Obituary for Mother: How to Write Your Mom's Obituary

Writing an obituary for your mother means fitting her whole life into a few hundred words, often within a day or two of losing her. This page walks you through an obituary for mom step by step: how to include her maiden name and her own working life, how to list her children and grandchildren, and opening and closing lines you can adapt. Below are two sample obituaries for a mother, a warm one from a daughter and a short traditional one from a son, plus a template you can fill in.

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Typical length
250-400 words online; 120-200 in the paper
Name to use
First, middle, maiden and married name, plus nickname
Often written by
Her children, together, with one person drafting
Easy to forget
Her own career, her siblings, her friends

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Obituary for mom examples

Each example below was written by Toastful from the answers shown under it, so you can see exactly how your own stories turn into a finished obituary. Names and details are fictional.

Example 1: Daughter for her mom, warm and personal, typical online length

297 words

Yolanda Denise Brooks, age 73, of Decatur, Georgia, died at home on October 7, 2026.

Yolanda was born on November 3, 1952, in Macon, Georgia, to Willie and Hattie Simmons. She graduated from Ballard-Hudson High School in Macon and went on to Spelman College, where she graduated in 1974.

She spent 31 years as a kindergarten teacher at an elementary school in DeKalb County. She could quiet a room of 25 five-year-olds with one raised finger and a smile.

In 1976, she married Curtis Brooks. They raised three children in the same brick house in Decatur, and they were married for 50 years.

Yolanda sang soprano in the Greater Hope Baptist Church choir for 40 years. Her peach cobbler was requested at every church homecoming. Every Sunday after church, she called each of her children, and she began every call the same way: "Tell me something good." She never left the house without lipstick and a peppermint for whoever needed one.

She is survived by her husband, Curtis Brooks; her children, Keisha (Andre) Mitchell, Curtis Jr. (Tamika) Brooks and Jasmine Brooks; six grandchildren; and her sisters, Bernice Walker and Gloria Simmons.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie and Hattie Simmons, and her brother, Earl Simmons.

A homegoing service will be held Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Greater Hope Baptist Church in Decatur. A viewing will be held one hour before the service. Burial will follow at Westview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory may be made to the Greater Hope Baptist Church youth choir.

The family thanks her home health nurse, Ms. Patrice, for her loving care.

Yolanda Brooks filled her home, her classroom and her church with song, warmth and good things. She will be deeply missed.

What the writer told Toastful to get this letter
Writer
Keisha, daughter
Basics
Born November 3, 1952, in Macon, Georgia, to Willie and Hattie Simmons. Died October 7, 2026, at home in Decatur.
Life story
She graduated from Ballard-Hudson High School in Macon and from Spelman College in 1974. She taught kindergarten for 31 years at an elementary school in DeKalb County. She married Curtis Brooks in 1976, and they raised three children in the same brick house in Decatur.
Personality
Mama could quiet a room of 25 five-year-olds with one raised finger and a smile. She sang soprano in the Greater Hope Baptist Church choir for 40 years, and her peach cobbler was requested at every church homecoming. She called each of her children every Sunday after church and started every call with 'Tell me something good.' She never left the house without lipstick and a peppermint for whoever needed one.
Survivors
Her husband of 50 years, Curtis; her children, Keisha (Andre) Mitchell, Curtis Jr. (Tamika) Brooks and Jasmine Brooks; six grandchildren; and her sisters, Bernice Walker and Gloria Simmons.
Predeceased
Her parents, Willie and Hattie Simmons, and her brother, Earl Simmons.
Service
Homegoing service Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Greater Hope Baptist Church in Decatur, with viewing one hour before. Burial will follow at Westview Cemetery.
Donations
Gifts in her memory may be made to the Greater Hope Baptist Church youth choir.
Extras
The family thanks her home health nurse, Ms. Patrice, for her loving care.
Write mine with my stories

Example 2: Son for his mother, traditional, short

189 words

Mei-Ling Chen, 86, of San Francisco, California, died on October 4, 2026, in San Francisco.

Mrs. Chen was born in 1940 in Guangzhou, China. She came to San Francisco in 1962 and worked as a seamstress. In 1971, she opened Golden Lotus, a small family restaurant on Clement Street. She ran it with her husband, Wei, for 35 years.

Mrs. Chen worked seven days a week, yet she still found time to grow bok choy and winter melon on her back steps. She knew every regular customer's order by heart. She never let a child leave the restaurant without an orange. Those who knew her will remember her hard work, her generosity and her care for others.

She is survived by her sons, David (Grace) Chen and Peter (Amy) Chen; her daughter, Helen (Richard) Wong; and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wei Chen, in 2018.

A funeral service will be held at Golden Gate Memorial Chapel in San Francisco. [Date and time of service to be announced.]

Mei-Ling Chen will be remembered with love by her family and by the many people she served.

What the writer told Toastful to get this letter
Writer
David, son
Basics
Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1940. Died October 4, 2026, in San Francisco.
Life story
She came to San Francisco in 1962, worked as a seamstress, and in 1971 opened Golden Lotus, a small family restaurant on Clement Street, which she ran with her husband, Wei, for 35 years.
Personality
She worked seven days a week and still found time to grow bok choy and winter melon on the back steps. She knew every regular customer's order by heart and never let a child leave the restaurant without an orange.
Survivors
Her sons, David (Grace) Chen and Peter (Amy) Chen; her daughter, Helen (Richard) Wong; and seven grandchildren.
Predeceased
Her husband, Wei Chen, in 2018.
Service
A funeral service will be held at Golden Gate Memorial Chapel in San Francisco. Date and time to be announced.
Write mine with my stories

How to structure it

  1. 1

    Use her full name, including her maiden name

    Many women were known by different names at different times. Write it the way the funeral home and newspapers expect: "Margaret Ann (Kelly) Doyle" or "Margaret Ann Doyle, née Kelly," plus her nickname in quotation marks. Old school friends and cousins often search for the maiden name.

  2. 2

    Announce her death simply

    Give her age, hometown and the date she died. Add the place, like at home or at a care home, if you wish. Say nothing about how she died unless your family has agreed to it.

  3. 3

    Tell her story before she was Mom

    Where she was born, her parents' names, where she grew up and went to school. Then her work: the job she held for decades, the one she gave up to raise children, or the business she ran from the kitchen table. Mothers' working lives are the part of their story most often skipped.

  4. 4

    Show who she was with two or three real details

    Her dish, her garden, her church choir, the way she answered the phone, the cards she never forgot to send. Pick details her friends and neighbors would recognize too, not only her children.

  5. 5

    List her family in the usual order

    Her husband or partner first (or a note that he died before her), then her children in birth order with their spouses in parentheses, then grandchildren and great-grandchildren, then her own brothers and sisters. Include stepchildren and the 'bonus kids' she treated as her own if the family agrees.

  6. 6

    Add the service, donations and thanks

    Visitation, funeral or memorial and burial details, an "in lieu of flowers" charity she cared about, and thanks to the nurses, aides or care home staff who looked after her. Leave [brackets] for anything not yet confirmed.

Opening and closing lines

Ways to open

  • “[Mom's Full Name] ([Maiden Name]), [age], of [City], died on [date], at [home / place], with her [children / family] beside her.”
  • “[Mom's Full Name], [age], who spent [number] years [teaching first grade / running the family diner / nursing at St. Luke's], died on [date] in [City].”
  • “[First Name] "[Nickname]" [Last Name], devoted mother of [number] and grandmother of [number], died on [date] at the age of [age].”
  • “[Mom's Full Name], née [Maiden Name], of [City], died on [date]. She was [age], and she had never once forgotten a birthday.”
  • “Our mother, [Mom's Full Name], died on [date] in [City]. She was [age] years old and the heart of a very large family.”
  • “[Mom's Full Name], [age], of [City], died on [date]. Known to her grandchildren as [Grandma Name] and to the whole street as [what neighbors called her], she was born on [date] in [Birthplace].”
  • “[Mom's Full Name], [age], died on [date] in [City], [number] years after she arrived from [Home Country] with [what she brought, e.g. two suitcases and a sewing machine].”
  • “With love and sorrow, the children of [Mom's Full Name] share that their mother died on [date] in [City]. She was [age].”

Closing lines

  • “She was the first call for good news and bad, and her family will miss her voice every day.”
  • “Her children and grandchildren will keep her [recipes / garden / traditions] going.”
  • “In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you [call your mother / bake something for a neighbor / donate to Organization] in her memory.”
  • “The family is deeply grateful to [care home, hospice or aide's name] for the kindness they showed her.”
  • “She will be missed at every [Sunday dinner / Christmas Eve / Friday card game] and remembered at every one after.”
  • “She loved her family fiercely, and that love will outlast all of us.”
  • “Rest well, Mom. [Your house / Your garden / Your kitchen] is full of you.”
  • “She will be lovingly remembered by her family and by everyone who ever sat at her table.”
  • “May she rest in peace.”

Fill-in-the-blank template

Prefer to write it yourself? Copy this and replace everything in [brackets].

[MOM'S FIRST AND MIDDLE NAME] ([MAIDEN NAME]) [MARRIED NAME], [AGE], of [CITY, STATE], died on [DATE] at [PLACE].

She was born on [DATE] in [BIRTHPLACE] to [HER PARENTS' NAMES], the [ELDEST / YOUNGEST / ONLY / SECOND] of [NUMBER] children. She grew up in [TOWN] and graduated from [SCHOOL] in [YEAR].

[FIRST NAME] worked as a [JOB] at [PLACE] for [NUMBER] years, [ONE DETAIL ABOUT HER WORK]. In [YEAR] she married [HUSBAND OR PARTNER'S NAME], and together they raised [NUMBER] children in [TOWN].

She was known for [WHAT EVERYONE REMEMBERS ABOUT HER, E.G. HER SUNDAY POT ROAST, HER LAUGH, HER CARDS FOR EVERY OCCASION]. She loved [PASSION], [SECOND PASSION] and, most of all, [HER GRANDCHILDREN / HER FAMILY / HER FRIENDS AT CHURCH]. She always said, "[HER SAYING]."

[FIRST NAME] is survived by [HER HUSBAND OF NUMBER YEARS, NAME]; her children, [NAME (SPOUSE)] and [NAME (SPOUSE)]; [NUMBER] grandchildren; [NUMBER] great-grandchildren; and her [SISTERS/BROTHERS], [NAMES]. She was preceded in death by [HER PARENTS], [HUSBAND, IF APPLICABLE] and [SIBLINGS].

A [FUNERAL / MEMORIAL] service will be held on [DATE] at [TIME] at [PLACE], with visitation [BEFOREHAND / THE EVENING BEFORE] at [FUNERAL HOME]. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to [ORGANIZATION]. The family thanks [CAREGIVERS OR HOSPICE] for their gentle care. [ONE SHORT CLOSING LINE ABOUT MOM.]

Tips and mistakes to avoid

Do

  • Ask her siblings or oldest friend to confirm her maiden name, birthplace and the year she married.
  • Include her own career or skills in full, even if she left work to raise you; it was part of who she was.
  • Agree with your siblings who drafts the obituary and who checks it, so one person isn't doing it all alone.
  • If she married more than once, decide as a family how to name each husband and any stepchildren.
  • Choose a recent photo she liked, or one from her younger years, and ask the funeral home if both can appear online.
  • Use her exact words for any favorite saying, the way she said it, not tidied up.
  • If she lived her last years in a care home, thank the staff by name or by the name of the home.

Avoid

  • Don't describe her only through her children; she had a life, friends and a name before you.
  • Don't forget her own brothers and sisters, who are losing a sister, in the survivors list.
  • Don't include details of dementia or her final illness unless the family has agreed to share them.
  • Don't rely on general words like "selfless" or "saint" without one example that shows it.
  • Don't list grandchildren unevenly, with names for some families and not others.
  • Don't publish before checking the spelling of every in-law's name.

Frequently asked questions

What should I include in an obituary for my mother?

Her full name with maiden name and nickname, her age, hometown and date of death; where she was born and her parents' names; her schooling and work; her marriage; two or three details that show who she was; her survivors and those who died before her; and service and donation details. Leave out anything she or your family would prefer to keep private, including how she died.

How long should an obituary for mom be?

Most obituaries for a mother run 250 to 400 words on a funeral home website or online memorial, which are usually free. A newspaper obituary is often shorter, around 120 to 200 words, because papers usually charge by the line or word and costs vary a lot, so ask for a quote. Many families print a short notice and post the full version online.

Who should write my mother's obituary?

Usually one of her children, often the one who's most comfortable writing, with the others checking facts. If her husband is still living, include him in the decisions even if he doesn't write it. Your aunts and uncles are great for early-life details, and the funeral director can help with format and deadlines. Some mothers leave notes or even a draft of their own; ask before you start.

How do I write my mom's maiden name in an obituary?

The most common style is to put it in parentheses between her first and married names, as in "Ruth Ann (Miller) Thompson." You can also write "Ruth Ann Thompson, née Miller." If she was married more than once, most families use her current legal name and mention earlier names only if they help people recognize her. Ask her siblings to confirm the spelling.

Should my mother's obituary mention how she died?

Only if your family wants it to. It's very common to leave out the cause of death completely. If she lived with an illness for years, some families say "after a long illness" or name it so readers can donate to a related cause. If she had dementia, you can simply describe who she was for most of her life and leave the last years private.

How do I list my mother's children and grandchildren?

List her children in birth order, each with their spouse or partner in parentheses, such as "Ann (Mark) Lewis." Include stepchildren where the family agrees. For grandchildren, either name them all or give a number, like "eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren," and treat every branch of the family the same way. Then list her own siblings, who are easy to forget.

How can Toastful help me write an obituary for my mother?

Choose daughter, son or another relationship, enter her name, age and hometown, and answer questions about her life, her personality, her family and any service plans. Toastful writes a third-person obituary from only the facts you give, in about a minute, with a free preview. The full obituary is $9.95 with a PDF and e-mail copy, or $17.95 Complete with a newspaper death notice and social media announcement. 30-day money-back guarantee.

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