Although most people don’t sit around thinking about what their own obituary will read like, once they read the obit of Terry Ward, they decide when the time comes for them, they can only hope theirs will be as good as his was.

Terry was 71-years-old when he died unexpectedly from a massive stroke. It wasn’t his cause of death, or even the way that Terry lived that was the reason for his one-of-a-kind obituary. He was a simple man according to his family. He was a hard worker who worked for the telephone company to care for his wife and daughters. He didn’t care about keeping up with the Kardashians, or even the Joneses for that matter.

What Terry did have though, was a sense of humor that was bigger than life itself. His obituary was a true reflection of his life and humor. Written by his daughter Jean, the obituary mentions Hamburger Helper, zombies, and Miracle Whip all within the first paragraph, and not only did his daughter Jean like what she wrote, so did her sister, her mother, and thousands of other people who have been lucky enough to read it.

The obituary mentions Terry’s love of fishing and hunting, as well as his passion for trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond. He loved to tell jokes to everyone he ran in to, and the obituary is full of those too. She mentioned his love for the Blue’s Brothers, anything with hot sauce on it, and how he came up with a nickname for everyone.

Terry also loved to write, a talent that he passed on to both Jean and his other daughter, Becky. He loved to caption family photographs with quirky sayings, and he’d often surprise his daughters and wife with quick notions he’d written on a sticky note and left behind for them to find.

He was born on New Year’s Eve in 1946 and served in the Vietnam War with the United States Army. He settled in DeMotte, Ind., where he married his wife Kathy in 1969. His obit reads that Kathy was the love of his life (a fact she gladly accepted with sympathy for the 48 years of their marriage).

Terry found humor in everything and he was passionate about taking care of the family’s cars. So passionate in fact, that he installed a 25 foot long service pit in the family garage so he could change the oil and do routine maintenance on the cars at home.

Jean, who works for the funeral home, said when she sat down to write her father’s obituary she knew it had to be as epic as he was. Everyone who met him fell in love with him, and his obituary had to have the same impact. And it has. People all over the world have read Terry Ward’s obituary, and if they didn’t know him, they wish that they’d had the chance. Even before the obituary went viral, Jean says she was very happy with what she wrote about her father.

The obituary, both hilarious and endearing, wrapped up by telling friends and family that memorial contributions for Terry could be given to any of their own personal favorite charities, or to their favorite watering hole, in which case, they were instructed to sit down and tie a few on and share stories about the life of the great Terry Ward.

Read the entire obituary here:

Terry Wayne Ward, age 71, of DeMotte, IN, escaped this mortal realm on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018, leaving behind 32 jars of Miracle Whip, 17 boxes of Hamburger Helper and multitudes of other random items that would prove helpful in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Terry is survived by his overly-patient and accepting wife Kathy, who was the love of his life (a fact she gladly accepted sympathy for during their 48 years of marriage). He is also survived by daughters Rebecca (William) Hines and Jean (Jeff) Lahm; sister, Linda; brother, Phil; grandchildren: Alexander and Hannah Hines (The Mesopotamians), Daphne and Erin Pistello (The Daffer and Peanut), Brendan and Owen Lahm (Phineas and Ferb) and Tessa McMurry (Smiley).

He is preceded in death by his parents Paul and Bernice Ward, daughter Laura Pistello, grandson Vincent Pistello, brother Kenneth Ward, a 1972 Rambler and a hip.

Terry graduated from Thornridge High School in South Holland, IL, where only three of his teachers took an early retirement after having had him as a student. He met the love of his life, Kathy, by telling her he was a lineman – he didn’t specify early on that he was a lineman for the phone company, not the NFL. Still, Kathy and Terry wed in the fall of 1969, perfectly between the Summer of Love and the Winter of Regret.

Terry volunteered his service in the United States Army and was an active combat Veteran in the Viet Nam War.

He retired from AT&T (formerly Ameritech, formerly formerly Indiana Bell) after 39 years of begrudging service, where he accumulated roughly 3,000 rolls of black electrical tape during the course of his career (which he used for everything from open wounds to “Don’t use this button” covers).

He enjoyed many, many things. Among those things were hunting, fishing, golfing, snorkeling, ABBA, hiking Turkey Run, chopping wood, shooting guns, Bed Bath & Beyond, starlight mints, cold beer, free beer, The History Channel, CCR, war movies, discussing who makes the best pizza, The Chicago White Sox, old Buicks, and above all, his family.

He was a renowned distributor of popsicles and ice cream sandwiches to his grandchildren. He also turned on programs such as “Phineas and Ferb” for his grand-youngins, usually when they were actually there.

He despised “uppity foods” like hummus, which his family lovingly called “bean dip” for his benefit, which he loved consequently. He couldn’t give a damn about most material things, and automobiles were never to be purchased new. He never owned a personal cell phone and he had zero working knowledge of the Kardashians.

Terry died knowing that The Blues Brothers was the best movie ever, (young) Clint Eastwood was the baddest-ass man on the planet, and hot sauce can be added to absolutely any food.

Tremendous and heartfelt thanks go to the truly exceptional nurses at Southlake Methodist Hospital Neuro-Intensive Care Unit, who provided much more than nursing care for Terry, but also provided a peaceful and compassionate environment during his transition from this life to the next.

Friends can visit with the family on Saturday, January 27, from Noon until the time of the Funeral Service at 4:00 PM, with Pastor Mark Wilkins officiating, at Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Receptions Centre, 606 E. 113th Ave., Crown Point, IN. Services will conclude at the funeral home.

Memorial donations in Terry’s name can be made to your favorite charity or your favorite watering hole, where you are instructed to tie a few on and tell a few stories of the great Terry Ward.