Obituary Writing

An obituary acknowledges the loss of a loved one, expresses the pain of losing them and displays what their presence meant to us. 

Writing an obituary about a loved one is probably one of the hardest things we will do in our lifetime. The first step in getting started is gathering information.

An Obituary includes:

Full Name of the Deceased

Date of Birth

Date of Death

City and State of Birth

—Time, date and place of viewing, burial, wake and memorial service arrangements–If the information isn’t available yet, you can always write a brief summary ( ex: “Funeral arrangements are being made by ABC Funeral Home and will be announced at a later date.”)

Background Information

Name of the Parents

Birth City and State, Upbringing Location, High School and College

Name of Significant Other (alive or deceased)

Date of Marriage

Children and Step Children

Name of Children (alive and deceased)

An outline of the biographical sketch is a huge time saver. It’s important to note that an obituary is not your loved one’s life story. It’s a story that provides important information and events. It tells the story of one’s life, important dates, connections and tales.  The outline helps capture these key dates.

Everyone’s life is unique but usually everyone has shared milestones.

Things You might want to include:

Activities—(Include churches, clubs, organizations, volunteer groups, hobbies and other things that were important to your loved one.)

• Vocation and Places of Employment
• Accomplishments
• Military Service
• Hobbies
• Special Pets
• Personality Traits and Anecdotes

People left to cherish Their Memory

Parents, Spouses, Children, Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren’s Names and Residences–If this list becomes lengthy, you can translate names into numerical values (ex: “five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren”).

—Other Family Members (Nieces, Nephews, Aunts, Uncles, etc.) and Special Friends–This can make your obituary lengthy and cause a political disturbance for those who feel excluded.

The heavy lifting has been done. It’s time to actually write the obituary. We’ve provided a sample below:

Sample Obituary-Full Page Program

Mark Craig Jones was born on October 13, 1952, at Stanford Hospital in San Francisco, CA, to Johnny Ray “Bunny ” Jones and Viola Opal (LaVassar) Jones. As the second of five children, Mark’s life began in the vibrant Fillmore District, where he resided on Sunny side and Baker Street, with his parents and  older sister Diamond (Carlotta) Jones.

Mark had fond memories of his early years in the Western Addition, recalling family walks down Fillmore Street, commonly known as the “Harlem of the West”.  In 1954, the Jones’ moved to Ralston Street, in the Merced Heights/Ingleside District of San Francisco; they were the first African American family to move on the block.  The family then  welcomed Mark’s younger siblings, Tommy, Victoria , and Joshua.  Ralston Street was also where Mark quickly befriended his life-long friends, David Dunn and Donnie Franks. Shortly after, the Stewart Family moved to Ralston Street, adding Mitchell, to this adventurous and at times mischievous crew.  As a child,  Mark often emulated his childhood idol “Zorro”, dawning the famous mask and hat, and conducting  fencing duals with siblings, cousins and friends. Mark left the imaginary “Mark of Zorro” as the fait accompli!

Mark attended Jose Ortega, Sheridan and Saint Michael’s the Archangel Grammar Schools; Aptos Junior High School and Opportunity High School.  An avid music lover, Mark was greatly influenced, in his teens, by the sounds of San Francisco in the 60’s and 70’s.  He danced to many artists including the Temptations, Intruders, James Brown, and most notably Sly and the Family Stone.  He witnessed one of the first performances of Sly and the Family Stone at the Fillmore West and was forever influenced by the musical and cultural impact of “Sly”.

In 1970, Mark and Courtney Nixon became parents to Mark’s first child, Rosa Mae Jones.  In 1973, Mark met Laura Crawford at Muhammad’s Temple #26 in San Francisco, CA. They were married and had two daughters, Jamika and Latisha.  Mark was a loving and devoted father.

Like his father, Johnny Jones, who owned several nightclubs throughout the City, Mark immersed himself in the cultural milieu of his time. Mark worked for his father and stepmother at the Anxious Asp Nightclub, which clearly catered to his love of people, music and the nightlife.  Mark worked as a bartender and was distinguished for his wit and endearment to customers. Mark also worked at the San Francisco Tanning Company and the Community Streetwork Center, where his mother Viola was the Executive Director.

In 1992, Mark moved to Chicago, IL where he lived for 16 years, and worked in the hospitality industry. He spent several years with his dear friend Paula McClinton, whom remained a close friend until his transition. Mark absolutely loved Chicago, and particularly the Southside. He marveled at the windy city’s black political, entertainment, and business scene. Due to health challenges, Mark returned to his beloved San Francisco in 2009, and stayed until the completion of his life journey.  Mark transitioned on Monday, April 20, 2015.

Mark is most remembered for his love of life, people and a fascinating and at times provocative and irreverent sense of humor. Mark is preceded in death by his loving mother, Viola Opal Jones Jenkins, Stepfather Dr. Ronald Carter Jenkins, Sr. and Son-in-Law Karl Watson. He leaves behind his wife Laura Jones of San Francisco, CA, daughters Jamika Jones of San Jose, CA, LaTisha Jones of Durham, NC, and Rosa Mae Jones-Wesley of Oakland, CA. He also leaves his grandchildren, Shawn Givens, Nancy Givens, Nora Givens, Nina Hawkins, Norma Jones, Anne Jones-Thomas and Lisa Watson, his loving father and stepmother. His surviving brothers and sisters are Dedra Carlotta Arnold (Seth Arnold), Tommy Alan Jones, Esq. (Kacey Brim), Victoria Babette Tony (Jeremy Tony) Joshua Frank Jones, (Ndeye Ndiaye) and Step-Brother Randel Carter Jackson, Jr.(Carol Amos). Mark also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and a host of dear friends.

(or…

Mark is most remembered for his love of life, people and a fascinating and at times provocative and irreverent sense of humor. Mark is preceded in death by his loving mother, stepfather and son in law. He leaves behind his wife and  daughters. He also leaves his grandchildren, his loving father and stepmother; along with his 10 surviving brothers and sisters.. Mark also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and a host of dear friends.)

May His Beautiful and Loving Soul Forever Rest in Peace!