If you’re trying to write an obituary for your aunt it’s normal to be finding it hard. An aunt wasn’t your mother, so the grief is different, but she was often close enough that it hurts just as much.
So this guide is here to make the writing part easier. I’ve have some short obituary examples for an aunt, longer traditional ones and a few written for different kinds of aunts. As well as that there is a simple list of what to include and some tips to make it easier.
What to Include in an Aunt’s Obituary
Most obituaries have a general structure. Although you don’t have to include every single item and you can move things around. But this is something you can build from:
- Her full name, including a nickname or maiden name if people knew her by it
- Her age and the date and place she passed away
- The date and place she was born
- A short outline of her life – where she grew up, her education, her work, any marriage
- The things that made her who she was – hobbies, passions, the causes she cared about, her quirks
- Who she leaves behind (survived by) and who went before her (preceded in death by)
- Service details – visitation, funeral or memorial, burial or celebration of life
- Where to send flowers or donations, if the family has a preference
- A closing line or a short quote that captures her spirit
If you get stuck on the structure our obituary templates has examples you can use and if you’re not sure whether you’re writing an obituary or a eulogy the difference between a eulogy and an obituary is worth a quick read before you start.
Short Obituary Examples for an Aunt
If you need something simple, maybe for a newspaper notice, a funeral program or an online announcement, these short examples are a good starting point.
[Full Name], age [age], of [city, state], passed away peacefully on [date]. A cherished aunt, sister and friend, she was known for her warmth, her quick wit and her open door. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, who will miss her more than words can say. A celebration of her life will be held on [date] at [location].
******************
[Full Name] “[Nickname]” [Last Name], [age], of [city], left us on [date]. She was the aunt everyone wished they had – generous with her time, quick with a joke and always ready with a plate of food and good advice. She leaves behind a large and loving family who were lucky to call her theirs. Services will be held at [location] on [date].
******************
[Full Name], beloved aunt and devoted friend, passed away on [date] at the age of [age]. Though she had no children of her own, she was a second mother to her nieces and nephews and a steady, loving presence to all who knew her. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to [charity]. A memorial gathering will take place on [date].
******************
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of [Full Name], [age], of [city, state], on [date]. A loving aunt and a fierce family cheerleader, she never missed a birthday, a game or a school play. She is survived by [names] and predeceased by [names]. Friends and family are invited to a celebration of her life on [date] at [location].
A Full Length Obituary Example for an Aunt
Sometimes a couple of lines isn’t enough, especially for a longer newspaper obituary or a printed order of service. This full example is one you can use to help write your own.
Margaret “Peggy” Ann Sullivan, 74, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026, surrounded by the family she adored.
Peggy was born on July 8, 1951, in Dubuque to the late Robert and Eleanor Sullivan. She grew up the middle child of five and spent thirty years as a school nurse, a job she said was really just “getting paid to hand out band-aids and hugs.” She never married and had no children of her own, but anyone who met her knew she was mother, mentor and best friend to a whole tribe of nieces and nephews.
She loved her garden, her crossword puzzles and any excuse to host Sunday dinner. She could turn a quiet afternoon into an occasion just by showing up. If you were sick, she appeared with soup. If you were heartbroken, she appeared with wine. If you were celebrating, she appeared with both.
Peggy is survived by her sisters Joan and Carol, her many nieces and nephews and a wide circle of friends who became family. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Thomas and Daniel.
A visitation will be held on March 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Riverside Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service on March 19 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her name to the local food pantry, a cause close to her generous heart.
We take comfort knowing that somewhere, Aunt Peggy has already set the table.
An Obituary Example for an Aunt Who Was Like a Second Mother
For a lot of us our aunts were like no one else. If she raised you, took you in or simply loved you like her own the obituary should say so.
[Full Name], [age], of [city, state], passed away on [date]. To the world she was an aunt, but to me and my brothers she was so much more than that. When our own home got complicated, hers was the door that was always open, the kitchen where we were always fed and the arms that were always ready.
She taught us to drive, sat through every recital and never once made us feel like a burden. She showed up for the ordinary days as much as the big ones, and that is a rare and precious kind of love.
She is survived by [names], the nieces and nephews she raised as her own, and by everyone lucky enough to have been folded into her care. A service celebrating her life will be held on [date] at [location].
An Obituary Example for a Fun Loving Aunt
[Full Name], the loudest laugh in any room, passed away on [date] at the age of [age]. She lived exactly the way she wanted to, which is to say fully and on her own terms.
She was famous for her terrible dancing, her excellent cooking and her complete refusal to lose at cards. She spoiled her nieces and nephews rotten, told stories that got better every year and treated every family barbecue like the social event of the season.
She would want us to be sad for about five minutes and then go have a good time in her honor, so that is exactly what we intend to do. She is survived by [names] and a great many people who are already telling their favorite stories about her. Join us in celebrating her life on [date] at [location].
An Obituary Example for a Great Aunt or an Aunt Who Lived a Long Life
When your aunt lived a long, full life, the obituary becomes a chance to honor decades of that life.
[Full Name], [age], of [city, state], passed away peacefully on [date] after a life well and fully lived. Born on [date] in [place], she saw the world change more times than she could count and met every bit of it with grace and grit.
She worked as a [occupation], raised [family details] and became the keeper of the family stories – the one who remembered every name, every date and every scandal. To her great-nieces and great-nephews she was a living link to a whole generation, and her lap was always open for a story.
She is survived by [names] across four generations, and preceded in death by [names]. A service honoring her long life will be held on [date] at [location].
If your family holds a particular faith you’d like reflected in the wording, our Christian obituary examples and Catholic obituary examples offer versions written with that in mind.
Tips for Writing Your Aunt’s Obituary
- Start by getting stuff together, not writing. Ask other family members for dates, names, spellings and stories before you try to do anything. One relative will likely remember something you’d completely forgotten.
- Lead with the person, not the paperwork. The dates and details matter but what people remember is her personality. Make sure you have a line or two about what made her unmistakably her.
- Double check the survived by list. This is the part families get most upset about if a name is missing, so read it out loud to someone else before it’s printed.
- Watch the length if it’s going in a newspaper. Many papers charge by the line or the word so if you’re worried about the cost write the full version for the program and a shorter version for the paper.
- Read it aloud. If it sounds stiff or like a form letter it probably reads that way too. An aunt deserves to sound like herself.
- It’s okay to add a little warmth or humor. A funny detail or a line she used to say can bring a smile in the middle of a hard day.
Words and Phrases to Describe an Aunt
If you know what you want to say but can’t find the words you can use some of the following words to help you describe your aunt:
- Devoted, loving, generous, warm-hearted
- The heart of the family, the glue that held us together
- A second mother, a lifelong confidante, a trusted friend
- Fiercely loyal, endlessly kind, quietly strong
- Full of life, quick to laugh, impossible to forget
- A keeper of family stories and traditions
- Generous to a fault, with a heart bigger than she was
- The favorite aunt, and she knew it
Once the obituary is written you may find you still want somewhere to get out the rest of what you’re feeling. A eulogy for your aunt gives you room to say more and if you’re looking for the words to comfort someone else in the family, our sympathy messages for the loss of an aunt can help. You might also want to look through our other obituary examples for a mother and obituary examples for a sister if you’re writing for more than one member of your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an aunt’s obituary be?
A short newspaper notice might be 50 to 100 words and a fuller obituary for a funeral program or online tribute often 200 to 400 words. Write the version that feels right for her then cut it down to a shorter one if you need it for a paper that charges by the line.
What do you write if your aunt had no children of her own?
You honor the role she played. Many aunts without children are the most devoted family members of all so it’s completely appropriate to name her nieces and nephews as the people she leaves behind and to describe her as a second mother or a beloved aunt to all. Say the true thing.
Should an aunt’s obituary be serious or can it include humor?
It can absolutely include humor if that reflects who she was. A warm, funny detail often is good at capturing an aunt better than a formal tone does. You want people to read it and hear her voice, so match the writing to her personality.
Who should be listed as survivors in an aunt’s obituary?
Usually her spouse and children if she had them, then her siblings, nieces and nephews, and sometimes close friends who were like family. When in doubt ask other relatives and read the list aloud to make sure no one is missed.
