Book of Remembrance Examples: 40 Inscriptions for a Two-Line, Five-Line or Eight-Line Entry
A book of remembrance entry is short on purpose. Most are two, five or eight lines, and each line holds roughly 30 to 40 characters. The first line or two are almost always the name and the date of death; whatever space is left is yours. Below are 40 book of remembrance examples sorted by how many lines you have, followed by how the page is laid out and what to check before you send the form back.
What a Book of Remembrance Is
There are two things people mean by the phrase, and it matters which one you are filling in.
The permanent book. Many crematoria, cemeteries, churches, cathedrals, regiments and hospitals keep a bound book in which names are hand-lettered by a calligrapher. The book is arranged by date of death, not by year, so each page holds everyone who died on that day. On the anniversary, the book is turned to that page and left open in a chapel or display case. Families visit on the day, or ask for the page to be shown. Entries are paid for, usually by the line, and they are permanent: once the ink is down, it is not changed.
The book at the funeral. Some families call the condolence book at the service or wake a "book of remembrance." Guests write in it freely, with no line limit. If that is the book in front of you, our guide to what to write in a funeral guest book has 50 entries for exactly that.
The rest of this article is about the first kind: the permanent entry, where every character counts.
How an Entry Is Laid Out
Crematoria and churches each have their own form, but the layout is close to universal:
- Line 1: the full name, often in a heavier or coloured script.
- Line 2: the date of death, sometimes with dates of birth and death, or the age.
- Lines 3 onward: a short inscription, the names of family, or both.
Some forms let you add a small painted emblem (a flower, a regimental badge, a religious symbol) in place of a line or two. It usually costs more than a line and uses the space of one to three lines.
Before you write, check three numbers on the form: how many lines, how many characters per line, and whether spaces count. A line that looks short on paper can still overrun in calligraphy.
Two-Line Examples
With two lines, the name and date take everything. The only choice is how to write them.
- Margaret Ellen Hughes
Died 14th March 2026, aged 84 - Thomas "Tom" Reilly
1941 – 2026 - Dorothy May Clarke
Beloved wife, mother and nan - Sgt. William Arthur Price
Royal Engineers, 1938 – 2026 - Ananya Rao
Forever in our hearts - Peter James Holloway
At peace, 22nd June 2026
Examples 3 and 5 drop the date, because the book is already opened on the date of death. Some families prefer the second line for words rather than numbers. Ask the crematorium whether that is allowed; most accept it.
Five-Line Examples
Five lines is the most common size. Name and date on the first two, three lines for words.
Joan Patricia Walsh
Died 3rd January 2026
A life of kindness,
a garden full of roses.
Always loved, never forgotten.Robert Alan Turner
1936 – 2026
Husband of Jean for 61 years.
Dad to Sarah, Mark and Paul.
Grandad to eight.Eileen Murphy
Died 9th August 2026, aged 91
She kept the kettle on
and the door open.
Loved by all who knew her.David Owen Pritchard
Died 17th May 2026
Gone fishing.
Missed every single day
by Carol and the boys.Grace Adebayo
1952 – 2026
"The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want."
Psalm 23Harold Frederick Bell
Died 30th November 2026
Loving husband, dad, grandad.
Your quiet strength
holds us still.Maria Santos
Died 2nd April 2026
Mum, you gave us everything.
Rest now.
Love always, your children.Frank Gordon Hill
1944 – 2026
Merchant Navy, 1960 – 1985.
Home from the sea.
Rest easy, Dad.Lily Rose Bennett
Died 12th July 2026, aged 6
Our little flower.
Forever six, forever loved,
forever in our hearts.Stanley Kowalski
Died 25th February 2026
Never one for fuss.
A good man, a good friend,
sadly missed.
Eight-Line Examples
Eight lines lets you name the family, add a verse, or both. Resist filling every line just because you paid for it: a blank line is part of the layout, and white space reads as calm.
Elizabeth Anne Moore
Died 6th October 2026, aged 88
Wife of the late John.
Mother of Susan and Richard.
Grandmother and great-grandmother.
Her door was always open,
her tea was always hot.
Forever loved.George Henry Walker
1939 – 2026
Those we love don't go away,
they walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
still loved, still missed,
and very dear.
Your loving family.Kathleen Mary O'Brien
Died 20th December 2026
Nurse, mother, friend.
Forty years on the wards
and never too tired
to listen.
With love from all
at St. Mary's.Arthur John Davies
Died 1st September 2026
Loving husband of Megan.
Dad to Rhys and Carys.
Taid to Osian and Nia.
Sing on, Dad.
Forever in our hearts.
Cwsg mewn hedd.Priya Sharma
1968 – 2026
Daughter, sister, wife, mother.
She lit every room
she walked into.
The light remains.
All our love,
Raj, Anya and Dev.Ronald "Ron" Fisher
Died 11th April 2026
Arsenal till the end.
A proud dad, a patient grandad,
and the best company.
The house is too quiet
without you.
Love, Pat and family.
Short Lines That Fit Anywhere
These are the inscriptions families reach for most. Each fits on a single calligraphy line, so they work as the last line of any entry.
- Forever in our hearts
- Always loved, never forgotten
- Rest in peace
- At peace
- Sadly missed
- Loved and remembered
- Until we meet again
- In God's keeping
- Safe in the arms of Jesus
- Reunited with Dad
- Asleep in the Lord
- Gone but not forgotten
- Remembered with love
- Your love lives on in us
- The heart that loved us
- Thank you for everything
- Always our Mum
- Home at last
If none of these feel right, our list of short memorial quotes has more that fit on one line, and the remembrance quotes for anniversaries suit an entry that will be read on the same date every year.
How to Choose the Words
A few things we have seen work:
Write it for the anniversary, not the funeral. The entry will be read one day a year, often by someone standing in a quiet chapel. "Taken too soon" fits the week of the funeral; "Loved and remembered" fits the tenth anniversary.
Use the name people called them. "Thomas 'Tom' Reilly" tells a visitor who this was. If only the family used a nickname, keep it for the inscription line instead: "Our Tommy."
Say one true, specific thing. "Gone fishing" or "She kept the kettle on" says more than any adjective. The same rule applies to a memorial plaque, which has the same space problem.
Check the religious setting. A church or cathedral book may expect, or prefer, scripture. A municipal crematorium book is usually open to anything.
Read it aloud with the line breaks. Calligraphers break lines where the form tells them to. A verse split in the wrong place loses its rhythm.
Before You Send the Form
- Spell every name twice, including middle names and any Welsh, Irish or non-English spelling. Corrections after lettering are often not possible.
- Confirm the date of death matches the death certificate. That date decides which page the entry goes on.
- Ask when the book is displayed and whether you can view the page on other days by appointment.
- Ask about a copy. Many crematoria offer a hand-lettered card of the same entry for the family to keep. It is worth having: the book stays behind, the card comes home.
- Keep a photo of the form you submitted. Lettering can take months, and you will want to check it against what you sent.
When the Book Is Not Enough
The book is a beautiful, fixed thing: a few lines, one day a year, in one building. That is its point. But it does not hold the photographs, the longer story, or the memories other people want to add, and relatives abroad may never stand in front of it.
That is where an online memorial sits alongside it. Families often use the same inscription as the opening line of a memorial page, then add the rest: a life story, photos, and tributes that friends can leave from anywhere. If you are choosing words for both, our guide on what to write in a memorial covers the longer version.
FAQ
How many lines should a book of remembrance entry be? Most families choose five. Two lines covers the name and date only; eight gives room for family names or a verse. The crematorium's form will list the options it offers.
Can I change an entry after it has been written? Usually not. Entries are hand-lettered in ink into a bound book. Check spelling carefully before you submit.
Does the entry need a date? The book is arranged by date of death, so the page itself carries the date. Many families still include it, but some use that line for words instead. Ask what your crematorium allows.
Can I add an entry years after someone died? Often yes. Many crematoria and churches accept entries for deaths from any year, placed on the correct date page. Ask the one where the funeral or cremation took place.
GetMemorial helps families build beautiful, lasting online memorials in minutes — a permanent home for inscriptions, photos, and the stories that do not fit on a single page. Make a free online memorial for someone you love.
