Puerto Rican Man Gets Last Wish: To Stand at His Own Wake

[votefreedomfirst]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,406081,00.html

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Puerto Rican man has been granted his wish to remain standing — even in death.

A funeral home used a special embalming treatment to keep the corpse of 24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina standing upright for his three-day wake.

Dressed in a Yankees baseball cap and sunglasses, Pantoja was mourned by relatives while propped upright in his mother's living room.

His brother Carlos told the El Nuevo Dia newspaper the victim had long said he wanted to be upright for his own wake: "He wanted to be happy, standing."

The owner of the Marin Funeral Home, Damaris Marin, told The Associated Press the mother asked him to fulfill her dead son's last wish.

Pantoja was found dead Friday underneath a bridge in San Juan and buried Monday. Police are investigating.

This has to be one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. First of all, what kind of 24-year-old even thinks about his or her wake? There has to be more to that aspect of the story. Second, why would someone ever do this to friends and family? Losing a son must be hard enough on a mother without having his stiff corpse leaning up against your living room wall for three days.

Then again, maybe this kind of thing isn't that odd in Puerto Rico and I'm just out of the loop.

 

[pacelli]

This is really bizarre.

 

[John E]

uhhhhh.... no comment

 

[Kludge]

This has to be one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. First of all, what kind of 24-year-old even thinks about his or her wake? There has to be more to that aspect of the story. Second, why would someone ever do this to friends and family? Losing a son must be hard enough on a mother without having his stiff corpse leaning up against your living room wall for three days.

It seems to be much more dignified then laying in a casket, IMO.


I'd consider it if I weren't set on having myself flayed once I die so that my skin can be used on a set of drums sold to a Death Metal band. This is why I need to run for HoR once I turn 60 or so and have enough money saved to win without donations.

 

[Danke]

I put my request in to be upside down.

 

[votefreedomfirst]

Come to think of it, I was involved with something similar one time. That's me on the right.

 

[Grimnir Wotansvolk]

My last request would be to bury my body in a pre-school's sandbox