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Creating a Meaningful Suicide Memorial & Ways to Honor Your Loved One

By: Claire Beutel • Subject Matter Expert Reviewed by: Marisa Akerman, MS, LMHCA • 3 cited sources • Updated Oct 14, 2024

Experiencing the loss of a loved one to suicide is an indescribable tragedy, leaving a lasting impact on family and friends who remain. This article explores various heartfelt and creative methods to memorialize a loved one who died by suicide, focusing on both personal gestures and communal activities that celebrate their life and honor their loved one’s memory. 

Key Takeaways

• Creating a memorial, whether through a funeral, a personalized keepsake, or a special space in your home, helps celebrate the life and individuality of a loved one lost to suicide.
• Organizing community events can unite people in support and remembrance, fostering a sense of solidarity and shared healing.
• Donations to relevant charities or establishing a memorial scholarship fund in your loved one’s name can provide ongoing support to causes they cared about, making a lasting impact in their memory.
• Engaging in memorial activities can provide comfort and aid in the healing process, reminding you that there is no right or wrong way to grieve.

Heartfelt Ways to Memorialize a Loved One Who Died by Suicide 

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicide was the cause of 48,183 deaths in 2021 and was the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 20-24^[1]. If you have recently lost a loved one to suicide, it’s important to know that you’re not alone on the healing journey. The grief that follows can feel overpowering, yet finding meaningful ways to honor and remember your loved one with close friends can help facilitate the healing process. You might also invite friends to join in the memorial activities to share cherished memories.

Have a Funeral or Celebration of Life

Organizing a funeral or a celebration of life for someone who has died by suicide involves unique considerations, balancing the need for a respectful tribute with the sensitivities surrounding the manner of their passing. If you are helping the family and friends of the deceased plan a public memorial, there are many ways to respectfully honor their life during the event, including:

• Hosting the memorial at a meaningful location or one that held a special significance to your loved one, such as a park, beach, or family home.
• Personalizing the memorial to reflect the uniqueness of the individual. You can do this by displaying personal items that reflect their passions, hobbies, and personality.
• Respectfully discussing the positive impact the individual had on your life, as well as notable achievements and cherished memories (rather than discussing their mental health challenges or how they ended their life).
• Carving out time for guests to share memories and stories about the individual.
• Playing music that was meaningful to the deceased or creating a slideshow or photo and video montage.
• Serving their favorite foods and drinks during the celebration.
• Providing tangible and personalized keepsakes to guests such as keychains, bookmarks or candles. These items will help honor the deceased long after the event.
• Creating a memory book at the event where guests can write down their favorite memories or words of support to the family.
• Celebrating a loved one’s birthday by inviting friends and family, serving cake, and discussing cherished memories.

Give to a Notable Charity or Organization

If your loved one was passionate about a specific charity or organization, you can make a donation in their name. There are also a variety of charities that support suicide prevention and mental health awareness that you can donate to help provide support and resources to those affected. 

Giving to a charity or organization can serve as a meaningful way to honor the loss of a loved one. Contributing to a charity that focuses on mental health can help the bereaved feel like they are supporting a cause that might have helped their loved one. It may provide a sense of purpose and direction, which can be important after a loss.

Marisa Akerman, MS, LMHCA

Have a Keepsake Made 

Memorial keepsakes are a beautiful way to honor the life of a loved one and they can provide a tangible reminder that you can carry with you forever. Many people choose to have memorial pendants such as necklaces or bracelets made that hold a small photo or the cremated ashes of a loved one. Some choose to have a personalized plaque or stone engraved with their loved ones name, date of birth, and date of death that they can hang on a wall or place in the yard. No matter what type of keepsake you choose, it can offer comfort and a lasting connection to the deceased.

Set Up a Memorial Scholarship Fund in Their Name

Setting up a memorial scholarship fund in the name of your loved one is a wonderful way to honor them while also touching the lives of hopeful students and future generations. These tax-deductible grants help students cover the financial costs of education, including tuition and fees^[2]. You can even ask friends and family members coping with the loss to contribute to the memorial fund to help keep the memory of your loved one alive.

Organize a Community Walk or Event

Organizing a community activity or event is a great way to get others involved in suicide prevention and awareness. Enjoying the fresh air during outdoor events can be particularly beneficial. Some people organize charity walks and bike rides while others host a candle lighting ceremony to honor the deceased. Whether you plan a community activity shortly after the death or host an annual event, it’s a wonderful way to bring people together to remember your loved one and support each other.

Creating a community event can provide those who have lost a loved one to suicide an opportunity for emotional expression. Planning an event can be a therapeutic outlet for processing emotions. The organizing of such events can be a constructive way to channel grief energy, potentially leading to a sense of closure and healing. These events will likely attract those who have a similar grief experience, which is a way to seek support and understanding.

Marisa Akerman, MS, LMHCA

Sponsor or Install a Memorial Bench

Another way to honor a loved one’s legacy is to sponsor or install a memorial bench in a public or private space. You can choose a public location that held significance to the deceased, such as a park or garden, or opt to install the bench on your private property. If you’re interested in placing a memorial bench in a public space, be sure to collaborate with local authorities and organizations, as you may need to obtain permits and permissions. Most memorial benches feature beautiful plaques with an inscription of the person’s name, date of birth and death, and often a personalized quote. They offer a place where loved ones and visitors can sit and reflect on the life of the deceased and serve as a lasting tribute to the one you love.

Plant a Memorial Tree in Their Honor

Planting a tree for a lost loved one has become a popular and environmentally-friendly way to commemorate a life. Trees offer the perfect representation of life, growing and changing over time and serving as a symbol of rebirth. Like memorial benches, trees can be planted in a variety of locations, from public parks to private backyards. The type of tree you choose can also symbolize the loved one you are honoring. For example, an oak tree is known to symbolize strength and knowledge, while a cherry tree represents good fortune and happiness. 

Create a Space in Your Home That Honors Your Loved One’s Memory

When someone dies by suicide, it can leave surviving friends and family members with prolonged grief and symptoms of depression or anxiety^[3]. One way to cope with the sudden loss and keep their memory alive is by making a special place in your home for remembrance and reflection. This space can feature favorite photos or mementos of your loved one. You can also adorn it with candles or plants to symbolize growth and renewal. No matter how you choose to set up the memorial space, it can act as a therapeutic and unique tribute to honor and remember the deceased. 

Healing Through Remembrance

Honoring the memory of a loved one who has passed away by suicide is a deeply personal decision. By discovering meaningful ways to remember them, you can celebrate their life and keep their spirit present in your heart. Whether through personal tributes, community events and death anniversary gatherings, or custom keepsakes, these memorials can offer comfort and assist in the healing process. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to grieve, and seeking support from others can help ease this journey.

Trying to understand the circumstances and factors that led to suicide is often something that many of the bereaved will focus on. These questions, unfortunately, are very often left unanswered. Many people, especially parents, will struggle with feelings of guilt, shame and anger. The nature of suicide is an extremely complex and multifaceted circumstance. It is crucial that those who are experiencing these intense feelings work towards finding forgiveness, either within themself or towards their loved one, in order to let go of the negative feelings associated with the loss. It can be helpful for the bereaved to attempt to reframe the loss by viewing it as a transformative experience that can lead to growth. Channeling the energy into helping others is a great way to do this. Creating a legacy and finding a way to make a difference, such as advocating for mental health and breaking the stigma surrounding it, can be a healing and therapeutic way of moving through grief. These types of remembrances can allow those left behind to make more sense of the loss, while honoring the loved one’s life.

Written by Claire Beutel

My name is Claire Beutel, and I bring over a decade of experience in digital marketing. I specialize in crafting and executing SEO strategies that deliver measurable organic results for businesses of all sizes. Beyond my technical expertise, I am deeply passionate about supporting mental health and wellness causes—a mission close to my heart shaped by my lifelong battle with depression. When Kevin approached me about creating a resource to help individuals navigate the overwhelming challenges of major life decisions, I immediately recognized it as a perfect opportunity. It was a chance to use my skills to truly make a difference in people's lives by providing guidance and support during some of their most difficult moments. I feel privileged to be involved in such a meaningful cause.

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Subject Matter Expert Marisa Akerman, MS, LMHCA

Marisa Akerman holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Purdue University, Fort Wayne. With over 10 years of experience in clinical settings, Marisa specializes in supporting clients dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, gender and sexual identity issues, and other mental health conditions.