by Dick Hall-Sizemore

As I get older, I find that I tend to read the obituaries more often. Maybe it is because, as the old joke goes, I want to check to see if my name is in there.

Obituaries tend to follow a standard format. Most are fairly brief, consisting of the deceased’s date and place of birth, date of death, parents, surviving relatives, sometimes a summary of the deceased’s professional life, awards, etc. Occasionally, however, there is an obituary that provides a glimpse of the personality of the deceased. A recent obituary in the Gazette-Virginian of South Boston was such a piece.

It starts off with:

Herbert Louis “Bullfrog” Throckmorton was reunited with his “Lilypad” Vicky on Thursday, July 6, 2023.

As far as I am concerned, that would have been enough for a classic obituary, but, after listing all the relatives that had predeceased him, the narrative went on:

Louis lived life to the fullest and had battle scars to prove it. He enjoyed piddling, fixing up junk cars, and talking trash on the CB. He was locally known and well hated as he liked to joke and say.

Left to carry on his legacy are his daughters, Angie and Chasity, as well as his son, Tony. His son in law, Mike, will be left to clear up the mess he left behind in the shop.

There is more, but that is enough to convince me that this was a man whom I would like to have known and had a beer with.