Man Writes Own Obit, Warns to Quit Smoking

An upstate man who recently died of lung cancer has a simple message in his obituary: “If you’re a smoker — quit now.”

Geoff Turner, 66, wanted to warn others not to make his mistake in a self-written obituary published in the Times-Union. The suburban Albany resident died Feb. 13, about three months after he was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer.

“The pain and suffering I caused my family was not worth the perceived ‘satisfaction’ that really did nothing more than waste money, separate me from my family, and eventually destroyed my body,” Turner wrote.

Turner’s daughter Sarah Huiest says he smoked most of his life. She says her father knew it was a bad habit but couldn’t stop.

Turner said he was “an idiot who made the same stupid decision, day after day.” He warns, “life is good — don’t let it go up in smoke.”