Daughter’s Viral Obituary For Late Father Will Have You Laughing Tears

They say laughter is the best medicine. That’s certainly the case for Jean Lahm, whose humor-filled obituary for her late father, Terry Ward, has gone viral for all the best reasons.

When Ward passed, Lahm – who works in the funeral industry – knew she needed to pen an obituary that paid homage to her beloved father’s quirks and sense of humor. Indeed, the very first sentence of the obituary tells us exactly what kind of person Ward was in life:

Terry Wayne Ward, age 71, of DeMotte, IN, escaped this mortal realm on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018, leaving behind 32 jars of Miracle Whip, 17 boxes of Hamburger Helper and multitudes of other random items that would prove helpful in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Ward, a U.S. Army veteran who served in combat during the Vietnam War, clearly had a big, unique personality:

Terry graduated from Thornridge High School in South Holland, IL, where only three of his teachers took an early retirement after having had him as a student. He met the love of his life, Kathy, by telling her he was a lineman – he didn’t specify early on that he was a lineman for the phone company, not the NFL. Still, Kathy and Terry wed in the fall of 1969, perfectly between the Summer of Love and the Winter of Regret.

[…]

He 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 goes on to detail the simplicity of his taste:

Terry died knowing that The Blues Brothers was the best movie ever, (young) Clint Eastwood was the baddest-ass man on the planet, and hot sauce can be added to absolutely any food.

As for Lahm, she’s happy that her tribute to her father has resonated with so many people. “I love that humor resonates with people in regards to an obituary,” she told the Chicago Tribune. “Being in the funeral industry, I’ve seen that when families can come together, celebrate a life and truly laugh, it’s what helps them heal.”

Lahm truly captured her father’s spirit in a way that makes those who read about him wish they had the opportunity to know such a fun loving man. May he rest in peace.

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