An Arizona family is going viral for putting the ‘fun’ in ‘funeral’ by holding a giant party for their late loved one.
Funerals are normally a sad time when people mourn the recently departed, but one family decided to do something different by celebrating a husband and father’s life instead.
Sicily Wilcock, a friend of the family, uploaded a TikTok of the festivities, which saw hundreds of people attend and celebrate Brendan Young.
“Although there were still many tears shed that night, it didn’t feel as ‘heavy’ as funerals I’ve been to in the past. Katie and her 3 little kids were often found smiling and laughing, surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones,” Wilcock told 12News. “Anyone who has met Brandon has been touched by his goodness and kindness.”
The appropriately named FUNeral had attendees partaking some of Brendan’s favorite pastimes, from eating popsicles to sharing music tracks. Brendan even had quite the vinyl collection, and attendees were encouraged to take some as a keepsake to remember him by.
Brendan’s artwork was also on display for everyone to enjoy, along with supplies so people could design their own paintings.
A video of the event has gone viral, racking up nearly 3 million views since being posted on May 20. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many users wanting a similar celebration when their time comes, too.
“THIS should be the correct way to say goodbye to someone, a celebration of their time alive, the connections, the moments, the love they left in other’s lives,” one remarked.
“This is awesome. I’d seriously consider doing this,” another said.
In a follow-up video, Wilcock explained that everyone there said this was “exactly” the type of party Brendan would have wanted thrown.
“The people who organized it, his wife and his family and friends, they did such a good job at making it something Brendan would have loved if he was there,” she said.
“Just capturing who he is and being able to share that with everybody and inspire so many people has been really heartwarming.”
