I will admit this is a bit morbid but...

[hakuna matata]

When you leave this great planet, what picture do you want to be used in your obit?

The reason I ask is that I was recently looking at some obits from my home town and there were a couple of people who were like in their 70's and 80's and who the picture that was in the paper was these people when they were 20 or 30. Now I am thinking that there is no one alive who actually remembers them looking like that! Well maybe there might be a few but still it seems a bit odd to use a picture that out of date.

But it got me wondering what picture I would want to use, and more importantly better make sure the wife, kid and I are all on the same page!


For me:

I would want a current picture of me in my obit. One at least within 10 years of my age I think. I want people to remember me how I am, not how I was. Plus I am getting better looking as I get older!

Okay now I am off to work on the wording--something like Hakuna was quiet, reserved and humble...something like that.

So what pic do you wanna use in your obit?

 

[W2R]

I will be dead! What do I care. I won't be around to care if there's even an obit.

 

[Htown Harry]

I also plan to let the survivors write the obit and select a picture if they wish.

 

[samclem]

I want people to remember me how I am, not how I was.

How you "are" at that point is pale, cold, and maybe not looking your best.

I admit I've wondered the same thing about the pictures on the obit page. But, I really enjoy seeing the pictures from long ago--young, well dressed men and women wearing stylish hats and well tailored clothing in professionally-shot pictures, the hairstyles of by-gone eras, etc. And a very large number of folks in uniform--apparently many of us consider those to be pictures of ourselves at our best.

If a person reading the obit doesn't recognize my name, a recent picture probably won't help. But those who know me might enjoy seeing a picture of "young samclem", before he got all saggy and mean. Heck, I might submit a picture of a young Cary Grant-from what I can see, no one at the newspaper checks the entries anyway.

 

[GregLee]

Whatever pic you decide on, that will do for me, too.

 

[REWahoo]

This one:

 

[W2R]

This one:

That would make such a great avatar!

 

[JJ1960]

People that know you now will recognise your name. People that knew you "way back" will recognise your picture from back then. Post your old picture!

 

[urn2bfree]

Gotta side with those who make the point that the obit is for the living...not the dead--as the one who will be the latter --I accept that I will have no say in the matter...and I am as fine with that now as I will be then.

 

[hakuna matata]

Interesting. I guess I see it as my last hurrah. Last time my pic will be in the paper without the normal police story of my latest misdeed.

For me it is the last image that people will have of me so I want them to know I made it to an old age dammit. What if your spouse or kids put in that goofy picture where your eyes are closed or you have that quirky smile!

Nope for me I am going to have a little file on my laptop with my pic I want used and have that discussion with my wife and kid. Of course I won't know if they will abide by my wish, but I will threaten them with a haunting if nothing else.

 

[bbbamI]

How you "are" at that point is pale, cold, and maybe not looking your best.

....ahem.........

I admit I've wondered the same thing about the pictures on the obit page. But, I really enjoy seeing the pictures from long ago--young, well dressed men and women wearing stylish hats and well tailored clothing in professionally-shot pictures, the hairstyles of by-gone eras, etc. And a very large number of folks in uniform--apparently many of us consider those to be pictures of ourselves at our best.

I love those photos too. It's especially nice when the person writing the obit goes into detailed history of the person. I think even though a person may die at an old age, they are pretty much the same in spirit as when they were young. Kind of seems fitting to me.

 

[freebird5825]

I can't decide which one...my avatar or me and my stony smiling partner. Having a pic with my eyes closed would be a bit odd, but what the heck?

 

[KingB]

But it got me wondering what picture I would want to use, and more importantly better make sure the wife, kid and I are all on the same page!

You really don't mean that (same obit page), do you?

 

[FinanceDude]

or me and my stony smiling partner. Having a pic with my eyes closed would be a bit odd, but what the heck?

Man, you posted that pic awhile ago, and I still can't tell who is the stone and who is the person........

 

[JakeBrake]

The thing that amazes me when I go to funeral home visitations lately is that there will often be an elaborate Powerpoint presentation featuring the deceased on autoplay. Of course, usually these are older people, so many of the pictures are pre-digital that someone had to scan and input into a PC.

DW is an advanced amateur photographer. Recently, when our church made a photo directory, she volunteered to take professional quality pictures of members in assisted care, nursing home, or homebound who could not get to the church to have their pictures taken. I went along to carry her tripod and assist as needed. One of the rules was that she only photographed people who could give informed consent (no dementia patients).

In every case when we arrived they were dressed in their very best and did not want us to leave after the photo session was over. It occurred to me that these were likely the last pictures for some of these people.

 

[kumquat]

The best obit I ever saw was for a local guy named Hugh. He was an insurance salesman/stand-up comic/eccentric. The local paper ran a small feature in the business section by him most days. It was his picture, with the eye-patch he always wore, and under that a one-liner on economics or business. His name was Hugh and the "column" was called '"Hugh's Views".

One day I was reading the paper and the familiar picture, eye-patch and all, was in the obits. Under the picture was the text "if Hugh's view's here, then Hugh ain't". Hard to beat.

 

[Gumby]

I like the ones with pictures in uniform and would prefer that for myself.

 

[rescueme]

I will be dead! What do I care. I won't be around to care if there's even an obit.

+1

 

[FinanceDude]

All I know is that DW has specific instructions to invite all my old frat buddies over for a kegger in my honor..........

 

[Sarah in SC]

JAKE, that is such an awesome idea for a "giving back" opportunity. I really need to think about doing that. Thanks very much!

I promised DH that I would put a picture of him dressed in a red satin prom dress smoking a cigar from when we all had costumes for a Alice in Wonderland themed float in a long-ago local "float in whatever you can find that will make it from the boat landing to the bar" contest. He made a great Red Queen. I was a Cheshire cat, IIRC.

I agree that the "young" pictures for the older person are odd unless they are in uniform. Even odder are the ones that use the drivers license picture where you can see the lines from the card itself across the picture.

 

[kombat]

"Obituary?" Aren't those the little writeups they used to have on recently-deceased people back when newspapers were actually printed on paper and (get this) delivered right to your doorstep?

Does anyone still make those?

I imagine that by the time it matters for me, obituaries will be long-extinct. A cute anachronistic relic of a bygone era, along with "classifieds" and the paper-printed newspapers themselves.

 

[Texas Proud]

Heck, I hope my wife or whomever does it is as cheap as me and does not cough up the money for a PICTURE...

 

[haha]

I can't decide which one...my avatar or me and my stony smiling partner. Having a pic with my eyes closed would be a bit odd, but what the heck?

Go with you and rockhead. It is a very appealing picture.

Ha