Words of Condolence Letter for a Dad

Amy,

I want to extend my deepest sympathy on your dad's passing. Although it is little consolation at this sad time, it must be gratifying to know that in his passing we celebrate the end of a very long and productive life.

How fortunate for you to have had him for all these years, so close by and able to see your children grow up. I believe that his proudest moments were in the role of "grandpa" and I’m sure that your children thought the world of him, as we all did. I know that you and the kids will miss him dearly, as I will. I'm just glad that I have so many happy memories to remember him by. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

May you find the strength to move forward with the confidence in knowing that his was a life well-lived. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

In Sympathy,

Eloise Dunn

1. Keep your letter short but thoughtful.
2. Be sure to mention one of your favorite memories of the deceased if you have one.
3. Always remember to respect religious beliefs. Everyone deserves sympathy, regardless of their beliefs.
4. Sign with your complete name (first and surname). This is good etiquette and will prevent confusion regarding relatives or friends with the same first name as you.
5. Do not make offers of financial help.
6. Don’t mention money that the deceased may have owed to you or anyone else. Financial matters should be dealt with following the grieving period.
7. Do offer practical help such as offering to provide meals or help out with household chores.

Letters of sympathy and condolences are very personal, so the language of your greeting should reflect that. When addressing your intended recipient, your greeting should always include the name of the person you are writing your letter to. The specific nature of your relationship with the bereaved will help you to determine the exact phrasing that should be used. Here are some sample suggestions for your greeting:

Dear ________,
My Dear Friend _________,
Dearest __________,
Dear Mrs. __________,
Dear Ms. __________,
Dear Mr. __________,
Dear __________ Family,

It can be difficult to decide how to start your condolence letter for a dad. Often the most challenging part is choosing the first words of your condolence letter. Just write from your heart and your letter will genuinely reflect both your feelings of sympathy and the nature of your relationship with the bereaved.

In our letter we began with:

I want to extend my deepest sympathy on your dad's passing. Although it is little consolation at this sad time, it must be gratifying to know that in his passing we celebrate the end of a very long and productive life.

Other appropriate opening sentiments include:

We are devastated to hear the news about your dad. Please know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of our entire family.

Words can never express how sorry we are to hear about the passing of your dad. We will keep you and your family in my prayers during this difficult time.

I just heard about your loss. There are few losses as great as the loss of a parent. You have my deepest condolences.

My heart is filled with sadness for your loss. May your beautiful memories sustain and bring comfort to you during this difficult season.

I just heard the sad news about ______’s passing. Please accept our deepest condolences and know that our thoughts are with you during this time.

May your memories of your dad sustain and strengthen you and your entire family. Please know that you have our condolences.

I want to extend to you my deepest condolences. I am praying for you during this difficult time.

It is a challenge to find the right words to express your sorrow. This is particularly true when writing words of condolence letters for a dad. You might even feel afraid to say the wrong thing, or worry about saying something insensitive that will bring more pain to the family. Our sample letter demonstrates how a personal touch is important when crafting your letter. In fact, mentioning a fond memory of the deceased can bring comfort to the bereaved. In your letter, try to share your favorite memory or story about the deceased. Here are some samples to give you ideas for your own letter:

• _______ was always there for me whenever I needed him. As a co-worker, he showed me what hard work and a positive attitude could bring you in life. As a friend, he showed me how to be thankful for my blessings. I’m grateful to have known him.
• _______ and I first met when we served together in the military. He could always make me laugh, even in the worst moments. Even though I never had the opportunity to meet you, I know how much he looked forward to becoming a dad, and how proud he was of his children. May the memories of his strong spirit strengthen and surround you in this difficult time.
• I just want to let you know how grateful I have been for ______, and how much we will all miss him in the community. Your dad served more hours at our soup kitchen than any other volunteer I know of. He treated everyone the same, with respect. Please know that you and your entire family are in my prayers.
• I am shocked and saddened to hear of the devastating loss of your dear dad. _______ was loved by all who knew him. He will be deeply missed.
• Some of my fondest memories are from times spent with _______. He was always a fun loving guy, and didn’t know a stranger. I’m sure you will hear many stories about him over the next few weeks, but I hope you have already heard about the day you were born, and how he was so excited to become a dad that he handed out cigars to almost the entire town! Please know you have our condolences.

Some appropriate ways to offer help include:

• We will drop off meals so that you won’t need to worry about planning or cooking. You can just plan to keep in the freezer and use them as you need them.
• I’m going shopping at ______on ______ and will get anything you need and drop it off on my way home.
• I'll call you in a couple of days to see if you would like to go for a walk at a time that suits you.
• We will get together a team to take care of your yard for the next few weeks..
• Please don’t worry about your pets. We want to come by before and after work to feed and walk them.

We closed our sample letter with:

May you find the strength to move forward with the confidence in knowing that his was a life well-lived. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

The closing statement is very important. It will be the final impression your letter leaves with the bereaved. It is also your last opportunity within the letter to offer your sympathies. Other appropriate phrases to use in a words of condolence letter for a father include the following:

• With prayers for strength to face these challenging days.
• With hope it helps you to know we are thinking of you.
• With warm and heartfelt sympathy.
• With all of our blessings, love and prayers.
• Please know you are not alone.
• Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
• With our deepest and heartfelt condolences.
• Please know you have our condolences.

Be sure to avoid these common spelling mistakes if substituting any of your own words for those in our sample words of condolence letters for a dad. You will want to check your letter for any of the following common spelling mistakes:

• Condolense
• Condolesens
• Simpathy
• Simpothy
• Simpothie
• Preyers
• Blesing

It is acceptable to send a text, email, or social media condolence message instead of the more traditional letter. The message should include all of the same kinds of sentiments as what would be found in a traditional letter. However, the format of a text or social media message will often restrict you to a certain length of message. Therefore, it is within the bounds of proper etiquette to make your message shorter when sending a condolence message for a dad via text or social media. The are sample ideas that you can use for your message:

Words will never truly express how sorry I am for your loss. Please know that you are in my thoughts.

I’m sorry for your loss. May your warmest memories of your dad surround you in this difficult time.

We are so sorry to hear of the passing of dear ______. You have our condolences.

I just heard about _____’s passing. Please know that you and your entire family are in my thoughts and prayers.

I just heard the sad news about ______. Please accept my warmest sympathies; you are in my prayers.

You can send one of these short messages immediately to provide comfort and sympathy. Later you can then send a more traditional words of condolence letter for a dad, as you feel it is appropriate.

You may choose to send flowers or another type of condolence gift to the family of the deceased. If so, you will want to include a condolence card for a dad along with your flowers or gift. You may also find yourself at a loss for what to write in the card. A simple phrase offering condolences is typically best. You can use any of the following words of sympathy:

• May these flowers serve as a token of my sympathy for you.
• May these flowers express what words never will.
• May this gift be a reminder of my thoughts and prayers for you.
• You are in our prayers.
• May these flowers remind you just how much we care.
• Please know that we are always here for you.
• With prayers and love for your entire family.
• From our family, with condolences.

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” Mark Twain

“We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears. We must not demean life by standing in awe of death.” David Sarnoff

“Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever.” Elisabeth Kübler-Ross