How to Write a Eulogy for Your Business Partner - Eulogy Examples & Tips

You are standing where business and grief collide. Losing a business partner feels like losing a compass, a best critic, and a friend all at once. You want to honor them the right way. You also need to be useful to the people at the funeral and clear for the people reading the company announcement. This guide gives you an honest, practical roadmap to writing and delivering a eulogy that rings true and feels human.

Everything here is written for busy founders, executives, and teammates who need clarity fast. You will get a solid structure, templates you can adapt, sample eulogies for different situations, and delivery tips for when your throat is tight. We explain terms and acronyms so nothing feels like insider code. You will leave with a draft you can use or hand to someone else to deliver.

What is a eulogy and how is it different from an obituary

A eulogy is a speech or written tribute delivered as part of a funeral or memorial service. It is personal and usually delivered by someone who knew the deceased well. An obituary is a short public notice that announces a death and summarizes life facts such as birth, family, career, and funeral arrangements. Obit is short for obituary. Both are useful but they serve different audiences. The eulogy is for memory and feeling. The obituary is for public record and logistics.

Who should deliver a eulogy for a business partner

There is no single rule. The right person depends on relationships and context. Here are common options and why you might pick them.

• Cofounder or CEO if you were closest in business decisions and in daily life.
• Close colleague or partner if you shared projects and can speak to the work and the person.
• Family member if the family prefers them to lead the personal tribute.
• A hired celebrant or officiant if the family wants a professional voice and you will prepare a written piece to be read.

If you do not feel able to speak, you can write a eulogy and ask someone else to read it. That is perfectly okay. The quality of what you say matters more than who reads it.

Before you write

Take these practical steps first so your words land where they should.

• Talk to family members. Ask them what they want said and what they prefer not to have said. Confirm whether cause of death is public information. If family asks for privacy around cause, respect it.
• Ask about service format. Will it be in a church, a funeral home, online only, or a company memorial? The setting affects tone and length.
• Clarify who else is speaking. If someone is covering the personal life, you can focus on the partnership, the work, and the company legacy.
• Decide your role. Are you speaking as a friend, as a business representative, or both?
• Set a target length. Three to five minutes is common for most eulogies. If you have the green light for longer, plan around five to eight minutes at most.

Quick glossary of business titles and acronyms

Use this if you need to mention roles and titles and want to get the label right.

• CEO means Chief Executive Officer. This is the person responsible for overall company direction.
• CFO means Chief Financial Officer. They handle the company finances.
• CPO means Chief Product Officer. They focus on product strategy and execution.
• Cofounder is someone who started the company with one or more partners. Use cofounder instead of co founder or co founder with a hyphen.
• Obit is shorthand for obituary. It is not a formal document but a useful term in planning.

Core structure of a business partner eulogy

A clear structure keeps you honest when emotions push you off track. Use this framework as your template.

• Opening name them, state your relationship, and give a single sentence about why you are speaking.
• Two to three personal stories that reveal character, values, or a habit that mattered in the partnership.
• Business impact concrete achievements, decisions they made, culture they created, or lessons they taught.
• Reflection what they taught you and the team; what we will miss.
• Closing thank them, thank family and attendees, offer a short wish or quote, and end with a brief line of farewell.

Why stories matter

People do not remember statistics. They remember scenes. Choose stories that are short and vivid. Each story should have a moment, an action, and a small reflection. Keep it accessible for people who did not work with them every day.

How long should the eulogy be

Keep it tight and kind to attention spans. For most business partner eulogies aim for three to five minutes. That is roughly four hundred to eight hundred words when read at normal pace. If the setting allows for more time and the audience is mainly company staff, five to eight minutes is acceptable. If the event is a joint family and public service keep it closer to three to five minutes.

Tone and voice

Decide your tone early. Will you be formal, intimate, humorous, or a blend? For millennial audiences an honest mix of warmth, real talk, and restrained humor often lands well. Avoid jokes that only insiders will get. Avoid corporate buzzwords that feel hollow. Use clear language. If you are tempted to use a long sentence to sound official, keep it short instead. Short sentences feel more sincere when you are emotional.

Boundaries for humor

Humor can be a healing force. Use it sparingly and only if you know the audience will receive it. Do not make jokes about the death circumstances. A small shared laugh about an office habit or a signature coffee order can humanize the tribute.

Step by step writing process

Use this practical workflow to turn grief and memory into a readable speech.

1. Brain dump Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Write every memory, phrase, and sentence that appears. Do not edit. This is about raw material.
2. Collect facts Jot down dates, titles, major projects, and awards. Confirm spellings and dates with someone who knows them. Accuracy matters.
3. Pick three moments Choose three short stories that show different sides of the person. Work friend, work ethic, and humor or kindness are useful angles.
4. Outline Use the core structure above and map stories to sections.
5. Draft Write as if you are talking to one person in the room. Keep sentences conversational.
6. Edit Do two passes. First pass removes filler and vague lines. Second pass times reading aloud and tightens language.
7. Practice Read it aloud three times. Mark places to breathe and where to pause for emotion.

Editing tips that actually help

When you are close to the subject it is easy to overexplain. Use these checks.

• Replace abstractions Replace words like visionary, passionate, and dedicated with a short scene that proves that trait.
• Limit names Use full names for the deceased and immediate family. Avoid listing every colleague. The audience will connect more to a few vivid people.
• Delete corporate speak Remove jargon such as synergy, pivot, and stakeholder unless the word itself is part of a story and lands emotionally.
• Shorten long sentences If a sentence runs long break it into two. Shorter lines are more readable when emotions are high.
• Check facts Confirm job titles, product names, and dates with a reliable source.

Sample eulogy outlines you can copy

Below are three fill in the blank templates followed by full examples. Use them as starting points and swap details where needed.

Template 1 classic cofounder tribute

Opening: Hello everyone. My name is [Your name]. I co founded [Company name] with [Partner name] in [Year]. I am honored to say a few words today.

Story one: The first time we [action or decision]. Short anecdote that shows personality.

Story two: A challenge we faced. What they did and how they kept the team together.

Business impact: Two sentences on product, culture, or customers they changed.

Reflection: What I learned from them and what we will carry forward.

Closing: Thank family. A short farewell line such as I will miss your laugh in meetings. Rest well [Name].

Template 2 for a long time business partner in a family company

Opening: My name is [Your name]. I have worked with [Name] at [Company name] for [number] years. We were partners and friends.

Story one: A ritual you shared at work that shows character.

Story two: How they treated employees or customers and the example they set.

Business impact: A legacy item such as a product, a policy, or a community relationship that will continue.

Reflection and thanks: What they taught the next generation and a promise for how the company will remember them.

Closing line and farewell.

Template 3 short and emotional for sudden loss

Opening: I am [Name] and I was [Partner name]'s partner at [Company]. These past days have been hard. I want to share a few moments that say who they were.

Two short scenes that show care, humor, or stubbornness.

One sentence on the work and a final sentence on what they meant to you personally.

Short closing and goodbye.

Full example 1 startup cofounder sudden passing

Read time about four minutes

Hello. I am Alex Rivera and I co founded Beacon Labs with Maria Chen in 2016. We were partners, co conspirators, and friends who argued about font choices late at night while the rest of the city slept.

The first time Maria convinced me to scrap an entire prototype was terrifying. I remember walking into the office at ten and finding the whiteboard covered in sketches and a single note in Maria's handwriting. It read We are closer if we start again. That meant more work. It also meant a design that customers still talk about today. That willingness to start over became her signature.

Once during our seed round an investor told us to slow down and be more conservative. Maria stood up, pulled a cheap coffee from the office pantry, and said If we build what everyone expects we will be invisible. She smiled and then led the pitch that closed the round. Her refusal to compromise on identity pushed us into markets we did not know we could reach.

Maria cared about people more than processes. When an engineer joined late and seemed lost she invited them to lunch, taught them our code conventions, and insisted we stop two weeks later to celebrate their first release. That created a pattern. People joined for the idea and stayed because they were seen.

Her work is in the product, the team, and a naming system we still use in our code base. Her voice will be in the product notes and in the new hire checklist. I promise we will keep that alive. We have already set up a small fund in her name to support early engineers with relocation costs. Details will be shared by the family.

On a personal note Maria taught me how to listen before deciding. I will miss her laugh at three a m when something finally clicked. I will miss her texts that began with an emoji and ended with a diagram. She made work feel like an adventure even on the worst days.

Thank you to her partner, her parents, and everyone who showed up for her. If you want to celebrate Maria by doing something simple, bring a plant to the office. She believed plants rewarded patience. Rest well Maria. You built more than a company. You built a way of being for all of us.

Full example 2 family business partner of many years

Read time about three minutes

Good afternoon. I am Priya Singh and I have worked with Raj Patel at Patel Mercantile for twenty three years. Raj was a partner and he was family in every sense that mattered.

Every Monday Raj would arrive at six and sweep the front step. He said customers notice the little things. One winter a delivery truck got stuck in the alley. Raj unloaded the crates himself in the snow and joked about needing better boots. That joke covered a stubborn humility. He led by small acts not big speeches.

Raj built relationships that lasted decades. He remembered birthday dates, how each of our suppliers preferred their tea, and the names of customers who had shopped with us since before any of us were born. Those relationships turned a store into a community anchor. When we launched our online shop last year it was Raj who called our oldest customers and walked them through ordering from their phones.

He taught me patience and responsibility. He also taught me that work is not just about profit. It is about trust. We will honor him by keeping the shop open to the same care and attention he gave every day.

Thank you to Raj's children and his sister for their grace. We will miss Raj's morning whistle and the way he measured sugar with his hand. Rest in peace Raj. Your kindness will be the ledger we use going forward.

Full example 3 corporate partner and mentor

Read time about four minutes

Hello. My name is Marcus Bell and I worked with Linda Park for fifteen years across three companies. Linda was a partner, a mentor, and a rare combination of clear thinker and generous leader.

I remember the time a critical client meeting went sideways. Our team was shaken. Linda took the notes, stayed behind to rewrite the proposal, and then asked me if I had learned anything from the mistake. She did not blame anyone. She made learning the point. We won the client back weeks later and Linda insisted we document the playbook so others would not repeat the fault.

Linda believed clarity created calm. She rewrote our onboarding documents until they were simple enough for a teenager to understand. That effort reduced churn and became a core metric in our operations. If you worked with her you got direct feedback wrapped in a way that felt like coaching rather than correction.

On a personal level she taught me to keep curiosity alive. She would send a book with a sticky note that read Read and tell me what you think. I miss her curiosity and her brutal kindness. The company will continue many of her initiatives. We are setting up a mentoring circle in her name so future leaders can learn the same habits she taught us.

Thank you to Linda's family for sharing her with us. Thank you to the many colleagues who showed their care. Linda, thank you for making hard days feel doable and for making good days feel deserved. Rest in power.

Delivery tips for when you are emotional

Being emotional is expected and honorable. These practical techniques help you deliver with clarity.

• Bring printed notes with large font. Do not rely on a phone screen if you might cry.
• Mark where to breathe. Put a bracket or a blank line where you want to pause.
• Use short sentences. Long sentences are easy to lose when your voice shakes.
• Practice with a friend who will stop you and help you continue. Rehearse opening lines until they feel familiar.
• Have water nearby and a backup reader identified. That person can step in if you cannot continue.
• If you lose your place, say I am sorry, I need a moment and breathe. The audience understands. Pause and then pick up where a clear section break is.

Language to avoid

When talking about death avoid speculation about motives or causes if they are not agreed upon by family. Avoid language that sounds like blame. When referencing the company avoid promises you cannot keep such as immediate product relaunch dates unless the leadership team has confirmed them. Keep the focus on memory, impact, and the human person.

Handling company announcements and social posts

Coordinate with family before posting anything public. Company statements should be factual, respectful, and brief. A short public note might include the person name, their role, a brief sentence of tribute, and where the family is directing memorial donations if any. Avoid publishing details about the death until family has approved.

What to say about cause of death

The family controls the narrative about cause of death. If the family has asked for privacy do not disclose. If the death is public and the family has approved sharing say the cause succinctly. If the cause involves sensitive matters such as mental health or addiction follow the family lead on language and resources. If you are unsure, ask.

Memorial and company rituals

Ideas for honoring your partner internally and publicly.

• Create a memorial fund or scholarship in their name for employees or students in the field.
• Start an annual award that recognizes the trait they valued most such as service or curiosity.
• Plant a tree at the office or dedicate a meeting room to their memory.
• Host a company gathering to share memories and photos. Keep it optional and low pressure.
• Set up a shared digital memory wall where employees can post stories and photos.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Too much detail about the illness Fix by keeping cause mentions short and focusing on character.
• Making the speech all about the company Fix by mixing personal stories with business impact. People need the human element.
• Using jargon Fix by translating one corporate phrase into a short story that proves the point.
• Trying to be perfect Fix by letting sincerity lead. Simple honest sentences land better than polished but hollow lines.

Quick checklist before you deliver

• Have you checked facts with family
• Is your length within the agreed time
• Do you have printed notes and a backup reader
• Have you practiced aloud at least three times
• Did you confirm whether cause of death is public
• Is your closing line clear and brief

Frequently asked questions

Who decides what is mentioned in a eulogy for a business partner

The family usually has the final say on personal details and cause of death. If you are delivering a eulogy check with the family first. For company matters coordinate with leadership so you do not promise anything that is not agreed.

Is it ok to include humor in a eulogy

Yes when it is gentle and connects to a real memory. Humor that diminishes the seriousness of the death or that insiders only will get should be avoided. One or two short light lines about a habit or a nickname often helps people breathe during the service.

What if I cannot speak on the day

Ask someone you trust to read your written tribute. Or ask the officiant to announce that you provided a written note that will be shared with attendees. You can also record a short video to be played at the service. All of these options are acceptable.

Should I mention the company future in a eulogy

Keep company plans minimal. It is okay to say we will carry on the work and mention a concrete legacy item such as a process or fund. Leave operational details to formal company announcements after the service and after the family has been consulted.

How do I handle tears while reading

Pause, breathe, and take a sip of water. If you need a moment step aside and let the back up reader continue. The audience expects emotion and will support you. If you can, practice the lines that are hardest so you know where the strong pauses are.