Have you ever been a part of a funeral surprise?

By funeral surprise – I mean a miracle, an act of kindness, or something shocking that you just can’t let go of because it was that amazing. These are very rare occurrences when it comes to funerals, but when they happen, it’s something to celebrate in the world of funeral service.

Here are 5 funeral surprises we’ve found that are guaranteed to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside – and who knows, maybe even restore your faith in humanity.

#1: A surprise in the sky for a teacher’s funeral

Many funeral attendees claimed the clouds above spelled the word “love”. Can you see it?

First we’ll start things off with something light and uplifting. When a 30-year-old teacher passed away suddenly, many of her students, friends and family saw something quite remarkable and unexpected at her funeral. When they looked up in the sky, many swore they could see the word “Love” spelled out in the clouds. Once funeral guests began to notice it, many people began snapping photos so they could share this pleasant surprise with their community. This teacher’s uplifting funeral surprise goes to show that miracles really do happen.

#2: An obituary that drew in the crowds

When Harold Jellicoe Percival, a Bomber Command veteran in WWII, passed away, his obituary in the newspaper reported that sadly, there would be nobody to attend his funeral.

But thankfully, this vet’s story soon began to go viral on Twitter. In fact, one fellow war veteran, Sergeant Rick Clement, put out a notice in the paper asking that people send this man off well. He encouraged members of his community and military professionals to attend his service, saying “This guy needs and deserves your help”.

People who read the notice listened and responded to their call for help. Hundreds upon hundreds of people from all over attended Harold’s funeral. Many of them had never even met Harold before. So many people attended Harold’s funeral that guests had to stand out in the rain to wait for their turn to pay their respects.

We couldn’t help but be moved by the incredible amount of people who showed up to pay tribute to Harold in many ways. This story just goes to show that every of kindness can make a huge difference in this world, no matter how small it may seem.

#3: The world’s first funeral flash mob

It’s not everyday that you see your great grandma and little sister dancing to “I Gotta Feelin’” by Black Eyed Peas at your family funeral. But there’s a first for everything, and in this case, this family brought the first funeral flash mob into this world. The video may be a little disorienting (the person who shot it clearly isn’t a videographer), but I have to admit, I was pretty awe inspired when I saw a seemingly traditional funeral turn into a dance party. Complete with laughter and joy, it was nice seeing people shaking their groove thang in honor of their loved one.

#4: A final wish no one ever expected

In most of the funeral surprises I found, I read about the family or community paying tribute to the deceased. But in Bud Skalla’s case, his last wishes were to pay tribute to his community. Bud, a never-married farmer from Iowa who was often described as “not exactly a people person” didn’t see many attendees at his funeral. But that didn’t keep Bud from giving back to his community in a big way.

The day of his funeral, he planned a large-scale donation to more than a dozen churches in his area . Every church was given a piece of land that belonged to his estate (that was worth more than $10 million). Once the land was auctioned off, every church received about $500K to invest, create and give back to their community. Thanks to Bud’s story, we can learn that the mark you leave on your community in life may not always be the same one that you leave in your death.

#5: Remembering a fallen soldier with “the ugliest dress in the world”

Right before Kevin Elliot got deployed to Afghanistan to fight for his country, he asked his best friend, Barry Delaney to promise him that if anything happened to him, Barry would wear the ugliest dress he could find to his funeral. Barry jokingly agreed, and throughout the next three years of his deployment, Barry and Kevin remained very close. And when the unfortunate passing of his friend occurred, Barry kept his promise to Kevin.

Barry showed up to Kevin’s funeral service with the ugliest, brightest color dress he could find and equally ugly socks to complete his outfit. Although it seemed ridiculous at first sight, many people thanked Barry for keeping his promise and adding a dash of humor to represent the bright light Kevin’s life shined on his friends and family during his life.

Has your faith in humanity been restored?

What’s the biggest funeral surprise you’ve ever seen at your funeral home? Share your stories with us in the comments below!

Rochelle Rietow

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