When you’re gone, people will probably forget the very things you said to them when you were alive, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.
Unfortunately, when people write obituaries summarizing a person’s life, it is often just a chronological list of factual details about their life, such as where they lived, where they worked, and how many children they had.
Although these facts are important, they do not really explain what type of person the deceased was or how they made people feel. An obituary for New Orleans, Louisiana, firefighter William Ziegler has garnered a lot of attention because it hilariously summed up the life of a man who was a true storyteller.
Zeigler’s daughter, Sharah Currier, said he always read funny eulogies to his children, so they decided to write one that would make him laugh. “He would have liked that,” she told the Times-Picayune. “He probably would have forwarded that obituary to us.”
Zeigler began his career as a volunteer in the US Navy.
William volunteered for service in the United States Navy at the ripe old age of 17 and immediately realized that he didn’t enjoy being bossed around. He only lasted one war. However, before his release, the government exchanged numerous ribbons and medals for various honorable deeds. After returning to the city of New Orleans in 1971, government officials hired William as a firefighter, believing it best to keep an eye on him.
He then continued his service and joined the fire department.
After twenty-five years, he suddenly realized that running away from burning buildings made more sense than running toward them. He immediately retired. Looking back, William explained that there was no better group of idiots and mental patients than the ones he had the privilege of serving with (except Bob, he never liked you, Bob).
Ziegler’s children believe he is in heaven with his alcoholic dog.
In keeping with his wishes, there will be no service, but well-wishers are encouraged to write a farewell letter on a Schaefer Light beer can and drink it in his honor. He was never a fan of sentimentality or religiosity, but he wanted you to know that if he owes you a beer and you can find him in heaven, he would be happy to buy you another beer. You’ll probably find him forwarding tasteless Internet jokes (check your spam folder, but don’t open them at work). Expect to find an alcoholic dog named Judge passed out at his feet.
His children end the obituary by emphasizing the fact that he is, in fact, dead.
Unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old friends. He assures us that he is gone. We will miss him.
You can read the entire obituary at the Times-Picayune.
This article originally appeared on August 16, 2016
Source : www.upworthy.com