Eulogy Template

I. Give basic facts about the deceased, such as date of birth, description of where he/she spent childhood, and move on into where he/she went to college and/or when he/she got married.

II. Speak about the deceased's early career, early parenthood, or something else that was prominent in the early-ish life of the deceased.

III. Tell a story about the deceased that illustrates a particular personality trait that you -- and everyone else -- enjoyed about him/her.

IV. If the deceased fought a long battle with a disease, talk about his/her bravery in that struggle. If it was a sudden death, discuss how that has affected everyone in the deceased's life.

V. Tell another story here about the deceased; make it universal, so that everyone listening will be able to think, "Yep, that sounds like him/her" (and feel free to tell as many stories as you feel the crowd will want to hear; this will be different for every eulogy).

VI. Finish up by explaining why you feel that the memory of the deceased will live on, even though he/she is gone from this world. Tell your audience that it's okay to be sad, but that they are there to celebrate this person's life.