A Washington state father and U.S. Army veteran is being remembered far beyond his community after writing his own death notice — a funny, tender and deeply personal farewell that has since gone viral, with many readers calling it the “best obituary ever.”
“Michael De Simone regrettably informs you that he is no longer alive,” began the obituary, which was published Thursday by the Centralia Chronicle.
In the self-penned tribute, De Simone acknowledged that death had arrived earlier than he had hoped. “This was not the plan,” he wrote, explaining that he had expected to stick around long enough to accomplish plenty more. But, he joked, a dispute had broken out between his mind and body — and in the end, his body made the stronger case.
De Simone had suffered a stroke earlier this year and was recently hospitalized before dying of a cardiac event on Aug. 21, according to a Facebook post shared by his friend Mark Campanella.
The 51-year-old father of two also managed to turn the circumstances of his final moments into one last punchline, saying he left life the same way he entered it: “eating pizza.”
While De Simone recognized that 51 might sound far too young, he used his trademark humor to frame his passing with a sense of calm acceptance.
“He was 51 years old when he died, which is young for a man but quite old for a dog,” he wrote, adding that he departed “at peace” knowing he had managed to outlive “many, many dogs.”
Born in Maryland and later a resident of Olympia, Washington, De Simone described himself as something of a world explorer, noting that compared with a man from the Middle Ages, the amount of traveling he had done in his lifetime was extraordinary.
“He also traveled extremely widely, for work and pleasure, visiting every continent save Antarctica, which no one counts because it’s cold. He also took great solace in knowing that, in the great breadth of human history, very, very few people among the billions of human souls ever did much in the way of traveling, while he did a lot,” De Simone wrote. “Compared to a 12th-century nobleman, he basically saw the entire world, and he wasn’t even a nepobaby like some king.”
De Simone revealed some of the negatives of his death, saying he would no longer get to physically love his family and friends.
“The one big downside to not being alive is not being with the people one loves, and he loves a lot of people a great deal,” he wrote.
De Simone is survived by his wife, Daisy, whom he called his “sweetheart” in every aspect of their lives together, from the time they met in high school to serving in the Army, having children and becoming grandparents.
“They never stopped being sweethearts, and forever sweethearts they remain,” he said.
De Simone also said his love for his two daughters was “greater than creation.”
“Creation wishes it was as wide as his love for Johanna and Dani,” he said. “They came into his life early, as these things go in these times, but who would have it any other way? Who wouldn’t want as many moments as possible with their beloved children?”
De Simone apologized for the timing of his death.
“Michael is, again, very sad to bring this news to you. It wasn’t much fun to receive,” he concluded.
De Simone was celebrated at a funeral Friday morning before being laid to rest at noon in Centralia, Wash.
Strangers who stumbled across De Simone’s obituary praised the family man’s sincere post and expressed sadness for not getting to know him while he was alive.
“Best obituary ever,” a Facebook user said.
“What about amazing obituary, I feel like I know him. What an incredible loss, God Bless his family,” one person wrote.
“Well, for not being amongst the living anymore, that was definitely the most lively obituary I believe I’ve ever read. R.I.P. Michael,” another said.
