When Perry Cardy passed away in April 2019, his family paid tribute in a special way: They wrapped his coffin in the label of his favorite beer, Foster’s lager.
Cardy’s sister, Mandy Hunter, said it was what her brother would have wanted. “It was my idea to have the Foster’s can printed on the coffin, because it was Perry’s favorite and he loved being around friends and family at the pub,” she said.
The 54-year-old father-of-three of Southampton, England passed away suddenly after he was assaulted outside of his favorite pub, Bittern. His family wanted to brighten his departure, and felt the Foster’s wrap would help commemorate him.
“I think he would have been blown away and I think he would have thought it was really funny,” Hunter said in an interview. “It was a fitting send-off for him.”
The family also placed a can of lemonade atop the coffin, to represent Cardy’s favorite drink, a Foster’s Top. (A “lager top” is a lager topped with lemonade, similar to a shandy or radler.)
“We didn’t want it to be a sad funeral, we wanted it to be upbeat and happy, just like how Perry would have wanted. We had so many lovely comments at the funeral saying what a lovely idea it was, it will make people remember Perry’s funeral with happy thoughts,” Hunter said.
