One of the loveliest funerals I've ever been to left us all both laughing and crying. Lovely? Laughing? At a funeral? Well, yes, actually, and it had all been planned by the deceased.
He was a dear, dear old friend, godfather to one of my daughters, and had been headmaster of the local school. He was also a retired naval officer, a huge man in every sense, and one of the most generous people you could ever meet. When he came through the front door the children would run to him, to be picked up high and enveloped in one of his "bear hugs"! Lol!
Anyway, his funeral gave a lovely account of all he had done in his life...even teaching mountaineering to the blind! Imagine that! But what left us all smiling and laughing through the tears was the very end. Instead of the coffin going out to solemn hymn music, which is the norm here, the town band came in! And escorted the coffin out of the church to their jolliest playing of "When the saints go marching in!" There wasn't a dry eye nor an unsmiling face anywhere, and that was what Jack had intended. I'll never forget it!
