I decided that I would write an obituary for Stinky Wink, just as I would for any family member. It has been a great healing activity. I thought I would share it.

Morgan “Stinky Wink”

Hugh Owen Morgan of Cardiff, better known as Morgan “Stinky Wink” was born 27 May 2000 on a farm near Raymond, Illinois, to AKC Pembroke Welsh Corgi parents. In August 2000, he came to live with his human parents, Randy and Arlis DeJaynes of  Decatur, Illinois, brought there by his human brother Adam. He went to the Rainbow Bridge on Thursday, 9 February 2012, eleven years and nine months of age, after a very brief but debilitating illness. He died in his daddy’s arms. He was buried by his parents and his  brother, Adam, in the iris beds in the back yard—a spot where he loved to lie and survey his fenced domain and keep an eye on the neighborhood dogs, cats, rabbits, and squirrels.

Stinky Wink’s life was filled with giving and receiving love. His greatest joy was in interacting with the people he loved, whether it was chasing toys, going “walkies” with daddy, or bouncing a ball off his nose with mama. He had a collection of well over fifty toys, and he played with every one of them until they were thoroughly worn out. They were, of course, replaced immediately. He loved expressing his opinion—and sometimes displeasure—especially at the door bell, the vacuum cleaner, the hair dryer, and the leaf-blower. He was less critical of the lawnmower, but often gave it the sharp edge of his tongue, especially if it interrupted his snooze in the sun. He enjoyed helping daddy plant irises and daylilies and the many other flowers on the property. When not actively helping, he would sit as close to daddy as possible and give his expert horticultural advice. He was known to stop occasionally and smell some of the blooms from flowers he had helped to plant. In the winter he loved to pretend that he was a snow plow, moving around the back yard with his nose under the snow, stopping once in a while to toss some of the snow into the air. He also loved to go bye-bye and he always looked forward to getting his small vanilla cone after a visit to the vet.

Greeting Stinky Wink at the Rainbow Bridge are doggy brothers Tiger, Pickwick, and Bogart; doggy nephews Duncan and Dylan, Moses, and Dillon. Left to cherish his memory are his daddy and mommy, brothers and their families, and doggy nephews.