Man requests to be buried in coffin that looks like his favourite chocolate bar
A fun-loving man who says he was ‘nuts’ requested in his will to be buried in a Snickers-themed coffin, and a funeral home helped make it happen.
Paul Broome was laid to rest in the chocolate branded box in Bognor, West Sussex after passing away at the age of 55.
Paul worked as a Care Assistant in care homes, helping to look after adults with learning difficulties.
He was known for his ‘quick wit and mischievous sense of humour’. Beforehis death Paul often joked about having a Snickers-themed coffin – a wish his family made sure to fulfil in his final farewell.
When he died, his family wanted to honour his memory in a way that reflected his personality.
Designed to resemble a Snickers bar, the coffin was emblazoned with the phrase ‘I’m nuts!’ – a ‘perfect tribute’ to Paul’s playful nature.
It was a request he had made many times in jest, but when it appeared in his will, his family knew it was something he truly wanted.
The coffin also featured the Crystal Palace FC logo, as London-born Paul was a devoted follower of the club.
He even amassed a collection of more than 40 shirts from match days at Selhurst Park with his brothers.
As a final tribute, the funeral procession passed by Paul’s favourite café in Bognor Regis, where friends gathered outside wearing custom tribute t-shirts, clapping as he made his final journey.
Ali Leggo, Funeral Arranger at F A Holland (Co-op) Funeralcare, Chichester, said: ‘Paul’s family informed us that he was one of life’s true characters, and his farewell needed to reflect that.
‘His quick wit and sense of humour touched so many people, and the coffin was a fitting tribute to his unique personality.
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‘We take great pride in offering flexibility to fulfil any family’s wishes – no matter how big or small they might be. We love helping families find unique, heartfelt and creative ways to say goodbye to their loved ones in the manner they find most fitting.’
When roofer Clive Dowdeswell died at the age of 63, he told his son Charlie he wanted to save cash during his funeral – so he was buried in a coffin made of scaffolding boards, transported on a flat-bed truck.
‘He was one of a kind, it suited him down to the ground,’ Charlie said of his DIY job, which cost just £150 to build compared to the ‘ridiculous’ thousands of pounds a typical coffin costs.
‘Before he died he said “check if we can make a coffin out of scaffolding boards”. We could, so we went up there with the coffin and he loved it. He was very happy with it, it’s what he wanted so we did it.
‘We had loads of scaffolding boards lying around so we just used them and we lined it with cloth material. We put the arrows upside down on purpose to make it more funny.’
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