Words of Condolence to Write in a Letter for a Friendly Neighbor

Dear June,

I was deeply saddened by the news about the death of George. I am so very sorry. This must be a very difficult time for you. Please remember that you are in my thoughts and my prayers.

George was such a kind soul, who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. I will miss his helpful advice. I remember the time when I was building the shed in my backyard. George looked over the fence and couldn't stop laughing at me and the mess I had made. I had cut too many planks the wrong length and had strewn them all over the backyard. I was becoming more and more frustrated with that project. But hearing his laughter, made me realize that I was taking myself all too seriously and when I looked around, I couldn't help but laugh myself.

I'm sure you remember that day, June, when George came over to help me finish the shed and it took us until midnight to do it! I'll never forget that time. Every time I look at the shed, I think of George. Now I think about how much I will miss him.

I know how much you will miss George, but you can take comfort and strength from the wonderful family you and he had together. I know their love will get you through this difficult time. I would like to offer my help too. I can come over on Thursdays and help you with the yard work if you would like.

May God bless you and your family during this time and always,

Susanne

1. Keep your letter short but thoughtful
2. Try to mention a fond or funny memory of the deceased if you have one
3. Respect religious beliefs. Some people may believe in reincarnation rather than heaven, or could be atheists. Whatever their belief, they still deserve 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 helping with chores

Letters of sympathy and condolences are personal, and so you should first mention the name of the person you are addressing. Depending on how close you were with your neighbor some of the ways you can do that are:

Dear _______,
My Dear Friend _______,
Dearest _______,
Dear Mrs. _______,
Dear Mr. _______,
Dear _______ Family,
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.

Choosing the right words to include in your own letter can be a challenging task. Just write from the heart so that your letter reflects the nature of your relationship with the bereaved.

In our letter we began with:

I was deeply saddened by the news about the death of George. I am so very sorry. This must be a very difficult time for you. Please remember that you are in my thoughts and my prayers.

Other appropriate opening sentiments for such a letter are:

My deepest condolences to you. So sorry to hear of the passing of dear _______. I will keep you in my prayers.

We are so sorry for your loss. You have our deepest sympathy and are in our thoughts and prayers.

My deepest condolences on the loss of your Wife and Mom. May your beautiful memories sustain and bring comfort during this unhappy season.

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

Please accept our deepest sympathies. Our prayers are with you during this time.

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

When writing words of condolence letters for a neighbor, mentioning a fond memory of the deceased as we did on our example letter can help the survivors to better deal with the pain of losing their loved one. Here are some other ways to do so:

• Your father was a very special extraordinary person/friend who would do anything you asked of him. I along with many others will miss his kind sprit. We will never forget his great smile.
• I remember your mother fondly as a strong, hard worker who had a big smile and laugh.
• I never had the chance to meet _______ face to face but we spent many hours talking on the computer and goofing around with our hobby. I was always hoping that we would have had the chance to meet when he came back out to the Midwest to visit but sadly we never got the chance. Even though I never got the chance to shake his hand, _______ was a great friend and I will miss those times we spent having fun and acting like kids. You are in my prayers and I wish you the best. 
• Your_______ was a beautiful person and I will miss his handsome face and funny sense of humor. He was truly loved by all that knew him.
• I am so shocked and saddened to hear of _______'s passing. He and I grew up together, first at st. Mary’s church, then starting school together at Oakwood Elementary. He was one of my first friends and such a good guy. I could never think of him without smiling and remembering his butterfly collection.
• I was saddened to learn of _______'s passing. Some of my fondest memories of her are from when we both worked in the same building and would see each other every day. Often we would have lunch together, and she would always giggle when I suggested we have some cake for dessert. I will miss her deeply; my prayers are with you.

Some appropriate ways to offer help are:

• I’ll prepare a bunch of meals that you can keep in the freezer. That way you can just thaw them out and heat them up as you need them.
• On _____ I’m going into town. I’ll stop by your house first to see if there is anything you need.
• I’m going shopping on _____ so I’ll pick up a few things for you and drop them by on the way home.
• I noticed there are a few things that need doing around the house. Don’t worry about them, after the funeral I’ll get a team together to get them done.
• Since I lost _____ I attend regular support meetings. I have one on _____, I’d really like for you to join me.
• I have _____ and _____ off, so I’ll pick you up and we can go for a walk on whichever day suits you.
• Don’t worry about your pets. My kids will come by before and after school to feed them. until
• I’m going to _____ on _____ night. I’ll pick you up at _____ and we can go together

We closed our letter with:

May God bless you and your family during this time and always,

These final words of sympathy end the letter in a comforting way. Other phrases you can use to end words of condolence letters for a neighbor are:

• With hope that it helps you to know we care.
• With warm and heartfelt sympathy.
• With blessings, love and prayers.
• May these flowers express what our words never will.
• Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
With our deepest and heartfelt condolences.

Makes sure you avoid these common spelling mistakes if substituting your own words for any in our sample words of condolence letters for a neighbor.

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