Death notice generator

A few quiet words, in print.

Death notices are an important, but often forgotten, part of the funeral and estate management process. We’ve designed a simple generator to help you write one.

What the tool does

The hardest part is starting.

  • Gentle prompts

    A few small choices, not a blank page. We help you find the right words.

  • A short, fitting notice

    The tool produces the four short sentences a classifieds notice asks for.

  • Copy and send

    Copy the generated text and pass it to your funeral director, or paste it into the newspaper portal.

  • Print or online

    Works for both newspaper classifieds and online obituary listings.

What a death notice is

A short listing. A long-lasting record.

A death notice is a listing placed in the Classifieds or Obituaries of a print newspaper to communicate someone’s passing. The family writes the death notice of the deceased person, and the funeral director organises its printing.

Unlike an obituary, a death notice contains minimal information: the name, the date, the age, the relationships, a closing sentiment, and, optionally, the service details.

Like all aspects of the post-death bureaucratic process, death notices can be hard to write. Our generator walks through the pieces one at a time, so you don’t have to face a blank page.

The generator

Eight steps. A few minutes.

Work through the form on the right. The order matches the eight steps below.

How to use the generator

  1. Enter the name of the deceased.

  2. Select the date of their passing.

  3. Enter their age.

  4. Choose a simple verb to communicate your feelings towards them.

  5. Select the most important of their relationships. You can choose multiple, but we recommend a maximum of three.

  6. Select a closing sentiment.

  7. Optionally, include the type, date, and location of their funeral service by filling the relevant boxes.

  8. Hit 'Generate', then copy the text and send it to your funeral director.

Write the notice

One more thing

While you’re here, write a Will too.

A legally binding Australian Will, sorted online in about 20 minutes. It saves your family the same kind of guesswork the death notice generator just spared you.