Sympathetic Condolence Letter

Writing a letter of sympathetic condolence can be very challenging and hard – expressing our feelings and finding the correct words is often a challenge. However, such demonstrations of love and appreciation – that portray how a loved one affected the lives of others around him/her – can bring immense comfort to the deprived, who may keep this letter for years long and read them over and over again. The purpose of a sympathy letter is to honor the life of the deceased loved one and to support the deprived, and the best letters are those that come from within the heart – along with personal memories, which are simply expressed.

Though a letter cannot change the past, it can surely give support and relief to the aggrieved person. The word condolence is often connected with death, but the fact which most of us are unaware of is that condolence means sympathy. A sympathetic condolence letter can be written to a person who has undergone a traumatic experience in his life. Apart from death, a traumatic event also includes an accident, injury, financial loss, natural disaster, divorce, stillbirth and serious illness.

Sympathetic Condolence Letter Writing Tips

Writing style: It is very important to maintain the style of writing, let your letter sound sympathetic and not pitiful. The letter must be genuine and simple.
First para: At the beginning of the letter, mention how did you find out about the unfortunate news.
Express grief: Briefly, express your feelings of grief and loss.
Offer Helping hand: When a person is going through rough times a helping hand is what he/she often looks out for. So, offer help to the person in your letter and suggest how did you like to help the person.
Prayer: Prayer is often the only source of hope to many in their times of trouble. Hence, if you mention in your letter that you will keep him/her in your prayers, would give the person much-needed comfort.
End with a compassionate note: Always end your letter with an expression of compassion.

Sympathetic Condolence Letter Template

Use our free Sympathetic Condolence Letter to help you get started. If you need additional help or more examples check out some of the sample letters below.

From,
_______
_______
_______

Date: _______

To,
_______
_______
_______

Subject: Condolence

Dear __________,

I am devastated to learn about __________. Please know that you will always be in my prayers. In such times of trouble, it is better to pull up your socks and find the much-needed strength to endure.

Please know that I’m always there with you in your times of trouble. Let me know how can I help you. I’m planning to visit my sister soon who lives in your town. I’ll meet you when I come there.

Warm Regards,

____________ (Your Name)

Sample Letter

The following is a Sample of a Sympathetic Condolence Letter.

From,
Sarah Heed
XYZ Street 123
Seattle, USA.

DD/MM/YYYY

To,
Anna Kepner
ABC Road 345
California, USA.

Subject: My deep Condolences

Dear Anna,

I just learned about the landslide in your area. I am glad that all of you are safe. I know how much it might have hurt you to lose your lovely house with which you had lots of your emotions attached with. My heart goes out to you in this time of difficulty.

I would like to let you know that I’m always there for you. Kindly let me know what all you need and how else can I help you.

You and your family will always remain in my prayers. God Bless, be safe.

Warmest wishes,

Sarah Heed

Email Format

The following is the Email Format to be followed for a Sympathetic Condolence Letter.

To: name@email.com
From: name@email.com
Subject: My Deep Condolences
Dear _________, (name)
I just learned about the earthquake in your area. I am glad that all of you are safe. I know how much it might have hurt you to lose your lovely house with which you had lots of your emotions attached with. My heart goes out to you in this time of difficulty.