Tribute to a Late Brother or Sister: Examples and Writing Prompts

A sibling knows a version of you that other people may never have met. They remember the house before it was repainted, the punishment you both denied deserving and the family stories nobody tells properly anymore.

That shared history can make a tribute difficult to write. There is too much to say, and much of it seems too ordinary to put in a programme. The ordinary parts are often where you should begin.

Choose the sibling you knew

You do not need to cover their entire life. A biography can carry the dates, schools and work history. Your tribute can explain what it was like to be their brother or sister.

Write down three things without trying to make sentences:

• A scene you can still picture.

• Something they regularly said or did.

• Something you will miss in your own life.

Perhaps your sister always called after a difficult meeting. Perhaps your brother fixed things and left the tools behind. A small, accurate memory gives the reader a person to recognise.

A short fictional tribute to a brother

My brother was the person I called when I did not know where to start. He rarely gave long speeches. He would ask one question, then another, until the problem felt smaller.

Growing up, we argued over the radio and blamed each other for things we had both done. As adults, we still teased each other, but I knew he would answer when I called.

I will miss his practical kindness, his terrible jokes and the confidence of knowing he was somewhere in the world. Thank you, my brother, for all the ordinary days we shared.

This is an invented example, not a real family's testimony. Borrow the structure if it helps, but replace the memories.

A short fictional tribute to a sister

My sister remembered things. She remembered who had an exam, whose child was unwell and which auntie needed a call. Often, before I had thought to ask, she had already checked.

She could also be stubborn, and she would laugh at me for pretending otherwise. I loved that we could disagree and still find our way back to the same conversation.

I miss her voice and the way she said my name when she knew I was avoiding a question. I am grateful to have been her sibling. I wish we had more time.

When several siblings are contributing

Agree whether you are writing one joint tribute or separate pieces. If it is joint, invite each person to contribute a memory and let one editor join them. Do not put feelings into another sibling's mouth because the paragraph sounds smoother that way.

For the booklet, confirm the word allowance with whoever is designing the burial programme. A short personal tribute is better than a long piece cut at the last minute without your input.

Leave out what feels private

You can acknowledge a difficult relationship without describing every conflict. You can also write "I wish we had had more time together" without explaining why you were apart.

Read the piece aloud once. Keep the words you would actually say. If the family is collecting stories in an online memorial, a longer version can live there with your permission, while the programme carries the shorter one.

If you want to keep the full tribute beyond the booklet, create a tribute on CelebrateThem and share the memories you are comfortable making public.