When I told my husband that my father had died, he just stared at me.
He said later that he knew I was joking, that it was a very bad, stupid joke, but that I was joking. And that when I sort of crumpled to the floor and sobbed, it was because I was really laughing uproariously.
That was the worst moment of my life.
Mr. Rilch was on a movie set a few years ago, at craft service (snacks and coffee). Crew member strolls up and casually says, “Hey, I just heard on the radio…Actor X died.”
"WHAT?!"
Actor Y whips his head around, aghast. “What? When? Last night? How? No, don’t tell me…Who’s got a phone?” They’d been friends, you see. He immediately called his wife/assistant/somebody to get X’s number to express condolences, then went to his trailer, then came back to do his scene.
The crew member wasn’t fired, but Mr. Rilch gave him a stern lecture about thinking before he spoke.
Three years ago, Boston, we had a big snow storm during a Monday holiday. At work (those of us who didn’t get the holiday off), my boss never showed up, or called, nor could be reached on his cell phone. But we all knew he often went to his GF in New York for the weekend and he was notorious for loosing his cell phone. Figured he decided to take the day off without telling us.
Tuesday morning, he doesn’t show up either. Then his GF called asking for him. Talked to her and discovered that, no, he hadn’t gone to her place for the weekend.
Another employee and I hop in a car and drive to his appartment. His car is in the driveway and no answer to the doorbell. Landlord is out front snowblowing the sidewalk, lets us in.
I find him in the bedroom. He must have gone in his sleep.
Call work and tell his boss, the president of the company (PoC), who has known and worked with him for 15+ years. Also call 911.
Stuck around for a couple hours while first Emergency Rescue arrive (to make sure he’s really gone), then the police, then the detectives, then the coroner. He was only 40.
During that time, PoC arrives, talks to the police, and takes on the job of calling and telling the GF. … I am so glad I did not have to do that. He held it together until she started crying (on the other end of the phone) and then he started crying too.
I sympathise with every poster here. It’s never an easy job.