Woman organizes a 'FUNeral' to celebrate her late husband's life and legacy: 'This man was loved'

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy. On top of that, organizing a funeral that is a reminder of the demise can be even more challenging. A woman had a similar feeling and knew that it wouldn't be easy for her to sit through speeches at her 39-year-old husband's funeral. So, she came up with something unique that would be easy for her and her three kids, beautifully celebrating her husband's life. She turned the funeral into a "FUNeral" featuring her husband's vivid life and the numerous activities he enjoyed. A video of the event was posted by Sicily Wilcock—who goes by @sicily.wilcock on TikTok—who attended this celebration of life.

The wife, Katie Kirkland Young, 40, planned a funeral around activities that her husband, Brandon, liked, including eating popsicles, painting and listening to music. "He loved popsicles...he would bring six to the couch at one time and I would always be nervous they would melt everywhere, but he would eat them up so quickly it was never a problem," she told Newsweek. "We also had bowls of his favorite candies and chips and salsa from where he served tables for 10 years. He loved art, so we had supplies everywhere for people to create with," she added.

Young also planned a fun activity that involved people drawing a hairdo and facial hair on Brandon's face, who loved changing his appearance and hair. "He had a giant record collection that he loved sharing with people who appreciated music and so we let people look through his collection to take home a piece of him with them. It was in his favorite place...our home....with his favorite people...his family and friends. It was so Brandon it felt like he was there," the mom of three expressed.

"It felt warm, familiar and like it wasn't really the end. As part of our shared faith, we believe we live on after we die and that families can be together forever. This doesn't make saying goodbye any easier, but there's a feeling of comfort and gratitude that coincides with the grief we feel and that was felt that night at the FUNeral. It was the perfect way to celebrate Brandon," Wilcock said. The best moment for Young was when she saw her three children laughing and smiling during what could have been the hardest time of their lives.

"Although there were still many tears shed that night, it didn't feel as 'heavy' as funerals I've been to in the past. Katie and her three kids were often found smiling and laughing, surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones," Wilcock added. People took to the comments to appreciate the idea. @johnbuysee wrote, "A funeral that leaves people feeling the way he always made them feel is so special." @bethanyalyse commented, "This is beautiful to celebrate life and say goodbye. He looks like he was a lot of fun to be around." @oscario593 remarked, "THIS should be the correct way to say goodbye to someone, a celebration of their time alive, the connections, the moments, the love they left in other's lives." @rbubela expressed, "If this many people show up to celebrate my life after I'm gone, I know I won. That's having lived."

You can follow Sicily Wilcock (@sicily.wilcock) for more family-related videos.