Your first memory of someone (that you knew personally) dying, or your first funeral

[TDAS04]

My first such memory’s from shortly before kindergarten, when my great-aunt died. She was very sick when we visited her for the last time, just days before her passing.

At her funeral, I remember seeing my great-aunt lying in coffin, and many people cried from during the service. It was a sad occasion indeed, but I wasn’t sad about eating cake afterward.

[Progressive Pessimist]

My "Grandpa" Sal. He died of lung cancer when I was six.

I put that in quotes because he was my grandma's boyfriend, yet he was like my grandpa to me. My real, maternal grandpa died five years before I was born.

Before that, a dead hamster was my first experience overall with death.

[GeorgiaModerate]

My maternal grandfather, who died when I was 9.  I liked him a lot.  Seeing him in the coffin haunted me for years afterward.

[TML]

My last two surviving grandparents (my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather) both died when I was 8. Those were the only two grandparents I got to know personally (my maternal grandmother died before my birth, while my paternal grandfather died during my infancy).

[Rand]

I remember it like it was yesterday. The way they begged for their life…

[Mr. Smith]

Overall: A hamster

For a person: My paternal grandma

I was 8 for both, the hamster was more tragic since Grandma was dementia addled at that point, making her death mostly a relief [not really old enough to fully understand the ramifications beyond "oh hey, she's nuts"]. The hamster was out of nowhere.

[Crumpets]

My first funeral was my great-grandmother's when I was about 8 or 9, but we only met in person once and weren't especially close. My first grandparent (paternal grandfather) died when I was 10, and that was much more impactful for me personally.

[Catholics vs. Convicts]

My grandfather passed away when I was about 5. Apparently I was really sad. All I remember from the funeral though was waiting and waiting and waiting for my other grandfather to pick me up, and not understanding what was going on because I just wanted to leave. Years later I find out that he was late because he had to take their dog to be put down because it was very much at the end. I didn't realize it at the time, but what a very sad series of events.

[SWE]

My Uncle Terry, I was maybe four or five. I was too young to understand the concept of death at that point, I just knew it was something that happens to everyone so I wasn't sure what the big deal was. We had to leave early because someone threatened to call CPS on my dad for hugging me too hard when he was sobbing

[Alcibiades]

My maternal grandmother, when I was 12. Like Dule’s, there was an element of a strange relief because she had had dementia for the better part of a decade by that point, and was consequently very far gone; I only have vague, early-childhood memories of her when she was comparatively ‘normal’.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Family friend passed away. He was quite old. I was six so I barely remember him, but his wife was very close to my mom in particular. She lived for another 15 years.

My parents went to his funeral. I didn't go, for some reason (I did go to a wake for his wife - my mom and I drove ten hours each way to her small hometown in rural Kentucky). Instead I remember staying home and playing with my neighbor, who was maybe ten years older than me. He taught me how to dribble a basketball between my legs. He told me to imagine a point between my feet and aim the ball for it. Great advice. My Dad said that funeral was the last time he wore "hard shoes". I guess now whenever he has to dress up he just wears sneakers.