Writing the Perfect Eulogy

Eulogies are often held at a memorial service to honor the deceased and to reawaken positive memories of the departed. This provides relatives and friends with the opportunity to say goodbye to the dead peacefully.
Depending on where the memorial service takes place and whether it is secular or religious, a funeral eulogy can be given by a pastor, an orator or even by a family member.
A eulogy is one of the hardest speeches to write. This is especially true for people who have no practice in writing such.
A eulogy can contain not only personal descriptions of the deceased, such as interesting stories from his life but also quotes. Frequently, religious texts are used, such as biblical quotations. But secular texts, such as from the literature can also be used.
Generally, the structure of a eulogy includes:

• Salutations/Welcome greetings
• Introduction – cause of death, relationship with the deceased, or citations of the deceased
• Body – Anecdotes, Characteristics, Hobbies / Engagements
• Closing

The message should be positive and a representation of the deceased’s strengths. Weaknesses can also be mentioned – however, it is advisable to present them lightly and humorously.
Possible contents of the funeral speech:

• What kind of person was the deceased?
• Impact of the deceased on the life of those alive
• What was the deceased proud of?
• Special experiences with the deceased
• What did you learn from the deceased?
• What did he give you?
• What will you miss most about the deceased?

A eulogy can give hope and bring comfort by sharing positive stories from the life of the deceased. Additionally, it commemorates and remembers the deceased. In the end, an excellently written eulogy can be emotionally relieving.