Lorna Johnson: White Witch Buried By Darth Vader

Lorna Johnson was a 56-year-old fun-loving grandmother from Luton, England. Her favorite holiday was Halloween. She was actually a white witch. She passed away on June 23.

Speaking to Luton Today, Lorna’s son, Neil, stated he wanted to give his mom a special send off. His idea was to celebrate her life by celebrating some of her favorite things.

“My mum’s favourite time of year was Halloween.

“We always had parties, dressed up, decorated the house. The kids loved it, we loved it. It was something we always did.”

Neil figured that instead of mourning his loss in a more traditional way, he would throw a costume funeral. Neil had all of the people attending the funeral to dress up in halloween costumes. Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, led Lorna’s funeral procession. Neil dressed as the Tasmanian Devil.

Neil thinks his mom would have approved of her send off when he spoke with the Mirror.

“My mum’s always said you need to celebrate, you need to have a party. So we’re not going to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. My mum wouldn’t want that.

“She’d love it. She’d say ‘that’s it, that’s exactly what you should have done’. She would have been well up for it, it’s the type of person she was. She always wanted a party.

“She was fun-loving and had a wonderful sense of humor.”

Lorna Johnson had lost her husband in November, 2014, just one month after she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

“Our mum and dad were something else, we’re proud to be who we are and to be their children.”

The music at the service wasn’t the standard affair either. Songs from Dolly Parton and indie rockers were played, and the final song was a trance song in keeping with the Witchcraft that Lorna participated in.

The funeral director, Brett Houghton, who played Darth Vader, said his company Co-op Funeralcare did all they could to make the event possible.

“We personalize every detail of a funeral as much as possible to make it unique to that individual.

“Lorna’s family wanted today to be a celebration of her life and we’re confident that her personality will shine through.”

Lorna’s funeral was definitely something out of the ordinary. What do you think of the decision that her children made? Did they go a little overboard, or is it best to find joy even in sadness?

[Photo by Steve Parsons]