A few months ago I wrote about what my wishes were in the event of my untimely death. My wife made me write it because she knew members of my family might have trouble with some of it, and she was right – they weighed in.

I will say my brother Mike had an awesome alternative, except he left out dolphin fishing off Key Largo and a poker game. But remembering the strip club (now closed, unfortunately) is certainly a masterstroke, and he has my permission to find an appropriate substitute. Lord knows, we supported many a single mom in our day. But his trip still needs to finish at the gulf with my wife and kids.

Last week, a friend of the family on my wife’s side passed away. A neighbor, a gentle man, unassuming, always willing to lend a hand. He would help my father-in-law when he had particularly difficult or heavy chores to handle. He was so vigorous I had no idea he was in his 80′s until my mother-in law told me. His yard was full of old boats in various states of repair, and he loved fishing.

He told his wife he didn’t want a memorial service, and he wanted to be cremated. His family went ahead with the memorial service because sometimes families need that sort of thing. But they did a wonderful thing.

Roy attended. In his tacklebox.