Tip: The last word on giving a eulogy

One of the unfortunate byproducts of living longer is that you start to attend more funerals. And the longer you survive, the more likely it is, as last man or woman standing, you'll find yourself delivering a eulogy not only for a loved one you knew intimately but for a liked one you may not have known all that well.

If you need some tips on how to write a eulogy, there are several resources available online. Some offer free samples and ideas, such as funeral plan.com and funeralhelper.org. Others, such as besteulogyspeeches.com and speech-writers.com/eulogies.htm, provide downloadable kits for a fee. Most provide various eulogy templates for family members, friends and colleagues. And if you don't want to leave your send-off speech to chance,

eulogyspeech.net has tips on how to write your own eulogy.