Obit Writing

One section of my hometown newspaper that I never fail to read is the obituaries. I don’t have some weird fascination with death and dying or anything, but I always read the obits to see if I recognize any of the names or faces. Sadly, I usually do.

I’ve worked at my small town’s pharmacy for four years. Because I’ve worked with my town’s senior citizens I usually recognize the faces of people who’ve died. Sometimes I’m not surprised because I know an individual had been battling cancer or some other terminal illness. Some times I know the people well but in most circumstances I learn a lot about a person’s life from reading their obit.

Another reason why I read the obituaries is because I do live in a SMALL town. Everyone seemingly knows everyone else. By knowing who’s passed away it helps me to serve my customers better. Sometimes I know relatives of the person who passed away and when they come in to by a sympathy card I can give them my condolences.

The sections of the reading that really stuck out to me were about bringing obituaries to life and crafting the lead. These stuck out to me because I know first hand how important it is to writing an interesting and poignant recount of someone’s life.

When a close friend of mine was killed in a car accident junior year it affected my whole community. As the editor of my high school newspaper, it was my responsibility to write an article about her life and – the most difficult part—her death.

That article was probably the most difficult one I’ve ever written. I felt like every word that I put down on the paper didn’t do justice to the amazing person she was. But, I knew that something had to be written, something that could lie to rest the rumors surrounding her death and provide solace to our grieving community.

I think the article that went to print was kind of a hybrid-obit. It didn’t just state the facts in about Hannah’s death, her memorial service, and her family. Instead, I was able to craft a piece that spoke to who Hannah was, how she impacted our school’s community, and how she was missed.

I think that’s the goal for all journalists: to write in a way that makes the reader feel like you really knew the person, even if you’ve never met.