Writing an Obituary

Aside from actually having to write an obituary, writing about my precious daddy wasn’t a struggle. In fact, my struggle was writing too much. And I did. I couldn’t seem to stop. My dad had an amazing life and I wanted to capture a portion of his life in a limited space.

So here’s the thing…I wrote too much. I mean, WAY TOO MUCH. When I tried to upload the obituary in the paper, I received a quote of $2000.00. Yes, you read that correctly, two thousand dollars. My jaw dropped. I figured I must have hit the wrong button or gone to the wrong site. So I called the paper and this is what I was told.

Cost for Posting an Obituary in the Newspaper

** Contact your local paper to learn the costs**

There a $107.00 fee for posting an online obituary. What if I did not want it posted online? Too bad. This is the base fee for everyone. Add to this a cost of $7.00 per line, figuring that the paper can fit 3-5 words per line. If you write more than 135 lines, the obituary than becomes a feature, and a feature costs $18.00 per line.

Apparently, I had written a feature without realizing. I really wanted people to read about my dad’s extraordinary life but $2000.00 was simply out of the question. I ended up cutting most of the information, and yet, I still paid $400.00 to post it in the paper. I am still amazed at the cost. Death is a money-making business, for sure.

Obituary

FARRINGTON, Dr. Frank H (80) died peacefully in his home after a valiant battle with severe pneumonia and heart disease. Frank, known to many as Daddyman, was preceded in death by his one true love, Vicki Winding Farrington, and his parents Joseph Davis and Sonja Nordenfeldt Farrington. He is survived by his children, Joe Farrington (Elaine), Kim Swedberg (Dale), Rob Farrington (Stacy), and Kristin Gaulin (Justin); his brother, David Farrington (Courtney); seven grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. Daddyman was a fierce friend, mentor and advocate, and he touched the lives of countless people through his work in Pediatric Dentistry. Daddyman proudly served his country in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the NFED, 6 Executive Dr. Ste. 2, Fairview Heights, IL 62208-1360 (618-566-2020). A celebration of his life will be held in Richmond, VA once the world heals from the Coronavirus and social distancing is a thing of the past.

Lessons Learned

• Contact your local paper to find out how much it costs to print an obituary
• People stick with writing “just the facts” for a reason; it costs too much otherwise
• Ask about the size guidelines for submitting a photo; if you select a photo that is too large or too small, it may be distorted when resized for the paper
• An obituary is an important written record so don’t skip the process