these natural facts, you need to decide a tone that can not only express your words powerfully, but can also become memorable among all the hall attendees. Ideally, it needs to be light-hearted as well as a bit emotional, allowing the people to remember the deceased with positive note for a lifetime.

State the Basic Information About the Deceased

To start describing lightly about the departed person, try stating some basic stuff about his/her life. This section is kind of a starter in your speech in which you will include some initial information about that person. It could relate both from his/her social life as well as professional career.

People who were in touch with the departed soul will second your information, recognizing the fact that you were really so close with that late person. This basic conversation will then automatically convert into more details, taking your eulogy speech to the much deeper emotional level.

That is how you will build up a best eulogy speech, giving people a feeling of personal flair in your words. Utilizing this momentum, you can also state various amusing incidents involving that person, giving funeral attendees a bit of a smile remembering the good soul.

Include Family Members in the Speech

If you exactly know how to write a eulogy for a family member, you’d know that the next part requires to introduce some words of the other close members in the speech. We know that during this tough time, it is hard to introduce or even remember everyone at the funeral. But still, considering the obligation, try to name those people who have always remained in close contact with that person, so that other people attending the event can know about them.

You can add a great amount of value to this part by stating something important about the whole family of the deceased. It is a great way to honor them and share their pain in this moment of grief. The brief introduction and stating some notable facts about the family will make this conversation joyful, as well as worth remembering.

Learn How to Write a Eulogy by Utilizing Examples

Taking the remembrance speech to the next level, you will now have to add some specific examples pointing towards the personality of the late soul. This is a great phase in which you will define some important traits of that person, building a great sense of respect for his/her personality.

The above defined eulogy outline examples have clearly defined this fact. For instance, if the person was known because of having a kind nature, try to elaborate this fact in detail. This will enhance his moral reputation among the attendees and people will cherish his nice nature by showing respect to the family members.  

This type of specific example will elevate the personality of the deceased, encouraging people to appreciate his character and pray for a better spiritual journey for his soul.

Organize and Gather Memories

Once you are at the middle phase of the speech, it is now time to enlist some important memories describing the elated character of the lost person. It is the most important section because it will give you an opportunity to share some great memories of your loved one.

To describe these memories perfectly, try to organize them into some sort of points or using the rule of three practice. If you exactly know how to write a eulogy speech, this is a great technique to align and define those memories one by one, enabling people to cherish with some good thoughts during the sensitive funeral.

Whether it was a long trip or some incident at a random birthday party, try to include some memorable moments of the deceased in your speech, giving it a stunning unforgettable touch. That is how you can also let the funeral attendees know how lively the person was, and what type of adventures you have done with him/her.

Conclude the Speech

Coming to the end, it is now time to say a final goodbye to your loved one sharing some insightful thoughts about his/her whole life. This ending would definitely be very emotional, which is why try to pick words that can best describe the character of the deceased perfectly.

It is a known fact that people attending the funeral will definitely get teary eyes coming to the final part of your speech. So, by looking at different eulogy outline examples, try to utilize those sentences that can resonate with their thoughts, bringing that deeper emotion to the front of their face.

In an ideal perspective, this is a part that doesn’t need to be written prior to the speech delivery. The reason is that it is quite emotional, allowing your true sentiments to automatically transform into words, stating your love and passion for the lost soul. Yet, acting a bit smart, you need to conclude this properly by giving your inner voice some unique words to explain the greatness of the departed person. It will definitely make your conclusion strong and worth remembering for a lifetime.

Short Eulogy Examples You Need to Know About

Chinese eulogy speaker

It is not important to just know how to write a eulogy speech for parents or spouse; you should also know how to craft it for other relatives as well. Here is a quick rundown of some eulogy examples explaining how it can be written for every deceased relative.

How to Write a Eulogy For Dad

Fathers are the pillars of our families, which is why losing them could be a turning point in our lives. If you don’t know how to write a eulogy for dad, try to include the facts that often went unnoticed during his lifetime. From his relentless efforts to innumerable fatherly love, try to pen everything that could describe his personality as the sole hero of your life.

How to Write a Eulogy for Mother

The love for mother always remains infinite and simply goes beyond the limits of our mortal lives. It is a loss that cannot be repaired by anyone in the world and can simply break you into sadness for a long period of time.

If you do not know how to write a eulogy speech for mother, try to write some words from the deep points of your heart. Include some childhood memories into that speech and give it a flair that looks natural yet very emotional.

How to Write a Eulogy for Grandmother

Writing a eulogy for your grandmother could be very upsetting, provided you were attached very closely with her during the lifetime. To honor her great efforts, try to describe everything that she has done for you starting from childhood to the current stage. As defined in different eulogy outline examples, you can enlist some great memories of her in this final speech, letting people know how cool your grandmother was in all types of motherly aspects.

How to Write a Eulogy for Grandfather

It is a known fact that many people have got a strong bond with their grandfathers, rightly due to various social reasons. Losing them could also break your heart, just like you’ve lost someone very special in life. Hence, writing a eulogy speech for them should be equally emotional and must include points describing the thorough journey of his life.

You can certainly take some good ideas directly from your father while writing a final speech for the grandfather. Try to collect them all and pen smartly in your speech, giving your grandfather a final honorable tribute. 

How to Write a Eulogy for Brother

Brothers are considered as the best friends, which is why their loss is simply irreparable. To honor your brother perfectly at the funeral, write a speech describing the time you’ve spent with him. Try to define the joy and delightful moments both of you have spent with each other through the lifetime. This will simply make your speech lively and cheerful, honoring all the good memories of your brother.

How to Write a Eulogy for Sister

It could be quite difficult to write a eulogy for sisters, as they always remain very close to our heart. They are counted among our first friends, making our entire childhood lovely to remember forever. To give them a loving tribute, we need to make sure to define every positive thing related to their nature. Starting from her caring habits, try to add up everything that she has done for you through the lifetime, standing as a true best friend.

Sample Eulogy Examples

Looking to know how to write a eulogy? Take a look at the below given examples to have some ideas. It will let you know the pattern and tone required to write a eulogy, as that helps people to understand your emotions and thoughts directly from the speech.

How to Write a Eulogy for Dad

“My dad lived his life like a hero. He was the one who told me to always stay confident in life, no matter how big hardships you face. These words really changed me as a person and allowed me to achieve different things in life.

Today, when looking back to the memories of my father, I feel overjoyed to have spent such fabulous time with him. I must admire that he was a person that lived for the people. All of you also know about him and his contributions towards society.

I wish that my dad finds a beautiful place in heaven where he can rest calmly forever. May the almighty god bless him!”

Eulogy Example for Mother

“I will always feel proud for my mother due to her resilient and bold personality. Being an elder son, I grew up watching her sacrifices for our family. She saw various types of hardships, but never complained about it in front of us.

Looking at her, I must say that she was an honest and straightforward person. She was also very much known among the people of society. All of them respected her because of her generous personality. She showed us how to live life by caring for others.

Today, I can say that she will always live strongly in our memories. We will try to honor her soul by continuing her work for humanity in a stronger manner. May she find peace in heaven!”

How to Write a Eulogy for Brother

“Today, we gather with heavy hearts to celebrate the life of my little brother, whose time with us was far too short but whose impact was boundless. He was a bright light, full of curiosity and boundless energy, always ready with a smile or a laugh that could brighten even the darkest days.

My brother had dreams as big as his heart, and he pursued them fearlessly, inspiring us all with his determination and courage. Whether he was conquering new challenges, exploring new interests, or simply being the amazing little brother he was, he showed us how to live fully, unafraid, and with a spirit that was both gentle and fierce.

Today, we mourn, but we also celebrate the incredible gift he was to us all. Though his time here was brief, his legacy will last forever in the lives he touched and the love he shared so freely. My brother may be gone from this world, but he will never be forgotten.”

Do’s and Don’ts of Eulogy Writing

If you do not know how to write a eulogy and what are the do’s and don’ts involved in it, here are some points that could help you out. These points do matter a lot and must be considered while crafting a final day speech.

Do’s

  • Discuss how the lost soul affected your life and helped you to become a better person. Any particular story or incident will elaborate this fact perfectly, helping the attendees to understand your point better.
  • Try to explain the personality of the deceased with good thoughts. You can describe any specific story relating to his/her witty nature. This makes the people remember him/her with good memories and as a nice person.
  • If you are writing a eulogy for a friend, engage the family members of the deceased in your conversation. This will give people a generous view about your relation with his/her family and other relatives.
  • Always take ideas from friends or relatives who were also close to the deceased. This will broaden your range of points to deliver in eulogy, making an impact among the audience.

Don’ts

  • While writing a eulogy, do not include any point that will show a negative aspect of the deceased. This speech must be written in a positive manner, so that people can always remember the person with good thoughts.
  • Do not become too agitated about how to deliver a speech at the funeral. Yes, it could be a bit of an emotional day, but try to remain focused by controlling your thoughts. This will bring the best out of you, helping people to connect with your speech.
  • Your eulogy outline should not only include emotional points. It should contain a little flair of fun elements associated with the character of the departed person.
  • Do not write a eulogy centered around just a few points. Try to include different facts about the lost person, so that people can know his/her versatile personality.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

What does eulogy mean?
Eulogy is a type of special speech given at the day of funeral for the deceased person. Its primary objective is to honor the dead soul with good thoughts, allowing people to remember him/her always.
What points to include in a eulogy speech?
Your eulogy speech should include all the points highlighting a good character of the lost soul. From nature to social caring habits and more, the speech should include all representing the best image of the person.
How long should you write a eulogy?
The length of the eulogy depends on the facts you are intending to highlight at the day of the funeral. Ideally, it should be around 15-30 minutes, discussing all the major traits of the departed person.
Who usually writes a eulogy?
Eulogy is a special speech that is written by that person who has remained very close to the deceased soul. Whether it is a son or childhood friend, the speech is always delivered by the closest person.
Where can I get eulogy speech ideas?
To write a good final day speech, you need to consult and take ideas from all those people who were closely engaged with the late person. This will give you different points to write on and highlight effectively among the people.

Final Words

Writing a eulogy can be very emotional and might require solid assistance if you don’t have any prior knowledge of it. The above defined points will let you know how to write a eulogy for a family member, giving your loved one an honorable tribute. This speech will highlight all the positives about the deceased person, helping the people to remember his/her nature and contributions forever.

Considering the above points, your speech will be impactful, showcasing all the good points of the departed soul. It will definitely be an emotional moment, which is why a good eulogy is needed to make it memorable for the lifetime.  

Econtentsol Logo

Unleash your brand story`s potential with eContentSol – your creative writing companion. We craft narratives that captivate. Ready to elevate your content game? Dive into creativity with us and let`s bring your ideas to life.