One of our relative Shri Chandubhai Patel (home town Vaso, India) of Norbury, London passed away a few weeks ago in his early eighties due to health issues. He lived a simple life and fulfilled all his responsibilities towards his family and siblings by going out of his way and facing hardships.
Being a simple man of high thinking he strictly told his family not to perform any kind of Karmkand - rituals and dogmas - after his death at the time of funeral and after funeral which included not bringing his coffin home before funeral for puja vidhi by the priest as he believed that by doing that his family, relatives and friends will be mourning and crying during the hour long ritual.
Instead he wanted everyone to celebrate his life by remembering the good things he did in his life. To help save environment he asked not to disburse his ashes in river but to buy an urn for ashes and keep at funeral home. His life was his message like Mahatma Gandhiji used to say.
Suresh and Bhavna Patel
Markham, Canada