Eulogy Template

Below is a free, fill-in-the-blank eulogy template that works for any relationship and takes most people under an hour to complete. It follows the structure used in nearly every good eulogy — opening, story, qualities, others, farewell — and filled in fully, it produces a spoken piece of about 500–800 words, or three to five minutes at the lectern. Prefer something guided? Our free eulogy builder is an interactive version of this template: answer a few memory prompts and it assembles the draft for you, entirely in your browser.

The universal eulogy template

1. Opening — who you are, who they were

Pick one and adapt:

“Good morning. I’m [name], [their] [relationship]. For those of you who knew [him/her] well, you already know what I’m about to say: [one-line truth about them].”

“My [relationship] used to say, ‘[phrase they always said].’ I’ve heard that sentence a thousand times, and I’d give anything to hear it once more.”

“If you ever met [name], you remember [the first thing everyone noticed]. I’m [your name], and I had the privilege of being [their relationship].”

2. The story — one memory, told fully

“I keep coming back to [a specific time and place: the summer of ___, the kitchen on ___ Street, the drive to ___]. [What happened — 4 to 8 sentences, with real details: what was said, what it smelled like, what went wrong, what made you laugh.] That was [name] in one moment: [what the story proves about them].”

This slot is the heart of the eulogy. Resist the urge to tell three stories briefly — tell one story properly. Specifics (“a 1987 Ford with one working speaker”) do the emotional work that adjectives can’t.

3. Qualities — what the story reveals

“[He/She] was [quality one] — [a half-sentence example]. [Quality two] — [example]. And, let’s be honest, [a lovable flaw, gently teased] — [example]. We wouldn’t have had [him/her] any other way.”

4. Others — widen the circle

“I know I’m not the only one with stories like this. To [spouse], [he/she] was [what they were to them]. To [the grandchildren / their friends / the people they worked with], [he/she] was [what they were to them]. Each of us knew a slightly different [name], and every version was worth knowing.”

5. Farewell — the last line

Pick one and adapt:

“Goodbye, [name]. Thank you for everything. We’ll take it from here.”

“[He/She] always told us, ‘[their phrase].’ So that’s what we’ll do. Rest well, [name].”

“We were lucky to have [him/her], and we knew it. [Name], we love you. We always will.”

Eulogy template for a father

The structure above stays the same; swap in opening and farewell lines that fit a dad.

Opening: “My dad never wanted a fuss made over him, so he’d hate this — and that’s exactly why I’m going to do it properly.”

Opening: “Everything I know about [fixing things / showing up / working hard], I learned standing next to my father, handing him the wrong tool.”

Farewell: “Thanks, Dad. For the rides, the lessons, and the things you did that we never thanked you for. We noticed all of it.”

Farewell: “Rest now, Dad. You did the job well. We’ve got it from here.”

Eulogy template for a mother

Opening: “My mother had a gift: she could make anyone who walked through her door feel like the most important person in the world. Today the door feels very quiet.”

Opening: “If you’re here today, my mum probably fed you at some point. She considered it her life’s work, and honestly, it might have been.”

Farewell: “Mum, you spent your whole life taking care of us. Rest now. Let us carry it for a while.”

Farewell: “Goodbye, Mom. Everything good in this room, you had a hand in. We love you.”

Eulogy template for a brother

Opening: “You don’t get to choose your brother — but if I could have, I’d have chosen [name] every single time. Even the times he borrowed my stuff and never gave it back.”

Opening: “A brother is the only person who knows the whole story — every chapter, the embarrassing ones included. [Name] knew mine, and he kept them all safe.”

Farewell: “See you later, [name]. Save me a seat, like you always did.”

Farewell: “Goodbye, little/big brother. The whole story was better because you were in it.”

How to use this template

1. Brain-dump first. Before filling in anything, spend twenty minutes listing memories, phrases they always said, and details — you can’t fill blanks from an empty page.
2. Fill the story slot first, not the opening. Once you know your one story, the right opening line usually becomes obvious.
3. Replace every bracket, then delete what doesn’t sound like you. The template is scaffolding. If a line feels stiff in your mouth, rewrite it in your own words — that’s the goal, not a deviation.
4. Read it aloud and time it. Aim for three to five minutes. Cut anything you can’t say in one breath.
5. Print it large. Big type, double-spaced, paper not phone.

If you want more guidance on each step — choosing the story, handling delivery, what to do if you cry — read our full guide on how to write a eulogy. And to see what finished versions look like, browse our eulogy examples by relationship — reading two or three complete eulogies is the fastest way to find your own voice.