Words of Condolence to Write in a Letter for Someone’s Grandpa

Dear Kathy,

I just heard that your grandpa died last week. I was so sorry to hear this because I know how close the two of you were. I want you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with this loss.

Grandparents hold a special place in our hearts and give us a lot of warm memories to treasure for a lifetime. I remember visiting you when you spent summers at your grandparents' home. Your grandpa was so full of life and had such a great sense of humor. He was always pulling pranks on us kids and doing stuff to make us laugh. Remember when he dressed up like an old scarecrow and came sneaking up behind us out in the field? I don't think I'd ever been so scared in my life, but he sure did look funny.

Family was so important to your grandpa even if it was tag-alongs like me. He always made me feel welcome whenever I came to visit. You are a lot like him because you always make people feel at home when you're around. I know this is a tough loss for you, but I hope it helps to know that his wisdom, kindness, generosity, and sense of fun are still alive and well in you.

Give me a call if you want to talk. I'll be in town next week and we can go to lunch and relive some of those funny stories.

Take care of yourself and know you're not alone.

Bill

1. Keep your letter short but considerate
2. Try to mention a fond or funny memory of the deceased if you have one
3. Respect religious beliefs. Whatever their belief, everyone deserves sympathy.
4. Sign with a full name (first and surname). This is good etiquette as there may be other relatives or friends with the same first name as you.
5. Do not offer financial help
6. Don’t mention money the deceased may have owed you. This can be dealt with after the grieving period has passed.
7. Do offer to help in other ways such as offering to cook a nice meal for the surviving family members, or even a phone call or visit.

Letters of sympathy and condolences are designed to be personal, so you should always include the name of the person you are writing to. The exact phrase will depend on how close you are with the family, but here are some suggestions:

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

* Condolence Letter Writing Tip: If you knew the deceased, but not the family, address the letter to the closest family member, such as the spouse or eldest child. Also, if you did not know the deceased, address the card or letter to your friend, co-worker, or acquaintance.

What to Say First in Words of Condolence Letters for a Neighbor

Choosing the right words to say in a letter can be a difficult task. It's important that you are sincere and write from your heart to show your empathy.

In our letter we began with:

I just heard that your grandpa died last week. I was so sorry to hear this because I know how close the two of you were. I want you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with this loss.

Some other appropriate opening comments include:

I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of your grandpa. I will keep you in my prayers in this difficult time.

My deepest condolences on the loss of your grandpa. I know you will miss him and I will be thinking of you in this time.

My deepest sympathies for your loss. May the memories you have provide comfort to you during this sad occasion.

Please accept our sincere sympathies on your loss. We are praying for you.

When you write words of condolence letters for a grandpa, it is often comforting for the bereaved if you mention a fond memory or story of the deceased like we did in the example. This can help the survivor deal with the loss. Here are some more examples to use:

• Your grandpa was such a big, strong man. I remember being scared of him when I was a child because I thought he was a giant. As I got older, he still was a giant in my eyes because of his kind nature to others and helpful, generous spirit with others in need. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
• I remember coming over to play with you when we were kids and your grandparents visiting from out of town. Your grandpa would take us for walks or play games with us. He taught me how to throw a baseball correctly and told me stories of the great ball players.
• I never got to meet your grandpa, but I felt like I knew him from all of your stories. It's easy to see how important he was to you. He taught you a lot of life lessons. Because of his teachings, his memory will live on even though he is no longer with you.

Some appropriate ways to offer help include:

• I'll take care of the pets while you are out of town with the family.
• I'll check on your house and pick up the mail until you get back.
• Let's plan a date next week for lunch and you can share your favorite stories.

We closed out letter with:

Take care of yourself and know you're not alone.

These final words of sympathy provide comfort and support. Here are some other phrases you can include to end words of condolences letter for a grandpa:

• May God bless you and your family during this time.
• With our most heartfelt sympathy.
• With our prayers and blessings for you and your family.
• Know that you are always in our hearts.
• With our deepest condolences.

Makes sure you avoid these common spelling mistakes if using your own words to replace those in our sample words of condolence letters for a grandpa.

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

If you choose to send a text or email message rather than a letter of condolence for a grandpa, you can include much of the same information. It is appropriate to make it shorter than a traditional letter, especially in the case of a text message. Here are some examples that you can use.

I just heard about your grandpa's passing. I'm so sorry for your loss. I remember him well and his funny stories. Please know my thoughts are with you.

I want you to know how sorry I was to hear about the death of your grandpa. Give me a call if you need someone to talk to.

I just heard about the death of your grandpa. I'll be praying for you. I'll call you in a couple of days.

You can send one of these messages to provide immediate comfort and then send a traditional letter at a later time.

If you are sending flowers or another gift to the bereaved, 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 a grandpa:

• 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 show you how much we care.
• Know that you are in our thoughts.
• We are praying for you.
• Thinking of you in this difficult time.

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." Robert Frost

"As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death." Leonardo DaVinci

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

"Grief is the price we pay for love." Queen Elizabeth II