Announcing a Death on Facebook Examples

A Facebook death announcement reaches old friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and even people you may not have known about – or, at the least, thought to relay this news to. 

But, because of the weight of this type of post, it’s important to put it together carefully. A couple of simple but important rules about using social media to announce the death of a loved one:

• Wait at least a couple of days after your loved one has passed to post. Try to notify as many of your loved ones’ closest friends and family as possible over the phone or in person first.

• One of the greatest advantages of posting about a death on social media is getting the word out about the memorial service. This can reach more people in a short amount of time; just be sure to only post about an open invitation, and not something more intimate like a family-only ceremony.

Tips for Crafting Your Post

Due to the nature of these announcements, we have some tips on how best to put it together.

Tip #1: Preface by letting people know that there’s sad news ahead.

People get on Facebook to scroll in search of something funny, informative, cutesy, and so on; so, even if the news of your loved one’s passing is more or less expected, it will still often catch readers off guard. 

Though it’s impossible to fully soften the blow, a quick pre-announcement warning can help.

Tip #2: Keep it short, simple, and straightforward

This announcement is merely intended to inform your loved one’s friends of the news, and of any funeral or memorial service plans that follow.

Of course, the long tributes and sentimental posts may come later (after all, they can be incredibly cathartic). But in this instance, keep it straight-to-the-point and informative to first allow the news to sink in.

Tip #3: Be respectful

Try to keep individual opinions out of this particular post. Again, there will be plenty of opportunity for personal reflection; for the death announcement itself, however, keep it more on the neutral and informative side. 

Oh, and try not to use any or many emojis – it’s usually just not the time or place.

Related: Sharing news of an illness on social media

Announcing a Death on Facebook Examples

Of course, each death announcement is unique to the family and to the deceased. Personalize it as you wish! But here’s a general template of important details to include:

• Full name of the deceased
• The date the death occurred
• The cause of death (this can be specific or general – although you should not feel obligated to include the cause of death)
• Links to further information such as online obituary and/or memorial site (also, many people use the deceased’s Facebook page as the memorial site)
• Memorial service details (date, time, location) if it’s open to the public
• Permission for followers to share the post, or a request not to share

Announcement Example #1

We come to you all today with some very somber news.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of Martha Jane Murray. This strong woman lost her long battle with cancer on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at the age of 79. She was surrounded by family and friends at St. Angela’s Hospital during her passing. 

Though there will be no open funeral service, we invite loved ones to donate to the Arthritis Foundation in Martha’s honor.

Please feel free to share this post to help us spread the news.

Announcement Example #2

Dear friends and family, we regret that this post contains a very grave announcement.

On Tuesday, August 14, we lost our beloved Kyle Reiner. His passing was very sudden, and we invite you all to use Kyle’s Facebook page as a memorial site.

We are currently working on funeral arrangements and will provide details as soon as we can. At this time, we please ask that nobody share this post.

Announcement Example #3

To all of our friends and family: with this post comes an unfortunately mournful announcement.

Melissa Ruth Nuñez lost her life in a car accident on Sunday, October 11. We’ve created a memorial site, and would love for all of you to pay your respects there. You can find the link to it below.

There will be a memorial service for Melissa on Friday, October 16 at 6 p.m. at Main Street Church. Please feel free to share this post on your own social media pages.

We’re Sorry for Your Loss

These announcing a death on Facebook examples are just that – examples. It’s, of course, never easy to break this type of news, especially in such a public setting as social media. But by notifying those who cared about your loved one, you’re initiating support – and that’s one of the greatest ways to make your grief journey a little bit easier.