Selected Opening Phrases the Letters of Sympathy and Condolences It is important to convey compassion at the start of your letter. Some traditional
ways to do so are:
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of _____________. He/she was a
fantastic individual who will be greatly missed everyone who knew him/her.
We just heard the sad news of ______’s passing, and want you to know that
our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I am very sad to hear of ______’s sudden death.
It was painful to learn of _____'s death. I would like to extend my deepest
sympathies to you and your family at this time.
I was devastated to hear the news of _______’s death. Please know that my
thoughts and prayers are with you.
Please accept my sincere and heartfelt condolences at this most difficult of
times and please pass these feelings onto your family.
I was absolutely saddened to hear of your uncle _______’s passing. He was
a great guy and I’ll always remember the many times he made us all laugh.
I just heard of your husband’s sudden death. I am so very sorry, and am
praying for you and your children at this time.
We are all shocked to hear of the sudden death of your nephew. Please
accept our deepest and heartfelt condolences.
I would like to express my sincerest condolences on the passing of your
loving partner ________.
Thank you for calling to tell me the sad news about ________. I really liked
him/her and my thoughts and prayers are with you and the children.
These are Sample Letters of Sympathy and Condolences for Social Media Some short condolence phrases you can use for texts, emails, tweets, and
Facebook are:
There are no words to express my sorrow for your loss.
You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Don’t forget how much we love and care about you.
Please know that I am thinking of you and the rest of your family at this time
