With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last month.

Larry LaPrise, the man that wrote “The Hokey Cokey” died peacefully at the age of 83.

He wrote the tune for the Sun Valley, Idaho, ski crowd in the late 1940s, but it took a recording by big band leader Ray Anthony to make the Hokey Pokey a nationwide phenomenon. (It appeared on the B side of the “Bunny Hop” single.)

LaPrise didn’t receive royalties for the song until the 1960s, when its rights were purchased by country star Roy Acuff’s publishing company.

Following his death, the most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin.

They put his left leg in. And then the trouble really started.

Oh come on…you know its funny!