Customer Reviews

A Labor of Love: How to Write a Eulogy

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4/2/00

Dear Gary,

I guess it must be around months or maybe a year ago when I first ordered your book. At the time my mother was still alive but was suffering with congestive heart failure. Since she had been near the brink and back several times, I realized that when she did pass, I wanted to eulogize her for my family as I was her only son (39 yrs old, w. 4 older sisters!). I purchased the book ahead of time as I found my mind coming up with some ideas, yet I wanted more formal direction.

Well, the day finally came 12/17/99. She had been near the end the previous week, but started recovering as she had so many times before. When she lulled us into a sense the emergency had passed, she slipped out the back door when we weren't looking!

The bottom line is, I am so grateful for you and your book. Although I found it a very difficult task to sit down and work on her eulogy while she was alive (more procrastination than doing taxes!), I did manage to create an outline after first creating a "cluster". When the time came, I was able to take the outline and create the actual eulogy.

Eventhough I had only created the outline while she was alive, it gave me great relief knowing I had gotten that far, and that it was waiting for me when the time was required.

My family and I feel very blessed to have had our mother (and father), but dad had passed away when kids aged from 21 to 11. She overcame quite a bit to get her 5 kids through college. Therefore, I had quite a bit that I wanted to say. The only suggestion I was unable to follow was to keep it in the 5-10 minute range, I guess mine was more like 10-15 minutes (abridged!). But what the heck as they say. Even my minister and the funeral director encouraged me to do what I wanted.

People were very touched by what I wrote. I couldn't have done it w/o you, Gary. I am a decent public speaker, but this was a whole new ball game! You made a very very difficult task both approachable and possible. I am proud of the finished product and I believe I gave her the sendoff she deserved. She was one in a million.

You have provided a tremendous service by writing LOL and you deserve great accolades in the help you provide to those of take on this true "labor of love". It's amazing that more isn't written about eulogies as death is a universal experience. This fact makes me more grateful that you wrote what you wrote!

Gratefully Yours, Richard Lempke

I had to deliver the eulogy at my mother's recent funeral service and this was without doubt the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life. However, after reading the book, I was able to say things that otherwise I could not possibly have put into words. I was able to walk away from the occasion knowing in my heart that I had said exactly what I had wanted to say.

Without the support provided by this book I could not possibly have done so. I offer you my sincerest thanks for the support given by the book.

With grateful thanks, J. Wilson

"My older brother died unexpectedly last week at the age of 48. I volunteered to give the eulogy because no one else in the family felt they could do it. I wasn't sure I could do it, but felt someone in the family should do it.

I learned of your book on the internet and ordered it. It was the best thing I could have done. After reading about clustering, I tried it and I didn't stop writing for thirty minutes...ideas just poured out of my mind. I also found your tips for delivering the eulogy to be very helpful.

As you suggested, I found this experience to be one of the most rewarding of my life. I felt good about the eulogy and many of the over 200 people in attendance told me it was the best eulogy they ever heard.

So....thank you for making this book available....I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in the position I was in last week.

Sincerely,

G. E. Smith

I wrote the eulogy for my dad in one day after reading pages 7-28 of the book. The eulogy was very well received.

When the time came to write a eulogy for my dad, I had all the background information I needed. What I lacked was knowing what the eulogy was supposed to accomplish, how to organize my thoughts, what to write about and not write about, and how long the eulogy should be. The book answered all these questions.

The suggestion of having a cold glass of water handy during the delivery was very helpful. I nearly lost it at the end, drank the cold water, and finished the eulogy.

The book almost did not arrive before I had to write the eulogy. My advice is order the book well in advance of when you need to use it.

"Many thanks for your book. I would have made you proud--the content and the delivery went well. I made it somewhat controversial (major dysfunction in family). I would of never been able to organize my thoughts without your help. After the funeral, several people came up to me with compliments -- even the Priest hunted me down out on the patio to pay a compliment. Afterwards we went to a relatives house and everyone there made comments/compliments. Maybe this is normal when someone does a eulogy, I have no clue because it's my first one. A few of my best girlfriends were there and made me promise to do the same for them when they die, this was kind of humorous to me."

Thank you again,

Sincerely,

R. A. Gonzales

We used this book to help write a eulogy for our father. The tips and techniques were excellent in helping form our thoughts. The 'sample text' as well as questions to ask ourselves when writing the eulogy helped us put it together.

Many people said that the eulogy really summarized our father.

Thank you.

Seemed to me that the author had penned some eulogies, so felt that he was an expert on the subject. Yeah, it might have been helpful for the very first timer....but not for anyone who's done anykind of writing in their past.

Only buy this book if you have never written anything but a check before

My father passed so quickly. I didn't get to use this information as I had hoped.

I really appreciated the suggested phrases and outline tips - this book really helps you prepare a eulogy. I also found the authors own eulogy example helpful - more so than eulogies of famous people.

In preparing to eulogize my mother, I purchased several books on the subject, and this was by far the best. It helped me to deliver a eulogy that touched and inspired people. Mom would have been pleased!
Thank you, Garry Schaeffer, for a clear, well written and helpful book.