Dad Hosted His Own Funeral to Hear the Funny Eulogies of Family And Friends

A dad hosted his own funeral surrounded by family and friends who gave funny eulogies and anecdotes to celebrate his life.

Nigel Thompson, 57, organized his own funeral on Thursday, March 31, at the Aberfeldie Bowls Club in Victoria, Australia. He heard what the people near and dear to him had to say about his life.

The father-of-five said that he planned the living memorial because the pandemic was a reminder that life is short and that there's no better time to celebrate it than while he was still alive. In an interview with "The Project," Thompson said that he wanted to have his own funeral so the guests could also share something fun.

"People are afraid to laugh at a funeral," Thompson said. "With a living memorial, people can tell funny stories and have a laugh, because they're celebrating life rather than mourning a death."

His Father Had a Funeral He Would Never Approve

Thompson was also motivated to host his own funeral after saying goodbye to his father, Kenneth, three years ago. The older man's wake was in a chapel that included a religious service, but Thompson noted that his dad would likely never approve of it because he was not a religious person.

So, Thompson resolved to organize the funeral he wanted while he could still decide on what songs to use or who to invite. The dad, who has worked at Bare Cremation for the last 15 years, understood what he was talking about and what his company plans to provide to their clients.

Cale Donovan, the company's co-founder, said that they want to change how families experience funerals. They know that people want to personalize their farewell, and a formal funeral does not usually reflect the choices of those who need their service.

At Thompson's funeral, his family and friends also talked about his golf adventures and that one time he joined a search party for Azaria Chamberlain in the 1980s. Her disappearance became a national headline because the child's body was never found during a camping trip, and her parents were sent to prison, per Famous Trials.

Family Criticized for Rapper's Funeral

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the family of rapper Markelle Morrow received much criticism from the public for how they handled his funeral at the Bliss Nightclub in Washington, D.C. People were dancing and having a party while Morrow's body was hoisted, "looking" at the crowd.

According to the funeral home, Morrow's family decided on this unexpected party without informing the operators of Bliss. Videos of the funeral party trended on social media, but Parker, Morrow's mother, could not understand the criticisms.

Parker said, per WUSA9, that people shouldn't concern themselves with how the family decided to send her son home to eternal paradise because Morrow would have wanted how his funeral played out. Parker's final message to the critics is to leave the family alone and let the police do their jobs to find Morrow's murderer.