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Kindred Spirits The Coffin Club movement began in New Zealand more than a decade ago. Fancy some very personal DIY? By Sarah Wale
“And now the end is near …” We all know the opening lines to the song My Way, immortalised by Old Blue Eyes himself. Indeed, the end will come for all of us, and nowadays many people are taking control of their own funerals. Thus they can be sure they relieve their loved ones of the task, and often the financial burden, but also ensure that they get the sendoff they want. A major part of the funeral planning, and expense, is the choice of coffin and that is also often a major cause of distress. Does the family’s preference coincide with yours? Is it too fancy, too plain, too cheap, too expensive? Who knew that buying a box could be fraught with so much difficulty? The option more and more people are taking is the DIY one – yes, that’s right, you can Do It Yourself, designing and making your own ‘underground furniture’ as the Coffin Clubs describe the fruits of their labours!
Planning for the inevitable
The movement towards this approach started in Rotorua and has spread throughout the country, with some clubs
even springing up overseas. The inspiration for the clubs comes from Katie Williams who, as a palliative care nurse, understood that death is very much part of life. She wanted to challenge the grim ideas often associated with death, and the dreary monotony of many funerals. She was talking with some fellow University of the 3rd Age members one day, discussing new directions for their continuing education programmes, and announced out of the blue that she would like to build her own coffin. She discovered she was not alone and the first Coffin Club was formed; the rest, as they say, is history.
paintings depicting the future occupants at work or indications of their interests. I travel a lot so I think I’d like mine to show key sights from all the countries I’ve visited. The only limit is the imagination of the designer. They might even be painted white or a plain colour and friends and family invited to write or draw their appreciation of your life – it’s so much nicer to hear those things while you’re alive than waiting until it’s too late! If they are too far away, paint sticks or coloured pens can be provided for those attending the funeral to decorate your coffin with fond messages and drawings.
Practical and fun
Industry acceptance
The clubs bring together people who are interested in personalising their funerals. As one might suppose, they are mostly people of senior years, so there is a wealth of talent and experience to be tapped. Carpenters, joiners, artists, designers, fabric and needle workers all come together to help each other make their bespoke coffin. People with none of those talents but a desire to be different also benefit from joining a club and receiving the help and advice of other members. Decorations may be brightly coloured paint and lashings of glitter, photos of family (or a favourite actor or singer … Elvis is popular!) or possibly scenes from the salmon river for a keen fisherman or 32 FamilyCARE
It is not only the outward appearance which can be personalised.
www.carers.net.nz
