How to Write a Eulogy for Your Colleague - Eulogy Examples & Tips

You have to speak about someone you worked with and you want to get it right. Maybe you were the chosen speaker. Maybe you volunteered. Maybe your heart is full of memories and you do not know which one to say first. This guide walks you through the whole process. It gives structure, real examples you can steal, tips on tone and length, and practical advice for delivering when you are up against grief and bright lights.

This is written for busy people who care about legacy and clarity. No flowery funeral jargon unless it matters. We explain terms and acronyms so you know what people mean at services and in HR emails. You will find templates that work for a manager, a teammate, a mentor, and short virtual memorials. Use the templates as a starting point. Make them yours with a few details that are only true for your colleague.

What a Eulogy Is and What It Is Not

A eulogy is a spoken tribute. It is a short speech that honors a person who has died. It is not a legal document. It is not an obituary although the two can share facts. An obituary is a written public notice about death. An officiant is the person who leads the ceremony. An officiant can be a religious leader, a celebrant, or a colleague chosen to guide the event. Pallbearer refers to people who carry a coffin. You may never deal with that. Still good to know the words you might hear so they do not surprise you in a program or handout.

For workplace memorials there are a few other terms to know. HR means human resources. HR will likely coordinate logistics and any company statement. A vigil usually means an informal gathering for reflection and remembrance. A reception is the social time after a service with food and talking. Virtual memorial refers to an online service streamed for remote attendees. If the service is virtual you will need to think about camera friendly delivery and short segments to hold attention.

How Long Should a Eulogy for a Colleague Be

Keep it short and human. Most workplace eulogies sit between four and seven minutes. That is long enough to tell a story and short enough to fit into a program where several people may speak. If the event is a company wide gathering with senior leaders speaking you may be asked to keep it to three minutes. When in doubt ask the organizer. They will tell you the schedule and how many people will speak.

Tone Choices: Professional Respect With Real Feeling

Your workplace is not a stand up club and it is not a memorial only for family. Aim for this balance. Be respectful of the setting. Be real about how the person showed up at work. Humor is allowed if it fits the person and is not private or cruel. Small funny details that show personality can feel healing when placed alongside sincere appreciation.

Use phrases like "they loved" or "they showed up" instead of clinical descriptions of death. Avoid guessing or sharing medical details unless the family is comfortable. Avoid office gossip or criticism. This is a speech to honor, not to settle scores. If you are asked to say something about struggles the person faced, check with family first and keep the focus on resilience and contributions rather than blame.

Step by Step Plan to Write Your Eulogy

Follow these steps and you will have a tight, moving tribute that is honest and structured.

1. Gather basic facts

• Confirm the correct full name and preferred name for the service.
• Ask for preferred pronunciation of names and job titles.
• Confirm the role of the speaker and any protocol from HR or family.

2. Ask the family what they want shared

Always check with a family member or the person coordinating the memorial before you include private stories. Ask if there are topics to avoid and whether humor is welcome. If the family asks for a short reading only, respect that request.

3. Decide your core message

Pick one sentence that you want your audience to remember about the colleague. This is your core message. Examples: They made work feel lighter. They built teams that trusted each other. They showed up like a quiet lighthouse. Keep coming back to that sentence while you write.

4. Collect two to three specific memories

Choose moments that reveal something true about the person. A memory can be about their kindness, a small daily ritual, a professional moment that mattered, or a quirky habit. Use sensory detail and short concrete images like a mug with a chipped rim or a Slack message that saved a launch. These details make the person real to listeners.

5. Include achievements and impact

Name their role, major contributions, and the teams they touched. This helps colleagues and leaders understand the concrete ways the person mattered to work. Keep it simple and avoid long lists of titles. Focus on impact.

6. Add a moment of gratitude

Say thank you in the speech. Thank the family for sharing them. Thank the workplace for allowing the gathering. This models a tone of care.

7. Close with a meaningful line

End with a short sentence that circles back to your core message. This could be a wish, like We will keep that light on, or a concrete act, like We will try to laugh as they did when things went sideways. Keep it short and repeatable.

How to Structure the Eulogy

Here is a simple structure you can use as a template. It keeps flow and helps you edit down to time.

• Opening One to two lines to introduce yourself and explain your relationship to the person.
• Anchor line The core message sentence that sets the tone.
• Memory one A short story that illustrates a trait or value.
• Memory two Another anecdote with a slightly different angle.
• Impact Concrete contribution at work and effect on people.
• Gratitude Thank family and colleagues.
• Closing A hopeful or honoring sentence that the audience can remember.

What to Avoid Saying

• Avoid graphic details about the death. These belong to family conversations or medical records.
• Avoid speculating about cause or circumstances unless the family has given you permission.
• Avoid office politics and unresolved conflicts. A memorial is not the place for internal disputes.
• Avoid jokes that rely on private knowledge. If you would not say the line to a stranger, do not say it in the speech.

How to Handle Emotion While Speaking

Showing emotion is human and expected. If you think you may break into tears practice grounding techniques. Breathe with your diaphragm. Pause and take a breath before each new paragraph. Keep water nearby and use a printed copy of your speech with line breaks where you plan short pauses. If you need a moment stop. People will understand. You can also ask a co speaker to step in if emotions are overwhelming. Many speakers prepare a short sentence and rehearse until they can read it even when sad.

Delivery Tips

• Speak slowly. Grief makes processing time slower for listeners.
• Project to the room but keep tone intimate like you are talking to one person.
• Use short sentences. They land better when people are emotional.
• Make eye contact with the family if appropriate. If that feels too hard look slightly above them or at a friendly face in the room.
• Practice aloud three to five times. Time yourself. Adjust length to the allotted minutes.

Templates and Example Eulogies You Can Use

Below are multiple templates. Replace bracketed items with your details. Each example includes notes on tone and where you can add a short anecdote.

1. Short Eulogy for a Teammate

Use this for a 2 to 3 minute slot at an internal memorial or team meeting.

Template

Hello, my name is [Your Name]. I worked with [Name] on [Team or Project]. I want to say one thing first. [Core message in one sentence].

[Memory one: A quick concrete example that shows character. Keep to one minute max.]

[Memory two: A small workplace moment that shows how they helped or made things better for the team.]

[Impact: One line about what they built or how they changed the team.]

Thank you to the family for sharing [Name]. Thank you to everyone here for honoring them. We will remember them by [short closing action or wish].

Example

Hello, my name is Alex. I was on the product team with Maya for five years. If I had to sum up Maya in one sentence it is this. She made complicated things feel possible.

One Friday the build was broken and the client call was in an hour. Maya sat with the engineer until midnight and redrew the plan. She never wanted to be the hero. She wanted the team to be okay. That is the kind of person she was.

She launched three major features that helped our customers trust us more. She mentored three junior teammates who now lead projects of their own.

Thank you to Maya's family for sharing her with us. We will honor her by asking nicer questions and staying to help when the call runs late.

2. Eulogy for a Manager or Leader

Use this for an internal memorial where leadership presence is expected. Aim for four to six minutes.

Template

Hello, I am [Your Name]. I had the honor of reporting to [Name] for [time period]. They were a leader who [core message].

[Memory one: A leadership moment that shows values. Use a specific meeting, decision, or mentoring story.]

[Memory two: A personal detail that reveals warmth or humor. Keep it appropriate for family and coworkers.]

[Impact: Mention teams and initiatives. Be concrete about measurable or behavioral outcomes.]

On behalf of the team I want to say thank you to [Name] and to their family for sharing them. We will try to live up to what they taught us by [closing action].

Example

Hi, I am Priya. I worked with Daniel as our engineering director for seven years. Daniel led with curiosity not power. He always asked why a design worked and how it might be kinder to users.

I remember the day our data pipeline failed right before a major release. Daniel made time for junior engineers and listened more than he spoke. He turned a crisis into a teaching moment and left the team calmer and stronger.

He scaled our team from five to twenty and cared about how people felt while the work scaled. That is rare. Thank you to Daniel's family for sharing him. We will remember him by asking better questions and by mentoring the people who come after us.

3. Eulogy for a Mentor or Senior Colleague

Use this when the person guided your career and you want to highlight their influence. Keep to four to six minutes.

Template

Hello, I am [Your Name]. [Name] was my mentor and my compass in the company. If I could sum up what they taught me it is [core message].

[Memory one: A mentoring moment. A precise question they asked you or an action they took.]

[Memory two: A private joke or a small office ritual that shows their personality.]

[Impact: People they promoted or ways practices changed because of them.]

Thank you to the family and to everyone who learned from [Name]. We will honor them by passing along what they taught us to the next person who needs a hand.

Example

My name is Jordan. Natalia was my mentor. The best piece of advice she gave me was this. Do the hard thing first so your courage gets practiced daily.

Once I froze in a presentation. Natalia stepped in afterwards and taught me how to slide a difficult sentence into plain language. She made theatre out of clarity. We joked about her color coded notebooks. Each color matched a value she tracked.

She promoted five people into leadership roles and taught a whole cohort how to give feedback that builds. We will keep passing her notebooks around when we need courage at work.

4. Short Virtual Eulogy for Remote Teams

For remote memorials keep it under three minutes. Cameras and time zones make attention fragile.

Template

Hi everyone. I am [Name], I worked with [Name of colleague]. I want to share one short story that captures who they were to our team.

[One short memory or favorite message. Keep it under 60 seconds.]

[Quick impact line about contributions.]

Thank you for joining from near and far. If you want to share something in chat please do. We will collect messages for the family.

Example

Hi from Denver, I am Sam. I worked with Luis on customer success. Luis had a knack for one liner saves. The best one was his first message to a new customer that said Hi I am Luis. I eat complicated problems for breakfast. I will not let you drown. It made strangers trust us instantly.

He taught our team to send clearer messages and to make sure no customer felt alone. Thanks for being here. Please add a note in chat if you can.

Adding Humor Without Being Crass

Many colleagues will remember someone for a small funny habit. Humor can be tender. Keep jokes short and inclusive. Avoid humor that depends on private pain, on medical issues, or on sensitive personal information. A safe framework is to tell a funny moment that shows kindness. For example a story where the person brought ridiculous snacks to the office and convinced everyone to try them. The laugh should make people love the person more, not feel awkward.

How to Involve Coworkers in the Eulogy or Memorial

Collecting memories from multiple coworkers is a strong move. It spreads the emotional labor and brings multiple perspectives. Use a shared document or ask HR to collect short messages. Then pick two or three quotes to read. If you are compiling a program booklet you can include short notes from teammates. If you collect many messages consider reading one or two and making the rest available online or in print for the family.

Practical Workplace Considerations

• Coordinate with HR before you publish anything public about the death. They will advise on statements and privacy.
• Check the company policy on memorial funds or tribute donations. Sometimes HR has a preferred process for gifts or scholarships in the person name.
• If coworkers want to contribute a photo or memory to a memory board ask for permission from family before publishing any pictures online.
• If a service will be streamed confirm technical logistics. Confirm who will moderate chat and handle questions from remote attendees.

When You Are Not the Best Person to Speak

It is okay to decline. If you feel you cannot manage emotionally or you are not the right relationship to represent the person ask someone who knew them more closely to speak. Offer to help gather messages or to moderate the event. Honoring someone does not require public speaking. Supporting the family or the team in other ways matters just as much.

Sample Eulogies You Can Use Word For Word

Below are two full examples you can adapt. Keep changes minimal to preserve sincerity. Replace bracketed items with details only you know.

Full Example A: Teammate Eulogy

Hello, my name is Casey. I worked with Blake on the design team for four years. Blake could take the ugliest brief and find a laugh in it. If I could sum him up in one sentence it is this. He made work feel like a place you belonged.

One memory that sticks with me is when our design review turned into a fire drill. The deadline moved up by two days. Blake brought in his old portable speaker and played the same ridiculous song as a joke until the team smirked and leaned in. He made stress smaller and the work bigger. It sounds small now but it changed how we faced pressure.

Blake led our accessibility initiative and taught us how to build with more care. He mentored interns who still talk about how he took time to annotate feedback with kindness. He cared about craft and people in equal measure.

To Blake's family we offer our deepest thanks for sharing him. We will miss his playlists and his stubborn love for good type. We will remember him when we make room for people at the table and when we laugh in a meeting because that was his real gift.

Full Example B: Manager Eulogy

Good afternoon. I am Morgan and I had the privilege of working with Dana as a manager for six years. Dana had a phrase she used when a plan got messy. She would say We will figure out how to be kind in the chaos. That is the easiest way to explain her leadership. She led from patience not from position.

One afternoon the office flooded because a pipe burst. People were panicked about lost work and personal items. Dana arrived with trash bags and a coffee station. She did not do a grand speech. She rolled up her sleeves and started moving boxes. That action did not feel performative. It felt like love in the language she used best: practical care.

Under her leadership our retention improved and our team culture changed from brittle to reliable. People stayed because she made work survivable and joyful. Thank you to Dana's family for sharing her. We will honor her by continuing to fix the leaks ourselves and by finding small ways to be kind in every chaos.

Editing Checklist Before You Print or Speak

• Read the speech out loud and time it.
• Replace any private or medical details with permission from the family.
• Check names and pronunciations with HR or family.
• Remove any office shorthand that outsiders will not understand. If you use an acronym explain it briefly like HR means human resources.
• Mark the page where you will pause so you can breathe and let the room absorb a moment.

Short Script for a Difficult Moment

If you get stuck or overwhelmed you can use a short script to step back gracefully.

Example script to stop briefly

Excuse me. I need a moment. Thank you for your patience. I am okay to continue now.

Example script to hand off

I am sorry. I will sit down now and ask [Colleague Name] to share a few words. Thank you for understanding.

Resources for Grief Support

If you are grieving after a colleague death reach out. Many workplaces offer an employee assistance program. That is often shortened to EAP. EAP stands for employee assistance program and it provides confidential counseling sessions. If your company does not have one contact local counseling services or grief support groups. Many non profit organizations run peer groups free of charge. If you need to tell HR that the death affected your work you can request an adjustment or short time off for bereavement. Different companies have different policies so confirm the details with HR.

Quick Checklist to Bring to the Service

• Printed copy of your speech with large font and line breaks.
• Contact info for the organizer in case of timing changes.
• Water bottle and tissues.
• Phone silent and tucked away.
• If virtual give a dry run with the organizer so audio levels are good.

FAQs

How do I start a eulogy if I am nervous

Start with a brief introduction and a single sentence that states your connection to the person. This orients the listeners and lets you take a breath. Example opening line. Hello, I am [Name]. I worked with [Name of the deceased] on product. I want to share a short memory about how they made our work kinder.

Can I use humor in a eulogy for a colleague

Yes when it is respectful and family approved. Small light moments that reveal personality can be healing. Keep jokes short and do not make fun of private struggles or medical conditions. If you are unsure ask a family member or a trusted colleague who knew them well.

What if I do not know the family well enough to ask permission

Coordinate with HR or the person organizing the memorial. HR will usually know the family contact or will have guidance on what the family wants shared. When in doubt focus on workplace memories and avoid medical or family details.

What should I include about their work achievements

Mention the role, a key contribution, and the people whose work changed because of them. Keep it concise. For example mention a project they led and how it impacted customers or teams. Avoid long lists of titles or awards unless they are central to the story.

Who normally organizes a workplace memorial

Often HR coordinates logistics and company communications. Team leads sometimes organize smaller gatherings. Family may also request a workplace memorial. Check with HR to confirm who is handling the details and who will speak at the event.