Hoist one to Fred Clark; updated

Fred Clark’s hilarious obituary was all they talked about at Happy Hour. Well, I must admit I’ve never seen anything quite like it before, in a legit context. On Tuesday, July11, the Richmond Times-Dispatch had an article about the widespread reaction to it. Of course, we hoisted one to Fred.

Thanks to good old Sherwood Luck, SLANT’s erstwhile movie critic, for sending me the head’s-up. I had no idea he knew anything about emailing.

If the reader wants a free grin, I guarantee the late Fred Clark’s obit will supply it. This guy, who must have a wonderful family, is on his way to becoming a posthumous folk hero. Although I'm not a religious guy, somehow, I know he appreciates it.

Update: The response to Clark's obituary has been snowballing all week. Here's a story, Here’s to you, Fred Clark, that appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on July 13.

“If Fred Clark took a swig in Heaven with everyone who raised a glass to him Tuesday night, he’d be loopy. Since his uproarious, self-penned obituary ran in The Times-Dispatch on Sunday and a news article appeared Tuesday, nearly 800 readers from all over the world have posted condolences to his family.

“And after reading about his penchant for bourbon and cigars, many promised to have a drink in his honor or light up that expensive cigar they'd been saving. Clark, 61, had a lot of friends when he was alive, but he’s got thousands more now.”

Once there, you'll find links to more.