Illinois nudist forced by his family to be buried in clothes

hm0504 · #1 08-03-2005, 05:48 AM

Headline: Nudist's naked burial wish denied

Unfortunately, this is not from the "News of the World" tabloid but from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4740403.stm

Note the other nudist-related news items on the sidebar.

hm0504 · #2 08-03-2005, 05:48 AM

Headline: Nudist's naked burial wish denied

Unfortunately, this is not from the "News of the World" tabloid but from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4740403.stm

Note the other nudist-related news items on the sidebar.

vintagecarguy · #3 08-03-2005, 05:51 AM

how horribly sad.
I wish his family would have thought about how they would feel if they were forced to be buried nude against their wishes.
And the neighbor who kept having him arrested,sickening.

naturalmanwa · #4 08-03-2005, 06:12 AM

I guess he doesn't care now, he is finally at peace. Too bad his family didn't care enough for him to respect his wishes to be buried nude. I just wonder why he didn't sell out or move to another place where he had more freedom to go nude.

Ben_m · #5 08-03-2005, 07:58 AM

"His family said they hoped his burial would lay years of controversy to rest." It didn't. Others like him (us here) are still around. It is indeed sad as it paints quite a picture of a life-long struggle for understanding that as the final note of misunderstanding his own family blatantly denied him. Sad too is the fact that if most were denied their dying wish it would be big news with tremendous outpouring of sympathy from many. Sadly, in this case, I bet there's very little of that (except in places like here). In fact, as the article points out, his own neighbors were basically saying "We're glad the naked freak is dead, one less problem for us/our daughter.". It all paints a bit of an unfortunately gloomy picture for the charge of simple body-acceptance.

The good news is that the deceased may well have the last laugh. If there are compulsatory clothes in heaven (or hell for that matter), I'd be in complete shock. I can't imagine that the whole clothes compulsive mentality is anything but a mortal flaw.

luvnaturism · #6 08-03-2005, 08:50 AM

All of my sympathies are with the sentiments expressed above, but the objective fact is that funerals are for the benefit of the living, not the dead. Funeral arrangements are properly made in a manner that will promote healing for the survivors.

In most instances the expressed wishes of the person who died provide a useful guide, and the family is helped by knowing that they carried out their loved one's desire. But that's not always the case. When it isn't, it's good to remember whom the service is intended to benefit.

Having said that, there was such an obvious middle path that it's hard to imagine why it wasn't taken: dress the body for the funeral, and then remove the clothing before burial.

MikeJB · #7 08-03-2005, 09:05 AM

Its an insult for the family not to respect the wishes of the deceased family member to be buried nude. Even if the funeral is intended for the living, the wishes of the dead person still need to be respected and if it offends people well then it offends them they can deal with it and move on. There needs to be laws in place that allow a deceased person to be buried however they wish weither the family likes it or not, its their body not the family's. I dont think his family should have any say in how he is buried.

David77 · #8 08-03-2005, 03:21 PM

I had read stories in the newspaper from time to time about Robert Norton being arrested again for mowing his lawn and doing yard work in the nude. I am glad that I wrote him a letter trying to console him and trying to get him to enjoy a nudist resort.

Maybe he should have included in his will that none of his heirs would get any of his estate if they did not follow his wishes for him to be buried nude.

Nudeinbama · #9 08-03-2005, 04:04 PM

This story has inspire me to think about getting it into my will that I be buried nude, whenever that may be. I'm sure the family will fuss, but they'll honor my wishes, even if it means a clothed funeral, for the family.
nudeinbama

KirkOntario · #10 08-03-2005, 05:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Nudeinbama:
This story has inspire me to think about getting it into my will that I be buried nude, whenever that may be. I'm sure the family will fuss, but they'll honor my wishes, even if it means a clothed funeral, for the family.
nudeinbama

Wills are seldom read until after the funeral. You need to tell them ahead of time. But remember funerals are for the living not the dead. You remembrance is supposed to comfort them at a time of upset so you might think of how they would feel about it.