(WSJ) At Funerals, Families Add Humor, Foibles to the Eulogy

A funeral is a solemn rite of passage, and since the days of ancient civilization, the eulogy has been a speech of good words for the dead.

That’s changing, say funeral directors, clergy and theologians. Even amid tragedy, today’s eulogy increasingly includes anecdotes that point to the deceased’s foibles and quirks, offering a nuanced character sketch. “More often, people are saying, ‘Let’s be realistic about this person,” says Hari P. Close, a funeral director who worked with the McNeely family.

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