Most of us at one time or another have learned of the death of someone whose presence we won't exactly miss, but for propriety's sake we tend to keep those feelings close to the vest.
"Don't speak ill of the dead" is the standard operating procedure, after all.
A Florida man is going viral for doing the exact opposite—letting his recently passed father absolutely have it in a scathing obituary the likes of which most of us could only dream of writing.
In the obit, which was published in Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union over the weekend and can be read in full here, Larry Pfaff Jr. wrote his father's death proves "evil does eventually die."
And that's just scratching the surface of his brutally honest tribute.
Describing his father as a narcissist and an "abusive alcoholic" whose life lasted "much longer than he deserved," Pfaff Jr.'s obit was a master class in both airing dirty laundry and telling people exactly what you think of them.
He wrote:
"[Pfaff] is survived by his three children, no four. Oops, five children."
"Well as of 2022 we believe there is one more that we know about, but there could be more."
But Pfaff Jr.'s obit was more than mere insults.
He also revealed the mistreatment he and his siblings endured during their father's life.
"His love was abundant when it came to himself, but for his children it was limited."
"From a young age, he was a ladies’ man and an abusive alcoholic, solidifying his commitment to both with the path of destruction he left behind, damaging his adult children, and leaving them broken."
Pfaff Jr. also revealed his father, a New York City police officer, was stripped of his gun and badge because of his alcoholism and abused his first wife.
Speaking with The Florida Times-Union, Pfaff credited the obituary with helping him heal from the trauma inflicted by his father, calling it "a way for me to really cleanse myself and let that part of my life go."
He also told the paper he has heard from others the obituary has helped them do the same.
"I got a call from somebody in St. Augustine that found me and wanted to thank me for posting that because, you know, they had a similar life, and they wanted to be able to do something similar to help heal."
"They just thanked me for, you know, the honesty."
On Twitter, Pfaff Jr.'s obit definitely made an impression.
While the obit may have made an impression on readers, The Florida Times-Union's parent company Gannett was not impressed.
It has issued an apology for the obit, saying it "did not adhere to our guidelines."
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