Obituaries    

By Flor Lacanilao
(Excerpts from “Highblood: Obituaries and reasons” by the same author published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 8 Jan 2005)

Reading obituaries has become a daily habit. When I come across a death notice on somebody who died at the age of 50 or 60, I am thankful to be healthy at 71 and, mind you, with my hair still black. Obituaries of people who die at the age of 80 or 90 make me wish I would live as long.

My interest in obituaries led me to conduct a "survey" of the death notices published in the Inquirer from March to December 2004. The survey covered 1,075 death notices, 620 of which were for men and 455, for women. Though not based on random sampling, the "survey" came up with some interesting findings. In 230, or 21 percent, of the obituaries, the profession of the deceased was shown. Nuns had the longest lifespan, averaging 85 years. The priests came next with an average of 80 years, followed by the doctors with 75 years, the military officers 73, lawyers 72 and engineers 70.

On the average, men died much younger than women -- 71 against 78 years old. Doctors, who are supposed to have studied the human body, die younger than priests by an average of five years. The 67 doctors in the obituaries even included women who, on the average, live longer than men.

Our obituaries, unlike in other countries, greatly vary in size, suggesting social status (117 were large: more than one-fourth page; and 319 were small: less than one-fourth). The average age of the dead in the large obituaries was 75; in the small ones, 72.

Many of those who announce the death anniversaries of their loved ones request readers to pray for the eternal repose of the souls of the departed, never mind if they have been dead for years. I wonder how many readers heed their call for prayers. And I doubt if one could appeal the fate of a soul denied of eternal rest on Judgment Day.

Flor Lacanilao
Retired professor of marine science
UP Diliman
Tel: 928-6514
Email: flor_lacanilao@yahoo.com