Zero2Cool
13 years ago
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/115346409.html 

Lifelong Packers fans understand.

Nothing much gets in the way of a game, and that includes death, or at least discretionary times for funeral observances.

With the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, that goes double.

"Once they beat Philadelphia, we didn't know when the games were going to be scheduled," said Brent Perkins, a funeral director at Hartson Funeral Home in Hales Corners. "They were scheduling funerals and then rescheduling once the times were known. This Sunday, it would be highly unlikely anyone would schedule anything during the Super Bowl."

Throughout the season, funeral directors routinely make sure that families are aware of any potential conflict with the Packers. Most decide to schedule visitation and services either before or after a game, sometimes even on another day.

"This is not unusual for a Packers game," said Joe Becker, of the Becker Ritter Funeral Home in Brookfield. "We are always looking at the Packers' schedule - Super Bowl or not.

"People will say, 'Dad wouldn't want to interfere with the Packer game.' Or maybe they don't want to impose on people. Or maybe they may want to see the game, too," he said, with a laugh.

Other funeral directors agree.

"You want to have a funeral and have people show up," said Mark Krause with Krause Funeral Homes.

A bit of very human psychology may also be at work here. Just as families try not to schedule a funeral on an important day - say, a child's birthday or Christmas - some may not want Super Bowls to be associated with death, Krause said.

Even a Super Bowl without the Packers can be considered a conflict, said funeral director Greg Dittrich of Schmidt and Bartelt Funeral Homes.

"Generally every year, when the Super Bowl is on, people shy away from it," Dittrich said. "It's kind of like a little holiday. And definitely this year, I'm sure they'll shy away from it.

"Years ago, I did have a funeral on a Super Bowl Sunday," he said. "It was crowded for about two hours before the game and then it wasn't too well attended."

In Green Bay, of course, the answers are much the same.

"We were just talking about that, if we're going to watch the game," said funeral director Charlotte Gillis, answering the phone at the Blaney Funeral Home earlier this week. "There's nothing scheduled yet, but I would highly doubt if there will be. People will completely schedule around the game."

It doesn't have to even be football season for the "avid Packers fan" references to show up in paid death notices, especially in Green Bay. Milwaukee area fans are loyal, too.

"Dick was an avid Packers fan, and was at peace when he knew they'd beaten the Bears and were going to the Super Bowl," read a recent notice for Richard Scarvaci, 68, in the Journal Sentinel.

Some late fans also take it with them when they go, wearing Packers gear or being tucked into a casket with a Packers blanket. Some families opt for funeral flowers in Packers colors, Packers flags and game-day photo displays. Few actually order a casket in Packers green-and-gold, though that is available for the more, er, die-hard fans.

"We've had tailgate visitations already, where we served brats and beer," Krause said. "Families bring in Packers - or Badgers - memorabilia, and have the game on the TV during the visitation."

And while funeral directors expect that not much will be scheduled for game time Sunday, all emphasize that they will do whatever families want and remain on call around the clock.

That included arrangements for one Green Bay man, definitely not a Packers fan.

His family scheduled funeral arrangements to conflict with one of this season's playoff games. Friends showed up for the visitation, disappearing before the service - and game - time.

"The gentleman didn't like the Packers," said Gillis of the Blaney Funeral Home in Green Bay. "It made sense to have it this way for their father. Their father might have done it out of spite anyway."

That would be the exception.

"Our fans up here are really true fans, whether the team is winning or losing," she said. "It's a huge part of our culture here. People can't wait for any Packer game. Period."

"Amy Rabideau Silvers " wrote:


UserPostedImage
macbob
13 years ago
That's too funny, Zero... lol
Zero2Cool
13 years ago
Blaney Funeral Home, I attended a wake there for a long time friend who took his life day before my 18th birthday. One of the hardest days of my teenage life.



On a lighter note, I found this article a little amusing and I'm pretty confident my family knows to have the TV on, facing my casket if I passed away during the NFL season. 🙂
UserPostedImage
schroeder84
13 years ago

Blaney Funeral Home, I attended a wake there for a long time friend who took his life day before my 18th birthday. One of the hardest days of my teenage life.



On a lighter note, I found this article a little amusing and I'm pretty confident my family knows to have the TV on, facing my casket if I passed away during the NFL season. :)

"Zero2Cool" wrote:



One of the weirdest (neatest? strangest?) memories of my life - my father, a huge football fan, was terminally ill in hospital (tho none of us knew it was end times, because he told nobody he had cancer). My soon-to-be spouse had taped the Grey Cup Game (Canada's championship) and brought the tape up when we went up for the (last) visit.

My Dad couldn't see the game, but he got listen to his team WIN the very last day of his life, which is kinda neat.

I can TOTALLY see scheduling a funeral around the Packers game. It should be the same for any fans of any team, particularly if they make the championships!

(Edit for Zero)
BTW, Zero, There are a couple of rooms that I really have a hard time visiting - my best friend's brother and her father both committed suicide within 2 years, and had a memorial in the same room over at my local University. I can't go there without massive amounts of booze, even this long time later. That's a really hard thing to deal with, and I hope you have found some peace with it all. It's not easy, and even 30 years later, I find it difficult.
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