An obituary is a notice of the death of a person, usually published in a newspaper and usually including a short biography.
The obituary usually contains names of the subject's close relatives and possibly time and place of a funeral.
Because of the short time between the notification of a death and the next publication deadline, most newspapers have pre-written obituaries for famous people who are still alive. Updating the "obits" is hum-drum task usually given to junior reporters. However, some newpapers or newspaper affiliates employ entire departments dedicated to the publication of obituaries.
Obituaries are a notable feature of The Economist, which publishes precisely one full-page obituary per week, reflecting on the subject's life and influence on world history. Past subjects have ranged from Ray Charles to Uday Hussein.
While the United States obituaries are almost always reverent and respectful, in Britain it is far more permissible for the writer to attack or mock the subject.
Stories abound of obituaries accidentally published whilst the person concerned was still alive. One of the best known examples was Mark Twain, who responded "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated".
Obituaries vary from the very classic summation of a person's life, including just the simple facts in chronological order, but could equally be a poetic celebration of an individual's contribution to everyone's life around them.
An obituary is usually written in paragraph form and will typically chart a person's life, including the place and date of birth, education and professional experience.
The obituary should be published a few days before the memorial service as it should include details of the time and location of the service and any donations that may be made.
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