corpse kept upright for 3 day wake in Puerto Rico

[Moto-zutto 0]

August 19, 2008.

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.

Link to the story and pictures here ------> http://www.kansascity.com/450/story/754992.html

[Ban Hammer 13,644]

see what viagra can do for you?

[Moto-zutto 0]

see what viagra can do for you?

[Lil Miss Sunshine 14]

that's just creepy.. kudos for his family for respecting his wishes but it's just creepy

[Peikko 1,575]

Isn't it only creepy because we (some of us anyway) distance ourselves from the dead? Open casket funerals are very normal for some families, and completely alien to others. I think this takes the open casket a tad further than before, but the principal is the same. If it helps the families mourn though...

[HAL 9000 96]

I was on the island when the viewing took place. No biggie in the news.

The pics did look kind of strange though.

[Ban Hammer 13,644]

he's a real stand up guy.

[Mononoke28 135]

I saw this last week and yes, it looks creepy. But to each his own.

Diana

[Teacher Mark 53]

[HAL 9000 96]

Well may he rest... or stand... in peace.

[Mina76 0]

To those that think this is humorous......If this was your loved one's last dying wish to be kept upright for their wake, would you be still crackin jokes at them too? I don't think so!

We should at least be respectful to the deceased and their families. May he rest in peace

[Teacher Mark 53]

To those that think this is humorous......If this was your loved one's last dying wish to be kept upright for their wake, would you be still crackin jokes at them too? I don't think so!

We should at least be respectful to the deceased and their families. May he rest in peace

Yes I would as a matter of fact. If it were my wishes I would fully expect to have jokes cracked as well.

[HAL 9000 96]

To those that think this is humorous......If this was your loved one's last dying wish to be kept upright for their wake, would you be still crackin jokes at them too? I don't think so!

We should at least be respectful to the deceased and their families. May he rest in peace

From what I understand... jokes are exactly what this guy would have wanted... according to what I read he was always the prankster. But yes... may he definitely rest in peace.

[Mina76 0]

To those that think this is humorous......If this was your loved one's last dying wish to be kept upright for their wake, would you be still crackin jokes at them too? I don't think so!

We should at least be respectful to the deceased and their families. May he rest in peace

Yes I would as a matter of fact. If it were my wishes I would fully expect to have jokes cracked as well.

Then I will respect your wishes and be the first one to crack the first joke at your funeral.

Edited August 28, 2008 by Mina76

[Teacher Mark 53]

To those that think this is humorous......If this was your loved one's last dying wish to be kept upright for their wake, would you be still crackin jokes at them too? I don't think so!

We should at least be respectful to the deceased and their families. May he rest in peace

Yes I would as a matter of fact. If it were my wishes I would fully expect to have jokes cracked as well.

Then I will respect your wishes and be the first one to crack the first joke at your funeral.

Feel free. I would rather people were enjoying life than crying. The only flaw with your plan is the fact that I'm going to live forever!

A Wonderful Funeral

The old man had died. A wonderful funeral was in progress and the country preacher talked at length of the good traits of the deceased -- what an honest man he was, and what a loving husband and kind father he was.

Finally, the widow leaned over and whispered to one of her children, "Go up there and take a look in the coffin and see if that's your pa."