Man, 92, Writes His Own 3-Word Obituary

'I am dead.' Well, that does sum it up
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 13, 2014 12:13 PM CDT
Man, 92, Writes His Own 3-Word Obituary
   (Shutterstock)

The latest man to write his own obituary kept things about as short as possible: It read simply, "I am dead." Swedish 92-year-old Stig Kernell gave his funeral home instructions before he died on April 6, and the funeral home followed through, publishing the 3-word obituary in two newspapers on Saturday. But the short-and-sweet obit made headlines, The Local reports, leading newspapers to publish a few more details of Kernell's life—and ultimately leading Kernell's sons to write up a more traditional, longer obituary.

They simply didn't want the world to think there was any bitterness surrounding Kernell's death. Rather, the short obituary is reflective of their father's sense of humor, says one son. And "it has helped us to cope with the loss of him, in that he was not at all scared of death," he adds. "He was a special man with a lot of humor and a twinkle in his eye." Kernell was an aerospace historian and transport technician with a pilot's license and a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest collection of aviation literature. (More uplifting obituaries here, here, here, here, here, and here.)

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