Daughters Creative Tribute to Her Father Sends His Obituary Viral

Last night I was on Facebook when I noticed a friend/sorority sister from college had posted an obituary for a family member. It was the obituary for her sister-in-laws father. He passed away Saturday, March 9th, the beginning of  Daylight Savings Time. This is significant and you will discover why when you read the touching, loving, humorous words his daughter wrote upon his passing.

Now before you go saying I've done something that is disrespectful to the family. I received permission to reprint her words. I'm not the only one to do this either. The obituary has gone viral with many news outlets picking up on a daughters touching,clever and creative words honoring her father.

The Obituary starts out with "Harry Weathersby Stamps, ladies’ man, foodie, natty dresser, and accomplished traveler, died on Saturday, March 9, 2013."

I'm sure Harry didn't have many regrets but there was at least one "not seeing his girl, Hillary Clinton, elected President."

He reminds me of my own granddad when talking about the foods he enjoyed:
"He had a life-long love affair with deviled eggs, Lane cakes, boiled peanuts, Vienna [Vi-e-na] sausages on saltines, his homemade canned fig preserves, pork chops, turnip greens, and buttermilk served in martini glasses garnished with cornbread." Those were all things my grandpa loved too.

I love the way his daughter Amanda Lewis describes his fashion sense."Harry took fashion cues from no one. His signature every day look was all his: a plain pocketed T-shirt designed by the fashion house Fruit of the Loom, his black-label elastic waist shorts worn above the navel and sold exclusively at the Sam’s on Highway 49, and a pair of old school Wallabees (who can even remember where he got those?) that were always paired with a grass-stained MSU baseball cap."

And as I mentioned at the beginning of this he hated Daylight Savings time as do many of us. "He particularly hated Day Light Saving Time, which he referred to as The Devil’s Time. It is not lost on his family that he died the very day that he would have had to spring his clock forward. This can only be viewed as his final protest."

I didn't know Harry Weathersby Stamps when I began reading the obituary; but I sure did when I finished. I feel sure we would have gotten along famously. He sounds like a stubborn, feet on the ground, loving man with just enough mischief to be fun and exciting. He loved life, his family and friends.

To his daughter and family: our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. I know though that you are celebrating his life...and not his death. And just for you Harry I'm going to write my Congressman!

To view the complete obituary please see the Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home website.