'He will be moderately missed': Son pens hilariously honest obit for his Kentucky dad

Saleen Martin, USA TODAY
Updated ·5 min read
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James Loveless, a Kentucky man who died on June 14, 2023. He was remembered by his son, Rocky, in an obituary that has since gone viral.
James Loveless, a Kentucky man who died on June 14, 2023. He was remembered by his son, Rocky, in an obituary that has since gone viral.

A Kentucky man who died this week will not only be “moderately missed” by his family, but also remembered by the social media users who got a kick out of the honest, hilarious obituary his son wrote for him.

Calling the man a “gluttonous eater of fried foods and snack cakes, as well as the occasional chili cheese dog,” the family of 60-year-old James Loveless made sure his obituary was true to who he was.

From the start, the obituary gives readers a glimpse into how the elder Loveless lived his life, cracking a joke about how his home state, Kentucky, was "leaning toward more liberal values."

“Jamie, a divorcee, father, grandfather and proud owner of a few lots in the trailer park, had had enough and up and died on us on June 14th in order to avoid another Presidential stolen-election mishap in the near future,” the obituary reads.

The piece was written by his son, Rocky Loveless, who said his dad lived life the way he wanted to live it.

“He always met his responsibilities,” he told USA TODAY. “He worked really hard. He partied really hard and it took a devastating toll on his body.”

James had a stroke in 2015 and was eventually diagnosed with early onset dementia as well, his son said.

Rocky lives in Arizona, so when he heard his father’s health was deteriorating recently, he knew he had to hop on a flight to be there for him in Kentucky.

“With my luck, he's going to pass away whenever I'm in the air, or whenever I'm waiting to get on another flight,” he recalled telling his wife.

It happened on June 14.

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'Just talk about your dad'

Rocky wrote his father's obituary shortly after arriving in Kentucky. He’s not a "heavy" person who dwells on sadness much, a trait he credits to his father.

He had never written one before and wasn’t sure where to begin, so he consulted the director of Pulaski Funeral Home, where his father’s arrangements were made.

The director gave him a short and simple piece of advice: "Just talk about your dad."

“Immediately after that, I was driving and I just parked in this gravel lot beside my grandmother's house,” Rocky told USA TODAY. “For about 10 minutes, I wrote down memories of my dad and that's what became the obituary.”

He considered asking his brother or other people for input but decided against it and spoke from the heart.

“I just immediately said ‘screw it’ and clicked send,” he said.

James was a ladies' man

Rocky said his dad, James, was a good guy he had a lot of fun with.

“He was my friend,” he said.

Growing up, Rocky saw his dad on weekends and they’d barbecue and hang out at Lake Cumberland to jump off cliffs and swim.

There were always crowds of people surrounding his dad and the ladies loved him, Rocky said.

Debbie Branscum and James Loveless, a Kentucky man who died on June 14, 2023. Loveless was remembered by his son, Rocky, in an obituary that has since gone viral.
Debbie Branscum and James Loveless, a Kentucky man who died on June 14, 2023. Loveless was remembered by his son, Rocky, in an obituary that has since gone viral.

“There was Kathy, Mary Lou, Tammy, Debra, Carrie, Tina, etc.,” he wrote in his father’s obituary. “We think he might even have some females waiting for him on the other side.”

His dad would often say "It's the bones," pointing to his skinny, pale legs.

James was cremated and his remains came with the usual red velvet bag funeral homes give families. Rocky thought it was fine but he wanted to do something special to send his father off.

Crown Royal is a lot more expensive than the other stuff his dad normally drank, but he loved it nonetheless, so Rocky bought the biggest bottle of Crown Royal he could find, then draped the signature purple bag over his remains.

Rocky wrapped up his obit, writing "He will be moderately missed."

The remains of James Loveless, a Kentucky man who died on June 14, 2023. He was remembered by his son, Rocky, in an obituary that has since gone viral.
The remains of James Loveless, a Kentucky man who died on June 14, 2023. He was remembered by his son, Rocky, in an obituary that has since gone viral.

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Making people laugh all over the world

Rocky didn’t think his father’s obituary would garner so much attention outside of Kentucky but clearly, he was wrong.

“I had no idea it would make people laugh and relate all over the world,” he said. “It's neat because if you look at the comments on his obituary, people are adding stories that never even happened, so it's kind of like he has changed to this legendary status, like a tall tale or a myth.”

Some responses to the viral obit have been critical of his father, saying he’s not a good role model but Rocky disagrees.

The beer-loving ladies' man leaves behind Rocky and his twin brother Rodney, stepchildren and an unofficial daughter named Melissa. Also surviving James are his younger brother Joey and 10 grandchildren, Rocky said.

He doesn’t think his dad would be surprised if he could read the obit himself. In fact, he thinks he’d be “elated” and “completely happy” if he saw what his son came up with.

Rocky thinks the same spirit you carry in life lives on after you die, so his father is likely hanging out with friends, barbecuing and washing it all down with a cold one.

“I think that my dad is a great example for the younger generation and generations to come,” Rocky said. “He was an example of ‘You do you. Do what makes you happy.’”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky dad remembered as beer-loving ladies' man in viral obituary