TORONTO – For most people, an obituary is a chance for us or our loved ones to say something final about our lives, to “put a bow” on who we were, what we did, and how we want to be remembered.
But as is true in so much of writing, sometimes someone else has already said it a little better.
One Virginia woman clearly thought that way after it came out that parts of her mother’s witty, tounge-in-cheek obituary were lifted line-for-line from the obituary of a Florida woman who died earlier this year.
Dorothy Stewart McElhaney’s obituary opens with the line “It pains me to admit it, but apparently, I have passed away. Everyone told me it would happen one day but that’s simply not something I wanted to hear, much less experience.”
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After reflecting on her life and times, the obit goes on to say “So…I was born; I blinked; and it was over. No buildings named after me; no monuments erected in my honor. But, I DID have the chance to know and love each and every friend as well as all my family members. How much more blessed can a person be?”
“Today I am happy and I am dancing.”
Written by McElhaney’s daughter Glenna Kramer, the funny but still touching obituary gained some attention in the local media – until it was pointed out that many of the lines, including those quotes above, were directly lifted from the obituary of Florida woman Emily DeBrayda Phillips, who passed away in March of this year.
“For us it was very poignant, and very personal, but we didn’t expect anything like this,” Kramer told NBC News 12.
The key difference between the two obits is the first one was written by Phillips before she died, whereas McElhaney’s obituary was written after she had already passed.
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But according to News 12, the family of Phillips is taking the entire thing with good cheer, telling them that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
After all, what better epitaph could there be than having your words be used to sum up not just your own life, but someone else’s?
You can read Phillip’s original obituary here, and McElhaney’s here – see if you can spot any more similarities.
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