Uniquely tailored funeral services
A unique funeral service inspired by a dead parrot
Patricia Hanlon was no ordinary person, and her funeral wasn’t ordinary either.
At Something Beautiful Remains, it was our privilege to plan and execute a perfectly unique funeral service to celebrate a perfectly unique personality.
And in true Tricia-style, a dead parrot inspired her service.
Setting the scene
Patricia, or Tricia, was a fashion designer and model who loved all things flamboyant, including sequins, feathers and fabric in vibrant colours, and she enjoyed shopping trips, dancing and theatre.
She thought everything was beautiful.
Legend has it that long ago she found a dead parrot that was so bright and beautiful, she had to keep it.
With nowhere else to go, she stored the parrot in the freezer.
Tricia was not renowned for her culinary prowess and soon became the subject of a running joke: if you’re going to the Hanlons’ for dinner, take your own food as all they have in the freezer is a dead parrot.
Tricia’s daughter, Tristan, remembers that when she was a child her mother frequently joked, “We’re down to just the parrot in the freezer, it must be time to do the shopping.”
Planning an extraordinary celebration for an extraordinary person
When Tricia passed away in April this year at the age of 83, Tristan found herself having to plan a funeral for the second time. Years prior, Caryn and Phil at Something Beautiful Remains had done such a wonderful job with her brother’s funeral that Tristan was sure her mother would want the same for herself.
“Caryn has a passion. She cares about the outcomes, and she cares about her clients. For her, it’s not about going the extra mile, it’s about doing the right thing.”
Tristan originally found Caryn while reaching out for funeral recommendations on a social media page for Inner West Mums. Caryn responded to her post with genuine care and concern, offering helpful suggestions without promoting her business. Tristan met with Caryn at Pancakes on the Rocks to discuss, and the rest is history.
Fast forward to 2023. Tristan’s rock, confidant and partner in crime, Robyn now works for Something Beautiful Remains and Caryn knows the family well, including the story of the dead parrot. This piece of trivia transformed the occasion from a funeral to an entire theatrical production.
Cues, costumes and dialogue
Tristan’s main wish for her mother’s farewell was to be involved without feeling consumed by it. She trusted Caryn and Phil and gave them plenty of creative licence, but appreciated them drawing her into the process at all the right times, such as deciding on her mother’s final outfit.
“Caryn was amazing. She’s cool, calm and collected and sensitive to the occasion.”
Immediately following Tricia’s passing, multiple family members came down with COVID. This meant that they had to do a large portion of the planning over the phone.
Tristan recalls it as a time of open yet balanced communication, giving her space to grieve without having to worry too much about the funeral arrangements.
Caryn kept some details of the funeral to herself and this provided Tristan with a few surprises on the day.
Lights, camera, action
“Even though my mum left zero instructions, I’m 100% confident she would’ve loved what Caryn put together for her. It was the most fabulous funeral that anyone had ever been to.”
The service at Rockwood East Chapel featured a lovely big window that overlooked the gardens. It was a picturesque, intimate space that set the tone for a perfect goodbye with all the trimmings.
While out shopping one day, Caryn came across some sequined parrots that made her think of Tricia. It was serendipitous. They became the stars of the show. Guests received tiny birds to wear on their lapels. Sequined parrots were on display, including a large glittery one that sat on a mannequin’s arm.
The mannequin was wearing a piece of Tricia’s clothing that she’d hand-painted. It matched the coffin pall, originally made by Tricia thirty five years earlier and used for her mother’s funeral and her son Tim’s.
Caryn had sourced floral arrangements in hoops that were symbolic of Tricia’s connection to the circus.
‘Merchandise’ featuring Tricia’s image, created by her brother in-law Garry, adorned the chapel. Garry had also been Tricia’s former pupil and was heavily involved in writing the eulogy. Tristan knew nothing of the finer details, including the eulogy and the fact that it all came together so beautifully really blew her away.
It’s all in the little things
During a meeting, Caryn saw a picture on an iPad drawn by Maddy, Tristan’s daughter. It was a beautiful image of her grandmother, created in an attempt to process her feelings over this difficult time.
Caryn knew she had to include it, so she printed the artwork, framed and displayed it.
“It didn’t even look like a funeral. It looked more like a retail knick-knack store. It was very pretty, very beautiful. A celebration of life and an eclectic personality.”
Everything was Tricia, from the fragrance in the room, to the use of colour. Seventy people attended the service and 70 more watched the livestream.
They held a wake at the Bowling Club afterwards where everyone declared, “That was so Tricia,” and even club employees thought it was an amazing wake.
A grand finale
“It’s not often you exit a funeral to people dancing.”
Following all the words and stories, Tricia’s final farewell was to the tune of dancing, laughter, happiness and joy. She had always loved watching Tristan dance, so Tristan and Robyn twirled their way out of the chapel. Tristan is sure she offered a curtsy and pirouette her mum would be proud of.
For Caryn, this service was a little different.
“When you do a funeral for a staff member’s family, it’s hard to surpass expectations because they know what your standard is. But we did and we were able to surprise Tristan too.”
Tricia’s funeral was an hour and a half of laughter and entertainment, mostly at her own expense. And she would have loved that. Perhaps the only regret is that she wasn’t there to laugh along.
“The care that Caryn and Phil offer doesn't end when the curtains close and the service is over. They keep checking in long after that.”
And this theatrical production has an encore. It’s the aftercare provided by Something Beautiful Remains.
Caryn and Phil continued to reach out to Tristan, Patricia and their family long after Tim’s funeral and they will do the same again.
The memories we celebrate at the end of a loved one’s life are what lift and carry us through the rest of our own journey. They are the things we pass down to future generations. That’s why every funeral should be as unique as the person you are celebrating.
In the words of Andy Warhol, as displayed on an image of Tricia at her funeral:
“The idea is not to live forever, but to create something that will.”
Planning a funeral is a difficult task, but having gentle guidance makes the process easier.
If you would like to plan a unique funeral service for someone you love, Caryn and Phil are here to help anytime, day or night, just give them a call.
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14 Stephenson Street
Hermitage Flat
NSW 2790