An obituary writer that starts the hardest page for you
Finding the words for someone you have lost is one of the hardest things a person is ever asked to do. When you create a memorial, Cherished Book writes a first obituary from a few gentle questions, so you are never staring at an empty page.
How it works
As you set up the memorial, you answer a short set of plain questions: their name, when they lived, the people who mattered, a few things they were known for. From those answers, Cherished Book writes the obituary, a gentle first draft you can read, change, and rewrite. It is a starting point, not the last word. The words that matter most will always be yours.
When you finish, your memorial goes live, so family and friends can start adding their own memories. The obituary is not locked away once it is published. You can edit it whenever you like: rewrite a sentence, cut a paragraph, or replace it entirely. Many people find that having something on the page, even something imperfect, is enough to break the paralysis and let the real writing begin. If you would rather decide who can see the memorial, privacy controls are part of Premium.
What it does well
The draft is there to help you, not to speak for you.
- Turns a few short answers into a calm, readable obituary in minutes.
- Matches the tone to who they were, whether that is formal and reverent or warm and personal.
- Respects faith and tradition, with wording that fits how your family grieves.
- Leaves every word editable, before or after the memorial goes live, so the obituary ends up sounding like the person, not like a machine.
- Gives you a first draft to build on, never a finished tribute you are stuck with.
AI as a gentle helper, never the author
We are careful about this. The AI offers a starting point for the obituary, never the final say. You can change every word, and you stay the author throughout. It is offered as relief from the blank page, nothing more, and it never claims to know the person better than you do. You can read more about how and where we use AI in our AI statement.
Questions about the obituary writer
Is the obituary writer free?
Yes. Writing an obituary with AI help is free, and so is creating the memorial it lives on.
Does the memorial go live straight away?
Yes. When you finish setting it up, your memorial is created and published, so family and friends can start contributing. You can edit the obituary at any time afterwards, and Premium adds privacy controls if you want to limit who can see it.
Can I change the obituary after it is published?
Yes, whenever you like. The AI draft is a starting point; you can rewrite or replace it at any time.
Is this the same as writing a tribute?
No. The obituary is the main life story, written when you create the memorial. If you have been invited to add your own memory, eulogy or prayer to someone else's memorial, see our guided tribute writing help.
See it in a real memorial
Kathleen Mary O'Brien
Kathleen's obituary began as a short AI draft from a handful of answers, then her family shaped it into the words that sounded like her.
View this memorialLast reviewed June 2026.
Preserve their memory, together.
A collaborative memorial lets family and friends share stories, photos, and announcements, all in one place. It’s free to create.
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