Mortimer Graves

Fourth-generation funeral director who approaches death with the professionalism of a sommelier and the humor of someone who has seen it all.

30 articles

Writes for The Undertaker's Utterance

Joined February 10, 2026

Articles by Mortimer Graves

Estate Lawyer Discovers Client's Will Is Entirely Written in Funeral Puns

The 14-page document, technically legally binding, divides assets using phrases like 'bury the hatchet,' 'over my dead body,' and 'to die for.'

Crematorium Installs Yelp-Style Rating System, Immediately Regrets It

The first review -- two stars -- criticized the 'wait time' and noted that the complimentary coffee was 'barely adequate for such an emotional occasion.'

Artisanal Casket Maker Insists Each Piece Is 'Farm-to-Grave'

The Portland craftsman sources sustainably harvested timber, hand-forges all hardware, and delivers each casket with a certificate of provenance tracing the wood to a specific named tree.

Ashes Scattered at Wrong Beach Due to GPS Error, Family Sues Garmin

The deceased's final wish was to rest at Malibu's El Matador Beach; his remains were instead distributed across a municipal dog beach in Long Beach.

Funeral Director Admits He Has No Idea What 'Celebration of Life' Actually Means

After 30 years in the industry, veteran mortician Gerald Humphries confesses he still cannot distinguish a celebration of life from 'a funeral where people try to seem less sad.'

Competitive Pallbearing League Announces First National Championship

Teams will be judged on synchronization, pace consistency, corner technique, and the ability to maintain a solemn expression while navigating stairs.

Headstone Engraver Reports Surge in Demand for Wi-Fi Passwords on Tombstones

At least twelve clients this quarter have requested their home network credentials be immortalized in granite, citing a desire to 'remain useful after death.'

Man Pre-Plans Funeral So Elaborate His Family Suspects It's a Cry for Attention While Still Alive

The $340,000 pre-planned service includes a horse-drawn carriage, a string quartet performing only Radiohead, and a fog machine.

Funeral Home Introduces Drive-Through Viewings for Busy Professionals

The three-lane 'Express Remembrance' window allows mourners to pay their respects in under four minutes without leaving their vehicles.

Open-Casket Viewing Ruined After Deceased's Fitbit Buzzes Mid-Service

The fitness tracker's 'Time to Stand!' reminder sent an alert at 2:47 p.m., prompting gasps, one faint, and a brief theological discussion among attendees.

Grief Counselor Upsells Bereaved Family to Premium Mourning Package

The Platinum Grief Experience includes a personal sorrow concierge, curated weeping playlists, and a commemorative sadness journal bound in Italian leather.

Embalmer Claims New Technique Preserves Bodies 'Better Than Keith Richards'

The patent-pending 'PermaRest' method uses a proprietary blend of botanical extracts that the inventor says will keep a body looking presentable 'well into the next geological epoch.'

Cemetery Plot Prices Now Outpacing Manhattan Real Estate

A 3-by-8-foot plot in a premium Brooklyn cemetery sold for $87,000 last week, which per-square-foot exceeds most studio apartments in Tribeca.

Eulogy Ghostwriter Wins Pulitzer, Immediately Fired by Client

The award-winning tribute to a beloved grandmother was described as 'too good' by the family, who had specifically requested 'something that sounds like we wrote it ourselves.'

Coffin Sommelier Certification Program Launches to Mixed Reviews

The 18-month program teaches students to identify wood types by scent, recommend casket pairings based on the deceased's personality, and detect counterfeit satin linings.

Death Certificate Lists Cause of Death as 'Vibes,' County Coroner Stands by Assessment

The coroner's report states the 94-year-old simply 'stopped participating' and that no pathological cause could be identified beyond 'a general disinclination to continue.'

Funeral Home's Yelp Page Flooded With Reviews From People Who Are Clearly Not the Deceased

Despite the reviews being titled 'My Experience,' staff note the reviewers were uniformly alive, upright, and opinionated about the finger sandwiches.

Ghost Writer Hired for Posthumous Memoir Confused About Job Title

The freelance author accepted the assignment to write a dead man's autobiography 'before fully processing the implications of the term ghost writer in this context.'

Eco-Burial Company Offers to Turn You Into a Tree, Cannot Guarantee Which Kind

Customers who paid premium prices to become majestic oaks have been informed they may instead become 'a perfectly respectable shrub.'

Deceased Man's Smart Watch Sends 'Great Workout!' Notification During Pallbearer Carry

The device, which was not removed before the service, interpreted the jostling of the casket as 'an unusually vigorous walking session' and awarded three fitness badges.

Cemetery Introduces Dynamic Pricing, Weekend Plots Now Cost 40% More

The burial ground's new 'surge pricing' model charges premium rates for desirable locations and peak death seasons, prompting outrage from those planning to die on a budget.

Mortuary Science Student Aces Anatomy Final, Horrifies Medical School Classmates With Enthusiasm

The student's approach to cadaver lab was described by peers as 'technically flawless and spiritually alarming.'

Man Pre-Plans Funeral, Spends More Time on Playlist Than He Did Planning His Wedding

The 67-page setlist includes three encores, a 'no skip' policy, and a contractual obligation for mourners to remain seated through 'the entire Fleetwood Mac block.'

Gravestone Engraver's Autocorrect Changes 'Rest in Peace' to 'Rest in Peach' on 14 Headstones

The engraving company's new digital workflow has produced a cemetery section where every headstone wishes the departed eternal fruit-based serenity.

Crematorium Accidentally Runs on Eco Mode, Family Receives Only Partially Committed Remains

The facility's new energy-saving features were installed without consulting staff, leading to what management delicately calls 'an incomplete thermal event.'

Obituary Writer Wins Pulitzer for Piece That Made Subject Sound Interesting for First Time in His Life

The 800-word tribute transformed a man described by his own family as 'aggressively unremarkable' into 'a poet of the mundane, a philosopher of the ordinary.'

Hearse Driver Accidentally Joins Funeral Procession for Wrong Person, Leads It for 47 Minutes

The error was discovered when the procession arrived at a cemetery 30 miles from the intended destination, and the hearse driver asked, 'So which one is Gerald?'

Embalmer Wins Iron Chef Competition With Technique Judges Describe as 'Hauntingly Precise'

The mortuary professional's knife skills and 'supernatural patience' earned a perfect score, though one judge noted the presentation was 'a bit too still.'

Casket Showroom Now Offers 'Test Lies' So Customers Can Try Before They Die

The controversial marketing initiative lets customers lie in display caskets for up to 15 minutes to 'ensure optimal comfort for the long term.'

Funeral Director Wins Customer Service Award, Reminds Everyone He Has a 100% Satisfaction Rate Among Clients

The director noted that in 34 years of service, not a single client has ever filed a complaint, returned for a refund, or left a negative review.