Tribute Obituary Writer Delivers Inspiring, Personalized Obituaries in Minutes
When artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT burst onto the scene late last year, business leaders across the globe began exploring ways to leverage the groundbreaking technology for various industries — including deathcare. Tribute Technology, a leader in deathcare tech solutions, was among the first to succeed. Tribute Obituary Writer harnesses the power of AI to help funeral professionals and families with one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching at-need duties: condensing a loved one’s personality, accomplishments, and life story into an obituary.
“It’s very hard to capture everything a person was [in an obituary],” says Courtney Gould Miller, Tribute’s Chief Customer Officer, adding that Tribute Obituary Writer simplifies that task, creating a truly one-of-a-kind obituary that makes our loved one the main character in their own unique story.
Simplified, but not simple
Tribute Obituary Writer is built on the Tribute Technology platform and is available through any of the company’s websites, including Frazer, FrontRunner, MKJ Marketing, FuneralTech, Funeral Innovations, and SRS Funeral Software. The tool itself is incredibly easy to use, featuring fill-in-the-blank questions that can be completed in minutes — even as you sit with a family in the arrangement room.
“Several firms are already using Tribute Obituary Writer to bring added value into the arrangement room,” Miller explains. “Because of the ease of the program, that can be a 15-minute or less exercise. They lead the family through quick questions and type in the answers for them, then deliver that obituary.”
The product of that exercise is anything but simple or standard, though. Tribute Obituary Writer can take brief, one-word responses to questions about a person’s passions, habits, personal characteristics, education, and work history and transform them into narratives that truly capture a person’s essence. It even includes options for the tone of the obituary, whether that’s witty, religious, playful, or formal.
“We truly believe this technology will help families tell the stories of their loved one’s lives in a way they haven’t been able to do before,” says Tribute Technology’s new CEO, Charlie Cole. “With just a few details, families can create an entire narrative of their personality, gifts, and experiences. Even better, they’re able to choose the specific tone of the writing, so it sounds as formal – or informal – as their loved one. For example, if they were always cracking jokes and making others smile, their obituary will feel like it’s an extension of their life, instead of a template that shares nothing unique about them.”
“Every time I read one of the obituaries Tribute Obituary Writer creates, I think, ‘Wow, this is an outstanding obituary,’” Miller says. “How funny, how engaging, how unique, and how amazing it would be if we could make every obituary that quality!”
AI in action
Tribute Obituary Writer isn’t charged per use, so the obituaries a funeral home or family can create are literally unlimited. Some establishments, including Cavanagh Family Funeral Homes, Inc. in Norwood and Media, Pennsylvania, have opted to add the obituary writer tool to their website, making it accessible to everyone to experiment with — so that’s just what we did.
After easily locating the obituary writer tool on Cavanagh’s website, we started by adding information for a fictional loved one, Dr. John Bennett Appleseed.
The next screen asked about Dr. Appleseed’s family and history:
Next, we added John’s hobbies and interests (not shown in the screenshot below), and chose personality characteristics that best fit our beloved (fictional) loved one. We chose a higher creativity level for a “longer and more intricate” text, and selected a “witty” tone. We even opted to add a quote, as we can imagine that John the PhD would have appreciated some additional words of wisdom.
From there, Tribute Obituary Writer went to work, creating the following obituary for Dr. Appleseed, which we could easily copy and paste for further editing or to send to the funeral home for publishing.
Per our request, this example is lengthy, witty, and includes a credited quotation from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as well as a few long-winded opines about our beloved deceased. To test the versatility of the tool, we also created a shorter, religious-toned obituary for Jane Doe, a kind homemaker who loved to sew and attend church services.
Jane “Janie” Doe, a loving, friendly, and faith-filled woman, was called home to be with the Lord on January 1, 2023. Born on April 4, 1950, in Chicago, IL, Janie spent her life spreading joy and warmth to everyone she encountered. She passed away peacefully of natural causes in Los Angeles, CA, surrounded by her loved ones.
Janie was a devoted wife to her husband, John Doe, and together they built a beautiful life filled with love and laughter. Her unwavering faith in the Lord guided her every step, and she was a beacon of light to all who knew her. Janie’s warm smile and kind heart were a testament to her strong character and the love she had for her family and friends.
After graduating from Chicago High School, Janie dedicated her life to being a homemaker, creating a nurturing and welcoming environment for her family. Her home was a sanctuary where love and kindness were always present, and her door was always open to those in need. Janie’s commitment to her family was matched only by her commitment to her faith, and she was an active member of her church community.
Janie’s love for sewing brought beauty and comfort to her home and the lives of those around her. Her skilled hands lovingly crafted quilts, clothing, and other treasures that will be cherished for generations to come. Janie’s passion for her craft was evident in every stitch, and her creations were a reflection of the love and care she put into everything she did.
A faithful servant of the Lord, Janie was a dedicated member of her church, attending services regularly and participating in various church activities. Her love for the Lord was evident in her daily life, and she was a shining example of what it means to live a life guided by faith. Janie’s devotion to her church community was unwavering, and she was always willing to lend a helping hand or offer a kind word to those in need.
In the words of the good book, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Janie was that friend and sister to many, always offering a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear, and a warm embrace. Her friendly nature and loving spirit touched the lives of countless individuals, and her memory will live on in the hearts of those who were blessed to know her.
As we gather to celebrate the life of Jane “Janie” Doe, let us remember the love, joy, and faith she brought into our lives. Her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched, the beautiful creations she crafted, and the love she shared with her family and friends. Janie now rests in the loving arms of our Lord, and we take comfort in knowing that she is watching over us from her heavenly home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Janie’s memory to her beloved church, where her faith and love for the Lord blossomed and grew. May we all strive to live our lives with the same love, kindness, and faith that Janie exemplified, and may we find comfort in the knowledge that we will one day be reunited with our dear sister in Christ.
Completely customizable
Although we entered relatively few words to describe both John and Jane, Tribute Obituary Writer transformed those facts into beautiful biographies, bringing both individuals to life in the paragraphs it produced. Of course, the finished product can be easily edited, so if a particular passage or assertion doesn’t ring true, a family can delete or rewrite it as they wish.
“It may not be 100% accurate to the person, but the family is inspired,” Miller explains. “That’s the goal: to inspire the family to say things about their loved one. You’re inspired by the life that is documented there.”
Prior to launching Tribute Obituary Writer to the deathcare profession at large, Miller and the Tribute Technology team of developers and designers worked with a bevy of industry beta testers to tweak the tool and make it something truly exceptional, easy, and beneficial for real-life users.
And while the at-need arrangement-room application of Tribute Obituary Writer offers outstanding opportunities for interaction with families, there is also incredible potential in introducing the technology in the preneed discussion.
“It could be such a great start to that preneed conversation,” says Miller, who has decades of experience in the funeral profession. “It puts you in the mindset of [thinking about] ‘What are people going to say about me?’ And when you read this obituary about yourself and it’s making you sound really great, you realize, ‘I did live a great life!’”
Can’t wait to try it?
Tribute Obituary Writer is already crafting amazing obits, offering openings for valuable conversations, and raising public awareness of deathcare establishments across America — all with the full support of Tribute Technology and their robust marketing tools.
When Cavanagh Funeral Homes introduced Tribute Obituary Writer, for example, they took advantage of the free marketing kit provided by Tribute Technology to promote the addition on their social media platforms and in the local press.
“With every new feature we launch,” says Miller, “we create a free marketing kit with social media posts. In this case we wrote a draft press release, so all they had to do was fill in the name of their funeral home. They can send it to the newspaper or to the local news station to get it picked up. Sometimes we’ll provide videos, depending on the specific feature. We always love to arm the funeral home with ways to get this out into their community and share the great things they are offering.”
If you’d like to learn more about Tribute Obituary Writer, reach out to the Tribute Technology team at hello@tributetech.com. You can also learn more about future technology innovation on April 25 at 1ET during a webinar featuring Tribute’s new CEO, Charlie Cole. Register here to attend or receive the live recording.
