Consoling someone who has recently lost a loved one is never easy. No matter how able we are in speaking, we always fall short of words in such circumstances. Most people approach the writing style. Sending condolence letter is the most appropriate way to let someone know that you are available for support and serves as a platform to express your sorrow for the deceased. The format is kept plain and fully supporting.
Sympathy letter Inclusions
A condolence or sympathy letter is written to the individual closest of the deceased. The receiver may be to the spouse, partner, parent or sibling. Here is a rough idea of what the letter should contain:
It should include from where you heard about the loss.
Pay tribute to the deceased and mention how the loss made you feel.
Mention how was the deceased special to you. What were his/her most fond characteristics?
Offer your condolences. Mention how deeply you were touched upon receiving the news.
Cherish a few memories of the person who passed away.
Acknowledge the grief and offer support and help at times of need.
Send your sympathy letter with a heartfelt closing.
Quick Condolence Letter Writing Etiquette
Here is the basic condolence writing etiquette you must follow to be able to express the right emotion.
You are expressing your sorrow through this letter. Hence it should be natural and genuine. The letter should come out directly from the heart in the simplest language.
Avoid dragging letter. Do not add unnecessary details or ask unrelated questions about the loss. All you can do only wish the recipient well and to take care.
If the deceased was not close to you and you don’t know much about him/her play safe. Talk about the importance of that person to the recipient of the letter.
Write every line from the heart. Express about your availability of any needed help or support. Include your personal number on the letter if you may.
Sympathy notes are personal hence never use emails unless for extreme circumstances like international links.
The tone should be kept light. A direct approach will help you out in this situation.
The content should be directed to the bereaved and not to the deceased.
On behalf of the SFPD, I have to convey this sorrowful message to you that your son, Sgt Douglas Johnson died on 29th September, 2012 in a shoot-out with criminals on Rudolf Street, San Francisco.
I express my sympathy on his tragic death. I knew him since a long time. He was an honest Police Officer with true dedication for his duties & to help people with law& enforcement matters.
Please accept our heartfelt condolences from the whole staff of SFPD.
I don’t know how to express my sympathy for the loss for Ricky. It felt shocking & unbelievable to me first.
His loss cannot be recoverable and we all will miss him for the rest of our lives. John was a loving person, we shared many things in life together and we were there for each other no matter what may come our ways.
It will not be easy for any of us to not to miss such a great person who was always there to help everybody around. He is no more with us, but, his memories will be guiding us ahead. It was not possible for me to be with you at the time of such a sorrowful occasion. I wish I was there to help you every moment during grief and gloom.
Now, I am praying to God to have you in his comfort, and rest his soul in eternal peace!
And, please do not hesitate to call me whenever you need for any kind of help
I first found it unbelievable that your sister has really passed away two days ago in a tragic road accident.
I want to express my deep sympathy through this letter to you and your family. You may not know but it was your sister who did so much for me in my life – her guidance and right advices always helped me make right decisions in my life & career. I have lost a friend, a mentor and a loving person.
May God rest her soul in eternal peace and have your whole family in comfort and gives strength to face this painful truth that she is no more with us.
At first, it was hard to accept this truth that my colleague friend and your husband, John has left us in deep grief.
I offer my deepest condolences on the unexpected demise of John. He was one of my colleagues and we were friends. We had many things in common and we shared greet moments together.
Death is one of the hardest realities in life that everyone has to accept sooner or later. But, we should not loose our strength of mind. After John, you are the person in your house that would take care of all in your family. You have to get out of this sorrow very soon and take responsibilities of your family.
We will always miss John in our heart. May God rest his soul in peace!
You can contact me anytime if you need my help for anything, I will be there for your family.
It is my burdensome duty to send this sad news to you that your beloved son is no more among us. Captain Steve Johnson, US Marine Corps, died on 15th July, 2012 in Afghanistan while fighting with the Taliban terrorists.
I, on behalf of the President of the United States, would like to express my deepest sympathy to you and your family. I pray to God to give enough strength to your family to come out of this sorrow and have you in comfort.
Subject: – Condolence on death of your husband Late Adam Richards
Mrs. Rights,
This may not be the right time to disturb you for reading this letter.
When I came to know about the sudden demise of your husband, it sensed unbelievable as he left us all at a wrong time.
I want to tell you that I am short of words to express my condolences on this unfortunate event. Every person has to face and accept this undeniable reality and it takes some time to get over it.
Adam was my dear friend, and I would do anything for me. So, I request you to please free to contact me for any kind of help you may need, money, paper work or any other thing.
I heard this news with a very sad heart that your brother passed away on August 21. I got this news late as I was not going to the office since a couple of days due to my illness.
I can understand your family’s mental state at this point of time. Please accept my condolences on the death of your brother. I can’t find words to express how unpleasant it is for me. As you know, he was also a good friend of mine and I will miss him. He was a great thinker and a helping person. It is very unfortunate that he left us untimely. I remember he would always take care of your every need and he loved you a lot, and he did everything possible for your education & your career.
I will always have this regret in my mind that I was not able to see him in his last moments.
Please accept my hearty condolences again and take care of all your family members.
I received this unpleasant news about your deceased mother today morning. I am feeling sorry for the loss in your family. I wanted to convey this message that my whole family is with you in this period of grief & sorrow.
I actually never met your mother, but we talked to each other for many times on the phone. I still remember those conversations in which she would always talk about you, so I know how close you were to your mother. Despite living apart from you, she would think of you always, she told me.
I could not come to your mother’s funeral as I was outside the town. I will come to your home very soon.
You are always in my thoughts. Take care of your family.
This afternoon, when I got to know about your father, I was just shocked. I know at his age, the loss was not unexpected, but I still had a sense of disbelief as he was very good person. I am so sorry for your loss.
Your father was really a kind hearted man – he always helped the needy ones. I never met him personally, but people told me a lot about his kind nature and his philanthropical activities. I also read about his works in many magazines & newspapers.
It is not a loss to your family only, but to the whole society. I really wanted to attend his funeral, but I was outside the town.
Please accept hearty condolences of my whole family and please feel free to ask for anything you may need.
