Son’s Hilarious Obituary for Dad Who ‘Broke the Mold’ Goes Viral: ‘He Is God’s Problem Now’
Robert Boehm is survived by his four children, 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren
Dignity Memorial
Dianne and Robert BoehmCharles Boehm wrote an unconventional obituary for his late 74-year-old dad
Among Robert's quirks was his collection of harmonicas "to prompt his beloved dogs to howl continuously at odd hours of the night to entertain his many neighbors"
"If I want anything to come from all of this, it’s for people everywhere to support the mental health of people in little rural towns," Charles told The Washington Post
A 74-year-old Texas man who died earlier this month received a hilarious send-off from his son, who said that his late dad was “God’s problem now.”
Charles Boehm penned an obituary for his father, Robert Boehem, who passed away on Sunday, Oct. 6. But rather than beginning his tribute with the usual platitudes of a “loving husband” or “great dad,” Charles described what Robert's last words might have been.
“Robert Adolph Boehm, in accordance with his lifelong dedication to his own personal brand of decorum, muttered his last unintelligible and likely unnecessary curse on October 6, 2024, shortly before tripping backward over 'some stupid bleeping thing' and hitting his head on the floor," his tribute read.
Charles wrote that Robert, a truck driver, was born in Winters in 1950, “after which God immediately and thankfully broke the mold and attempted to cover up the evidence," and that he got his wife Dianne pregnant three times between the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, just in time to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.
Robert’s son added that as a result of not serving in the military, his dad got into firearms as a hobby and “managed to blow not one, but two holes in the dash of his own car on two separate occasions.”
Aside from his penchant for historical weapons, Robert was a snappy dresser who went “about town wearing the latest trend in homemade leather moccasins, a wide collection of unconventional hats, and boldly mismatched shirts and pants.”
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Charles also wrote that Robert kept a collection of harmonicas not to play for himself “but to prompt his beloved dogs to howl continuously at odd hours of the night to entertain his many neighbors, and occasionally to give to his many, many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren to play loudly during long road trips with their parents.”
His obituary noted that Dianne died in February. Unlike his dad, Charles' description of his mom took on a more serious tone: "She was a beloved wife, mother, sister, and grandmother who touched the lives of those around her with her unwavering love and quiet strength."
But Charles joked that Dianne’s death was an act of mercy from God so that she could get “some well-earned peace and quiet. Without Dianne to gleefully entertain, Robert shifted his creative focus to the entertainment of you, the fine townspeople of Clarendon, Texas.”
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Robert’s funeral (or rather his “farewell tour,” as his son put it) was held on Monday, Oct. 14, in Amarillo. The obituary said a tip jar would be available in front of the funeral home, but flowers were acceptable.
“We have all done our best to enjoy/weather Robert's antics up to this point, but he is God's problem now,” Charles wrote.
Speaking with The Washington Post about the unconventional obituary, Charles, 41, said that he was initially stumped on what to write about his dad. Then he came across an old obituary for a Connecticut man that inspired him.
“I read it, and I thought, ‘That sounds like something my dad would do,’” Boehm told the newspaper.
Chuck Robertson of Robertson Funeral Directors, who handled Robert’s cremation, told the Post that he laughed when he received the tribute.
Robertson shared a link to the obituary on the funeral’s home Facebook page, which has been shared by more than 1,000 users as of Thursday, Oct. 17, and delighted commenters, with one person writing: “This is phenomenal lol And I wanna pay this person who wrote it in advance to write mine I should I ever die.”
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“Best obituary I’ve ever read!” wrote another user. “Thanks for your *almost* service Sir!”
In a moment of seriousness, Charles told the Post that his dad struggled following the death of Dianne and that the family tried to get Robert help for his mental health issues. He thanked the town of Clarendon, whose population is about 2,000, for checking in on his dad.
"If I want anything to come from all of this, it’s for people everywhere to support the mental health of people in little rural towns,” Boehm told the paper.
According to the obituary, Robert and Dianne were married for over five decades and are survived by their four children, 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
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