Background

A Fitting Farewell founder Eileen Bailey has long felt that obituaries and memorial services should be thoughtful, creative occasions to mark the passing of those we love. She strives to create obituaries and events that show the individual’s legacy. What was the soul and spirit of this person?

When Eileen’s father died at age 48, his service was impersonal, had no music, and the officiant had never met her father. The obituary was incomplete, and the service was no comfort at to his family and others who knew him. Since then, Eileen has helped friends and family write interesting, accurate obituaries and plan meaningful memorable services. In 2012, she started A Fitting Farewell™ to help those outside her family meet this challenge.

“A satisfying, memorable memorial is an important ritual that starts the healing process. By satisfying, I mean loving, respectful, and interesting. More than anything, this is always my goal in writing obituaries and helping plan services. It’s a plus if there’s some humor, too. I like to see people leave a service smiling and talking about what a great person she or he was. You can tell that the stories told, the prayers prayed, and the songs sung have uplifted them on this saddest of occasions.”