Eulogy
A gentle, step-by-step eulogy you can print on cue cards: a welcome, who they were, a few true stories, what they gave others and a calm farewell.
Speech8 cardsAbout 4 min to speakBeginnerFamily
Eulogy for a grandparent
A warm eulogy for a grandmother or grandfather, suited to teenage and adult grandchildren: their long life, the treats and traditions, and what you will keep.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Opening
Hello everyone. I'm [your name], one of [number] grandchildren of [full name], who we called [Nana / Pop / Oma / Lolo / a nickname].
Thank you for being here for [her / him] and for our family.
- 2
A long life
[Grandparent] was born in [year / place], a world with [no television / ration books / horses on the farm / a detail of the time].
[She / He] lived through [moves, jobs, history] and still [kept the same garden / wrote letters / made the best bread].
- 3
Visiting [their house]
Going to [Nana's / Grandpa's] meant [biscuits in a tin / cards on the table / a dog called ...].
[She / He] always said "[a saying they repeated]".
- 4
A favourite memory
[A short story of a day with them: a fishing trip, learning to knit, a car ride, a recipe, an argument about football.]
- 5
What [she / he] gave all of us
Every grandchild has their own memory. For [cousin], it's [...]. For [cousin], it's [...].
But we all got the same thing: [time / patience / stubborn love / a belief that we could do anything].
- 6
Their faith, work or community
Outside the family, [Nana / Pop] was part of [their church, mosque, temple or club / the bowls team / the street where everyone knew them].
People there knew [her / him] as the one who [always brought a plate / fixed the roof / sang too loudly].
Thank you to [group] for being here today.
- 7
What I will keep
I will keep [an object, a habit, a recipe] and I will pass it on.
[If you have children: "My own kids will know who you were."]
- 8
Goodbye
[Nana / Pop], thank you for [one thing]. Say hello to [grandparent or person who died before] for us.
We love you. [Rest in peace / Until we meet again / Goodbye for now.]
How to use this template
Grandchildren are often asked to speak at a grandparent's funeral because they bring a lighter, loving view of someone who may have lived a long, full life. This template suits a teenager or an adult grandchild and can be shared among cousins. It opens with the name the family used, gives a sense of the era they grew up in, then moves to visits, a favourite memory, what every grandchild received from them and what you will keep. The farewell card can include someone they have rejoined, if that fits your family's beliefs. Fill in the brackets with real details; small specific things, like a biscuit tin or a card game, say more than big adjectives.
Tips
- Ask your parents and aunts or uncles for one fact about your grandparent's early life that you did not know.
- Gather a line from each cousin by message beforehand and read them on the card about what they gave all of us.
- Practise in front of a parent so you know where your voice is likely to wobble.
- Gentle humour is welcome at many grandparents' funerals; check the tone with the family and keep jokes kind.
- Print large and number the cards, and keep a second copy with an adult in the front row.
- If your grandparent lived with dementia or a long illness, you can mention it in one gentle sentence and then return to who they were for most of their life.
Make it fit
- For a younger grandchild, keep three cards: opening, a favourite memory and goodbye, and let an adult stand beside them.
- If cousins speak together, give one card to each person and stand as a group.
- For a service in two languages, add a line in the grandparent's first language on the opening and goodbye cards.
- For a secular celebration of life, swap the goodbye line for a toast or a moment of quiet thanks.
- For a grandparent you knew mostly at a distance, or through video calls, say so honestly and share what your parents have told you, alongside the few memories that are your own.
Updated October 28, 2026