Eulogy For John F. Kennedy Jr
"From the first day of his life, John seemed to belong not only to our family, but to the American family. The whole world knew his name before he did. A famous photograph showed John racing across the lawn as his father landed in the White House helicopter and swept up John in his arms. When my brother saw that photo, he exclaimed, "Every mother in the United States is saying, 'Isn't it wonderful to see that love between a son and his father, the way that John races to be with his father.' Little do they know, that son would have raced right by his father to get to that helicopter."
But John was so much more than those long ago images emblazoned in our minds. He was a boy who grew into a man with a zest for life and a love of adventure. He was a pied piper who brought us all along. He was blessed with a father and mother who never thought anything mattered more than their children.
We thank the millions who have rained blossoms down on John's memory. He and his bride have gone to be with his mother and father, where there will never be an end to love. He was lost on that troubled night, but we will always wake for him, so that his time, which was not doubled, but cut in half, will live forever in our memory, and in our beguiled and broken hearts. We dared to think, in that other Irish phrase, that this John Kennedy would live to comb gray hair, with his beloved Carolyn by his side. But like his father, he had every gift but length of years. We who have loved him from the day he was born, and watched the remarkable man he became, now bid him farewell.
God bless you, John and Carolyn. We love you and we always will."
— U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy
Eulogy Examples - Eulogy for Mother
"I was 19 and leaving home. We had little money and surely none for luxuries and that's what new clothes were. Ours came in boxes, hand-me-downs from cousins. What money Mum got each week was carefully placed in a series of jars in a cupboard in the kitchen. Each jar had a label. This was for 'Food', that for 'Bills' etc. The jars were frequently empty but miraculously, our tummies never were.
The day came for going. I had made 'new clothes from old ones. They were folded, ready for packing. As I closed the lid on my suitcase, my mother gave me a package. 'Open it.' she said. Inside was a new store-bought red blouse, beautifully sewn and made of fine fabric. 'A girl must have at least one quality garment.' she said. It was extraordinary. I knew the path to that blouse had been 5 cents by 5 cents by 5 cents over months. I also knew this was love."
Eulogy Examples - Eulogy for Father
"My father was a man that was kind and generous
He loved all of us with such joy and pride that it lit up his face every time we were together.
There was never a time that I could not talk to him or that he would not offer advice (asked for or not)
Some of you may not have known my father the way that I did, but for those who did not get to see this side of him missed out on knowing a great man.
A man that made sure that his family was taken care of even if it meant he had to sacrifice something important to him. "
Eulogy Examples - Eulogy for a Daughter:
"My wife and I could never have asked for a more wonderful daughter. Everything she did made us proud. From her earliest days at home, sleeping soundly through the night, to her last moments here with us, she made us the luckiest parents on the face of the Earth.
Sandra always had such a thirst for life. As a child, she would run home from school after learning something special, and immediately devote her time to it. I remember when she was in the 4rd grade and her teacher, Mrs. Moris, taught the class about dinosaurs. Sandra came in through that door like a tornado, wanting to learn everything she could about dinosaurs. We took her to the local museum, where she can see some dinosaurs replica. I will never forget the look on her face that day. That look that only an enthusiastic child can give. I was so excited for her new found passion.
This thirst for life only grew. As Sandra became an adult, she found her calling with teaching. Her whole life she hungered for knowledge, and now she wanted to give back. She devoted so much time to these young children, and she loved every minute of it. Sandra was so content with her position in life. That made my wife and I so happy.
She also adored her family. Her husband Jacob was the love of her life. I used to be her number one man, but I gladly turned that over to the man she would spend the rest of her life with. They didn't start a family together, but I know that was always a dream of Sandra's. She wanted to be a mother. She wanted to teach her children everything she had learned, and she hoped that they would have the same thirst for life as she did."
Eulogy Examples - Eulogy for a Friend
"James had lived an great life. James was the best friend; he was the kind of friend that stands by you when you need. He once saved my life. We were both young kids then and we weren’t very close.
I was hastily walking across the street when James saw a speeding car that was coming to me. If it wasn’t for James, I would have died right there. That’s how I became close to James. Yes, that was 15 years ago and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
I remember once James told me he met the girl of his life. Being his best friend I must say I was shocked and thought evil things about that girl. I was so envious of James. It was not because I’m in love with James but it’s more of I was simply not used to sharing James’s time with anyone else. It was always me and James. When I meet his girl, I didn’t know how I would react. She turned out to be a really nice person and she ended up being a good friend of mine too. I must say, I was happy for James and Shara.
What is it that we remember when we think of James? I think everyone who knows him very well would agree with me on this. It was his sense of humor. He was the kind of person that would make everyone laugh so hard that they’d end up crying. Who could forget about his jokes? How about all his green jokes? Goodness! Just thinking about those green jokes still makes me laugh. He was so out there when he starts those jokes. That is what I will truly miss about James. He could make me laugh when I was sad. He always cheered me up when he knew I just had a bad day. That’s the trademark of James. He always wanted to help people and make them happy.
James’s death was sudden. I remember when I heard the news I simply could not believe it. James was too young but as it slowly occurred to me I have realized that James indeed lived his life wonderfully. James was well-loved and he had done so many things on earth and I’m sure he’ll do much more in heaven.
I will forever be grateful to have known James. I will forever be grateful that James was there at the right place and at the right time to save my life. I will forever be grateful for spending 15 years of my life with a friend like him. All the memories I have shared with him will forever be cherished and remembered.
James will forever live in my heart… In our hearts. James is in heaven now and we are here on his funeral. "
Eulogy Examples - Eulogy for Grandmother
The Kindness, love, brunch, patience, a true family woman, all these are all words that make me think of my Grandmother. She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and a friend. She was a walking piece of history – she grew up in a small town near Colorado, all her life was bounded by her far where she fall in love and was married to my grandfather a soldier who fight in world war II. She raised her childs during the Vietnam War Era. She lived life to the fullest and she was a devoted mother and a wonderful grandmother! She walked across the Great Wall of China, crossed the English Channel, went to the top of the Eiffel tower, been to Mass at the Vatican in Rome, and traveled to all the US states! She was traditional, modern, calm, passionate, social, yet enjoyed her alone time.
She lived in Denver, Colorado her whole life and was married to my Grandpa for over 50 years. After he died, 3 years ago, a piece of my Grandma died as well. She still did her usual trips to the beauty shop, brunch after church with her friends on Sunday, and family gatherings. She had two children with my Grandfather, a son and a daughter. I always loved hearing stories of their trips to the beach growing up, and I especially enjoyed the mischievous stories about my Uncle and Mother.
I think one of the things I enjoyed most about my Grandmother was knowing her as an adult. In my early teens, I had a tendency to think she was old-fashioned, and “what would she know”. It was not until my early 20’s when I began to actually open up and share pieces of her life, than I realized, she “knew a whole lot”. The woman that I saw as old fashioned and out of touch, was just the opposite. She had a lifetime experience and he helped me with her advices. I asked her one time how she knew so much, and she said “at my age, I’ve seen everything at least once”. She said, “after a while, people just start to fit into categories. I would say it was one of her greatest strengths, within a few hours of meeting someone and observing them, she could hit on their strengths and weaknesses. She lived a full life, complete with laughter and sorrow.
