Daily Times

Tea should not be called “just a beverage”.

It is an emotion for many of us. And for a woman, it became her final resting place. Tina Watson loved drinking tea and consumed around 40 cups of tea daily.

She had an unusual last wish and she gave clear instructions to her daughter about it. ‘I want to be buried in a coffin that looks like a giant box of tea bags,’ she once said.

Watson’s wish was granted on Friday when, for her funeral, the hearse arrived with a bright red coffin in the back. ‘Typhoo: Great British Tea since 1903’ was painted on it.

Debs Donovan, Watson’s daughter told the daily that this was very typical of her mother, who had a wicked sense of humor.

She further said that her mother loved her cuppa and drank nearly 30-40 cups of tea daily.

Watson died at the age of 73 due to heart failure.

Speaking about her, Donovan said that she was always cheerful and never let her health worries, like beating cancer twice and having both legs amputated, come in the way of her happy nature.

“She lost one leg after the bite got infected after being bitten by an insect in Spain 14 years ago,” she said. “Mum then lost the other leg when the infection spread further. She never let anything get her down.”

Remember her mum’s joyous nature; Deb said she would be laughing like a drain after looking at the coffin.

Funeral director Paul Pender also had a few words for the deceased mother. “It was one of our more unusual requests but we were happy to be able to make it happen. I got in touch with the guy that helps us with customized coffins and he produced the goods,” he says.

He continues, “It is always nice when the customer gets what the customer wants.” Debs follows up with, “I just know mum would be looking down and laughing like a drain at her coffin. I’ll go home later and put the kettle on and raise a cup to Mum.”