Deadly Mistakes
Real Obituaries Gone Amusingly Wrong
by
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Obituary: a published notice of a death, usually with a brief* biography of the deceased
(*Authors’ emphasis)
This whole process started by accident. Sometime in late 2005 or early 2006, Scott happened to read an obituary in the
But, really, funny obituaries? How could they be funny? Because the writers went so over the top in describing the recently departed.
Soon, Terry was reading obits in his local paper, and discovering some very weird, strange, and downright funny pieces. In time we decided that perhaps we could make a book out of them. What the hell? Americans can laugh at just about anything. If Albert Brooks can look for humor in the Muslim World, and the Darwin Awards can celebrate the idiotic ways in which people can remove themselves from the gene pool, then we figured we could mine for nuggets of laughter in the obit pages.
Now might be a good time to clear up what could be a misconception about us. We’re not ghouls who take delight in the misery of others. Perhaps we’re just weird. We do admit that we pour through the papers every morning looking for the story about an angry mob beating a rude cell phone user into submission; or one about an air marshal pistol-whipping a cell phone user for using the phone before the plane has landed; or one about angry passengers descending on the cell phone addict for delaying departure because he can’t end his conversation with the person he left at the terminal five minutes before.
(Authors’ note: hang up your damned cell phone and READ.)
But, like most people over the age of 50, we’ve had loved ones taken from us. We’re well aware of the pain, suffering, and sense of loss that accompanies such tragedies. Kaye, Scott’s wife of 29 years, died in July of 2002 after a long battle with cancer. Terry’s brother-in-law’s oldest daughter, Connie Schwitezer, died in 2001 while awaiting a double-lung/heart transplant. Connie was suffering from PPH, an incurable disease, and was only given two years to live when she was diagnosed at 16. Terry’s mothering-law died while we were just getting started on this project in March of 2006. He spoke for the family at the funeral, and it was the hardest thing he ever had to do.
A few months after his wife died, Scott received a phone call at home for “Sheridan Cox.” Since she always used her middle name (Kaye) Scott knew that any call for “
This was a defining moment--one of those times when you can give in to anger or cry about the unfairness of it all; or go with the hand you’ve been dealt. Kaye had a great sense of humor, and probably would have laughed herself; so Scott said: “Well, that depends on whether or not you believe in eternal life.”
From there, it was a pretty short step to finding humor in obituaries. There has always been a lot of interesting stuff to be found in these daily readings: from the exploits of WWII vets, to a scientist working on the U-2 spy plane. Terry even found one of a man named Su, who was survived by his daughter, Sue. Johnny Cash and Shel Silverstein would have been especially proud of that one.
Formats Book Details When it comes to humor, Americans are said to hold nothing sacred. Deadly Mistakes: Real Obituaries Gone Amusingly Wrong is an example of that sentiment. Given our near obsession with fame and celebrity, it should come as no surprise that “ordinary people” would go to extraordinary lengths to be considered noteworthy. Deadly Mistakes provides the evidence in the obituaries of the “unfamous.” Average folks are remembered by family and friends in send-offs that unintentionally go off the rails in amusing and bizarre ways. What's to be said of someone whose family wants him to be remembered for inventing an electric pickle...that stinks? Of someone who, “not wanting to give up his love of uniforms, became a campus police officer?” Or of someone who achieved the mysterious title of “Puissant Sovereign of the Red Cross of Constantine”? Plenty. All this and more is included in Deadly Mistakes: Real Obituaries Gone Amusingly Wrong. These obituaries have not been edited (except for length and to remove last names). They stand on their own as commentary on the human need to find meaning in it all… somehow, some way. Deadly Mistakes should remind readers of one thing: it's best to go out laughing. Just ask the guy whose memorial service was held at Hammerhead's Bar, just east of The Strip, in Vegas. Terry Cox is a retired high school history teacher, part-time political activist, and full-time cynic. He and his wife, Pam, reside in Scott Cox is a process-improvement consultant. He and his wife, Pat, live in Terry and Scott share the same birthday, a weird sense of humor, and loathing of the Chicago Cubs. They are both short.
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