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Examples of Unique and Creative
Funeral and Life Celebrations
By Mary Hickey
Have you noticed that the traditional funeral leaves you
feeling sad and empty? Read the examples below of very
unique and unforgettable life celebrations. These go way
beyond what you've thought a funeral or memorial service
is supposed to be. Had we not experienced a funeral and
thought that was the norm maybe we would have been
planning and attending fabulous events like the ones
you'll read about. Perhaps they will inspire you with
some ideas to create a lasting tribute to your loved
ones that friends and family will never forget. I wish
you the best on your journey to truly personalize and
capture the unique and special life that was lived.
Alicia Johnson, a self proclaimed wine connoisseur
prearranged her service to include four separate wine
tasting ceremony stations established in her garden at
her suburban home. Her family and friends walked to each
of the four stations, tasted wine and experienced the
important areas of her life. At the first one, they
listened to some of her favorite music while enjoying
one particular wine she had invested in and talked
amongst themselves about Alicia, her wine and her music.
At the second ceremony station the funeral director
provided each attendee with a message card to write
words of comfort to the family if they chose while
enjoying a different wine and hearing her husband talk
of their life together. At the third ceremony station
beneath an outdoor tent they tearfully watched Alicia in
a video in which she talked to them from her bed just
weeks before her death. She had heartfelt and loving
messages to more than ten members of her family and
friends.
Jack Killington, was a fifty two year old member of the
Mohawks jogging club. To conclude his service, while he
rode in the hearse he was escorted on ether side by
tearful jogging Mohawk club members for the two miles to
the cemetery.
Dave had a love for animals and had many safari
adventures with his wife Margaret. It seemed appropriate
to make animals the focus of his celebration of life.
At Dave's service:
Funeral attendees were invited to greet the family under
an outdoor tent outside of the zoo gates where coffee
and cocktails were served, and an opportunity for
informal social exchange between family and friends was
provided. They were given a 10-inch square memorial
folder imprinted with the ceremony agenda and pictures
of Dave throughout his life.
At the appointed service time, family and friends
boarded one of several waiting zoo trains and began a
slow Ride to the first "ceremony presentation," this one
in front of the outdoor bear pavilion. At this station,
several tripods held enlarged photographs of animals
that had been taken by Dave. These were on display next
to a podium with a microphone.
Once family and friends disembarked the trains and
gathered around the podium, Dave's wife, Margaret, began
a discussion of her husband and, in particular, their
safari experiences and devotion and love for animals. At
the conclusion of her remarks, she invited others to
share memories and recollections of her husband. The
group then re-boarded the trains for the short ride to
the next "Ceremony Station".
At the second stop, at the lions' pavilion, several more
tripods displayed blown-up articles about Dave, his work
and his devotion to the animals, and a display table
held Dave's PETA awards and PETA donation envelopes.
Dave's closest friend, Don Strattermier, began the
presentation, talking about his friendship with Dave and
Dave's love for animals. He then introduced Christine,
who related her "behind the scenes" experience of Dave's
work in PETA, sharing several little known but admiral
successes and breakthroughs he had accomplished on
behalf of animal rights. At the conclusion of her
remarks attendees were given another opportunity to make
spontaneous remarks.
The entourage re-boarded the trains and proceeded to the
zoo arboretum. Chairs facing a large screen enabled
family and friends to sit while viewing an eight-minute
slide presentation of the deceased life; photographs
taken from the family album depicted Dave from his
childhood to present, including several safari scenes.
The very last picture was a close-up of Dave's face.
While that photograph remained on the screen, attendees
heard four rings of a telephone, followed by Dave's
voice on his personal home message machine, a message
most of the audience was familiar with: "Hi, this is
Dave. I'm on safari, leave me a message and I hope to
meet you along the trail somewhere someday." Following
the slide presentation, each person was given a
three-by-five card and pen to write a message to Dave
and/or Margaret.
Following the slide presentation, an opportunity was
provided for those who cared to, to pay their last
respects to the deceased, whose casketed body lay in
state among the foliage and flowers of the arboretum. As
they went by the casket, each was greeted by Margaret
who received their message cards, hugs and loving words.
At the conclusion of the viewing, the funeral procession
was formed in the zoo parking lot for the trip to the
cemetery.
The casketed body was hoisted atop of Dave's beloved 75
year old elephant Tranzago which began a slow trek to
"The Teachers Valley"; a well groomed animal cemetery at
the zoo, followed by friends and family on foot. Prior
permission had been obtained from the local city Mayors
office for the burial.
Although the family was not religious, the funeral
director felt that Dave had lived a spiritual life and
suggested that a local Buddhist devotee and friend of
Dave and Margaret who could draw those parallels between
his devotion to animals and his spirituality be asked to
make brief remarks to that effect at the committal
service.
The funeral director also suggested that Don
Strattermier remain at the gravesite until the casket
was lowered and the graved filled. It should be noted
that Tranzago refused to leave the burial site until the
burial was complete.
Mary Hickey is an urn designer and thought leader in the
funeral industry. For some drastically needed new life
celebration ideas, contemporary memorial poems and
verses visit her site Next Gen Memorials Urns and Gifts
She is co-founder of Renaissance Urn Company, based in
San Francisco.
Visit her page Funeral Ceremony: Five Unique Ideas for
more creative funeral ideas. |
