Once a joker, always a joker- and for one man, he remained in character, drawing laughs from his loved ones and friends, up until his death and own funeral. A prankster had an odd request for his funeral- that the word “bastard” be written in flowers on the hearse with his coffin.
John Michael Stubbs or simply Mike to family and friends, drew inspiration for such unusual request from his favorite scene from the BBC2 show The League of Gentlemen. Relatives and friends who came to say their final respects and goodbye on his funeral were surprised with his final ‘joke’.
Mike was 64 when he succumbed to a long battle with cancer. He was known to be dedicated to his job while still alive, aside from being a prankster, and worked as a printer until his last month.
Tracey Lazonby from Final Journey Funeral Directors said they have dealt with some unusual requests in the past but never had anything like Mike’s final joke. She also said: “When the family approached us they didn’t think it would be possible and we explained that we could arrange that for them. When I approached the florist he said that he had done the job for 23 years but had never done anything like this before.”
The funeral services even posted a photo of the funeral complete with an explanation that such was the request of a dying man with a “cheeky sense of humor” to imitate a favorite scene for his own funeral from a show he used to follow on TV. The post also said: “He was very much loved by his family and friends and got the last laugh, just like he wanted.”
People responded positively to the post and the idea of a dying man’s last request for a ‘joke’ at his own funeral. A social media user named Mike Proud said it perfectly: “This is what dying is all about. Leaving a good memory on your final journey.”
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4121125/dying-prankster-last-laugh-funeral/
