Knockin' on Heaven's Door and Filing the Paperwork

While most of you are glued to the television screen, anxiously awaiting the thrilling conclusion to the epic battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, November 8, I'll be focused on a race that hits closer to home.

It's the race to see who will become the next Winnebago County Coroner.

My friend Frank, whom I've known since we were knee-high to a grasshopper, is running on the democratic ticket. His republican opponent is the current chief deputy coroner, which is the position Frank has asked me to assume -- if he wins the election.

It's an appointed position. I'd be his right-hand man.

I never lobbied for the position. I simply volunteered to assist him in his quest.

Besides being friends since childhood, which spans more than 50 years, we're also bonded by a cherished Irish heritage. He's a Fitzgerald.

The current coroner is retiring after serving for 20 years. She did a tremendous job and remains a highly respected member of the community. Naturally, her chief deputy wants to carry on that tradition.

I've met him, he's a good man. Unfortunately, he lacks name recognition.

Frank, on the other hand, recently retired from his family's funeral home. It's been in business for more than 100 years, serving thousands of local families. He has tremendous name recognition.

To assist him, I canvassed thousands of registered voters, in order to get his name placed on the primary ballot. I attended local parades, farmer's markets, and various gatherings, and garnered the required number of signatures on his petitions to join the race.

I enjoyed meeting and talking with a large cross-section of the local electorate, most of whom were unaware that the current coroner was retiring. Disseminating that information was crucial to creating awareness of Frank's pursuit of the position. 

It was a real grassroots' effort.

The local community is very loyal to the many mom-and-pop shops and restaurants, which presented a surprising challenge in regard to the primary election. 

A current employee of Frank's family's funeral home, who is a relative of another prominent local family, threw his hat into the ring -- without prior notice. Members of his family have served as the county's sheriff and treasurer.

That didn't sit too well with Frank, who now expected it to be a battle of name recognition.

The office of coroner is by far the least political of all the elected positions. It carries no political influence and there is no need for a debate. The majority of the day-to-day activities are mandated by state law, there is no wiggle room.

Frank figured he'd have to fight just to win the primary. He was wrong. He crushed his opponent, who remains employed at Frank's family's funeral home. It's an awkward situation at best.

The community is a democratic stronghold and a large voter turnout is expected for the general election, bolstered by the hotly contested presidential race. Thank you Donald and Hillary.

Ironically, I have no political background or aspirations, and the closet I've ever come to being attuned to anything associated with death, was a class I took in college entitled, "Death and Dying."

The textbook, "On Death and Dying," was written 1969 by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a prominent Swiss psychiatrist. In her book, she introduced a theory outlining the five stages of grief, which is a model presenting a series of emotions experienced by survivors of an intimate's death. 

So, armed with that knowledge, twenty years of management experience, and a degree in mass communications/public relations, I have been deemed an appropriate choice by the local democratic committee. 

In addition to managing the office, Frank wants me to handle the public relations aspect, acting as the office's community and media liaison. I've also served as the city editor of a daily newspaper.

I'll require some additional training, which will lead me toward obtaining a few standard certifications.

The chief deputy coroner's position serves as a function of management. The office consists of six deputy coroners, who are unionized, and a small clerical staff. There's a virtual mountain of paperwork. 

The county has an estimated population of 300,000, half of which represents the metropolitan area.

However, I will still be expected to perform the not-so-glamorous duties of the office, such as securing bodies at accident scenes and transporting them to the morgue. I'm not looking forward to that, but it comes with the territory.

I will also be responsible for assisting in the preparation of bodies for viewing and identification by family members and acting as a witness to mandated autopsies performed by the medical examiner.

Like Frank, I would serve a four-year term. Perhaps, a second? There are no term limits.

I've been told that I've become very compassionate, a trait that should serve me well in the position. It involves counseling people during a very emotional period and assisting them through the process required to complete and file official death records. 

I believe comforting people during their times of need is an honorable endeavor. Karen, my guardian angel, taught me that lesson. If called upon, I intend to make her proud. Frank, too.