'Doug died': RIP Douglas Legler, the man with the most succinct obituary ever
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Version 0 of 1. Obituaries can range from lengthy hagiographies detailing a person's life and character to a short and simple list of their passions, achievements and best traits, but Douglas Legler took obituary brevity to new levels this week. His simply read: 'Doug Died.' "He said over and over, when I die I want my obituary to just say 'Doug Died,'" Legler's daughter Janet Stoll told InForum. "[Other people's obituaries] would say 'he was the president of this, a director of this' and Dad would say, 'What, couldn't they hold down a job?' " Doug's TL;DR account of his life in a local newspaper is quite beautiful really, summing up the transience of human existence and showing remarkable modesty. If you do require more info on his life, Stoll said that the Fargo, North Dakota man worked as a driver, vending machine repairman and farm equipment painter during his 85 years, and enjoyed singing, country music, cars and the odd trip to the casino. "He was very lighthearted and had a great sense of humor," she added. "He was very quick-witted, and funny. He was one of a kind, he really was. Everyone loved him that met him." Doug had a difficult few months prior to his death, during which he lost his girlfriend, Renee. His wife, Beverly, Stoll's mother, died 17 years prior. "He loved my mom deeply... she was the love of his life," Stoll said. "He loved them both. He was kindhearted and generous. He didn't realize how much people loved and cared about him." Despite the bluntness of his obituary Legler will be getting a small remembrance ceremony today, though, given it failed to mention where the event is being held, Stoll is a little concerned attendance might be low. "I'm sure he's laughing up there [about it] now," she said. |