The News Bulletin publishes obituaries, not just to inform readers about funeral and reception times, but also as the last chance for someone's name to appear in print.
So I always hope families will really make that space count. The cost is $45 for a 500-word goodbye, so why not offer sentimental notes? Why not truly tell that person's story?
This week, we say goodbye to Deana Marie Barton, whose family did just that.
I saw the line, "As a child, Deana had a fascination with bathrooms, and never failed to explore as many as possible during trips across the country…" and just learned so much more about this amazing woman than I have from many of the death notices we receive.
Ditto for Gary Snyder, who "loved traveling, cribbage, outdoors activities and was an avid 'Star Trek' fan."
(Note: I'm personally grieving for his wife, Nancy, whom I know through my involvement as Relay For Life Crestview's publicity chairperson. You may remember we profiled the couple in the News Bulletin last year as part of our Relay For Life series.)
When you write an obituary, all I ask is this one favor: Tell your loved one's life story. That means write about the essentials (like their dates of birth and death, jobs held, survivors, etc.), but also tell the community what made them tick. (And even, what ticked them off! Sometimes, that's fun to read!)
Let them be remembered for whom they loved, and how deeply they loved those people.
Often, we'll get an obituary and I'll ask Renee, our editorial assistant, to request, one more time, a head shot from the funeral home, and more details from the family.
I'm sure that gets old.
But we take this stuff very seriously. And I believe telling a person's full life story is the only way to treat that life with dignity in an obituary.
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR'S DESK: A plea for in-depth obituaries