My Father in Law passed away and my husband has to write his obituary. Is it customary to put the ex wives in or leave them out? Both gave him children so i would think you'd put them in but I have no clue.
2007-04-10 05:39:10 · 11 answers · asked by Annie Hightower 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Probelm is there's two. He's been divorced from the second for 20 years and until recent years they hated each other. They have three kids together. He has one child with the first wife and was having a relationship with her again before he died. Should I just suggest to my husband that he put them both in and save any grief he might get for not putting them in at all or putting one in and not the other?
2007-04-10 05:48:49 · update #1
It would be polite to say
survived by his children John Doe and Jason Doe, sons of Marie Doe, and Jessica Smith and Jacob Smith, sons of Sarah Smith.
Whoever he was married to at the time would be where it gets complicated. Traditionally her name would be first as it would be survived by his wife. But the kids would be in order of oldest to youngest. So, I think I'd break it up into 2 sentences. His grieving widow Sarah requests in lieu of flowers donations be made to this charity. And then a seperate sentence of survived by his children John Doe and Jason Doe, sons of Marie Doe, and Jessica Smith and Jacob Smith, sons of Sarah Smith. But not technically survived by his ex wives.
Hope this helps. He would be very pleased you are trying to be so respectful of his children.
2007-04-10 06:21:23 · answer #1 · answered by phantom_of_valkyrie 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Obituary Etiquette Ex Wife
2017-01-20 21:08:36 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't usually see them listed. But i think it would depend on the relationship that they have at the time of death, whether either of them have re-married, or how long ago the divorce was.
2007-04-10 05:42:50 · answer #3 · answered by mischa 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it all depends on the situation, but I do not think it is unacceptable especially when there are children borne of that union. I am divorced and my ex-husband will never be acknowledged. Thankfully we never had any children, so there will be no issue.
2007-04-10 05:48:17 · answer #4 · answered by ♥ terry g ♥ 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If he has an existing wife, no, just put in his present wife. If he's not married to anyone at the time of his death, yes.
2007-04-11 03:44:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can. When my father in law passed, he also had an ex-wife that bore him children. I wrote up his obituary. What I did was list all of his children by mother. I had the current wife (my mother in law) first with her name underlined, and listed all of their kids together under her name and put the spouses to their kids in parenthesis next to each one's name. Then underneath that I put the ex-wife's name-underlined-and listed their kids together under her name, and the spouses to their kids in parenthesis.
Example....
Andrew is survived by his wife and children:
Helen Blair (underlined) <-my mother in law and widow
Mark (Bridgette) <----Their son (my husband) and myself in parenthesis
Andrew was also previously married and through this union children were also born. He is also survived by:
Ex-wife's name (underlined)
Andrew, Jr. (Shelly) <---their son and is wife in parenthesis
Hope this helps!!!
2007-04-10 05:54:27 · answer #6 · answered by â¤??? ?å???? 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I have seen ex spouses mentioned in several obits, and usually it's when there were children between the two.
2007-04-10 05:46:44 · answer #7 · answered by Sunidaze 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I think it's proper to put them in if they maintained any sort of a good/friend relationship after the divorce.
but if they did not get along I would say no
2007-04-10 05:42:57 · answer #8 · answered by Cadaverella 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't say he is "survived by" his ex-wife but if they are on good terms it could say toward the top "he was married for XX years to so-and-so."
2007-04-10 05:48:18 · answer #9 · answered by ♫ Sweet Honesty ♫ 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Yes -- But there should be no problem about that.His Children will be glad your husband was so thoughtful.
2007-04-10 05:44:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋