9.8 Chapter Summary
Key Summary Points
- There are various forms of death-related communications (e.g., death notices, obituaries, elegies, eulogies).
- Death notices and obituaries are public notices of death. They differ in the amount of information they provide, with the former being much shorter (i.e., no biographical sketch, information on the family, or special messages).
- Elegies and eulogies are similar in that they are given before an audience of attendees (i.e., at funerals, graveside, celebrations of life, etc.). The former is an expression of grief in the form of a mournful poem or song and the latter is a speech honouring and paying tribute to the deceased.
- There are a number of elements that need to be included in an obituary. It is important to do research and make sure the information contained is accurate.
- There are a series of steps involved in writing and preparing to give a eulogy. Although it can be a challenging task, it can also be a therapeutic exercise.
- Writing one’s own obituary and/or eulogy can be a powerful personal exercise and/or wake-up-call for the writer. Leaving a pre-written obituary and/or eulogy is also helpful for surviving family and friends, who then have one less thing to take care of while dealing with their grief and loss.
Additional Resources
Below are a list of supplementary resources for students interested in learning more about the chapter topics. These resources are NOT required course materials. A list of required course materials, beyond those found throughout this chapter, are provided on the following page.
Additional Viewings
TED. (March 23, 2017). What I learned from 2,000 obituaries – Lux Narayan [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/JlbwchclCBo
TED. (February 20, 2019). Millennials try writing their own eulogy [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/zl4DZtspowY
TED. (February 2, 2020). Eulogies for the living – Andrea Driessen [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/6N0U6iri2As
Additional Readings
Barnett, R. (June 9, 2017). What 2,000 deaths can teach us about living a good life. Ideas.TED.com. https://ideas.ted.com/what-2000-deaths-can-teach-us-about-living-a-good-life/
Meade, L. (n.d.). Eulogy-Good Words. In Advanced Public Speaking. https://uark.pressbooks.pub/speaking/chapter/eulogy/
Tetrault, S. (August 22, 2022). Guide to obituary etiquette: Predeceased family & more. Joincake.com. https://www.joincake.com/blog/obituary-etiquette-predeceased/
Thompson, R. (April 8, 2017). A guide to Facebook etiquette after someone has died. Mashable.com. https://mashable.com/article/facebook-etiquette-grief
Williams, J. (2003). Obituaries. In C. Bryant & D. Peck (Eds.), Handbook of death and dying (pp. 694-702). SAGE Publications Inc. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412914291
Elegies & Eulogies by & for Famous People
ABC News. (June 10, 2016). Muhammad Ali Funeral – Billy Crystal Eulogy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XB3sD9QJCI
Carlson, M. (January 2, 2022). Betty White obituary. TheGuardian.com. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jan/02/betty-white-obituary
CNN. (June 6, 2015). Obama delivers Beau Biden’s eulogy [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/SEe6Bnw1w3I
Paiz, K. (May 11, 2018). Billy Crystal’s Robin Williams Eulogy [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wgNgwFcLy90
Schultz, P. (November 3, 2008). Big bird at Jim Henson’s memorial [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/lrZyMptC2eQ
Waterstones. (October 13, 2022). Emma Thompson’s moving tribute to Alan Rickman [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bo9b0rLQYUc
WX11 12 News. (June 7, 2014). Full remarks: First Lady Michelle Obama [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/fTrqFE1nbIc