Jen Garcin, MS
Contributing writer, editor
Losing a loved one not only comes with grief but also a laundry list of things to take care of. From preparing funeral arrangements to choosing a tombstone and burial plot, all of the options can feel overwhelming.
Hopefully, your loved one left you a detailed end-of-life plan to make things a bit easier. If not, we hope our resources can make things easier for you. There are quite a few things you will have to choose sayings and quotes for.
You may have to write something for the obituary, memorial cards, funeral program, headstone, and even a social media announcement. There are so many ways to say “in loving memory.” Here are 28 options — choose the ones that represent your loved one best and feel most meaningful to you.
Post-loss tip: If you are the executor for a deceased loved one, the emotional and technical aspects of handling their unfinished business can be overwhelming without a way to organize your process. We have a post-loss checklist that will help you ensure that your loved one’s family, estate, and other affairs are taken care of.
‘In Loving Memory’ of Mom or Dad
In Loving Memory of Mom or Dad has lasting effects. Losing a parent is so difficult, and in making funeral arrangements, we want to make sure that we honor their legacy in the way they would have wanted. Here are some creative and meaningful ways you can say “in loving memory” to honor the people who gave you life.
1. “Our Dad will be in our hearts forever.”
This one is perfect for remembering your parents. Their memories and teachings will always stay with you. This one works perfectly if you want to keep your message simple and clear. This is also a great option for the epitaph on the headstone if you’re short on space.
2. “Remembering my mom who asked for so little but gave so very much.”
You can use this interchangeably for dads too. Parents often do it all and ask for so little in return.
3. “Dad, thank you for your everlasting love.”
A father’s love is forever. Even after they pass, you can still feel their love every day.
4. “Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories.”
This quote can help you remember all the glorious memories of your childhood with the people who loved you the most. It lets the world know that your parents had beautiful souls that left a lasting impression on the world.
5. “She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.”
Moms tend to make everything look so easy. Even when they are sick, struggling, or seem to have the world on their shoulders. If your mom lived her life with characteristic grace, this quote by Ariana Dancu is for you.
6. “Say not in grief, ‘he is no more’ but in thankfulness that he was.”
This Hebrew Proverb is the perfect way to let the world know that you are so grateful for your father’s life and all the memories that you shared.
7, “A mom’s hug lasts long after she lets go.”
This quote is a meaningful alternative to ‘in loving memory.’ It serves as a reminder of your mom’s warm embrace to all who loved her.
‘In Loving Memory’ of My Spouse or Partner
Losing a partner can feel so much like losing a piece of yourself. There are so many memories that you share and it can feel hard to move on without them. Here are some ways that you can honor your person and share their memory with the world.
8. “My mind still talks to you. My heart still looks for you. My soul knows you are at peace. I am thankful for having had you, but I still miss you so much.”
Choose this quote to remember your partner if you want to give voice to the deep pain of losing the person you love most.
9. “It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, and a day to love them, but it takes an entire lifetime to forget them.”
Was it love at first sight with your partner? Whether it took just a day to fall in love, or many years to build that connection, they will live in your memories for the rest of your life.
10. “Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.”
With this quote, you are letting the world know that so long as you hold the memory and love of your partner close, they will always be alive in you. This quote would also look lovely on an engraved frame with a favorite photo of both of you. Something that you can also keep with you wherever you go is an “in loving memory” decal for cars and windows.
11. “As long as I live, you will live. As long as I live, you will be remembered. As long as I live, you will be loved.”
Though your partner may have departed Earth before you, your partnership will never die. Their love will live in your heart forever.
12. “To my partner, there will never be a day when I don’t think of you and wish you were by my side.”
This quote is simple and honest. It gives others a glimpse into how special your partnership was and how much you will always miss your other half.
13. “I will treasure the memory of my beloved partner until we meet again.”
If you believe in an after-life, there is great comfort in knowing that someday you will be with your partner again. Until that day, use this quote to let everyone know that you will treasure the memory of your beloved forever.
14. “I still say I love you, but now there’s no reply. I always feel your presence as if you never left my side.”
This poem by John P. Read is raw and emotional. It gives the world a touch of your grief and demonstrates how much you loved and cherished your partnership.
‘In Loving Memory’ of My Child
There is nothing worse than losing a child, and there are truly no words to describe this grief. Here are some ways to remember a child for everything they were and everything they could have been.
15. “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”
This poem comes from Robert Munsch’s book, “Love you Forever.” It was a tribute to his stillborn children and the love that they would have forever from their mom and dad.
16. “Memories saturate my heart and the story of you spills from my eyes.”
As parents, we want our children to live on forever and their story to be known in the hearts of many. This quote from Grace Andren’s, “Speaking in Tears: The Poetry in Grief” really speaks to this experience.
17. “An angel in the book of life wrote down our baby’s birth. Then whispered as she closed the book ‘too beautiful for earth.’”
If you are religious and are comforted by the fact that your child is in heaven with God, this quote is a beautiful option.
18. “I will hold you in my heart until I can hold you in heaven.”
This is another good option if you are religious. Our hearts are filled when we imagine that there will come a day when, once again, we can hold our children in our arms.
19. “There is no footprint so small, that it does not leave an imprint on this world.”
When a mother loses a child in the womb, or a baby is born sleeping, the wound isn’t any less deep. Even an unborn child leaves an impact on their parents that they will remember and grieve for a lifetime. This quote gives voice to that invisible love.
20. “You were born a child of light’s wonderful secret — you return to the beauty you have always been.”
Our children are born beautiful, bright, and pure. When they leave us as children, they leave in the exact same way. This is a way to remember a child for all their love and goodness.
21. “For my baby, I wish you could know the amount of happiness you brought into my life.”
Children can’t possibly understand the amount of love and happiness they bring to their parents. The pain of losing a child is unfathomable, but the happiness they bring us in their lifetimes is insurmountable.
‘In Loving Memory’ of My Sibling
When a sibling you grew up with passes, it’s natural to reminisce on your childhood and all of the experiences you shared. Here are some ways you can give the world a glimpse into who your sibling was.
22. “The love in our family flows strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep.”
It is nearly impossible to explain the bond between siblings. This quote is a great way to say in loving memory of a sibling because it demonstrates how strong your connection was and how many memories you shared.
23. “Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity.”
This quote by Terry Guillemets truly pulls at the heartstrings. Our siblings will always be connected to us, even in death.
24. “A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again and again.”
If your sibling was the kind of person that touched everyone they met and was known for bringing people together, this is the perfect quote to remember them by.
25. “We carry you with us always, everywhere we go.”
It is impossible to forget the love of a sibling, you carry their memory in your heart forever.
26. A sister’s love is a connection that lives forever.”
There is nothing quite like sisters. The mutual love and care that they share are irreplaceable.
27. “My brother was so amazing, God made him an angel.”
If you believe in God, it is reassuring to think of your sibling as an angel in God’s hands.
28. “Remembering my sibling, who was my protector, my hero.”
Our older siblings teach and protect us. We look up to them as kids and even as adults. This quote lets the world know who your sibling was to you and how special they were.
Rest In Peace
Nobody knows your loved one like you do, and finding the right words to say can be difficult. If you are still feeling stuck, check out this helpful list of rest in peace quotes. If you would rather not use a quote at all, you can always share a memory, describe your loved one, or use a picture. Write something from the heart, and you can’t go wrong.
These ‘In Loving Memory’ messages are also powerful if you’re choosing an alternative way to honor a loved one’s memory. If you opt for memorial jewelry like a memorial diamond from Eterneva, using one of these as an engraving could be a powerful statement.
Similarly, these are perfect for engraving on a custom urn from a provider like Foreverence. It’s important to find the right words to capture your loss on your own terms, whatever that means to you. Grief is not linear, so take the time you need to heal at your own pace.