Gentle reading, for hard weeks.
Plain guides written by humans, edited with care. Short enough to read at 2 a.m. Long enough to actually help.
Writing the eulogy
Eulogies by relationship and the mechanics of writing one, from opening line to lectern.
How to write a eulogy
A gentle, step-by-step guide to writing a eulogy when you have never written one before.
How long should a eulogy be
Most eulogies are five to seven minutes. Here is why, and what fits in that time.
Eulogy opening lines
Ten original opening lines for a eulogy, grouped by tone. How to begin when the first sentence is the hardest.
Eulogy closing lines
Ten example endings for a eulogy, grouped by tone. How to land the last sentence so the room can breathe.
Short eulogy examples
Three short, original eulogies at one, two, and three minutes. For when time is short and the moment still matters.
Short eulogy for a funeral
What to do when the family asks you to speak the day before. A two-minute eulogy template, a fill-in outline, and the words for last-minute speakers.
Funny eulogy examples
Three humorous eulogies that honor without offending, plus the test for when humor belongs and when it doesn't.
Religious eulogy examples
Short example eulogies for Catholic, Christian Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, and secular services, with notes on what each tradition expects.
How to read a eulogy without crying
Practical, compassionate guidance for delivering a eulogy when your voice is shaking. Tears are allowed. Here is how to keep going.
What to wear to give a eulogy
Practical and tender guidance on dressing for the day you speak. Color, fit, and one tip about pockets.
Eulogy for a mother
How to write a eulogy for your mom, with three example openings and the questions that help most.
Eulogy for a father
How to write a eulogy for your dad, with three example openings and questions that gather memories.
Eulogy for a grandmother
A grandmother holds a family together. Here is how to honor her, with examples.
Eulogy for a grandfather
How to remember your grandfather in a eulogy, with three example openings.
Eulogy for a husband
How to write a eulogy for your husband, with two example openings and a section for second marriages and complicated love.
Eulogy for a wife
How to write a eulogy for your wife, with two example openings and the small everyday details that bring her back into the room.
Eulogy for a sister
How to honor your sister in a eulogy, with two example openings and the role shared childhood plays.
Eulogy for a brother
How to write a eulogy for your brother, with two example openings, including a variant for sudden loss.
Eulogy for an aunt
How to write a eulogy for your aunt, with an example opening and the questions that gather a generation of stories.
Eulogy for an uncle
How to honor your uncle in a eulogy, with an example opening and a section on speaking for the cousins.
Eulogy for a son
There is no good eulogy for a child. There are tender ones. Two short example openings and gentle guidance for the hardest day.
Eulogy for a daughter
Two short example openings and gentle guidance for writing a eulogy for your daughter. Take your time.
Eulogy for a best friend
How to write a eulogy for a friend, with two example openings and a section on speaking for the rest of the friend group.
Eulogy for a coworker
How to speak about a colleague at a memorial. Workplace tone, brief, sincere.
Eulogy for a teacher
How to write a eulogy for a teacher who shaped you, with an example opening and gentle structure.
Eulogy for a pet
Pet grief is real grief. How to write a short eulogy for the animal who shared your life, with two example openings.
Eulogy vs obituary vs tribute
Three small words that get mixed up. What each one is, where it lives, and who writes it.
Writing the obituary
How to write a clear, warm obituary, format it for newspapers, and ask for donations in lieu of flowers.
How to write an obituary
What to include, how long it should be, and how to honor a life in a few short paragraphs.
Obituary newspaper format
How newspapers structure an obituary, what they charge per line, and how to fit a life into a column inch without losing it.
In lieu of flowers wording
Gentle phrasing for asking that donations go to a meaningful cause instead.
Memorial donation page
How to set up a donation page in memory of someone, what to write on it, and how to share the link in the obituary.
The service and after
Planning checklists, livestream notes, wake etiquette, sympathy cards, and the long-tail anniversaries.
What to say at a funeral
Words that help, words that hurt, and how to speak when nothing feels like enough.
Funeral planning checklist
Everything that needs to happen in the first week, in plain order. Print or save it.
What to do after someone dies
A comprehensive guide to the first days, the first weeks, and the months that follow.
How to tell the children
Age-by-age guidance for telling kids that someone they love has died, with the words to use.
Funeral program template
A printable order of service template, plus what each section is for and how to adapt it to a religious or secular memorial.
Cremation vs burial cost
Plain numbers, range by region, and what is actually included. The honest comparison families want at the kitchen table.
Funeral livestream tips
Setup, etiquette, what to say to remote viewers, and how to keep the recording for the people who could not be there.
Sympathy card wording
Ten example wordings for a sympathy card, grouped by relationship and tone. Short, sincere, and easy to copy.
What to bring to a wake
A practical list, plus the unwritten rules about food, flowers, cards, and arriving on time.
Anniversary of a death
What families do on the first anniversary and the ones that follow. Six gentle rituals, and permission to ignore them all.
Choosing Stillwith
Honest comparisons with ChatGPT, Forever Missed, Everloved, Tribute, Keeper, and the funeral home's free page.
Stillwith vs ChatGPT for eulogies
ChatGPT can draft a eulogy in 30 seconds. Here is what it does well, where Stillwith goes deeper, and when each is the right call.
Stillwith vs Forever Missed
A side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, AI capability, and the experience families have on the day.
Stillwith vs Everloved
How Stillwith and Everloved compare on memorial sites, donations, AI writing, and ongoing cost.
Stillwith vs Tribute
How Stillwith and Tribute compare on group video memorials, written eulogies, and what families keep after the service.
Stillwith vs Keeper
A short, honest comparison of Stillwith and Keeper memorial websites, with pricing and feature differences.
Stillwith vs the funeral home website
Should you just use the free memorial page the funeral home gave you? Honest answer. The funeral home page serves the funeral home. This one serves your family.
Looking for something else? See every page on the site.
We're here when you're ready.
If you don't know where to start, that's okay. Stillwith gathers the small pieces, and gently helps you put them into words.