Eulogy for a grandfather

Writing a eulogy for your grandfather is an honor and a challenge. He may have been the man you knew best as a child and least as an adult, or the other way around. Your job is to gather the pieces you do remember, and put them in the room with everyone else who loved him.

The workshop, the toolbox, the porch

Grandfathers often had a place. The garage. The basement workshop. The fishing boat. The chair on the porch. The eulogy can start there. Place anchors memory in a way that abstract praise never does.

Three example openings

For more starting lines in other tones, see our list of eulogy opening lines. For the broader structure, see our main piece on how to write a eulogy.

Example one, the workshop

My grandfather kept his tools on a pegboard, each one outlined in black marker, so he would know where to put it back. He outlined his whole life that way. Everything in its place. Everyone accounted for.

Example two, the long walk

Grandpa was a walker. He walked the same loop every morning at seven, in any weather, for forty-three years. He said the loop kept him honest. As far as I can tell, he was right.

Example three, the steady voice

My grandfather's voice never went up. It never went down. It was the same calm tone whether he was telling you about the war, or about how to grill a steak, or about how proud he was of you. Especially how proud he was of you. He saved that one for the end of every visit.

What to include about a grandfather

• His place: the workshop, garage, garden, or favorite chair
• A skill he passed down, or tried to
• A phrase he used, in his own words
• One story from his life that you grew up hearing
• What you carry of him forward

If you are nervous about delivering it

Many grandsons and granddaughters worry about losing their composure at the lectern. Our piece on how to read a eulogy without crying offers practical, chaplain-tested guidance.

Honoring a man of few words

Many grandfathers did not say much. That does not mean there is less to write. It means the work is to translate what he showed into what you say. A grandfather who fixed things for everyone in the family for fifty years has communicated a great deal. The eulogy can be the moment that finally puts it into language.

Veteran or service member

If he served, you may want a brief mention of his service, but the eulogy is for the man, not the resume. One or two sentences on his military years is usually enough. If you want a full tribute, coordinate with whoever is handling the military honors.