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Here's to Steve Irwin, the world's favorite croc jock, who entertained us with his ebullient pursuit of the reluctant crocs, pythons, and assorted non-human inhabitants of the earth.

How inappropriate it seems that he met his terminus as the result of an encounter with a stingray gone wrong. We would have thought his comeuppance would have resulted from the lucky snap by a disgruntled croc.

Fortunately, we have the videos to remember him by, but their good-natured enthusiasm for all creatures wild will forever be leavened with sadness about his stingray-crossed fate. We offer our condolences to his family.

His father, Bob Irwin, in declining a state funeral for Steve, said, "He wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke."

Earlier, the senior Irwin told reporters, "Steve and I weren't like father and son; we never were. We were good mates. I'll remember Steve as my best mate ever."

Far be it from us to disagree with Dad, but to us and millions of his fans he was an ordinary bloke only if you take away the unique enthusiasm and talent that made him the world's favorite wild guy in the wild.

He is to be buried on the ground of the zoo he founded. It seems more fitting that his ashes would be spread in the wild, so they might dust down on the creatures he loved to meddle with.

But who are we to say anything but, Steve, may the crocs be with you. Even more, may flights of crocs and a python to whip them up to speed accompany you on your trip into the eternal unknown.