OLLI-PERS-7076 - How to Write Condolence Cards & Obituaries

Course Description

Your mother told you it’s the polite thing to do. Your teacher taught you how to lay it out on the page. But what, exactly, is the right thing to say when writing condolence notes? We’ll take a look at some famous—and infamous—condolence letters written by presidents, authors and celebrities to see how we can avoid the pitfalls and rise to the occasion with sincerity and panache when reaching out to others when a loved one dies. Writing obituaries used to be about letting people know the death occurred, a list of life accomplishments, and indicating where to send flowers. We will take time to study the craft of writing death notices by the book—and how to break the rules.