A little life: Heartbreaking obituary tells story of man bullied at school for ... trends now
A troubled man's heartbreaking obituary has sparked a wave of sadness online after his brother candidly summed up his rough life with the 'brutally honest' truth.
Brian Eldridge passed away last month aged 76 after a lifetime of bullying and exploitation, his brother Steve wrote, lying dead for at least four days before he was found due to his desolate existence.
'He had no friends or family who kept up with him,' Steve said. 'He was quiet, smart, generous and lonely... I'll miss him.'
His gut wrenching story of labor exploitation, mental illness and isolation has touched many, who say they feel guilty at never getting the chance to help a forlorn man they didn't even know.
In an interview with Pioneer Press, Steve said he decided to be 'brutally honest' when he wrote his brother's obituary because 'his story is sad and true.'
Brian Eldridge was described as having 'no friends and no family who kept up with him' when he died last month. His brother said he persistently wore a tattered jacket despite his relatives pleading with him to improve his condition
The janitor and paper delivery man was said to be painfully shy since he was a boy. He is pictured in his high school picture in 1965
Steve Eldridge said that his brother's evident mental illness manifested itself in a number of ways, including persistently wearing a tattered tan jacket and refusing to cut his hair until it grew down to his calves.
'Was he trying to have people turn off from him, so he didn’t have to talk to them or face them? I don’t know,' he questioned.
Steve described his brother as being painfully awkward since he was a young boy, leading him to be 'bullied as a child and teenager because of his shyness and vulnerability.'
'As an adult he didn't fit in,' the obituary continued, saying that Brian was restricted from even applying for most jobs because he never learned to use a computer or cell phone.
He was forced to support himself through aluminum can recycling, janitorial jobs and a paper route. One comment from Scott H Frantzen, who worked for Pioneer Press when Eldridge delivered the paper, paid tribute to the reliable paperboy.
'Brian was loved by all of us at Pioneer Press and by the several hundred customers he delivered the newspaper to everyday for many, many years,' the comment read. 'Rest in Peace my friend.'
While the newspaper seemingly parted ways on good terms, Steve said his brother's last job ended in disaster - and typified his tragic life.
'His last job was cleaning a bingo hall at midnight for $10 per hour seven nights a week, 364 days a year with just less than the minimum weekly hours to have any rights or benefits,' he wrote.
'His employer fired him on Christmas Eve with no notice. He had worked there for over 15 years.'
The mournful obituary concluded with the sad facts of Brian's life - he had 'no friends or family who kept up with him', and he was 'quiet, smart, generous and lonely.'
Steve Eldridge said he wrote his brother's obituary with 'brutal honesty' because nobody knew him, and he wanted to tell the truth about Brian's desolate life
Brian Eldridge (right) pictured with his brothers Steve (left), who wrote his obituary, and David (center), who was schizophrenic and died in October.
