A woman has shared the story of her travel-loving husband’s sweet final adventure.
Beverly Smith’s husband of 27 years, Gordon ‘Skinny’ Smith, a keen traveller and explorer, passed away suddenly in March 2012, and Beverly, wanting to farewell him in a manner true to his spirit, found a way to keep him traveling.
“He loved the ocean,” Beverly Smith told a local paper, “I wanted to let him travel a little and let him sail away.”
Placing his ashes in a bottle with a note and a dollar bill, Beverly put the bottle into the ocean in her home of Tennessee and watched it sail away, hoping that he found his way to somewhere exciting.
“My husband Gordon Scott ‘Skinny’ Smith loved to travel,” read the note, “Call and tell me where he is and let him travel on.”
And travel he did. Washing up on the shores of Islamorada, Flordia, Gordon’s bottle was discovered by a man named Ross, who, like he was asked, called up Beverly to let her know that her husband had found himself in Florida, and then sent him on his way again.
But not before attaching a note that read, “My name is Ross, I found Gordon on a beach on the Atlantic at Mile Marker 79 in Islamorada in the Florida Keys in July 2013.”
“I called his wife to let her know where her husband was and she was so, so happy,” it continued, “She said the money was for a phone call to let her know where he was.”
“Please if you find him, call Gordon’s loving wife and please call me and let us know where Gordon ended up. Put a note in with him and let him travel on!”
But Islamorada wasn’t Gordon’s last stop: he wound up in front of a resort in Key Colony Beach, Florida in the hands of Judi and her husband.
Judi dutifully added her own note and a few more dollars, called Gordon’s wife and set him to sail again.
“Judi called the wife in Tennessee who was excited to know of Gordon’s travels!” wrote the Facebook post, “Judi added her note, we put him in a plastic rum bottle (you know added a little fun to his trip) with the three notes. We added another dollar in case Gordon travels far and a long distance call is needed.”
“We will be having a memorial service or celebration of his life on our beach later today before sending him on his way again.”
Safe travels, Gordon!
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