Obituary

For information on the Death Metal band, see Obituary (band)

An obituary is a notice of the Death of a person, usually published in a newspaper, written or commissioned by the newspaper, and usually including a short Biography . It is similar to a funeral notice, which is also published on the obituary page. A funeral notice is a paid advertisement written by family members, placed in the newspaper by the Funeral Home .

WRITING OBITUARIES

Because of the short time between the notification of a death and the next publication deadline, most newspapers have one or more clerks who specialize in typing such things as obituaries. Sometimes, this task is given to a cub reporter (often to allow an editor to evaluate writing and copyreading skills), although today many obituary clerks also have other duties (such as typing news releases and social news).

Many newspaper affiliates (such as the Associated Press ) have pre-written obituaries for famous people who are still alive; these obituaries are updated when the well-known person dies.

CONTENT OF OBITUARIES

The content of obituaries varies, but (at least in American newspapers) usually follow a similar format:

The person's name, age, where he/she lived and death date and place. Sometimes, the circumstances surrounding the death are publicized as well.

Information about visitation (time, date and place when they can view the body and visit with family members); the Funeral , usually at a Funeral Home and/or Church ; and often, the burial site. Sometimes, the names of Pallbearers are also listed.

The Decedent 's birth date (along with a maiden name if the decedent was a female who married), his/her birth town and his/her parents (often along with the mother's maiden name included).

Marriage information (name of spouse, date and location of marriage). Previous marriages, if any.

Where the decedent was employed (and if he/she is now retired).

Memberships, from social and religious to vocational.

Hobbies, notable accomplishments and other interests, as appropriate.

A listing of survivors, including spouse, children (and sometimes, their spouses), grandchildren, siblings and other close relatives and friends.

A listing of close relatives who preceded the decedent in Death . Unless the decedent is young or is survived by his/her mother or father, his/her parents are not listed (especially when the decedent is very old, as it is assumed the parents are also deceased).

While in the U.S. obituaries are almost always reverent and respectful, in Britain it is far more permissible for the writer to attack or mock the subject. An example is the .

PREMATURE OBITUARIES

By definition, obituaries should always be Posthumous . Occasionally Premature Obituaries are published while the person concerned is still alive, either accidentally or intentionally. Most of these are accidental and concern well known personalities (such as Mark Twain and Bob Hope ). Some others are published because of miscommunication between newspapers, family members and the Funeral Home , often resulting in embarrassment for everyone involved.

However, some people will seek to have an unsuspecting newspaper editor publish a premature obituary out of malice, usually to gain revenge on someone or obtain a financial settlement they believe they are entitled to. To that end, nearly all newspapers now have policies requiring that death notices come from a reliable source (such as a Funeral Home ), though even this has not stopped some pranksters such as Alan Abel .

OBITUARIES IN PARTICULAR PUBLICATIONS

Obituaries are a notable feature of The Economist , which publishes precisely one full-page obituary per week, reflecting on the subject's life and influence on world history. Past subjects have ranged from Ray Charles to Uday Hussein .

The British Medical Journal encourages doctors to write their own obituaries for publication after their death.

Pan Books publishes a series called ''The Daily Telegraph Book of Obituaries'', which are Anthologies of obituaries under a common theme, such as military obituaries, sports obituaries, heroes and adventurers, entertainers, rogues, eccentric lives, etc.

SEE ALSO