Alan Watson's computer "urn". Yes he's really in there.
UPDATE: His daughters would like to fully identify their Dad.
Here is an original photo of the computer case:
www.flickr.com/photos/26445696@N04/3976121310/in/photostr...
What's to be done with their corporeal remains after a geek has left for that great data bank in the sky? For my recently departed brother (long illness, Don't Smoke!!!), I thought this nice SPARCstation would be a cool place to spend eternity. Yes, he's really in there (after cremation). I kept the floppy drive cover but for space reasons removed the floppy drive, hard drive, and most of the power supply. I left behind the motherboard and power switch and plugs to keep all openings covered. The case worked quite well at his memorial party. His friends and family were able to leave their final good-byes on post-it notes. Anyone who wanted to keep their words private could just slip their note into the case through the floppy slot. (See the next photo. ) All notes will be sealed in plastic and placed within the case. There has been one complication. His daughters like the look of it so much they aren't now sure if they want to bury him. One more thing: the words on the plaque really do capture one of the last things he ever said. Of course as kids we watched the original show in its first run.
Here is his obit:
News-Register
Comments and faves
kyz, seeareelem, scronide, Laminator_X, and 53 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Unlettered and Ordinary (44 months ago | reply)
Nice. Where did you find such a pristine case? I don't get why you would blur the year of his birth.
power slave (44 months ago | reply)
/.ed!
ramsnooley (44 months ago | reply)
Oh man, I apologize in advance for the trolls.
cosmicprivate (44 months ago | reply)
Two comments does not a /.ing make
benh57 (44 months ago | reply)
lol, being posted on /. makes a /.ing... 2 comments or not.
news.slashdot.org/story/09/09/29/193234/A-Gee k-Funeral?fr...
guillebot (44 months ago | reply)
why the blur?
robdeadtech (44 months ago | reply)
amazing.
xqjy [deleted] (44 months ago | reply)
Probably to make it harder for aspiring stalkers.
forthac4 (44 months ago | reply)
Looks like 73 to me.
jasony (44 months ago | reply)
ah, well done to ya. A nice way to go.
Sorry for your loss.
J
spinachthief (44 months ago | reply)
Coool, me next!
Midnightbrewer (44 months ago | reply)
Wouldn't be 1973 if they watched Star Trek in its first run. Try more like 1953.
metzgermeister77 (44 months ago | reply)
That's amazingly cool, and a wonderful memorial for your brother.
aecela (44 months ago | reply)
i am also sorry for your loss, and i truly think this is an incredible way to show how much he meant to you.
inrideo (44 months ago | reply)
I can't believe no one has asked this yet...
Does he run Linux?
I hope he would have enjoyed that little bit of geek humor :)
Sanchoooo (44 months ago | reply)
Sorry for your loss, but a great way to be remembered. You are a good brother.
BillGlover (44 months ago | reply)
A beautiful memorial and a great hack.
a.staines (44 months ago | reply)
A lovely memorial, Sorry for your loss.
bronney (44 months ago | reply)
1up bro! R.I.P. Why not get a LCD monitor up, or even better a CRT showing his nice photos? :)
simoncpu (44 months ago | reply)
/me likes this.
Willy Lobo (44 months ago | reply)
An appropiate memorial. Brought a tear to my eyes.
The phrase... perfect.
Anonymous1959 (44 months ago | reply)
that's just so cool that you would go to all that effort for your brother.
and to use a sparc is just wicked. i hope wherever he went it is a beautiful place. being a nerd and techy, he's prob travelling the cosmos now. the inscription is great.
Gord Campbell (44 months ago | reply)
What an amazing idea!
mcpierceaim (44 months ago | reply)
My condolences on your loss. You are a good brother and that's a wonderful tribute to him.
busybee (44 months ago | reply)
Condolences. Great way to go though..
dchiluk (44 months ago | reply)
And now in passing you full-filled for him what many geeks aspire to. To make the front page of slashdot.
Thank you for sharing your memorial with us, and you have my sincere condolences.
sam 3.14 (44 months ago | reply)
The blurring is to protect the family. I didn't want anyone posting details. Too many crazies on the net. Funny story on the case. It was purchased as government surplus but this actual computer had been used by me around 15 years earlier.
timloco (44 months ago | reply)
Sorry about your loss, what a neat way to remember a geek.
Vorkus (44 months ago | reply)
Condolences. Great idea. Good way to remember a geek. I used one of those systems at one point too.
otopico (44 months ago | reply)
You know that if there is anything out there after this life, he has to be asking why you didn't upgrade him to an IPX.
Condolences for your loss, and what a wonderful way to memorialize him.
msgeek93 (44 months ago | reply)
I want a similar fate with 1/2 of my ashes. Only I want the ashes in a box the size of a 5.25" bay and placed in a WORKING computer. See, this has some hack value, but not enough. If they had only used a computer a little bigger than that one they could have kept the thing working. One other thing about using a 5.25" bay for the ashes: it can be moved from a dead computer to a working one. And yeah, I want the computer to either run Linux or Mac OS X. Condolences from one geek to another.
Joel Garry (44 months ago | reply)
So did he get bought by Larry Ellison?
Now I'm going to have to be crammed into my PDP.
Allen Garvin (44 months ago | reply)
An IPC? If I had to spend eternity in a lunchbox, I'd have at least asked for an LX. Or maybe an IPX, with the cute little cat on the motherboard for an afterlife companion.
Kevitivity (44 months ago | reply)
I despised them, but those IPX / IPCs were real work horses.
k2ski (44 months ago | reply)
crazy what a /.ing will do to your views. i've been on flickr for years and although i am a pretty good photographer, i've never cracked 10,000 views. 67,000 views in a day is nuts.
at any rate, condolences to your fam, and a great way to remember your brother.
carrierdetect (44 months ago | reply)
@otopico But where would you stop? You could go for an IPX with a Weitek Powerup...
@Joel Garry I think I'd have to go with a MicroVAX 2000 personally. Compact, classic and with a handy carrying handle.
@sam 3.14 Sorry for your loss, but as has been said a very fitting way to remember a geek.
ivyvisors (44 months ago | reply)
beautiful.
Iban Nieto (44 months ago | reply)
OMG!!!
Very cool (and fr34k!) :D
BrianStegner (44 months ago | reply)
This is a loving and lovely way to remember your brother. I also offer my deep condolences to you on your loss.
kariber (44 months ago | reply)
This is an awesome memorial; the only thing that could be better than this is if it was his own machine to begin with. To be a geek memorialized in your own machine is really appropriate. I am sure your brother approves heartily. Me? I have a Mac II FX ready and waiting for me. I am only hoping, at some time in the future, to find the full (and extremely rare) 128Mb of memory it can hold.
best_destinations (44 months ago | reply)
I'm sorry... bit and bytes
JohnHedtke (44 months ago | reply)
I am very sorry for your loss, too. This is a lovely memorial and very fitting. Well done!
deux-chi (44 months ago | reply)
I feel so much sorry, too — for him, this is such a great final gest.
At the end, we all see, death
isn't blue anymore: it's black.
One day sailing by we see,
All the others, left back,
But it's not us, who feels
what they do: our lack.
My condolences.
sam 3.14 (44 months ago | reply)
I've now found the story posted in Spanish:
"Realmente curioso, e increíblemente geek. Que en paz descanses, Alan."
blogs.sun.com/Argentina_ambassador/entry/fune ral_geek
SemiCharmedLife (☯) (44 months ago | reply)
Great commemoration! My boss forwarded me the Cnet article and I just happened to be a Flickrite.
sam 3.14 (44 months ago | reply)
Link to the Cnet article:
news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10365289-71.html?t ag=mncol;title
Erion2k2 (44 months ago | reply)
#shutdown -y -g0 -i5
-=[RIP]=-
落書き (44 months ago | reply)
rest in peace
Silveira Neto (44 months ago | reply)
;_;
BlueisCoool (44 months ago | reply)
ggladygg (44 months ago | reply)
that's great idea! who is selling this product??
Lokken_a_Jester (44 months ago | reply)
Amazing, he must have been a proud nerd, all my respects.