Picture a company boardroom with the requisite long table and leather swivel chairs, a photo of the founder prominently situated on the wall and there’s the CEO, impeccably dressed in an Armani suit.

He’s got the Wall Street Journal in his hand and a carnation in his lapel. His business acquaintances and his family are here. Does it sound like a typical board meeting to you?

It’s anything but, because the CEO is dead, and this is his funeral! Now you’re up to date on the latest fad, themed funerals.

Just when you’ve had your fill of themed Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, and birthday parties; along comes a funeral parlor specializing in themed send offs.

TLC has produced a special called the ‘Best Funeral Ever’ with The Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas.

Where does it all end? Right where you’d least expect it; your going away party. Oh and it could be a party too, because if life consisted of gathering around the BBQ drinking beer and burning some ribs on a lazy Sunday afternoon, that’s what you would do; except you wouldn’t have to cook. When it’s over, if you wish, they would cook you. Well done takes on a new meaning.

The $20 billion a year funeral industry is getting new life from an idea that’s been around the block. The dearly departed want to be the dearly partied.

This is a relatively new wrinkle in an industry knee deep in handkerchiefs. What a change when grandma picks a tableau which includes her sitting in a church hall at a table; hand stuck permanently in the air calling BINGO!!!

And why not? We’ve been freeze drying our pets so we can still enjoy them and not even change that litter!

Even if you weren’t a party animal in life, you can throw a bash for the family that will never be forgotten when they walk in the chapel and there you are dressed as the Indian Chief along with the rest of the Village People. If you’ve never seen mourners do the YMCA song you’re missing something!

Now let’s revisit our departed CEO. Since he robbed the company of its assets downgraded the stock and laid off the workers, they weren’t too sad to see him go. To him, this is just another rip off perk he felt he deserved.

He didn’t want the typical service with business acquaintances, friends and family sitting around crying about what he did for them, instead they’re sitting around crying about what he did to them.