Words of Condolence to Write in a Letter for an Aunt - Examples of What You Can Write in a Sympathy Letter to an Aunt

Dear Jim,

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your Aunt Marie. I know how close the two of you were, and that this is a difficult time for you. Please know that you have my support and sympathy.

I remember your Aunt Marie fondly from when we were kids. Summers meant a pitcher of her famous lemonade almost every day. I would often look for excuses to visit just to get a glass on a hot afternoon. She never complained about you having a tag-along; she just brought out that pitcher as if she was expecting us.

I know that Marie meant a lot to you and those memories are treasures that you will always hold close. I still can't drink a glass of lemonade without thinking about her. I know you will miss her.

I will be in town in a couple of weeks. I'll stop by and take you out to lunch so we can reminisce about the good old days.

May God be with you during this time and always,

Mark

• Keep your letter short but considerate
• Try to mention a fond or funny memory of the deceased if you knew them
• Respect everyone's religious beliefs. Regardless of their religious beliefs, they still deserve sympathy.
• Sign with a full name (first and surname), especially if you have not been in contact with the family member for some time. There may be other relatives or friends with the same first name as you.
• Do not offer financial help
• Don’t mention money the deceased may have owed you. This can be dealt with after the grieving period has passed.
• Do offer to help in other ways such as offering to cook a nice meal for the surviving family members, or helping with chores, if you live nearby.

Letters of sympathy and condolences are personal, so you should adopt that tone when writing. Mention the first name of the person you are writing to. Here are some options you can use based on your relationship with the deceased and their family.

Dear _______,
My Dear Friend _____________,
Dearest __________,
Dear Mrs. Or Ms. ____________,
Dear Mr. ______________,
Dear ________________Family,

Condolence Letter Writing Tip: If you knew the deceased aunt but not the family, address your letter of sympathy to the closest family member. On the other hand, if you know the family but not the deceased, address it to your friend or acquaintance.

It can be difficult to choose the right words for your own letter. Make sure what you write is sincere to reflect the true nature of your relationship with the person you are writing.

In our letter we began with:

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your Aunt Marie. I know how close the two of you were, and that this is a difficult time for you. Please know that you have my support and sympathy.

Other options that are appropriate include the following:

My deepest sympathies are with you. I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of ________. Please know that you are in my thoughts during this time.

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. You are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

My deepest condolences on the loss of your aunt. She will be greatly missed. You are in my prayers.

Please accept my sympathy on your loss. Know that I am praying for you in this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss. May your memories strengthen you during this time.

If you knew the deceased, it can be helpful to mention a special memory as we did in the example letter. This can help the survivors deal with the loss. Here are some other suggestions:

• Your aunt was a wonderful woman. I'm so glad to have been her neighbor when I was younger. She was always bringing a dish over to help out a starving college student.
• I remember your aunt when I used to visit your family during the summer. She had a great sense of humor and often helped us pull pranks on the other family members.
• I never met your aunt, but I remember the times you spoke of her. You have told so many funny and sweet stories of her that I felt like I knew her. I know she had a profound effect on your life. It's easy to tell that she was a good woman because of the way you turned out.
• I know we have never met, but your Aunt ____ was a special person to me. She has been my neighbor and good friend for many years. She often spoke of you and loved to visit you whenever she could. We spent many hours over cups of coffee and the latest gossip in the neighborhood. She always knew how to make me laugh, even when I'd had a bad day. I know you will miss her.

If you live close to the family or can visit, it is appropriate to offer to help. Here are some suggestions:

• I'm going to bring over a few meals that you can keep in the freezer. Just take one out as you need it and pop it in the microwave.
• I'll stop by on Thursday and see if you need me to pick up anything from the store for you.
• I'll stop by Aunt _____'s house and take the mail and newspapers inside. I'll keep an eye on the place for you until you can get by.

We closed our letter with:

It is important to end the letter with support and comfort. Here are some other options for you to use:

• With our most heartfelt sympathy.
• Know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
• We hope it helps you to know we care about you.
• With our deepest condolences.

Pay careful attention that you avoid common spelling mistakes if you are including your own words for any in the example given for words of condolences letters for an aunt.

• Condolense
• Condolesens
• Simpathy
• Simpathie
• Preyers
• Simpothy
• Simpothie

If you choose to send a text or email message rather than a letter of condolence for an aunt, you can say something similar to a letter. It is appropriate to make it shorter, especially for a text or social media message. Here are some examples that you can use.

I just heard about ______'s death. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts.

I heard from ______ that you lost your aunt. I want to extend my sympathies to you and the family.

I just heard about the death of Aunt ______. I want to offer my sincere condolences.

You can send one of these messages to provide immediate comfort and then send a traditional letter at a later time if you feel it is appropriate.

If you are sending flowers or another gift to the niece or nephew, you may wonder what to put on a card to offer sympathy. Here are a few ideas that you can use for your own condolence cards for someone's aunt:

• May these flowers serve as an expression of my sympathy for you and your family.
• Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this time.
• May these flowers let you know that we care.
• You are in our thoughts during this time.
• May God be with you during this time.

"Say not in grief that she is no more, but say in thankfulness that she was." Rabindranath Tagore

"Death is not the end, Death can never be the end. Death is the road. Life is the traveler." Sri Chinmoy

"It is not length of life, but depth of life." Ralph Waldo Emerson