Just when we think we have heard it all – we decided to ask 6,500 funeral directors the question; What is the weirdest request you have ever had from a client family? Some of these stories will blow your mind.
Had a family ask to “cut Grammys hand off and cremate it so she could wear it on her neck in a pendant” no joke. True story. Response was – “um, no”
Submitted by: Chuck Cole
I had a family request that we excise the tattoos of the deceased so they could take them to a taxidermist to be stretched and preserved. I offered to take pictures.
Submitted by: Dena Kuhnel Crankshaw
I had a family ask if we can extract Sperm so his wife can give them a grandchild.
Submitted by: Joe Antioco
I was serving a Gypsy family in Pasadena, CA. Father died in Las Vegas and I had INMAN embalm and ship the deceased. The family met me at the airport and followed me to the Funeral Home to dress and casket their father. Dad loved to gamble and he enjoyed the Santa Anita Horse Racetrack. We loaded dad into the hearse and drove him to the racetrack. We parked, the family placed a few bets and then we drove to an apartment complex dad owned. The parking for the complex was a parking lot for dads collection of antique and muscle cars. The “working” cars were turned on and revved up. We then went across the street to the Palm Reading Business dad owned. The son and brothers spoke, a very emotional moment. I did not charge the family for the extra services I rendered. They were my friends and dad had always recommended my Funeral Home above all others. He was considered the “Gypsy King”….Long Live the King.
Submitted by: Fernando Lincoln Centeno
One family wanted me to place the deceased’s right hand in a ‘shaka’ (hang loose). So I positioned his hand whilst embalming, and then used a clear, plastic card holder stick super glued to his thumb and pinky to keep the fingers spread. The family was very happy.
Submitted by: Gabriel Mason
I had a family of a woman who had murdered her husband with a fire poker…. (She committed suicide once they were ready to arrest her) …..the kids wanted her buried with a fire poker so “God” could “see” the weapon.
Submitted by: Patti Hurley Blaser
I was once requested to give the clothes of the deceased back after the service so they could return them to the store.
Submitted by: Heather Heath
Doesn’t beat any of these, but I had to make a full casting of this lady’s hand so they could keep it on display and hold her hand whenever they wanted. It didn’t turn out very well.
Submitted by: Samantha Francis
Had a family ask if we could bury dad with his cat. I assumed the cat had died, and had been previously cremated. Silly me, they came in with the cat, quite alive, and basically expected me to euthanize the cat and put it in with dad. So infuriated was I, that I opened the phone book to funeral directors, told them to pick one, and to tell whomever they picked, to come over for dad, as I would not serve them further. I also told them there was no charge for anything we had done, up to that point . Second time in my career I had done just that with over the top families!
Submitted by: Richard Callahan
