Massachusetts Man’s Funny Parking Meter Headstone Reads ‘Time Expired’

When Massachusetts resident Gordon "Gordy" Burdick died in 2003, his loved ones ensured he got a proper send-off.

Folks gathered at a Berkshires cemetery to sing "Amazing Grace" and "The Old Rugged Cross." They had the pastor of the local Baptist church say some graveside prayers. They fondly remembered a special member of the community.

Then, they planted a parking meter over him.

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That's right. Burdick's headstone is a parking meter. The message displayed behind the glass: "Time Expired."

In the nearly 20 years since his death, Burdick's final resting place in Florida -- population 752 as of the 2010 census -- has become a roadside attraction. It has a page on RoadsideAmerica.com, which rates it as "Worth a Detour."

Lest you think it's a sign of disrespect, the meter was all Burdick's idea in the runup to his death at 50 in 2003. He had a good sense of humor until the end. His wife, Joyce, who died several years later, is also buried under the meter.

READ MORE: Famous People You Didn't Know Were Buried in Massachusetts

The Burdicks aren't the only ones spending eternity occupying a metered space. An online search reveals the grave of Archie Arnold (1920-1982) in Harlan, Indiana. Arnold got a traditional headstone but it's bookended by two parking meters. Then, there's the grave of Barbara Sue Manire (1941-2005) in Okemah, Oklahoma. She also opted for a headstone, but the attached parking meter is the real star.

Nobody is the same in life, so it makes sense that people want to show off a little personality in death. Fall River's Oak Grove Cemetery has the mill-shaped headstone of businessman F.H. Stafford, which has been turning heads since he died in 1891. The headstone of a Civil War veteran and inventor in Little Compton, Rhode Island, features a life-size statue of the man hovering over all the other graves.

You need not have been a war hero or a mill owner to leave your mark in death. A parking meter might do the trick. You will die with the satisfaction of knowing you'll bring people joy long after you're gone and the peace of mind of knowing that though your time has expired, you can never be towed.