How to End a Eulogy

A great eulogy has a good beginning, middle, and perhaps most importantly, a great ending. The last thing people hear during a eulogy is the part that often remains with them throughout the day, and long into the evening.

Because of this, it is important that you think long and hard on how you will structure the closing of your eulogy.

There are many different ways to end a eulogy. Many people find it helpful during the end of the eulogy to mention the family of the deceased, or friends of the deceased. This may be fruitful if you have not mentioned family members earlier in the eulogy. While this is not always critical, particularly if you are talking about the departed from first person perspective, for some families, this can be a point of contention.

By mentioning family members and loved ones, you help the audience connect to the departed.
If it is a very large service, this may not be necessary. If it is a small service, friends and family may be touched by your consideration of their relationship to the deceased. This may be more important if there is someone that is particularly close to the deceased as well, who is not asked to speak during the eulogy. You might determine this prior to writing the eulogy. For example, if you are writing the eulogy for a married man, you might mention his relationship to his wife, especially if they were married for many years, and his children, as part of the eulogy.

Establish a Sense of Comfort

The last part of the eulogy helps bring closure for most people. To achieve this with grace, work to create a sense of peace and comfort. You can do this by reassuring everyone in the audience that their loved one lived a good life, and that they will be remembered in a thoughtful and loving way.

There are many different ways to achieve this.

You can do this using a quote, a loving poem, or even by referring to an often-used phrase or saying the departed used during their life. This may be humorous, or something that will simply bring peace to the minds of the audience members. Perhaps it is a comforting saying the departed used in times of stress, but one that family members find memorable, and can relate to the deceased.

Words of faith or biblical quotations are commonly used toward the end of the eulogy. You may even address the departed, by saying something to the effect of, “Mom, thanks for always brining a warm smile to our hearts. May you continue to smile from above.”

Once you have written the ending of your eulogy, go back and reread your writing from beginning to end, to make sure your eulogy flows well from beginning to end.