Daily News

David S. Kime Jr. was many things. World War II veteran. Purple Heart recipient. Father. Grandfather. Husband. And, it should be noted, Burger King enthusiast.

The 88-year-old Kime died Jan. 20, and during his funeral procession a few days later, members of Kime's family took a detour to the Burger King drive-through.

Linda Phiel, one of Kime's three daughters, said her dad loved fast food and ate it daily. "He always lived by his own rules," she said. "His version of eating healthy was the lettuce on the Whopper Jr."

The York (Pa.) Daily Record spoke with Phiel, who explained that when her mother was alive, she tried to his eating habits in check. "When she died, for a while, he would eat with us," she said. "But he considered us health freaks because we ate things that were green, like broccoli."

After a while, Phiel stopped trying to talk her dad into eating more veggies. "When you're 88 years old, I guess you've earned the right to do what you want to do," she said.

The funeral procession ordered a whopping 40 of the Whopper Jr. burgers, including one for the dearly departed. Kime's Whopper was placed on top of his casket before burial.

The Burger King's manager, Margaret Hess, said, "It's nice to know he was a loyal customer up until the end the very end."