An Unusual Funeral Service for an Unusual Person

All showbiz!
Credit: Wikimedia

It’s not often we hear a funeral described as a “red carpet extravaganza,” but what else could we expect from Joan Rivers? The sharp-tongued comedian is still getting laughs nearly a week after her death. Judging by her last wish, that’s exactly the way she liked it.

“I don’t want some rabbi rambling on.”

In her directive, she said, “I want my funeral to be an (unusual funeral of) a big showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action. I want paparazzi and I want publicists making a scene! I want it to be Hollywood all the way. I don’t want some rabbi rambling on.”

That’s certainly what she got. Her services on Sunday included the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus singing “Hey, Big Spender,” a rendition of “Quiet, Please, There’s a Lady On Stage” and bagpipers walking the streets playing “New York, New York.” A few celebrities in attendance even cracked a smile for the cameras.

Rivers died on September 4, 2014 from complications during a surgery on her vocal cords. The television host was 81 years old.

When we’re filled with grief over the death of someone beloved, it can be hard to smile. What happens when we cope with the death of someone whose job it was to make us laugh? One minute they’re here to entertain us, and suddenly they’re gone.

Throwing a gloomy, mournful service for a person as vivacious and colorful as Rivers would seem almost disingenuous. Her life was big, brash and bedazzled; why should her funeral be any different?

“If you’re going to die, die interesting!”

Many of us have people in our lives who tickle us to the core with a sharp wit or jolly disposition. After the recent deaths of two of the funniest people in show business, Joan Rivers and Robin Williams, it’s hard not to get discouraged.

Yet Rivers herself saw death as an opportunity.

“Joan Rivers Found Dead…On George Clooney’s Face.”
Credit: celebrities.gearlive.com

“If you’re going to die, die interesting!” she said. “One morning you’ll wake up and read a headline: Joan Rivers Found Dead…On George Clooney’s Face. Clooney Was So Bereft All He Could Say Was, ‘Xjfhfyrnem.’”

Rivers was a comedic icon to the world, a friend to many and a mother to one. Her voice was caustic and side-splittingly aggressive, which was unusual and hugely influential for women in the industry at that time. Bottling a lifetime’s worth of a huge personality like Rivers into a short unique funeral service is no easy task. It’s one that many of us face with our own loved ones who are larger-than-life.

 It’s over-the-top, but never depressing.

Rivers’ funeral service is a perfect example of giving space for mourners to grieve while staying true to the person she was. It’s over-the-top but never depressing. Friends and relatives walk away remembering the theatrical life of Joan Rivers not her death.

When the curtain drops, mourners still get to wear a black dress, just maybe one with polka dots and a silver sequined belt. Even in death, the show must go on!

Are you interested in planning an unusual funeral? Plan your own unique funeral. Use our “Remembrance Event” planning guide to help you spur ideas and stay organized.