Grandad loved McDonald's so much fast food giant sent special gift to his funeral

A grandad drank so much coffee at his local McDonald's that it sent a bouquet of flowers to his funeral.

Richard 'Dick' Longenecker, who died aged 87, would go almost daily to the branch of the fast food chain in Mankato, Minnesota, to meet up with friends

His granddaughter Sarah Taschetta said: "We referred to grandpa as 'Papa (Richard) Dick'. A majority of men at coffee were named Richard. We called it a gathering of the Dicks."

Over his many visits to the McDonald's, he built up a strong relationship with the staff working there. He made such an impact that when his funeral came around, among the flowers Sarah found a bouquet that read: "With deepest sympathies McDonald's of Mankato."

So touched by the gesture, she shared a picture of the flowers to social media where it was shared widely. She headed the picture with: "My papa drank so much coffee with friends at the local McDonald’s they sent flowers to his funeral."

She described the owner of the branch as "fantastic".

Commenting underneath, many social media users were touched by the gesture. One said: "That's actually very sweet of them. He must have been a nice guy if even his local coffee spot sends flowers."

According to an obituary in the Mankato Free Press: "Above all, Dick loved spending time with his family. He was kind-hearted, nonjudgmental, and had a witty sense of humour."

He was a veteran of the Korean War, a husband of 64 years, a father and a grandfather. He passed away in November leaving his wife of 64 years, Kathleen, heartbroken along with his seven children, 17 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Explaining why she posted, she said: "I wanted to share the joy."

Although she never met her grandfather's coffee buddies, she said: "I do know they continue to meet daily and miss his presence like the rest of us do every single day."

Praising the McDonald's workers, she said. "There are so many complaints about corporations like McDonald's and this was something a local chain did right and I'll never forget it."