Online obituaries have transformed the way we share news about losing loved ones. Having a link to an individual’s obituary makes it easy for anyone to share the news about a death. New Day Cremation & Funeral Care has put together some guidelines for online condolences that can help you understand and follow the etiquette of sharing your sympathy virtually.

Sharing an Obituary

Sharing an obituary or the news of a death can be tricky. The family typically should be the first people to share the news. If you hear about a death and find the person’s obituary online, consider waiting until you see family post about it. It may take them some time to notify other family members.

Online Condolences

Online condolences can be left on a funeral home website or social media, such as Facebook. Leaving a sympathy message online has become widely accepted. It is easy for people to share their sympathy from anywhere around the world.

When you post about a death on social media and share the obituary link, you are sure to receive comments and reactions from people who want to express that they care. You can respond to comments with a thank you or simply by liking the comments.

Online condolences can also be shared on a funeral home website, where everyone will see the memories and sympathies people post. The New Day website features obituary pages with Tribute Walls where the memories and other sentiments are available for public view. On our website you can Share a Memory, Send Flowers, Plant a Tree and Light a Candle to show your support. You can also share photos or videos if you wish. When leaving the message, you will be asked to leave your name so the family knows who wrote the memory or sympathy message.

What to Write in Online Condolences

Online condolences can take the form of a memory about the person or a sympathy message. We recommend sincere, brief messages. Here are a few ideas for simple sentiments to express sympathy:

Thinking of you and your family.

So sorry to hear of your loss. My heart goes out to you.

Deepest sympathies on your loss.

Sending hugs from our hearts to yours.

Sympathy Cards are Still Welcome

If you are not comfortable making online condolences, sympathy cards are still welcome. The time and effort you put into finding, signing and mailing a card will be appreciated. If you don’t have an address for a family member, cards can be sent to the funeral home to be given to the family. Ideally, your card would be sent in time for the services. You can also bring a card to the services as an extra form of sympathy.

Your first step when you learn of a death is to think of the family and whether all parties have been notified. Then, decide whether you would like to leave online condolences and where—on the funeral home website or on social media. 

To help people in the New Bedford community better understand grief, New Day Cremation & Funeral Care recently started a Facebook page. Please visit our page now.