Traffic grinds to a halt for great-grandmother's white-themed funeral (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Traffic grinds to a halt for great-grandmother May Dewey's white-themed funeral

5:20pm Monday 22nd October 2012 in News

Traffic ground to a halt when the family of a much loved great-grandmother chose to give her a white funeral.

Rather than follow the tradition of a black-themed funeral, the family of May Dewey, 83, wanted to have a more light-hearted affair and decided to wear white.

Mrs Dewey was instead carried to the Roehampton Vale Crematorium in a white carriage, drawn by two white horses, which was followed by two white Daimler limousines.

The procession left Mrs Dewey's former home, in Minstead Gardens, Roehampton, on Friday afternoon and headed along Roehampton Lane, on to Roehampton Vale and then into the crematorium.

According to daughter Mo Croxson-Hicks, drivers on the A3 were surprised to see such a procession.

He said: "The weather started off drizzling but then it really tipped down. But despite the rain it was amazing driving through Roehampton.

"We stopped the traffic on the A3 and people were hanging out of the windows trying to see what was going on.

"The funeral company said it was the first white funeral they had carried out, hopefully it will start a trend."

To mark the occasion ten white doves were also released by relatives at the crematorium.

Mrs Dewey, who worked in Woolworth's and Sainsbury in Putney High Street, was an expert cakemaker and used to regularly bake cakes for the community.

She is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and nine great-granchildren.