The Pac-Man Grave Marker in Clio, Michigan

So when your time comes, what do you want on your gravestone? Some kind of worldly saying, just your name and dates, a picture or two.....or would you like your headstone to be something special?

Lots of people who have passed have some kind of etching or statue embedded into their headstone to show what gave them their mark in life, or hobby they were passionate about. Maybe a guitar, music note, beloved animal, etc... whatever your passion was could be included on your tombstone. In other words, how do you want to be remembered?

Such was the case with Michael Leroy Luther, who is buried in Thetford Cemetery in the Michigan town of Clio. His grave marker is probably the only one of its kind in the world.....it's a giant marble Pac-Man machine.

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Michael was born September 21, 1952 in Asheville, North Carolina. After high school, he went into the Air Force and served time in Vietnam. Later, he wound up in Michigan working as a forklift driver and machine operator at Buick City in Flint for thirty years. But ever since his young adult life, he became a fanatic about the arcade game Pac-Man (as a lot of us did).

Michael retired from his job at the age of 54, but not from his love for Pac-Man. Even though his passion was gaming on Pac-man, it was not his idea for the grave marker – that idea came from his sister Lisa who wanted to do that for him.

Michael passed away on October 29, 2007, just one year after he retired. He was a ten-year veteran of the Air Force and served time not just in Vietnam, but also Italy and Korea (and thank you for your service).

It's a unique monument, and you can see it for yourself in the gallery below; and by the way, the cemetery is said to be video-guarded, so be respectful.