How to Write a Tribute to Someone Who Died
A guide from Cherished Book, where families make a memorial together.
A tribute is a few words in honour of someone you have lost: for the funeral, the order of service, a card, a post or their memorial. This guide helps you find where to start, what to say, and gives examples of a tribute to a mother, father, grandparent or friend.
What a tribute is
A tribute is anything you write or say to honour someone who has died. It can be a single sentence or a page. A eulogy is the spoken tribute at a funeral; an obituary is the formal account of a life; a tribute is everything in between, and it can be written by anyone who knew them, not only the family.
That freedom is a relief. A tribute does not need to cover their whole life or be fair to everyone. It only needs to be true to what they meant to you.
Where to start
If the words will not come, start small.
- Pick one memory. Not the most important one, just one you can see clearly.
- Say what they gave you: a skill, a saying, a way of seeing things, a place at their table.
- Use their words. A phrase they always said brings them into the room.
- Write it as if you were telling a friend, then tidy it up later.
- End with what you will miss, or what you will keep.
Tribute examples
These are starting points. Change them until they sound like you.
“To my mum: you taught me to make pastry with cold hands and a warm heart, and you never once let me leave the house without a coat. I will hear "have you eaten?" for the rest of my life, and I will be glad of it.”
“Dad was a man of few words and a great many cups of tea. He showed his love by fixing things: bikes, shelves, and once, very quietly, my whole year. I miss him every day.”
“Grandma kept a tin of biscuits for every grandchild and a story for every occasion. Her kitchen was the warmest room I have ever known. Thank you for all of it, Nan.”
“I worked beside [name] for eleven years. In all that time I never saw them walk past someone who was struggling. The office is quieter now, and so much less kind.”
“To my oldest friend: we were going to be terrible old women together. I am so angry that we did not get the chance, and so grateful for the forty years we had.”
Things to be gentle with
- Private matters. — A tribute others will read is not the place for an illness they kept private, or a family disagreement.
- Comparisons. — Saying they were "the best" at something can sit awkwardly with others who loved them too. Specific details are kinder and stronger.
- Waiting for perfect. — A heartfelt tribute that is a little rough is better than one never sent.
If a blank page is too much
On a public Cherished Book memorial, family and friends can usually leave a tribute without an account, and there is help with the words if you want it: answer a few short prompts about them and we shape your answers into a tribute you can change before you post it. If the family does not have a memorial yet, you can start one for free, and everyone who loved them can add their own.
Help with the words
Answer a few questions and we'll draft a first version you can change. Then family and friends can add their own memories to it. Free to start.
Help me write itFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tribute and a eulogy?
A eulogy is spoken at the funeral or memorial service. A tribute is any words written or said in someone's honour: a few lines on a card, a post, a paragraph in the order of service, or a memory on their memorial. A eulogy is one kind of tribute.
How long should a tribute be?
As long as it needs to be, and usually shorter than you think. A few sentences about one real memory often says more than a page. For an order of service, a paragraph is plenty.
Can I write a tribute if I did not know them well?
Yes. Say how you knew them and one thing you noticed: their kindness at work, the way they greeted you. Families treasure memories from people they have never met.
Where can I share a tribute?
In a card to the family, in the order of service, read aloud at the funeral, on social media, or on their memorial, where it stays with everyone else's and the family can keep it.
Last reviewed October 2026.
A memorial everyone who loved them can add to.
Write your tribute where everyone who loved them can add theirs too, and the family can keep them all. Free to create, and family and friends can leave a few words without an account.
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