Did you know that a less common word for obituary is “necrology”? Now that’s a handy piece of information to have, although we’re not sure why. It’s like knowing the number 55 is a Fibonacci number – who cares? But we DO have a point here!
Why not write your own necrology so you can set the record straight about your own life? Remember, when it’s needed, you won’t be there to defend yourself, and you can save your loved ones a lot of time and effort when their hands are already full. While you’re at it, why not make them laugh like these ten “grave-ly” funny people did?
“He despised canned cranberry sauce, wearing shorts, cigarette butts in his driveway, oatmeal, loud-mouth know-it-alls, Tabasco sauce, reality TV shows, and anything to do with the Kardashians.”
- Louis J. Casimir Jr. slipped off this mortal coil February 5, 2004. Among the many gems in this colorful character’s self-written obit is this line: “Many of his childhood friends who weren’t killed or maimed in various wars became petty criminals, prostitutes, and/or Republicans.” Click here to read the rest.
- Raymond Alan “Big Al” Brownley passed on in September of 2014. His far-from-generic obituary sets the record straight on Al’s likes and dislikes. “He despised canned cranberry sauce, wearing shorts, cigarette butts in his driveway, oatmeal, loud-mouth know-it-alls, Tabasco sauce, reality TV shows, and anything to do with the Kardashians.” Read the rest here.
- “Waffle House lost a loyal customer on April 30, 2013. Antonia W. ‘Toni’ Larroux died after a battle with multiple illnesses: lupus, rickets, scurvy, kidney disease and feline leukemia”. Toni Larroux’s children penned this touchingly funny obit for their mom after realizing their mother “would be so ashamed” of a somber obituary.
- Ad man Kevin J. McGroarty wrote his witty mini-masterpiece before passing on too early at 53. The entire piece is well worth a read, but one of the funniest bits is McGroarty’s take on the traditional “preceded in death by” section: “He was preceded in death by brother, Airborne Ranger Lt. Michael F. McGroarty, and many beloved pets, Chainsaw, an English Mastiff in Spring 2009, Baron, an Irish Setter in August 1982, Peter Max, a turtle, Summer 1968; along with numerous house flies and bees, but they were only acquaintances.” Read the whole thing here.
- “It pains me to admit it, but apparently, I have passed away.” So begins Emily Debrayda Phillips’ sassy self-penned obituary. The lifelong teacher showcased her sense of humor, her heart, and her love for her family in her truly wonderful last words.
- Mary Stocks’ children knew their mom would have been disappointed by a bland and colorless death notice. So they used their platform to create a delightful tribute to their mom who “loved her rock garden and trust us she LOVED to weed that garden with us as her helpers, when child labour was legal or so we were told.” See the rest here.
- Before Walter George Bruhl, Jr. passed away in 2014, he “cut out the middleman” and wrote a comical obit that alerts readers that “there will be no viewing since his wife refuses to honor his request to have him standing in the corner of the room with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand so that he would appear natural to visitors.”
Your obituary is one last chance to buck the norm. When it’s time for your final curtain call, your loved ones may be will definitely be too grief-stricken to find the right words. Why not spend a few minutes jotting down how you’d like to be remembered? The book provides a worksheet for penning your thoughts on your own obituary and your wishes for your big send-off.
If you finish writing and it doesn’t feel like enough, there’s still time for you to accomplish some things worthy of note. Probably.