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This comic book superfan' s obituary is as funny as it is moving

Chiara CavaglieriFeb 23, 2015 It sounds more like the Joker at work, but it was family and friends who published an unconventional obituary for comic book superfan Stephen Merrill. The father of a 7-year-old boy died suddenly at home in Winter Haven, Florida on 12 February at the age of 31 but the family persuaded local paper The Ledger to write that the cause of death was an "uppercut from Batman." In reality, the official cause of death had not been determined, although Stephen was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2013. "One of Stephen's friends Brandon Moxam suggested to say he died from Batman's uppercut because he was a huge Batman fan," his sister Kimberly Merrill told ABC news. "Everyone laughed, and we knew that was what Stephen would've wanted us to say." Stephanie Vella, Stephen’s fiancée, said the funeral was just as unconventional with loved ones wearing superhero t-shirts and playing music from some of Stephen’s favourite superhero movies. More: Obituary: Malik Bendjelloul, director of Searching for Sugar Man

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