the irish lass

The Wake

Burying Tradition, More People Opt for "Fun" Funerals
by Carrie Dolan

For some, new rites of passage include parties, boat rides and psychedelic caskets

Sacramento, California - In a hotel ballroom here, about 3,000 revellers float among bouquets of balloons and mingle around a trio of bars. An ice sculpture drips over the buffet. A 7-piece band, led by a vocalist in a black lace dress, blares out James Brown's I Feel Good. In the midst of the action is the party's host - lying in a flag-draped coffin.

He was B T Collins, a popular California state legislator, who died of a heart attack in March at age 52. A former Green Beret who lost an arm and a leg in the Vietnam War, he was fond of unconventional tributes. He marked his 50th birthday with a parachute jump and once donated a urinal to Santa Clara University's school of law, his alma mater. Known for his disdain for protocol and his love of a good time, he had set aside funds to celebrate his passing. As for his attendance at the festivities, Nora Romero, his longtime administrative assistant, asks: "You don't think B T would miss his own party, do you?"