My Dad Oversaw Sound for the Super Bowl. So the Audio at His Funeral Needed to be Epic.

...and no one was going to stop us.

Illustration by Elliot Snowman

At no extra charge, the mortuary will record my father’s funeral and host it online for thirty days. After that, anyone who wants to see the service will have to pay $30 for the DVD. At first, the idea seems ghastly. But Sal, the funeral director, explains that while the idea of streaming a funeral on the Internet might seem strange, a lot of people find it helpful, especially for mourners unable to attend.

“It helps people feel connected,” Sal says. “Obviously, it’s a very personal choice.”

As I have done numerous times in my hour-long conversation with Sal, I mute the phone to discuss the choice with my mom and my sister, Allison.

“What?” Mom snaps. “Are they serious?”

“I’m just going to tell him no,” I say.

Then Allison speaks.

“I think we should do it,” she says, a smile cracking through the pain.

“You do?” Mom asks, her tone softer, surprised.

“You know Dad,” Allison says. “If he could broadcast something, he would.”