Advertisement

'He lived a wild life!' Man's epic obituary goes viral

The obituary for a man named Randall Jacobs of Phoenix, Arizona has gone viral due to the seriously epic picture it paints of the 65-year-old.

Written by his nephew, Chris Santa Maria, the obituary reads, "Randall Jacobs of Phoenix died at age 65, having lived a life that would have sent a lesser man to his grave decades earlier. His friends called him RJ, but to his family he was Uncle Bunky, a.k.a. The Bunkster. He told his last joke, which cannot be printed here, on May 4th, 2020."

The obituary for a man named Randall Jacobs has gone viral thanks to the truly epic picture it paints of his life. Photo: Twitter/Chris Santa Maria
The obituary for a man named Randall Jacobs has gone viral thanks to the truly epic picture it paints of his life. Photo: Twitter/Chris Santa Maria

It continued, "Uncle Bunky burned the candle, and whatever else was handy, at both ends. He spoke in a gravelly patois of wisecracks, mangled metaphors, and inspired profanity that reflected the Arizona dive bars, Colorado ski slopes, and various dodgy establishments where he spent his days and nights. He was a living, breathing 'hang loose' sign, a swaggering hybrid of Zoni desert rat, SoCal hobo, and Telluride ski bum.

"A prolific purveyor of Bunky-isms such as "Save it, clown!" (or "Zeebo" if he was in a mood), he would mercilessly tease his "goombatz" nephews with nicknames such as "mud flap" and "style master." Just days after his beloved cat Kitters passed away, he too succumbed to "The Great Grawdoo", leaving behind a vapor trail of memories and a piece of sage advice lingering in his loved ones' ears: 'Do what Bunky say. Not what Bunky do.'

"For all his chaotic energy and hysterical charm, he had a gentle soul. A night out with Bunky could result in a court summons or a world-class hangover, but his friends and family would drop whatever they were doing to make a trip out to see him. His impish smile and irreverent sense of humor were enough to quell whatever sensibilities he offended. He didn't mean any harm; that was just Bunky being Bunky.

"When the end drew near, he left us with a final Bunkyism: 'I'm ready for the dirt nap, but you can't leave the party if you can't find the door.' He found the door, but the party will never be the same without him."

The obituary continued by saying in lieu of flowers, readers should instead pay someone's open bar tab.

Chris took to Twitter to share his epic words of his uncle, saying, "My uncle passed away 10 days ago and I've been an inconsolable mess ever since. He was 65 and somehow managed to wring out 9 lives while burning the candle, and whatever else was handy, from every angle.

"He meant so much to me and I honestly don’t know what I’d be without him."

The epic obituary quickly went viral, with people sharing their reactions to it on Twitter.

One person wrote, "I don't know who Randall Jacobs was, but this obituary makes me hope somebody turns his life story into a movie. RIP Bunky."

Someone else said, "F***in A, I'm getting misty and I didn't even know the guy."

Another added, "I would happily + no question asked buy a novel, subscribe to a newsletter or possibly join a religious movement created by the author of this piece. RIP Randall Jacobs."

The obituary was also posted to Reddit, with one Reddit user commenting, "I don’t even know the Bunkster but I’m tearing up a bit and missing this old bro so much already. Mad mad props to whomever penned this masterful obituary."

Another added, "I truly hope I can earn an obituary half that amazing."

Someone else admitted, "I never knew this man but I'm somehow almost crying - like I've known him for a while. These people really love him and it seems he lived a wild life. Rest in Peace Uncle Bunky. My condolences to his family & friends."

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.