7. Proofread and verify
Obituaries are permanent, indexed and archived. Twenty minutes prevents a lasting error.
Checklist
- Every proper noun spelled correctly
- Age consistent with birth and death dates
- Service times verified twice
- Donation charity name and URL tested
- Read aloud start to finish
- Reviewed by two or more relatives
- Phone numbers and emails confirmed
Read it on paper. Errors hide on screens, especially in names you have typed many times.
Read it aloud start to finish. Your ear catches repeated phrases and missing verbs your eye slides past.
Check names, dates and numbers against source documents — not against your own draft. Verifying a typo against itself proves nothing.
Have two people review it, including someone from a different family branch.
Check the arithmetic: does the birth year match the stated age at the date of death? This is the most common published error.
Tip Check names against a wedding invitation, holiday card list or the funeral home's paperwork — not memory.