Final fishing trip: Texas family sends man to his grave in a boat

Jim Braswell was sent off to the big fishin’ hole in the sky just how he would have liked.

When the Amarillo man was laid to rest Tuesday, the family could think of no better way to send him off than on top of a fishing boat, KFDA reports. So the family loaded up his casket onto a fishing boat and pulled it on a trailer to the grave site. Above the casket, a “Goin’ fishin’” flag waved proudly.

His obituary in the Amarillo Globe News reads that he was an avid fisherman and liked being outdoors. He had his own team for fishing tournaments and is a record holder for small mouth bass at Greenbelt Reservoir, southeast of Amarillo.

On land, he and his wife founded and operated the Professional Sand Blasting & Coating Co., and he was well liked in the community.

“They started it in 1974, and he turned it into the thriving business it is today due to his kind and honest nature,” the obituary reads. “He never met a stranger and always made everyone feel welcome.”

This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Final fishing trip: Texas family sends man to his grave in a boat."