The eulogy speech at a memorial or funeral service remembers the person who died and can be delivered by a family member, close friend, member of the clergy or celebrant. It is one of the rituals that funeral directors at Richmond based Can-Trust-Funeral know helps mourners shift from the reality of losing their loved one’s personal presence to sharing their memory.
Are you the one writing a eulogy? Then you are tasked with presenting a life in brief, at an emotional time. You are expected to share your thoughts publicly with a certain flair to both comfort and to inform other mourners at the funeral service. It can feel more stressful if you felt close to the deceased.
Even as families in Greater Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Burnaby and Surrey have a greater hand in arranging funeral services and carrying out rituals, they welcome the guidance offered by Can-Trust’s professional funeral directors when it comes to writing a eulogy.
Here are the most useful tips the team offers based on their observance at funeral services:
Feel big yet think small
- In your sincere testimony, select a few specific memories that show important moments in the deceased’s life.
- Illustrate their traits such as humour, generosity or kindness. Those smaller moments and their unique details will speak to all the people leaning in to listen to you. Your examples will spark their own memories of the loved one.
Organize comments around a theme
- Capture the ideas that flow to you into a theme. A love of nurturing plants may start out as a small colourful story, as an example. Yet, it expands into memories that might depict this trait as compassion and special care of people in that person’s circle of family and friends.
- If a theme doesn’t present itself clearly, take a stroll through photos and memorabilia. This often sparks comments to share.
Do share the expected
Deliver what we all expect to hear at a funeral service, memorial, cremation or celebration of life. Balance your respectful sharing of intimate moments of a life, with information that is a bit less emotional such as:
- Milestones in life, achievements, childhood or lifelong interests and mentions of family, marriage, and the education and career years of the loved one who has passed.
- Aim for 5-7 minutes as it is an emotionally charged time and this would give space to others who might want to share readings, memories and prayers and poems.
- Do be respectful of the deceased’s values and their standing in their community, family or faith to speak and use humour and personal stories appropriately.
Can-Trust’s funeral directors offer families caring guidance on all options in the Lower Mainland community. We provide reliable, straightforward and affordable service, and with compassion, always.
Before you engage with any funeral homes, please call Can-Trust-Funeral at 604-376-7975 or email to book a free professional consultation. You are never obligated.
Our Can-Trust team of licensed funeral directors, provides funeral services in Burnaby, funeral services in Richmond, Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland.
Phone: 604-376-7975
E-mail: can-trust-funeral@outlook.com
WeChat: Cantrustfuneral
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