'Uncle Bunky' of viral obituary fame inspires new beer
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Let’s raise a glass to Randall Jacobs, the late, great Arizona man whose hilariously candid obituary became a viral sensation through the magic of social media. And now, the internet-famous “Uncle Bunky” will soon be honored with his own beer.
Jacobs passed away on May 4 at the age of 65, and his colorful obit rocked Twitter a few weeks later, where it has since received tens of thousands of likes and shares. Many well-wishers across the country said they would have loved to have met the “legend” and “rare man” themselves.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the tribute, the Phoenix man was affectionately known as Uncle Bunky or "The Bunkster" to his family, famed for his adventurous spirit, reckless hijinks and unique way with words.
“Uncle Bunky burned the candle, and whatever else was handy, at both ends. He spoke in a gravelly patois of wisecracks, mangled metaphors, and inspired profanity that reflected the Arizona dive bars, Colorado ski slopes, and various dodgy establishments where he spent his days and nights,” the obituary read.
“A night out with Bunky could result in a court summons or a world-class hangover, but his friends and family would drop whatever they were doing to make a trip out to see him,” it continued. “His impish smile and irreverent sense of humor were enough to quell whatever sensibilities he offended. He didn't mean any harm; that was just Bunky being Bunky.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The heartfelt tribute was written by Jacobs’ nephew Chris Santa Maria, who said the tremendous public response to the obit has been “totally insane.”
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“I don’t even know how to handle it,” Santa Maria recently told The Arizona Republic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}To commemorate his uncle’s fearless life and times, Santa Maria is now working with O.H.S.O. Brewery in Phoenix to produce a beer in his honor.
According to the Republic, the as-yet-unnamed brew will likely be a breakfast stout and could be available as soon as August. Santa Maria, an artist, will help design a “colorful and wild” label, he said.
To commemorate his uncle’s fearless life and times, Chris Santa Maria is now working with O.H.S.O. Brewery in Phoenix to produce a beer in Uncle Bunky's honor. (iStock)
It’s a salute that Uncle Bunky certainly would have approved of, as his obit asked readers to “pay someone's open bar tab” (or, alternatively, smoke a bowl, or ski on “the gnarliest side of the mountain”) in lieu of flowers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Taking things a step further, Santa Maria and O.H.S.O. Brewery barrel program manager Brody Coffman hope to donate proceeds from Jacobs’ brew to local dive bars struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're going to try to immortalize him the best we can," Coffman said of the plan.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Though his uncle is dearly missed by family and friends, Santa Maria is glad that Jacobs’ story has since struck a chord with thousands of people.
“When someone leaves this world, you start to take stock in all these different stories and memories," he said. "You start to realize just how important they were to you."