LIFE MATTERS MEDIA STAFF

Does everyone deserve a warm sendoff?

The family of one recently deceased Texas man didn’t think so.

Leslie Ray Charping died in Galveston, Tex., last month at 74 from complications associated with cancer. According to an obituary written by his family, Charping “served no other obvious purpose.” The obit quickly went viral – crashing the Carnes Funeral Home website.

“Leslie’s life served no other obvious purpose, he did not contribute to society or serve his community and he possessed no redeeming qualities besides quick whited sarcasm which was amusing during his sober days,” it reads. “With Leslie’s passing he will be missed only for what he never did; being a loving husband, father and good friend.”

The Houston Chronicle reports Charping was convicted of many serious offenses during his life. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to assaulting a family member by pouring hot liquid on his then-wife of 40 years. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to violating the resulting restraining order by calling another family member and threatening to kill her.

His family reportedly has no intention of honoring him with a funeral. Instead, they said his remains will be cremated and kept in a barn until the family donkey’s wood shavings run out.

According to the obit: “Leslie’s passing proves that evil does in fact die and hopefully marks a time of healing and safety for all.”

The woman who wrote the statement, who asked not to be identified, released the following statement to Eyewitness News:

“I wrote my father’s obituary. I loved my father because he was my father and his passing would not have been any less difficult had he been a good father. As someone that ‘hated a liar’, I believe even he would have appreciated the honesty. I apologize to anyone that my father hurt and I felt it would have been offensive to portray him as anything other than who he was. This obituary was intended to help bring closure because not talking about domestic violence doesn’t make it go away!”