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Stationery, Correspondence & The Gift of Letters > Correspondence > Condolence and Sympathy

Condolence Notes
Condolence notes are letters expressing sympathy sent to the family of the deceased. Usually, they are sent on a timely basis and should contain sincere expressions of sympathy. Importantly, condolence notes are sent at an obviously difficult time for the family so they should be brief, yet may contain personal praise of the deceased and, if appropriate, mention how life was enriched because of him or her. Condolence notes should always end with an offer to be of service to the family.

Dear Janet;

Bill and I are deeply saddened by Angela’s death. She was a special friend to us, one of those hard to find. We will sorely miss her caring, joy in life and friendship.

If there is anything we can do for you or your family, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,

Acknowledging Sympathy
Generally, sympathy acknowledgments are handwritten notes of appreciation sent to family, friends, and business associates who have expressed their condolences. Engraved cards are sent only to those people the family does not know and then only when there is a large number of acknowledgments to be made. A personal message may be added to an engraved acknowledgment.

Sympathy acknowledgments may have a black border. At one time the width of the black border signified the sender’s closeness to the deceased, but today many people choose not to use a black border. You may use a folded note or a flat card. Many people prefer a folded note, since it allows them to write a personal message on the inside.