Choosing Your Obituary Photo

Mark McKimmy
3 min readNov 27, 2018

Fair or not it’s you defined in one photo

Inspired by What We Will Remember by Ann Litts

The post office in the little mountain town where I lived served notices of past and present locals' deaths. Normally the notice contains the name, date of death, where the person died, when, where the memorial service and burial will be held.

Even if it is missing some of this information a sizable photo will always be on the notice. Sometimes a portrait or most often the person engaged in their favorite activity ( like fishing ) or at their favorite locale ( the beach, mountains or at a coffee shop).

I have wondered at times while looking at the photos why that particular one. I have to assume the relative or friend who chose it knew this was a great day or time or place they loved. Even if I did not know the person it makes me wonder a bit about them, and hope they are in a better place.

I think of their friends and loved ones. I pray the memories are helping to ease the loss of their friend, brother, sister, son, daughter, parent.

It’s hard to find one photo that sums up a person’s life and personality. That single photo wants you to look at their friend, their loved one, maybe wonder what was that person like? So one day when your photo is up here we will wonder about you…

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Mark McKimmy
Mark McKimmy

Written by Mark McKimmy

Ph.D. in Procrastination, Masters in Mediocrity, Bachelors in Banality, Wannabe writer & human. Not an expert about anything. I write whatever comes to mind.