Obit for man who didn't want one shares how best to honor his life: Watch the Detroit Lions
(CBS DETROIT) — An obituary out of Pennsylvania caught the attention of many Michigan residents thanks to its reference to the Detroit Lions and the team's annual Thanksgiving Day tradition.
The obituary was written for William Gardner by his child, who claimed their father didn't want an obituary or funeral. Since he meant so much to the people around him, the obituary shared the following message for those looking to honor his life:
"Sheesh. My father didn't want an obituary, funeral, or memorial. However, it has been brought to my attention that he meant something to a lot of you. So if I'm going to disobey his wishes, we're going to do this right. If you loved my father or he had any impact on your life at all, and you want to honor his memory, sit in front of your TV at noon every Thanksgiving and watch the Lions game just like he would have done. DETROIT VS. EVERYBODY."
The Lions first started playing on Thanksgiving Day when the team relocated to Detroit in 1934 and have made it an annual tradition every year since 1945.
This light-hearted obituary comes as the Detroit Lions had their best season in 32 years. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Lions in the NFC Championship Game, clinching their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Fans in Michigan showed their support during the Lions' playoff run and have continued to show their excitement about the team following its successful season.
Season tickets for the upcoming season sold out for the second time in Ford Field's history, with last season being the first time that had ever happened.
A Michigan farm recently shared photos of the corn maze it created in the shape of Dan Campbell's face. Fans will be able to visit the maze and partake in Lions-related activities beginning on Sept. 28.
The schedules for the Detroit Lions preseason and regular season games have been released, and the team begins its training camp this week. It won't be long before football season is back.