Death Notices and Funeral Notices
When someone dies, families sometimes choose to publish a notice in a newspaper or online to let others know what has happened.
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, a death notice and a funeral notice usually serve different purposes.
Death notice
A death notice announces that someone has died. It is usually focused on the person who has died and their family.
A death notice might include:
- the person’s full name
- their date of death
- their age, if the family wishes
- names or relationships of close family members
- a short personal message, verse or farewell
- funeral details, if they are already known
A death notice can be particularly useful when the family wants to let friends, relatives and the wider community know about the death before the funeral arrangements are announced.
Funeral notice
A funeral notice is primarily about telling people when and where the funeral or memorial service will take place.
It might include:
- the person’s name
- the date and time of the service
- the location
- whether there will be a burial or cremation
- details of a wake or gathering afterwards
- requests about flowers or donations
- livestream details, if applicable
The exact way newspapers classify these notices varies. Some publications allow a combined death and funeral notice, while others publish them separately.
Do you need both?
No. There is no requirement to publish either notice.
Some families publish a death notice first and a funeral notice later. Others combine the two into one notice. Some choose not to publish a newspaper notice at all and instead tell family and friends directly, use social media, or publish information through an online funeral or memorial page.
The choice usually comes down to what feels appropriate for the family, the people they want to reach and the cost of publishing the notice.
A brief example
Death notice
Funeral notice
The wording can be as formal, simple or personal as the family chooses.
A combined notice
For many families, a single notice can do both jobs:
One thing to remember
A newspaper or online notice is an invitation to the wider community, not the only way to tell people about a death or funeral.
MyRest can help you decide what information to include and how to word a notice if you need a hand.