In moments of loss and grief, finding the right words to honor a loved one’s memory can be a daunting task. Obituary quotes serve as poignant reminders of the impact individuals have had on our lives and the legacies they leave behind. These carefully chosen words encapsulate the essence of a person, offering solace and reflection to those who mourn their passing.
In the art of crafting an obituary, quotes play a vital role in conveying the personality, values, and cherished moments of the departed. Whether drawn from literature, philosophy, or personal anecdotes, these quotes have the power to evoke memories, stir emotions, and celebrate a life well-lived. They serve as beacons of comfort amidst the darkness of loss, providing a source of strength and unity for grieving families and communities.
Below, you will find a collection of obituary quotes spanning a spectrum of sentiments and themes. These words of wisdom, love, and remembrance can be utilized to adorn memorial services, accompany written tributes, or serve as inspiration for personal reflections. Feel free to browse, select, and utilize these quotes as you navigate the delicate task of commemorating a loved one’s journey.
Scarcely a day goes by without some claim that new technologies are fast writing newsprint’s obituary. Rupert Murdoch
I’m fairly certain when I die that the obituary will say, ‘Author of ‘Angels in America’ dies.’ Unless I’m completely forgotten, and then it won’t say anything at all. Tony Kushner
Anyone who has to write an obituary for me one day will probably say, ‘She did absolute depths of agony really well.’ I’m not, however, an unhappy person. Lesley Manville
Josephine Baker is such an iconic woman that once you’ve touched her and she has touched you, it never goes away. I’m stuck with her. I’m sure 50 years from now, when they write my obituary, they will mention that I played Josephine Baker. It’ll be on my epitaph. Lynn Whitfield
When I die, if the word ‘thong’ appears in the first or second sentence of my obituary, I’ve screwed up. Albert Brooks
You know, one of the only times I ever wrote about art was the obituary of Warhol that I did for the Village Voice. Barbara Kruger
You know how Bette Midler always says her obituary will read, ‘Bette Midler dies. Started her career at the Continental Baths?’ Mine will say ‘Chris March died. He was on Season 4 of ‘Project Runway.” It’s an amazing show, it did a lot for me, and I’m fine with it. Unless it becomes terribly disreputable. Chris March
Beyond being timely, an obituary has a more subjective duty: to assess its subject’s impact. Walter Cronkite
I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary notices I have read with pleasure. Clarence Darrow
When a writer dies you get a higher standard of obituary. Arthur Smith
There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary. Brendan Behan
In the morning, I get the paper. I look in the obituary column. If I don’t see myself in there, I get up. Melvin Van Peebles
The savage repression of blacks, which can be estimated by reading the obituary columns of the nation’s dailies, Fred Hampton, etc., has not failed to register on the black inmates. George Jackson
Sometimes a famous subject may even outlive his own obituary writer. Walter Cronkite
If I were to win the Nobel Prize in Literature – which I think it’s fairly safe to say is not going to happen – I would still expect the headline on my obituary to read: ‘Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley, Jr., is dead at 78.’ Christopher Buckley
In journalism, we recognize a kind of hierarchy of fame among the famous. We measure it in two ways: by the length of an obituary and by how far in advance it is prepared. Presidents, former presidents, and certain heads of state are at the top of the chain. Walter Cronkite
No matter what I go on to do in my career – I could bring peace to the Middle East – still, when I die, the top line of the obituary will be ‘fired from ‘Blue Peter.’ Richard Bacon
Some people want to amass a great amount of wealth and make a great looking obituary. I’m going to die with more money than is good to leave my son. Darrell Issa
In my book, ‘The Big Three in Economics,’ I found that the press has frequently and prematurely written the obituary of Adam Smith and his free-market philosophy, only to see a new and more vibrant global marketplace reemerge after being savagely attacked by Keynesians, Marxists, and assorted socialists. Mark Skousen
If the lead line in my obituary is ‘She once tweeted that the president is a white supremacist,’ I will see my life as a professional disappointment. Jemele Hill
The death of Churchill at 90 was one of those watershed moments in which the obituary rises to a special calling beyond the sharing of remembered times. It gave an older generation a rare opportunity to explain something of itself to its children. Walter Cronkite
When the ‘Guardian’ is commissioning writers to write obituary pieces about you and your career… it doesn’t get much nastier than that. And you’ve just got to go, ‘It doesn’t actually matter.’ James Corden
Everyone wrote our obituary but us and the coaches and the kids who stayed with us. The obit was, ‘Vanderbilt will have to leave the Southeastern Conference. All the coaches are leaving, and all the students are transferring.’ Gordon Gee
I’m a huge Obituary fan. Max Cavalera
Actually, I just want to entertain people. Put that in my obituary, a final picture, all dark in the background. Limmy
Live so that when the final summons comes you will leave something more behind you than an epitaph on a tombstone or an obituary in a newspaper. Billy Sunday
An autobiography is an obituary in serial form with the last installment missing. Quentin Crisp
I always wondered what hearing one’s own obituary might sound like, and I sort of feel like I may have just heard part of it at least. Spencer Abraham
Biography is a very definite region bounded on the north by history, on the south by fiction, on the east by obituary, and on the west by tedium. Philip Guedalla
The seed for my novel ‘Half Brother’ was planted in my mind over twenty years ago, but didn’t germinate until late 2007 when I came across the obituary for Washoe, an extraordinary chimpanzee who had learned over 250 words of American Sign Language. Kenneth Oppel
All publicity is good, except an obituary notice. Brendan Behan
I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up. Benjamin Franklin
I don’t think most people know what’s going to be in their obituary, but I do. Robert Mankoff
A life spent in constant labor is a life wasted, save a man be such a fool as to regard a fulsome obituary notice as ample reward. George Jean Nathan
I’ve always thought stability was suffocating and deadly. Like, when I read that the kids I went to law school with have stayed at the same firm, I feel like I’m reading an obituary. How much money do you need? Six million, seven million? Put that in the bank and do something else. Get out! Glenn Greenwald
