Tribute Draft Example — See What You’ll Receive

🕊️ Draft Eulogy for Margaret “Maggie” Taylor

(Reading-timed version for Helen)

Good afternoon everyone.  (pause, gentle smile)

It’s both a privilege and a challenge to stand here and speak about my mum, Maggie. She had a way of filling silence — not with noise, but with warmth. If you ever visited her kitchen, you’d know what I mean. The radio would be humming in the background, the kettle steaming, and the smell of something freshly baked floating through the house. (short pause)

She could never resist feeding people — toast, biscuits, or a “proper dinner” that appeared from nowhere. You always left with a full stomach and, somehow, a lighter heart.

Mum loved her garden. She talked to her plants like they were old friends — and perhaps they were. (smile) She’d whisper encouragement to the roses, scold the slugs, and say the hydrangeas were moody this year. Dad used to joke that the flowers behaved better than the kids.

Her laughter could travel through a crowd. It had this way of catching on, like a spark that made everyone join in before they knew what was funny. (short pause) I remember her slipping a cheeky note into my school lunchbox once that said, “Smile today — it confuses the grumpy ones.” I still have that note tucked inside an old recipe book.

Christmas was her favourite season. She’d spend weeks planning the table, wrapping gifts, and pretending she hadn’t seen the tree lights tangled again. One year, she wrapped an empty box just to tease Dad for snooping. He opened it and said, “Perfect size for your sense of humour.” (laugh, short pause)

She adored little traditions — Sunday roasts, birthday breakfasts, fish and chips on the beach even when it rained. She’d say, “If you wait for perfect weather, you’ll never have perfect memories.” (pause, smile) That was Mum — never waiting for life to be tidy before enjoying it.

Mum wasn’t loud about her kindness — she just lived it. She’d drop off soup to a neighbour without saying who it was from, send cards to people others might have forgotten, and listen — really listen — when someone needed to talk.

She believed life was about showing up. Birthdays, funerals, hospital waiting rooms — if you needed her, she was there, sometimes before you even asked. (gentle pause)

And if she were here now, she’d probably say, “Oh, stop blubbering, and make sure everyone gets a sandwich.” (smile, pause)

Her love was steady, not showy — but it built the kind of foundation a family can lean on. (soft pause)

So, thank you, Mum — for your laughter, your kindness, and the warmth you left in every corner of our lives. We’ll keep your kettle warm, and your humour close.

453 words (appx. 3.5 - 4 minutes speaking time).