An Arizona woman held a ‘FUN-eral’ to celebrate her late husband’s life, complete with a bouncy castle, his favorite food, and ‘party bags’ for guests to take home, among the many good vibes.
Katie Young suddenly lost her husband, Brandon, after he suffered a stroke at the age of 39 and passed away a few weeks later on May 17.
The couple had three children together and Katie didn’t want them to have “horrible memories” of their dad’s send-off.
“I was thinking about my children and how the day would be, and it felt so wrong.
“All we were going to do was have these horrible memories. It didn’t feel true to Brandon.”
Instead of holding a traditional service and wake, the 40-year-old widow set out to make it a FUN-eral – ensuring the day would be a celebration of Brandon’s life—for her kids (aged 8-12) and the hundreds of guests.
She featured his favorite foods—chips and dips—and displayed his artwork and vast record collection so everyone could take home a goodie bag of items that would keep his memory alive. Crafting tables were even set up for people to make their own art.
“Every time I started thinking about planning a traditional funeral, I did not want to do it,” said the shop owner from Gilbert, Arizona.
She became adamant about holding a celebration that her husband of 16 years would have enjoyed.
“I have so many happy memories of Brandon. We loved to cook together (and) he taught me to have fun in the kitchen. I would follow a recipe and he would make things up.
Katie said she knew the day was “perfect” when she looked over at their children and they all had smiles on their faces.
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“They will only have the happiest memories from their dad’s funeral, instead of it being traumatic.
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“Brandon loved being a dad more than anything on earth. He would have been happy that his kids were happy.”
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FABULOUS! What a wonderful way to celebrate someone you love having been a part of your life when they’ve made a Transition!
It makes sense to have gratitude for the Love you received rather than focus on a concept of loss when someone you care about “dies.”
I have a no-funeral policy for when I Transition and I’ve arranged for a dance party memorial. The only rule is that folks must wear bright colored, funky outfits and if you wear black, it has to be sequins, leather, lace, and/or latex!