The obituary of an Iowa man who died in late March has gone viral due to its humorous and clever nature.
Tim Schrandt, 63, passed away on March 29 after battling cancer.
The first witty line comes in the fourth paragraph, with the family writing: “Tim Schrandt (Lynyrd) made his last inappropriate comment on March 29, 2019. If you are wondering if you may have ever met him, you didn’t—because you WOULD remember,” family members wrote in the obituary, which was published on the Schluter-Balik Funeral Home & Cremation Service website.
“For those of you that did meet him, we apologize, as we’re sure he probably offended you. He was world renowned for not holding back and telling it like it is.”
Iowa man’s joke-filled, no-filter obituary goes viral https://t.co/9DDvWQmsIg pic.twitter.com/DytIBYsa68
— Sioux City Journal (@scj) April 4, 2019
Relatives recalled how Schrandt was the 4th of 8th children. Instead of being the youngest of the first four, he became the “king” of the four younger ones.
“Tim spent his childhood and early adulthood ordering them around and in general, tormenting them. He was a great orator, (not like Shakespeare, but more like Yogi Berra), as he always had something to say, and always had to get in the last word,” the obituary read.
His position was challenged by nuns at the St. Wenceslaus school but he held his own throughout his schooling and into the Arm, getting into a few “run-ins” with the law, “not just locally, but globally,” the obituary read.
Family also recalled how Schrandt would describe his co-workers at Camcar/Stanley Black and Decker in Decorah as friends and “a bunch of morons,” with a lot of other colorful language.
“Tim leaves behind a hell of a lot of stuff that his family doesn’t know what to do with. So, if you are looking for a Virgin Mary in a bathtub shrine (you Catholics know what we’re talking about) you should wait the appropriate amount of time and get in touch with them,” they added.
In a later portion of the obituary, family said that Schrandt would often help strangers and said he was a generous person and loving to family and friends.
In conclusion, they took aim at the proliferation of fundraising accounts for families after loved ones die, joking: “We are considering establishing a Go-Fund-Me account for G. Heileman Brewing Co., the brewers of Old Style beer, as we anticipate they are about to experience significant hardship as a result of the loss of Tim”s business. Keep them in your thoughts.”
The online guestbook on the website was filled with hundreds of remembrances but also a number of people who had never met Schrandt, saying they wish they had known him.
“I didn’t know Tim, but I sure as hell wish I had. He sounded like a genuinely good soul. After reading the obituary, my heart is breaking for his friends and family,” wrote Diana Cozadd of Springfield, Illinois.
“I didn’t know Tim at all. Hell, I’ve never been to Iowa, or even close. But reading his magnificent obit made me smile. I can’t imagine having such a phenomenal human being as a friend or a relative. Again, I didn’t know Tim, but I can’t help but want to hear about some of the stories of his shenanigans. I wish the family peace, and may God bless you all,” added Kris Carve of Lafayette, Louisiana.
“Tim would be so proud of his family for allowing the world to get to know him. What a wonderful tribute to a real character! My condolences to the family,” added Mary Ann Siri of Palo Alto, California.