When my grandfather passed just days before 9/11, I sat down that night and wrote what was on my mind — the recollections of a man devoted to his faith, family and farm. I shared that story with my mother and her three brothers and that typed keepsake remains tucked into the family Bible at our Kentucky home.

Since that night, I have written hundreds of life stories as an award-winning journalist at newspapers in Kentucky, North Carolina and Mississippi. Sadly, with newsroom staffs shrinking across the country, few of these life stories are now being shared. Instead, a lifetime of achievement is often whittled down to a few sentences about the loved one’s profession and civic clubs and church memberships. The obituary is often buried in the back pages of a publication with an ever-shrinking number of readers.

It’s my hope to change that. We should celebrate the uniqueness of each individual, that trait or saying or gesture that resonates and remains in the memories and hearts of others. It’s been a life worth living. Let’s share the story in a way that will provide comfort, guidance and inspiration to us all.

The fee for a standard obituary is $200.

When you order an obituary, you will be emailed a questionnaire that will help me with the particulars of your loved one’s life. It will also prompt you to remember some of your favorite stories about them.

When you return the questionnaire, I’ll follow up with phone interviews to hear more stories and memories of your loved one and to clarify any details from the questionnaire.

You will then receive a completed obituary at your preferred length.

A couple of things to know:

• A standard obituary includes two phone, Zoom, FaceTime, or in-person interviews with loved ones.
• The obituary can be delivered 48 hours after you return the answers to the questionnaire.