Going out with a Bang! There’s more to writing your Will than distributing your estate
These days, people increasingly want to send their loved ones off in a manner which reflects their life, the things they loved and the way they lived. Pop music, football chants and bright, colourful clothes could become as familiar as black ties, wreaths and hymns at funeral ceremonies in coming years.
A report commissioned by the Co-operative Funeral Service found that 57% of the people questioned would prefer go out to pop music rather than hymns or poetry. Also some 89% expressed a desire for friends and family to wear bright colours instead of the more traditional black mourning clothes.1 It would appear that the traditional ceremony is on its way out.
It’s not uncommon for those writing their last Will & Testament to express their wishes regarding their own send off. For example, Charles Dickens requested an inexpensive and simple funeral and stated that mourners “wear no scarf, black bow, long hatband or other such revolting absurdity”. His requests went ignored on a grand scale as his funeral was a national event, with a huge cortege and mourners in full funeral regalia.2
Recent years have seen a variety of increasingly diverse ceremonies, and probably the most famous being Hunter S. Thompson who went out with a bang in 2005. His ashes were launched from a 153 foot custom made cannon along with red, white & blue fireworks to the sound of Bob Dylan’s Hey Mr. Tambourine Man.
Flamboyant 60’s cabaret star Tony Weston planned his own funeral in 2004, telling a close friend, “People always said I was OTT, so I ought to go out in an OTT way!” his funeral was described by friends as “his final performance”. It was a send off which certainly reflected his life and the things he loved. A fitting ceremony indeed.3
More recently a Tameside man who was keen to leave as much of his cash as possible to his family, organised his own ‘cut-price’ send off. He purchased his own cardboard coffin for £60, was transported to the crematorium in the back of a Ford Transit van and, at his own request, no service was held. The total cost was £400 instead of the usual £2000+ for most ceremonies.4
Humanist funerals are also becoming more and more common as having a religious ceremony for one who has lived a life free of religion is no longer considered appropriate by many. Often people simply find more comfort in celebrating a life rather than mourning a death and such requests are becoming ever more common when one writes their last Will & Testament.
Possibly the most unusual request stated in any last Will & Testament is that of John Bowman (1824-1891), who requested after his death that dinner was to be prepared for him every night in case he came back to life! His last Will & Testament was honoured and dinner was indeed prepared for him every night for almost 60 years after he passed away.2
When writing a Will, requests regarding ones own send off are not uncommon, although the majority of requests are seldom as detailed or eccentric as some of the examples stated here. More often than not those writing a Will request either a burial or a cremation, where as further details regarding the ceremony, the music or where the ashes should be scattered would normally be detailed in a separate letter rather than in the body of the Will itself.
There’s more to writing a Will than simply distributing one’s estate. For those amongst us who do have a preference for how their own ceremony be conducted, or indeed how it shouldn’t, then writing a Will and detailing ceremonial preferences in a side letter is preferable to simply telling a family member or a friend what your wishes are. In all cases, consulting and experienced Will writer is essential.
Trust Inheritance has been helping 1000’s of people throughout the UK in making their last Will & Testament since 1990 and also provides Pre Paid Funeral Plans for those wanting a pre-mortem say in their send off. For more information call them direct on 08000 978012 or visit their website at http://www.trustinheritance.co.uk.
1 -http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/686677.stm
2 -http://listverse.com/people/10-unusual-last-wills-and-testaments/
3 -http://archive.bournemouthecho.co.uk/2005/4/29/56290.html
4 -http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/233/233592_diy_funeral_cost_just_60.html