The New York Times obituary editor answers readers’ questions. This is great timing for me, as I’ve just borrowed from the library The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries, by Marilyn Johnson. (I’m a bit of an obituary geek.)
A tidbit from the obituary editor’s responses: There are about 1,200 advance obituaries on file. The oldest advance obit on file is from 1982 – 1982! – and the subject is still alive. “The subject, it seems, has also refused to budge.” The writer of the obit is dead, though.
(The Times has run advance obits written by dead people before; the obit editor specifically mentions the obits of Bob Hope and James Van Allen, of Van Allen Belt fame.)
I wonder what my obituary will say.
Well, you could always write it yourself, include it with your personal papers, and update it whenever you feel necessary. Of course, that’s no guarantee that your survivors will follow your wishes, but, if they don’t, you could always threaten to haunt them.