Daughter explains brutal obituary she wrote for her father about his ‘bad parenting’
In a recent headline-grabbing obituary, Sheila Smith candidly detailed the life of her father, Leslie Ray Charping, in an unusually harsh and honest manner. The obituary, published by Carnes Funeral Home, highlighted Charping’s numerous failings and detrimental behaviors, painting a picture of a man who caused significant pain and distress to those around him. It described his problematic actions from his early life, including substance abuse, poor parenting, and criminal activities, which ultimately led to his enlistment in the Navy under dubious circumstances. The obituary stated that Charping’s life served no positive purpose and that he would be remembered more for what he failed to do than any redeeming qualities.Sheila Smith defended the obituary on The Michael Berry Show, explaining that her intention was to heal and minimize the lingering impact of her father’s death. She emphasized the importance of honesty, claiming that her father despised lies and would have appreciated the candidness of the obituary. Sheila explained that writing a traditional, positive obituary would have been a disservice to the truth and the family’s experiences. She believed that acknowledging the harsh realities of her father’s life and character was necessary for her and her family to move forward and find closure.
Speaking to KTRK, Sheila elaborated on the broader implications of her decision, stating that those who are offended by the notion of speaking ill of the dead likely had more positive experiences with their parents. She stressed the importance of confronting and discussing issues such as domestic violence and alcoholism. Sheila apologized to those her father had hurt and reiterated that the honest obituary was meant to bring closure by openly addressing the painful truths about her father’s life, rather than ignoring or minimizing them.
For more information see Upworthy Staff “Daughter explains brutal obituary she wrote for her father about his ‘bad parenting’“, Upworthy, June 29, 2024.
Special thanks to Laura Galvan (Attorney, San Antonio, Texas) for bringing this article to my attention.