Example Eulogy for a Mother

This is an example of a eulogy that was given at a funeral for a wonderful lady who lived for 96 years, passing away after a long struggle with dementia.

The secret to giving a good eulogy is practice. You will need to practise your speech many times, as it will be an emotional day, and your emotion may change how your voice sounds.

My hope today was to talk about Mam. To help remember the person who lived an amazing 96 years.

As I started to write my thoughts down, I was struck by how poignant this was, as Mam had lived with dementia for 15 years. Almost a lifetime to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren here today.

I realised that she had slipped away from us, one memory at a time like sand through our fingers: Almost unnoticeable at first, until at the end there was little left to hold on to.

She filled my childhood with memories and stories: The world that she was born into was another place. The bitter miners’ strike the year she was born. The happy childhood playing with spinning tops and hoop and ball in a street where no cars were seen.

She told me of her 6 brothers and sisters. The boys who joked and teased and the girls who cared and helped to raise her.

Sadder tales followed of smallpox and tuberculosis, when she was sent to isolation hospitals in remote places.

Then of her adventures of being a kitchen maid in Surrey. My favourite story of the Second World War was when she had to learn to milk a cow.

Sometime in the late 1950s she found love with Gwilym, and when she was 39, family life with Colin, Joan and Alan began. Followed by me, the afterthought.

She filled the house with books, she filled us with great cooking – I miss the pastry so.

She shared her love of nature, flowers and babies. And not to forget hearing a good voice sing.

She hated funerals and crocodiles!

When dementia crept in, I missed the stories. I missed the slapstick sense of humour. The laughter that could be heard at the other end of the house. The songs stayed almost to the end.

So, my resolution is to think of her with a smile when Pavarotti sings.

To think of her and to smile when Morecambe and Wise appear on TV.

To think of Joyce when I see violets in spring.

Thank you.

We hope that this gives you some ideas and inspiration for you to be able to write your own eulogy.

If you found this useful, or have written a eulogy you would like to share with us, we would be grateful if you leave us a comment in the box below.