A life well lived quotes and in loving memory sayings for a memorial card, a headstone, a program or a post.
A Life Well Lived Quotes
For someone who used their years well. These suit the cover of a celebration of life program, the front of a card, or the line under a photo.
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.
As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.
It is not length of life, but depth of life.
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
A life well lived leaves more than memories. It leaves us better.
Well lived, well loved, and never forgotten.
Not a long life or a short one, but a full one.
Celebrating a life well lived and a love that lives on.
A life measured in kindness is never short.
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In Loving Memory Quotes
Short lines that start "in loving memory" or say it in other words, for a memorial card, a guest book, a candle or a post on the anniversary.
In loving memory of a life so beautifully lived and a heart so deeply loved.
Always remembered, forever loved.
Gone but not forgotten.
Your memory is our keepsake,
with which we'll never part.
God has you in His keeping,
we have you in our heart.
When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night.
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
The Binyon lines are read at Veterans Day and Remembrance services and suit a veteran's program or card.
Headstone and Plaque Inscriptions
A headstone holds a few words, and monument companies often price lettering by the character, so these are short.
Not lost, but gone before.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away.
Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
Gone home.
Asleep in Jesus.
Peace, perfect peace.
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Bible Verses for a Memorial
From the King James Version, which is in the public domain. Two are traditionally chosen for a mother or a father.
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed.
The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
How to Use an In Memory Quote
- Memorial card. The back of a memorial or prayer card holds four to six lines under the name and dates. One of the short quotes above, or a single verse, fits best.
- Funeral program. A program has room for a longer passage on the back page or next to the order of service. "A Life Well Lived" also works as the cover title of a celebration of life program.
- Headstone. Keep it to a line, and check the wording with the family before it is cut.
- Obituary. One quote at the end of an obituary reads well. Our free obituary writer drafts the rest.
- Online. Save any quote as an image and post it with a photo on the anniversary or a birthday.
Credit the author under a quote when there is one, as on this page. For more words, see quotes for loved ones who passed away, celebration of life quotes and funeral poems.
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Questions Families Ask
What is a good quote for a life well lived?
Seneca's "As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters" is one of the oldest and still one of the best. For a family of faith, 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith," is the verse most often chosen.
What do you write for "in loving memory"?
Their full name and dates, then one line. "In loving memory of Rose Alvarez, 1941–2026. Always remembered, forever loved."
Is it "in memoriam" or "in memorial"?
"In memoriam" is Latin for "in memory of" and is the correct spelling. "In memorial" is a common mix-up of the two words, and you will see both on cards and plaques.
Can I use these quotes on a card or headstone?
Yes. Lines with no name under them are traditional or were written for FuneralFolio, and are free to use. Every credited quote and verse on this page is in the public domain in the United States.