A pint-loving grandad was buried at a lager-themed funeral – with cans of Foster’s dished out to mourners. John Vander, 77, adored the amber nectar so much a tinnie was also placed next to his coffin with a Foster’s floral tribute.
Mourners cracked open cans at the start of the ceremony and after family and friends said their final goodbyes, 80 cans were handed out to guests and staff outside the crematorium to raise a toast to retired electrician John, who died of cancer.
His daughter Jenny Vander Morrison, 49, said he would have loved it, adding: “My dad was a legend.”
Mum-of-one Jenny added: “He was family-oriented and he loved the pub. He’d go every other day for his four pints of Foster’s. It was his drink of choice, if we went out we’d get him a Foster’s.”
The boozy tribute was the idea of Matthew Uden, Managing Director of W. Uden & Sons Family Funeral Directors, after learning of his love for the lager.
Jenny added: “Matthew called me the day before the funeral explaining how it was going to go. I asked ‘is it ok if we put a can of Foster’s on Dad’s coffin?’. He said ‘absolutely’ then asked ‘was your dad partial to a Foster’s then?’
“I said ‘yes’ then Matt did what he did, I had no clue it was happening. As we were all at the crematorium, he got a can of Foster’s out and gave one to two of the [adult] grandchildren.
“He stood there, opened the can of Foster’s and had a drink when everybody was sitting down. Our celebrant was absolutely amazing [too], he got my dad to a tee. People said to me after they’d never laughed and cried as much at a funeral before.
“After that we had the service and then we all went outside and there’s Matt with four cases of lager handing out to everybody that was there.
“I’m not a lager drinker, but a lot of people who I didn’t think were lager drinkers – they all opened it and drank it. My dad would have absolutely loved it, it was a perfect end to a really sad time.”
Undertaker Matthew, who oversaw the ceremony on April 16, said: “It’s not every day we have a beer while conducting a funeral. This service was a real reminder that funerals don’t always have to follow a set path.
“John’s family mentioned to me the night before that he absolutely loved a can of Foster’s, so we decided to make it part of the day.
“At the start of the service, I surprised the family by bringing out a pack of cold Foster’s and inviting a couple of them forward to raise a toast to him.
“It was an unexpected moment but one that felt entirely fitting, and it was met with warmth, applause and a real sense of shared respect from everyone there.
“Afterwards, I arranged for all 80 guests to each have a can, which again came as a surprise to the family, and together we raised a final toast in his honour.
“It was a powerful moment captured on camera and clearly meant a great deal to everyone present. It was a simple gesture, but one that truly reflected his character.
“Every goodbye is unique and it is always a privilege to help create something personal and meaningful.”
John’s family is raising money for St Christopher’s Hospice, where he spent his final days. Click here to donate.
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