50 Memorial Quotes to Remember and Reflect

These memorial quotes will help you feel inspired to live in honor of those we have lost.

Let us know if there are some other good memorial quotes we missed in the comment section below.

Losing a loved one can be difficult.

Reading the words of others can inspire us to find the words that express what our lost loved ones meant to us.

There is no way to truly define the life impact people can have on us using words, but sometimes words, actions, and memorials can give us closure.

These words allow us to feel that we are giving honor to those we loved and lost.

Helen Keller reminds us that “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

The feelings and emotions that come with the death of someone we care about are rarely easy to navigate through, but hopefully, these memorial quotes can help.

Short memorial quotes 

You don’t always need a lot of words to communicate a meaningful message, as shown in the following quotes.

1. “Gone yet not forgotten.” — Anonymous

2. “There is no death. Only a change of worlds.” — Chief Sealth

3. “When words are most empty, tears are most apt.” — Max Lucado

4. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss

5. “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” — Cesare Pavese

6. “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” — Dr. Seuss

7. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — Winnie The Pooh

8. “The comfort of having a friend may be taken away but not that of having had one.” — Seneca

9. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

10. “He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.” — Bessie Anderson Stanley

Memorial Day quotes to remember our heroes

To help you honor and remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty, below is our collection of inspirational, patriotic, and moving Memorial Day quotes and sayings collected from various sources over the years.

11. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” — Thomas Campbell

12. “This nation will remain the land of the free only as long as it is home of the brave.” — Elmer Davis

13. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy

14. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” — Jeff Miller

15. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.” — General Douglas MacArthur

16. “Don’t forget who your heroes are, what they mean to you, and why they mean that to you.” — Gale Harold

17. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” — Benjamin Disraeli

18. “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.” — James A. Garfield

19. “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” — Lee Greenwood

20. “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran does not have that problem.” — Ronald Reagan

Memorial quotes about those we love

Remember the loved ones you lost with the following quotes.

21. “Love is how often you stay alive, even after you are gone.” — Mitch Albom

22. “Those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death cannot touch.” — Jack Thorne

23. “There are special people in our lives who never leave us, even after they are gone.” — D. Morgan

24. “There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” — Mahatma Gandhi

25. “I’ll remember you. When I’ve forgotten all the rest. You, to me, were true. You, to me, were the best.” — Bob Dylan

26. “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever.” — A. A. Milne

27. “Sometimes, when one person is absent, the whole world seems depopulated.” — Alphonse de Lamartine

28. “May the winds of heaven blow softly and whisper in your ear. How much we love and miss you and wish that you were here.” — Anonymous

29. “Remembering is an act of resurrection, each repetition a vital layer of mourning, in memory of those we are sure to meet again.” — Nancy Cobb

30. “If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.” — Winnie The Pooh

Memorial quotes from the bible, cultural blessings, and proverbs

These quotes offer solace and wisdom, spanning various cultures and faiths, to provide comfort and reflection during moments of loss and remembrance.

31. “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4

32. “Say not in grief that he is no more but live in thankfulness that he was.” — Hebrew Proverb

33. “May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you are dead.” — Irish Blessing

34. “The Lord watch between me and thee, while we are absent one from another.” — Genesis 31:49

35. “As long as we live, they too will live; for they are now are a part of us; as we remember them.” — Jewish Prayer

Additional memorial quotes

Enjoy additional quotes spanning a variety of cultures.

36. “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. From an Irish headstone.” ― Richard Puz, The Carolinian

37. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalms 23:4

38. “Know when to seek peace / For as long as the moon shall rise / For as long as the rivers shall flow / For as long as the sun shall shine / For as long as the grass shall grow /Let us have peace.” — Native American Poem

39. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” — Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

40. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” — John 14:1-3

Memorial quotes about life, love, and sadness

These quotes reflect on the nature of life, love, and loss.

41. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” — Thomas Campbell

42. “As is a tale, so is a life: Not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” — Seneca

43. “Lives are like rivers: Eventually, they go where they must. Not where we want them to.” — Richard Russo

44. “The love in our family flows strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep.” — Anonymous

45. “Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.” — Anonymous

46. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller

47. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

48. “Words cannot express the sorrow and sadness we feel at your loss. Please accept our condolences and know that we are thinking of you.” — Anonymous

49. “More than anything, we are remembered for our smiles; the ones we share with our closest and dearest, and the ones we bestow on a total stranger, who needed it RIGHT THEN, and God put you there to deliver.” — Carrie Hamilton

50. “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness but of power; they speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” — Washington Irving

Saying goodbye is different for everyone

Across the planet, cultures memorialize and deal with loss differently.

Some build lavish marble sites at graveyards, while others humbly imbue the remains of their lost back into nature.

Some engage in solemn affairs while others party in celebration.

All forms of memorialization are special and transformational.

During times of mourning, expressing our gratitude and appreciation for our loved ones can be therapeutic.

Memorials allow us to immortalize the legacies of people who matter to us.

There is a beautiful Hebrew proverb that provides comfort for those dealing with loss: “Say not in grief that he is no more but live in thankfulness that he was.”

This powerful realization allows us to move past feelings of sadness for what we have lost and move toward feelings of gratitude for the experiences, time, and relationships that belong to us.

What are your memorial practices? Share with us in the comments.