Advertisement

‘I am dead’: Swedish man writes own obituary, keeps it simple

Stig Kernell kept his obituary simple: 'I am dead.'

Before he died, 92-year-old Stig Kernell of Tranas, Sweden, wrote his own obituary.

He gave it to a local funeral home with instructions to publish it in the local paper upon his death.

It did.

The obituary read:

"I am dead."

The super-simple obituary made headlines. It wasn't long before newspapers were publishing more information about the interesting man behind the short obit, essentially telling his life story for him.

Reporters learned that Kernell, who died on April 6, was an aerospace historian and transport technician. He had his pilot's licence. During his lifetime, he had been a member of 33 different associations. And his extensive collection of aviation literature once earned him a Guinness World Record.

[ Good News: Adorable lion cubs caught on camera playing with cubs ]

Kernell's sons eventually wrote up a longer, more traditional obituary to appease the curious public — and emphasize that the their father's three-word obituary was simply reflective of his sense of humour, not indicative of bitterness toward death.

"He was a special man with a very particular sense of humour and a twinkle in his eye," Kernell's son, Lars-Åke, told the Expressen.

"He was crass, too, and that has helped us deal with our loss, since he did not fear death in the least," he added.

"He felt that not much else needed to be said, just 'I am dead'."

[ Good News: France limits after-hours work emails ]

More proof that obituaries don't have to be boring:

Mary Agnes "Pink" Mullaney, 85, had an obituary packed with great advice:

"If a possum takes up residence in your shed, grab a barbecue brush to coax him out. If he doesn't leave, brush him for twenty minutes and let him stay."

And Delaware grandfather Walter George Bruhl, Jr. wrote his own hilarious obituary:

"There will be no viewing since his wife refuses to honour his request to have him standing in the corner of the room with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand so that he would appear natural to visitors."

"Cremation will take place at the family's convenience and his ashes will be kept in an urn until they get tired of having it around. What's a Grecian Urn? Oh, about 200 drachmas a week."