Writing an obituary for a loved one is often a heartbreaking and challenging task.
But for one man in the United States, crafting the words to honour his late father unexpectedly became a viral sensation, thanks to his humorous tribute.
When Robert Bohem sadly passed away on October 6, his son Charles was tasked with reflecting on his life and honouring his legacy, little did he know his heartfelt yet humorous choice of words would quickly take the internet by storm.
“Robert Adolph Boehm, in accordance with his lifelong dedication to his own personal brand of decorum, muttered his last unintelligible and likely unnecessary curse on October 6, 2024, shortly before tripping backward over “some stupid bleeping thing” and hitting his head on the floor,” Charles’ tribute began.
“Robert made due by learning to roof, maintain traffic signs with the City of Amarillo, and eventually becoming a semi-professional truck driver—not to be confused with a professional semi-truck driver.”
Elsewhere in the obituary, Charles poked fun at his father’s unique fashion sense telling readers that Robert was “frequently seen about town wearing the latest trend in homemade leather moccasins, a wide collection of unconventional hats, and boldly mismatched shirts and pants.”
Charles also ensured he made mention of his father’s penchant for causing mischief.
“Robert also kept a wide selection of harmonicas on hand—not to play personally, but to prompt his beloved dogs to howl continuously at odd hours of the night to entertain his many neighbors, and occasionally to give to his many, many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren to play loudly during long road trips with their parents,” he explained.
“We have all done our best to enjoy/weather Robert’s antics up to this point, but he is God’s problem now.”
The humorous tribute resonated with many, attracting attention from across the globe, many praising Charles for his light-hearted approach to such a solemn occasion.
“Wonderful sense of humor!” one person wrote.
“So good! Made me laugh. I bet he was a character.”
“This made my morning. I’m so sorry for your loss but what a life he lived!” commented another.
“It was definitely the most interesting and unique obituary I’ve ever read. I’ve had FB friends from all over the share it!”
“Don’t doubt your sense of humor came from Dad, how else could you write his obituary, well done.”
Charles was blown away by the response to the obituary, telling PEOPLE magazine that he never expected it would trigger “this kind of impact”.
“I am surprised and humbled by the entire thing,” he told the publication.
“I never thought that this little letter to the people of Clarendon that was supposed to be a thank you and an apology for helping to take care of my dad would end up generating this kind of impact.”