An Indiana man’s obituary has left some Internet users in tears of joy.
Terry Ward, 71, who passed away on Jan. 23, from a massive stroke, the Chicago Tribune reports, would be remembered for his 32 jars of Miracle Whip and 17 boxes of Hamburger Helper.
In his official obituary, written by his daughter Jean Lahm, Ward was described as a man who enjoyed “many, many things.”
“Among those things were hunting, fishing, golfing, snorkeling, ABBA, hiking Turkey Run, chopping wood, shooting guns, Bed Bath & Beyond, starlight mints, cold beer, free beer, The History Channel, CCR, war movies, discussing who makes the best pizza, The Chicago White Sox, old Buicks, and above all, his family,” she wrote.
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Speaking with the Chicago Tribune, Lahm said her father lived to make other people laugh.
“For sure, the obituary matches his personality,” she continued. “He was a blue collar man who worked for the telephone company and was down to earth. He didn’t have an uppity bone in his body. His barometer was so low to the ground.”
Ward volunteered with the U.S. Army and worked at AT&T for 39 years. “He accumulated roughly 3,000 rolls of black electrical tape during the course of his career (which he used for everything from open wounds to ‘Don’t use this button’ covers),” his obituary noted.
He loved giving out Popsicles and ice cream sandwiches to his grandchildren, and he thought (young) Clint Eastwood was the baddest-ass man on the planet.
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Lahm told the Tribune filling his obituary with humour was meant to make it more relatable.
“He cared about the things that truly mattered. A lot of people can relate to that. A lot of people have these great Dads that are just like that. Good guys. That’s what he was.”
Social media users react
On Twitter, many users fell in love with Ward and his way of life without even knowing him.
In February 2017, Melissa Falter wrote a lighthearted obituary for her 91-year-old grandmother, that quickly went viral.
“We chatted about everything … even death,” Falter told Global News in 2017. “She told me to keep her obit simple and just put: I was born. I lived. I died.”
“I’m leaving behind a hell of a lot of stuff Casey and Melissa will have to get rid of….But this is not the time to talk about what I may or may not have bought from the JC Penney Outlet or TJ Maxx,” the obituary read.
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And in 2014, family members of Aaron Joseph Purmort wrote a sweet obituary after the 35 year old died of cancer.
According to the Star Tribune, Purmort was actually fighting “a radioactive spider bite that led to years of crime-fighting and a years long battle with a nefarious criminal named Cancer,” and civilians recognized him best as Spider-Man.
“Aaron was a comic book aficionado, a pop-culture encyclopedia and always the most fun person at any party.”
Read Ward’s full obituary here.
— With files from Alley Wilson
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