Man who held own funeral passes away

George McPherson, who became well known in his community of Norris, St Thomas for taking part in his own fake funeral in 2008 and staging 'memorials' annually, has died.

'Jungle George', as he was affectionately called, died on June 4 after he suffered a blood clot in the lungs. He was 77.

On Saturday when THE STAR visited Norris, several residents said they were eagerly anticipating the outcome of Jungle George's real funeral, which is slated to take place on his birthday, July 30. The residents, some of whom claimed to have been attending the event since 2009, described the former construction worker as crazy for his eccentric approach to life. However, Jungle George's son, Neil McPherson, 47, said that he believes that his fathers was often misunderstood.

"As weh some people would a say, di man crazy. But, the man no really crazy, him just always have fi him plan dem and always have fi him thing work out fi him way," McPherson told the news team at his father's house. He said despite the many naysayers, his father, who had six children, never allowed anyone to talk him out of his dream. He said that his father was always prepared to die and made his own tomb.

"That was one of the things many people couldn't understand, how he was so accepting of death. Is like when people come a di memorial each year dem in disbelief. But my father always a tell me say death is a must," said McPherson who said he regretted missing his father's mock funeral.

"Him rented the casket, hearse come and all these things. The sound of it is crazy enuh," he laughed.

But he said that he is making sure that his father's wishes are honoured. In fact, McPherson, who has eight children and three grandchildren, says he will seek to carry on his father's legacy by staging his own funeral and memorials.

"Me a think 'bout it, but mi no go too deep. Weh day me a talk to my misses 'bout it and she say no bother with the madness. But mi feel like mi a go do my own," he said.

In a November 2017 STAR article, Jungle George shared that he got the funeral idea from his mother who paid for her funeral expenses well in advance of her eventual death.

Following suit, McPherson said his father was certain that that was the best way to go out. He said that he will be paying homage to his father's legacy at his funeral.

"After the service, which will take place at the chapel, dem a go do the cremation, then we a go place the ashes inside his tomb. After all of that, we a go keep a likkle thing enuh. If yuh notice over deh so, the goat dem deh deh already enuh," he said.

McPherson said that although he is saddened by his father's death, he has long come to terms with the inevitable especially the way that his father embraced it.

"It good say a July 30 because the man come pon the Earth July 30, and a go leave back on that same day. It is a joy. Me just wah know say him get weh him heart desire because he was always positive about death," he said.