Obituary

:If you are interested in the death metal band, see Obituary (band).

Premature obituaries

By definition, obituaries should always be posthumous. Occasionally premature obituaries are published while the person concerned is still alive, either accidentally or intentionally. Most of these are accidental and concern well known personalities (such as Mark Twain and Bob Hope). Some others are published because of miscommunication between newspapers, family members and the funeral home, often resulting in embarrassment for everyone involved.

Related Topics:
Posthumous - Premature obituaries - Mark Twain - Bob Hope - Funeral home

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However, some people will seek to have an unsuspecting newspaper editor publish a premature obituary out of malice, usually to gain revenge on someone or obtain a financial settlement they believe they are entitled to. To that end, nearly all newspapers now have policies requiring that death notices come from a reliable source (such as a funeral home), though even this has not stopped some pranksters such as Alan Abel.

Related Topics:
Funeral home - Alan Abel

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