When someone you know loses a loved one, you may want to get them something special. If the sympathy gift is for a man, you might find yourself at a loss for a gift that is gender-appropriate. For sympathy gifts, think both of providing them with something to remember their loss, as well as gifts that provide comfort when they are grieving.

Food can be one of the best ways to provide comfort to a grieving man. You can buy a ready-made gift basket specially tailored to sympathy or bereavement, or you can put one together yourself. To make your own, choose a basket and then the items to place in the basket. Food gift baskets may include fruit, crackers, cheese, muffins, cookies or other baked goods.

A comfort quilt can be any quilt that is bought or handmade. One of the best things about quilts is that they come in all shapes, sizes, colors and themes. A quilt can provide warmth and comfort to the man in your life who is grieving over a loss. To personalize a ready-made quilt, embroider the quilt with a special message like the person's name who passed away. For a man who lost his child, a good idea for a comfort quilt is to use pieces from that child's clothing or blankets.

A memorial picture frame is a sympathy gift that keeps on giving. Choose a picture of the person they lost to put in the frame and have the frame engraved. You can include the name of the person, the dates of their birth and passing, or any other message to help them remember. Memorial picture frames can be as simple or detailed as you choose.

Provide the grieving man with a practical gift like a keychain, but personalize it by turning it into a memorial keychain. He can then keep the memory of his lost loved one alive by having an item he uses on a regular basis. Like other memorial gifts, you can include the name of the person who passed away, their birth and passing dates and a special message. This message may be "In Loving Memory" or something similar.

Provide the grieving man in your life a tear bottle that he can use for getting his emotions out in his own way. Many times, men choose to hide their feelings. By giving them a tear bottle, you are giving them a chance to grieve in private about their loss. The bottle can be clear or colored, plain or detailed. You can get a bottle at a dollar store, discount store or other retailer. You can give him the bottle empty with a note about what it is for, or fill it with a photo of the person he lost.

While traditional, sympathy cards and flowers still make thoughtful gifts. Flowers can brighten up a room, and provide a smile to the face of even the saddest man. Find a mixed bouquet from a florist that is tailored to sympathy or pick wildflowers and put them in a nice vase. Choose from a variety of sympathy cards that tell him how you feel, that you are sorry for his loss and will always be there for him.