Bury Me in My Chair: American Family Honors Son's Memory Just as He Lived (5 Photos)

The family of a slain teenager in the US took a truly unconventional approach to his memorial service. Instead of a traditional funeral, his relatives posed his body in an armchair with a game controller in hand, flanked by his favorite snacks and soda.





Eighteen-year-old Renard Matthews was tragically shot and killed during a robbery while walking his dog in New Orleans. Renard passed away a few weeks prior, but the family held the wake two weeks after his death. Describing him as a devoted homebody, his relatives decided to honor his memory by capturing him exactly as he was in life.



The service took place at a local parlor. Renard’s body was seated comfortably in an armchair, dressed in a jersey from his favorite basketball team, the Boston Celtics, with a video game controller in his hands. Beside the chair, his family placed a small table set with his favorite treats—chips and soda—while a basketball game played live on a large screen in the room.





The funeral home behind the arrangement specializes in these customized, life-like poses. The practice gained traction in 2012 following the passing of jazz musician Lionel Batiste, who refused to lie down in a casket for his final farewell. Instead, his body was positioned standing upright, dressed in a sharp suit and leaning on his favorite cane.



Since then, vibrant, unconventional wakes have become a distinctive tradition in New Orleans. At another service, a 53-year-old woman was posed sitting at a table with a glass of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other—reflecting how she loved spending her days.



Unusual funeral customs aren't unique to New Orleans, either. In South Sulawesi, Indonesia, families often keep deceased relatives in their homes as if they were still alive—embalming the bodies, changing their clothes regularly, and setting out beer and cigarettes for them. The trend has also taken off in Puerto Rico, where an 80-year-old woman was memorialized sitting in her favorite rocking chair, a late rapper "welcomed" mourners seated with a cigarette, and a deceased taxi driver was posed behind the wheel of his cab.