Tips For Writing An Email To Advise People That Your Family Member Has Passed Away

An important job to perform between the death of a family member and the funeral service is to advise people of the news. While placing an obituary in the newspaper will reach lots of people who will want to attend the funeral, you should also plan to personally contact friends of your parent and other individuals to ensure that they're aware of the news. Phone calls are ideal for some people, but calling dozens of people can be taxing. Instead, sending emails can be an effective way to reach out to those you wish to keep informed. Here are some tips for writing this challenging message.

Use A Sensitive Subject Line

The email will come as a shock to the recipients, even if some of them are aware that your family member isn't well. It's best to use a sensitive subject line — don't omit the subject line, as the reader may click to open the email and then be shocked, and don't use something generic such as "Hello," which will lead to the same result. Something such as "Sad news about David Smith" is appropriate.

Explain Who You Are

If the recipient doesn't know you, you'll want to introduce yourself at the start of the email. This sentence doesn't have to be excessively wordy. For example, you could write, "My name is Aaron Smith, and I'm David Smith's son."

Get Right To The Point

An email announcing the death of a family member shouldn't beat around the bush. After you've explained who you are, if necessary, come right out and share the unfortunate news. Write it in a manner that is clear, but also sympathetic — remember, those reading the email will be grieving with you. A sentence such as, "I'm sorry to have to tell you that my father Aaron passed away yesterday in the hospital" is appropriate. 

Share A Few Details

People who receive your email will commonly have lots of questions, so answering a few of them right away will be helpful. It can be helpful to share that your family member wasn't in pain and passed with his or her family around the hospital bed, for example. For those who might not know about your loved one's declining health, you could also write that he or she had been battling cancer for several months, for example.

Include Details About The Funeral

A big question that people will have is when the funeral service will take place. While they can wait to look for an obituary, it's helpful if you can provide this detail in the email. If you know the funeral home, date, and time, list this information. Alternatively, you might say that you're organizing the funeral home through a certain funeral home, but don't yet have a date confirmed. Give the funeral home's phone number and website and encourage people to investigate themselves when the service will take place. Doing so will save you from answering lots of emails or phone calls about this detail.

To learn more, contact a funeral home like Par-Troy Funeral Home Inc

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