50+ Uplifting Celebration of Life Quotes 

Updated May 17, 2022
Senior couple embracing outdoors

Celebration of life quotes and various sayings can reinforce the positive joy of a ceremony. You may also find these affirmations helpful ways to cope with your grief or honor someone you care about. Quotes can also help inspire what you say in a celebration of life card. No matter how you use them, they are a great way to express your feelings.

Inspiring and Short Celebration of Life Quotes

Senior couple looking through photo album at home

Knowing what to say at a celebration of life isn't always easy. You can use celebration of life quotes for memorial services and cards, and concise quotes can help you express your feelings in a simple and meaningful way. These quotes may be short and sweet, but they can be complex in their meanings. Try one of these quotes when you'd like to keep your sentiments brief yet powerful:

  • Today, we are celebrating the life of a person who symbolizes what it is to love.
  • We are celebrating the life of someone who embraced the excitement life had to offer.
  • She explored all of life's options and never left a stone unturned.
  • Love is the most important life lesson you can learn.
  • Retrospection is what creates fond memories.
  • Life is meant to be lived, so get out and live it.
  • Today, we celebrate a person who was curious about life and explored every opportunity.
  • She didn't sit on the sidelines. Instead, she got into the game of life.
  • All you have to do is look around you to find beauty in life.

Funny Celebration of Life Quotes

Yellow and red pencils on blue background

If the person whose life you're celebrating had a good sense of humor, you can interject a few funny quotes during your celebration of life ceremony. Try one of these:

  • We're gathered to celebrate the life of a very special woman, although she might have a few choice words about the fact that we planned this party on a day we knew she couldn't attend. In truth, though, she's with us in spirit.
  • Getting up in front of you today at this celebration of life means I need to face two of my biggest fears: mortality and public speaking. But really, it's an honor to have the chance to talk about Stan's life with you.
  • When I look around at the band of misfits gathered here, it's easy to see that Shelly was a person with low standards for companionship. Actually, though, she was one of the most accepting and non-judgemental people I've ever met.
  • He once explained to me that a life without love is like a broken pencil - pointless.

Quotes About a Life Well Lived

Group of friends holding burning sparklers against the sky

If you're celebrating a life well lived, quotes can be a perfect way to express your feelings. Try one of these examples at a memorial service or in a card:

  • A life well lived is a tribute to all.
  • A life well lived is one filled with joy and love.
  • Life is a gift, love is a gift, and when both are bestowed, you have a life well lived.
  • Evidence of a life well lived is found in those who love you. The legacy of love is all the proof that's needed.
  • A life well lived is an example of gratitude, service, and kindness to all who get to share it.
  • Good deeds go hand in hand with a life well lived.
  • A life well lived marks everyone around it with love. Remember these marks as you celebrate the life.
  • A life well lived leaves others enriched and grateful.
  • A life well lived extends a helping hand to those in need, and today we are celebrating one of the most helpful people we have ever known.
  • No greater statement can be made than that her life was one that was well lived.

Religious Celebration of Life Quotes

If the person you are celebrating had a strong faith, or if the people at the celebration of life ceremony share their beliefs, it can be comforting to use religious quotes:

  • Sally believed that faith was not for God's benefit, but for your own.
  • We honor this beautiful life and take comfort in knowing we will meet again someday.
  • Today, we thank God for giving us the time we had with this amazing person.
  • May God guide us toward gratitude for this life well lived.
  • How lucky we are to know we have such a wonderful person waiting for us with God.

Celebration of Life Sayings for Family

Happy father and son hiking together at sunset

When you're celebrating the life of a family member, it can help to have sayings that really speak to your special bond. These celebration of life quotes are perfect for dads, moms, siblings, and other family members:

  • Dad was a man of few words, but they were always kind ones.
  • For Mom, it wasn't what I scored on a test, but what I learned through the process of studying and taking the test. I try to remember that about all of life's challenges.
  • My father was fearless and instilled hope in all he met.
  • A mother's love isn't confined to being maternal; it's also universal.
  • Dad understood that to live life meant taking risks, but the rewards were worth it.
  • Mom taught me unconditional love.
  • She showed us love every day by the way she nurtured and cared for us.
  • Grandma's philosophy on life was: be patient, support those you love, and celebrate all of their successes.
  • My brother knew who he was and lived each day true to his values.
  • Mom loved flowers and taught me how to touch flowers to feel their uniqueness without harming them. This is how she moved through life, touching the hearts of everyone, and never doing any harm to anyone.
  • Dad may have worked hard, but he always made time to go on adventures with us.
  • A mom is her children's touchstone in life.
  • My dad's greatest legacy was teaching me to enjoy life!
  • My mom taught me many things over the course of my life, but the main lesson she taught me was to fight for the things I believe in.
  • Dad put family first in all he did.
  • My mom called us her little explorers and sent us out into the world to discover it for ourselves.
  • My Dad taught me to respect the opinions of others. He said I didn't have to agree with them, but I should honor their right to have them, otherwise how could I expect them to respect mine?
  • My sister lived a life of love. She was generous with her time and knowledge.
  • He advised me to always have a pencil handy, so I could use one end to erase the things I didn't like about myself and the other end to add the qualities I wanted to have.
  • Mom raised us to be independent but to depend on family when we needed backup.
A young boy walking with his mother on a boardwalk

Celebration of Life Quotes for a Friend

When you celebrate the life of a friend, you celebrate the time spent together and the relationship you shared. These quotes can help you express how you feel:

  • Her philosophy was to live life as you see fit, but make sure you don't hurt anyone or rob anyone of their rights in the process.
  • We shared this time on the planet together, and I'm so grateful for her friendship.
  • Kathy loved life, and life loved her too.
  • Rob was the person we all turned to when we saw something beautiful. His was a life full of appreciation and joy.
  • It's not how much time we had together, but how much we made of the time we were lucky enough to share.
  • He taught me the joy of friendship, and that's something worth celebrating.
  • Jennifer knew how to have fun and enjoy life, but she also knew how to be there for the people who loved her. We have all been very lucky.
  • Today, we gather to celebrate a life and a friendship that we will treasure forever.

The Perfect Words for a Celebration of Life

Quotes can make the perfect opening words for a celebration of life, offer something to write in a card, or give you inspiration for what to say at a celebration of life event. No matter how you use them, choose the words that most resonate with you regarding the fond memories you have of your loved one. They will always be the right ones.

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50+ Uplifting Celebration of Life Quotes