Source: The Associated Press
Hat tip: Deadspin
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A Puerto Rican man has been granted his wish to remain standing – even in death.
A funeral home used a special embalming treatment to keep the corpse of 24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina standing upright for his three-day wake.
Dressed in a Yankees baseball cap and sunglasses, Pantoja was mourned by relatives while propped upright in his mother’s living room.
His brother Carlos told the El Nuevo Dia newspaper the victim had long said he wanted to be upright for his own wake: “He wanted to be happy, standing.”
The owner of the Marin Funeral Home, Damaris Marin, told The Associated Press the mother asked him to fulfill her dead son’s last wish.
Pantoja was found dead Friday underneath a bridge in San Juan and buried Monday. Police are investigating.
Ugh, what the hell is wrong with some people.
That’s just odd. I guess it’s almost as bizarre as the photograph stills of the deceased that was popular in the late nineteenth century. Still… ugh. Creepy.
He looks like a thug, who wants to guess how he died? Some people.
Holy Crap!
That is fantastic!
How is that not being done more?
GELLMAN ,JUST BECAUSE HE’S DRESSED LIKE THAT DONT MEAN HE’S A THUG. DONT STEREOTYPE PLEASE. I’M SO SICK OF PEOPLE STEREOTYPING OTHER PEOLPE.THEY DONT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
When I die I’ve already made arangements to be embalmed into this position:
http://www.builderau.com.au/i/s/david-brent.jpg
Sorry, I don’t know how to link it. You’ll have to cut and paste if you want to see this awesome pose.
Oh good. It looks like it linked it automatically. Please ignore that last sentence….and this entire post.
OK, last time, I promise. I just want to point out that only a Yankee fan would buy an argyle hat and think it’s cool.
Not true, I’ve seen Red Sox, Cubs and Dodger fans with the same uncool hat.
I stand corrected
I’m sure the whole being found under the bridge means he was a saint…
That’s not thug, it’s just a young Rican look. Dead under a bridge, might be a little thug though.
HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR THIS FAMILY, GOD DON,T LIKE UGLY. I CAN NOT STAND PEOPLE THAT ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT OTHER.
PEOPLE WITH NASTY COMMENT HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO, BUT TO LIVE OF OTHER PEOPLE LIFE ,THAT IS SAD “GET A LIFE”.
Just because he was found under a bridge don’t make him a thug. You don’t know if he was robbed or what the case might be. Instead of saying something like try to help other young men that you feel is a thug to turn their life around. People are quick to judge someone else. But if you are not out trying to help others shout the hell up.
He was a thug.
Maybe he was a bridge inspector?
That’s it! He was a Student Bridge Inspector working on his Masters Degree while holding a Prayer meeting under a bridge in the middle of the night. Sounds right to me!
i think i want to have a simular style funeral when i pass.like lil wayne sd ” die on both feet ,never knees in the dirt”.
This guy was a drug pusher that knew his days were numbered when he pissed someone off…and told his mom when his day came that he died he wanted for the wake to have him standing in order to for him to get the last word against his killers…pretty much meaning…even after im dead…im still standing…
Woah. That’s crazy.
Man how can anyone do that!! Im going to have nightmares for weeks now!!!!
OMG!!!! NIGHTMARE AFTER CHRISTMAS!!! EERYYYYYYY AND FUCKIN SCARY…IF IM GOIN 2 STAND UP DEAD AT LEAST LET ME STICK UP MY MIDDLE finger saying FUCK U ALL!!!!
he was a real stand up type of guy
Freaking Disgusting! Ugh! =0
regardless to what happened to this young man that was someone child. murdered. my prayers go out to his family,and may god bless this man.
My prayers are with the family.
Hi. a persons last wish before they die should aways be taken into consideration, it doesnt matter how obscene it may be..im a Funeral Director/Embalmer in NYC and while reading the article the funeral home stated that they “used a special embalming treatment to keep the corpse of 24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina standing upright for his three-day wake.” BULLSHIT….theres no such Special fluid which would hold a person upright, there are fluids that can make a person very stiff but not stiff enough to keep them standing for 3 days especially in a climate like puerto ricos, they must have used stents on his legs and back to keep him upright, why do u think he’s in a “CORNER” of the house its the easiest way to hide anything. Special embalming treatment my ass…
Embalmer, that is what I was thinking. I worked in the funeral industry from ‘01 to ‘07 and wondered what kind of “magical” embalming fluid allowed for people to stand upright.
THAT WHATS UP…HE IS DA TRUTH. NO MATTER WHAT HE DID WHEN HE WAS ALIVE JUST REMEMBER THIS HE HAS LEFT A STAIN ON YALL BRAIN (WHICH IM SURE IS EXACTLY WHAT HE HAD PLANNED) SO YEAH TO ALL HIS ENEMIES…IN THE FAMOUS WORDS OF T.I. “NO MATTER WHAT…STILL I STAND”
P.S. HELL I WANT TO BE MARBALIZED AND USED AS A STATUE IN MY MOMZ LIVING ROOM…I DONT WANNA GO IN THE GROUND AND HAVE ALL KINDS OF WIERD,SLIMY, CREEPY THINGS CRAWLIN AND EATIN ON ME….
GOD THANK U MR EMBALMER!!! 4-SPEAKING THE DAMN TRUTH.. YES I KNOW THE CLIMATE OF PUERTO RICO VERY WELL AND U KNOW UR SHIT!! CUZ AND I NOTICE HOW THEY STAND HIM IN THE CORNER LIKE A CHILD IS PUNISH…SO I KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE 2 IT THEN WHAT THEY WAS SAYING SO THANK U 4 SHEDDING THE LIGHT 2 SOME TRUTH!!!!
This news was in the spanish channel and he was a thug, he was shot 15 times and left under the bridge. The other thing they said that was done to the body was tying a rope around his waist and neck to keep him standing up. I think is bullshit, i think they tied him up and then they put a pole up his ass to keep him standing up. Scary!!!!
hm… slightly weird but original last wish…
Dont muslims get burried in a standing position?
I think this is a very personal decision for his family to have dealt with. We may not understand it….to be honest with you it kindof made me feel sick. But, everyone is entitled to their own opinion of things and that doesn’t make him any less human. I feel sorry his life was cut so short in such a cruel way and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
Be not wants me no judges. Thugz it iz. He be thugz. You be thugz. Lest you done learnts yo grammar. You kulerz showz by yo’z lakz uv duh edjewkayshuns. God do like ugly. He love you.
Hektor the HECK???
He looks like he was a real güey.
Yeah, he’s showin the people who killed him who’s a true güey!
“He’s always the stand-up kinda’ guy”……”Bridge Inspector working on his masters”….. you guys crack me up!
ayo chill leave this young man alone…have some respect… it doesnt matter how he diied..hes in a better place now let him r.i.p
Even in death he stands proud.
Vanity slayeth a man.
It’s real fucked up how people can say evil shit about the deceased. Whatever he did while he was livinqg dnt have shit to do with him being dead now. It’s not nobody’s place but GOD to judge him. That’s the problem with the world today everybody wanna do GOdS job. Instead of worrying about him worry about urself and how you gone die and hope you haven’t made any enimies dat might just wanna kill yo azz!!! Start worrying about you
You ppl r just jealous that a puertorrican thought about this first,chill out don’t hate!!!We can give u ideas!!!lol
Magda! hahahahaha! lol! u guys r a bunch of crackers! crack me up!
Lets give this poor puertorrican dude a “standing ovation” for his upright ideas!
W O W