For those who wondered the meaning of RIP, let there be no doubt from this day forward that it has meaning. Offered as exhibit one, Ted Williams.

The search for words to describe this miserable, heart-wrenching, mind-boggling, bottom-level story of how the remains of the former Boston Red Sox star are being handled do not come to mind. Even the unabridged dictionary struggles with this one.

Sports Illustrated has reported that Williams’ body, supposedly being held in a frozen state by Alcor Corporation, has had havoc wrecked upon it. The piece of paper that supposedly was signed by Williams to request this frozen aftermath is now under investigation by the Florida attorney general.

The initial battle between two of William’s children, John Henry Williams and Bobby-Jo Ferrell, as to how the remains of Williams were to be handled has been fiercely renewed.

Ferrell says her father wanted to be cremated and the ashes spread in the Florida Keys where Williams spent so many fishing days.

John Henry, the provocateur of all this mess, is the one who came up with the paper Williams supposedly signed. He refuses to answer any questions about the matter.

John Henry refused to comment on the Sports Illustrated article, saying, “It’s nobody’s business.”

Well, it’s somebody’s business now, as the Florida attorney general wants to know if the signed paper is a fraud.

Those around baseball have for years accused John Henry of taking advantage of his father when alive by having Williams sign and sell just about anything for which John Henry could find a buyer. John Henry was for years apparently the only person handling his fathers business and private affairs.

Now some of those same baseball people, and daughter Ferrell, believe John Henry may be trying to preserve the body for the purpose of extracting DNA to sell. If that makes your spine crawl and your heart sag, congratulations, you are alive.

There is a fine line between the private and public lives of public figures in this country. The right to have one’s privacy respected is obvious and appropriate. In death, that right should be no less.

Were it clear what William’s intentions were, even if it was for his son to have the right to sell the father’s DNA, that would be an individual choice and so long as it was legal, so be it.

It’s the appearance of fraud that brings the state into this matter.

Those of us who loved Williams want the fairy tale ending to his fairy tale life. We want the novel to end with the feel- good day his ashes are tossed to the winds over the shallows of the great bone fishing waters of the Florida Keys he loved.

That may be our wish. The question is, was it Ted’s?

Unfortunately, the ugly scene of figuring that out will now be dragged through the press and RIP will have to wait for the Splendid Splinter.

And you have written your will, yes?

Old Town native Gary Thorne is an ESPN and NBC sportscaster.