How to Add an Epitaph

What an epitaph should be like

Short and warm — usually one or two lines. It's not an official description but the essence of the person in a single phrase: what made them dear and how they'll stay in memory. The simpler and more sincere the words, the more they move you.

Where to find the words

A favorite saying of theirs, a line from a song they used to hum, or a simple observation from loved ones will do: "He welcomed everyone like family." Sometimes the best epitaph is what the person often said themselves. Listen to how the family speaks about them.

What to avoid

Don't overload the epitaph with dates, titles, and long lists — that's what the biography is for. Avoid clichés that could fit anyone. One personal, specific detail is worth more than a pretty but faceless phrase.

You can change it later

If the right phrase doesn't come at once, that's all right — leave the field empty or put in something temporary. An epitaph is easy to change at any moment. The most fitting words are often found over time.

• Short and warm — one or two lines.
• A favorite phrase, a line of a song, an observation.
• No dates or titles — that's for the biography.
• Can be changed at any time.