Creating a ‘Memorable’ Memorial

I came across iLasting which is a memorial site which the founder Anthony Doctolero said “I created the site because I wanted to pay tribute to my grandfather who was a special person in my life. He was an ordinary man, who led an extraordinary life. He was not a celebrity, but to our family he was the president….This site is not about death; it’s about celebrating life.

I was intrigued by his story and asked if he could write some tips for us on how to create a memorial, he was good enough to send me these thoughts

1. Include basic biographical data such as date of birth, date of death, and use the formal full name of the departed in the memorial.

2. Choosing an image is an important aspect of the online memorial. Take time to select one that is appropriate and where they are the only person in the photo. It allows visitors to place a face to the name and gives the memorial a human element that sometimes words can’t do alone.

3. Provide a brief biography highlighting milestones and life events that had great impact on the departed’s life. It does not have to be particularly long, but it should be a good summary containing the key elements of the person’s life.

4. Be personal. Where many newspaper obituaries tend to be have a very formal and almost news like tone and feel to them, an online memorial is an opportunity to be a bit more personal. You should not ignore proper grammar or spelling, but an online memorial does not have to be so rigid as well. Injecting personal anecdotes, humor, and perspective makes the memorial special as it is written by someone who was close to the departed.

5. Share it with others. After you have finished writing the memorial, send it to other family and friends for them to contribute their own thoughts, memories and sympathies.  Co-workers, relatives and friends all had unique relationships with the departed and having them contribute to the memorial often brings out fascinating untold stories which gives a
real well-rounded account of the person’s life.