"STANDING THERE on the dais, consider the world as a series of concentric rings of loyalty. The people in the nearest ring, those in the front row, are owed the most. You should speak first to them. And then, in the next measure, to the room itself, which is the next ring, and only then to the physical world outside, the neighborhood, the town, the place, and then, just maybe, to the machinations of life-muffling institutions." from How to Give a Eulogy. [more inside]
posted by storybored on Sep 7, 2011 - 19 comments

Holy Smoke - "The process of having cremated ash placed in live ammunition begins when you contact us. You tell us what type of hunting or shooting that the decedent practiced and we can help you decide what will best suit your needs....1 Pound of ash is enough to produce 250 shotshells."
posted by madamjujujive on Jul 31, 2011 - 46 comments

Residents of the unique town of Crestone, CO (and surrounding areas) are among the only people in the USA to have the option of a funeral pyre.
posted by Burhanistan on Jan 31, 2011 - 31 comments

'If I die,' Brandon Franklin had said, 'I want all the bands at my funeral.' As Franklin’s family filed out of the eastern New Orleans church and the hearse waited, nearly 300 current and former band members performed a final salute. Via.
posted by ColdChef on May 24, 2010 - 32 comments

This has not been a good year for SCI, the worlds largest funeral services corporation. Now allegations have surfaced that groundskeepers for Eden Memorial Park were secretly instructed to desecrate graves (possibly in excess of 500 individual bodies) in order to make room. [more inside]
posted by es_de_bah on Nov 23, 2009 - 80 comments

"We all leave something behind, but it looked like Olive had left nothing." Olive Archer passed away after five years in a care home, five years that passed without a visitor. Concerned that Olive was an Eleanor Rigby the minister prepared for her service by making an appeal to the public to find if anyone remembered Olive. Friends were found. Sadly, she is not alone. Maybe she needed SagaZone.
posted by geekyguy on Jan 10, 2008 - 45 comments

God's Waiting Room is a British documentary about the daily struggles of Haji Taslim Funerals, the first European Muslim Funeral Directors, and how they work to honor the requirements of ancient faith while cutting through the red tape of modern death. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Nov 26, 2007 - 6 comments

Thanatorama [flash] You died this morning. Are you interested in what comes next? Webdocumentaire.
posted by tellurian on Nov 1, 2007 - 25 comments

Music for Funerals - 5000 Brits were surveyed about songs they'd like played during their funeral. I'm warning you right now, Bon Jovi made the top 20.
posted by davebush on Oct 3, 2006 - 173 comments

Are you a recently deceased motorcycle enthusiast desiring of a dignified final ride? You can have it! Want to be carted off to your final resting place in rugged style, in a 4x4 Land Rover like the one you used to tear around in when you were among the living? No problem! But if you've just kicked the bucket in China's Jiangsu Province and you'd been hoping to wow the mourners at your big send-off with some strippers, sorry, but you can't do that. Just want to learn a little more about funeral practices around the world? You can go here.
posted by flapjax at midnite on Aug 26, 2006 - 11 comments

For you or someone you know! Death can be costly, but $924.99 for the "Lady of Guadalupe" is a bargain.
posted by dum2007 on Feb 3, 2005 - 20 comments

Stalin's Funeral "The crowds were so dense and chaotic outside that some people were trampled underfoot, others rammed against traffic lights, and some others choked to death. It is estimated that 500 people lost their lives while trying to get a glimpse of Stalin's corpse." The string quartet playing at Stalin's graveside wept openly - for Sergei Prokofiev, who died the same day and hour as Stalin. Stalin was first interred next to Lenin, under glass. But five years later, it was time to physically remove Stalin from a place of honor. "Stalin had been a dictator and a tyrant. Yet he presented himself as the Father of Peoples, a wise leader, and the continuer of Lenin's cause. After his death, people began to acknowledge that he was responsible for the deaths of millions of their own countrymen."
posted by stonerose on Jun 8, 2004 - 34 comments

Pat Tillman's memorial ceremony was going as planned: John McCain spoke, American flags waved, the Army and the NFL stood together, all mourning their lost colleague. It was going as planned until Pat's brother spoke: "Pat isn't with God,'' he said. "He's f -- ing dead. He wasn't religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he's f -- ing dead.''
posted by falconred on May 4, 2004 - 115 comments

I'd like my left bollock to go to Julie and my right one to Children in Need. Quoth Davy Saville.
Don't ever die, it's horrible is Øystein Runde's chosen epitaph.
Greg Derrick would like to be disposed of as follows ...chucked in the water float for weeks as my corpse rots. Only to wash up on a beach in the coasta del sol.
I want my Dad barred from my funeral. The mans a cun*... says Mark Reed
mydeath.net is a site which allows people to specify the arrangements after their death. From food and dress code to disposal and famous last words. Read or contribute your own. [Contribution requires quick registration]
posted by kenaman on Apr 30, 2004 - 6 comments