How scribes can make an obituary come alive

An obituary is one of the rare pieces of journalism. It does not fall to everybody to write it. Yet when the occasion comes, it is the duty of the scribe upon which the assignment falls to make the story come alive.
But writing an obituary is largely a forgotten art. Teachers in the journalism schools do not devote much attention to it.

Some people lived lives ready-made for a good obit. The dictum of the dead, let no evil be said, still remains true for many of us. But what if the subject of the assignment was evil? Where would one get the good stuff to say?

Mark Anthony’s great speech at Julius Caesar’s funeral, so well presented by William Shakespeare, still strikes with its rawness and passion centuries later. Caesar had done so much in life; therefore, there was much to work with.

Too often, we may be called upon to pen an obituary for a colleague, a friend, or a family member who just lived their lives, then one day checks out for the other side. Then, the task falls to us to bring their lives to life on paper.

Some of the terse approaches to announcing the passing on of an individual are to simply state that so and so is dead. Then bring out the details of how it happened and probably the consequences of their passing. The messages of condolence from friends and colleagues are useful in being woven into the story.

Such quotes are not necessarily to be taken wholesale but selectively picked to add to the story’s central thread. The rules of quotes still apply – not everything is quotable. Even in these days of social media and day two journalism, the inverted pyramid is not completely dead.

The world of media was thrown into mourning – it should have been the easiest for journalists to pen. But again, it probably was the most difficult. Journalists are used to writing stories about others, stories that are not so close to home. But what do you do when the story is about a deskmate, the person you spent the last year joking with, a sister or a brother?

Clearing one’s mind to see better is a first step. It will enable you to see the life of the loved one in some chronology. You will recall your childhood days, the events that stand out, such as when you sneaked to pluck your neighbour’s sugar cane, then caught, frog-matched to the headmaster for canning, accused of indiscipline, and the embarrassment that came with it.

The sunny moments will come to memory, the last call you had yet to make when the news broke that you would not be making that call again because the subject would not be able to pick it up anymore.
It is difficult to think of the subject in the past tense. Here is a person who you still hope you will bump into in church the coming Sunday; how do you start thinking about them in the past tense, even though that is the truth now? Using present tense may help the story come alive.

Recollections of friends and even enemies help spice up the story. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga mourned Tom Mboya with some piercing quotes. Words uttered at such raw moments may be what you need to spice up the story to complete the picture of the deceased. People have complicated lives, and recollections of friends and colleagues are useful in building up images and emotions.

Remembering what the loved one was most proud of regarding their achievements is useful. That may be family for some, for others, their work. It could be something else, and it is important to know what it is. What projects did they still have to work on?

And for you as the writer, what do you remember the deceased for – their dress, sense of honesty, duty, trust and all. What are you going to miss most now that they are gone? What will the world miss with their passing? The obituary does not have to be funny – just authentic.

—The writer is Dean, School of Communication, Daystar University