Headstone Wording After a Suicide Loss

Losing someone to suicide brings a grief that can feel unlike any other. When it's time to choose a headstone, many families want words that remember the whole person — their laugh, their kindness, their love — rather than how they died.

Gentle epitaphs

• Forever loved, forever missed.
• Your light still shines in us.
• Loved beyond words.
• At peace now.
• Always our sunshine.
• Held in love, always.

Verses

• The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. (Psalm 34:18)
• He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)
• Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:39)

Remembering the whole person

Most families do not mention suicide on the headstone. A favourite saying, a hobby, a portrait or a symbol of something they loved — music, the outdoors, their pet — keeps the focus on who they were. See laser-etched portraits and occupation and hobby symbols.

Symbols

• A butterfly for transformation and peace — see butterfly meaning.
• A semicolon, which some families and survivors use as a symbol of hope.
• A dove for peace — see dove meaning.
• A rising sun for light after darkness.

Support for families

Grief after suicide often brings questions without answers, and many families find comfort in survivor support groups. If you, or anyone in your family, are struggling or having thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988 in Canada and the United States to reach a crisis line, any time. There's no rush to choose a headstone — take the time you need.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on the whole person's life.
• Most families don't mention suicide on the stone.
• Psalm 34:18 offers comfort in grief.
• Call or text 988 in Canada and the US for support.

Next Step

See headstone wording for a young adult and headstone quotes about hope.