There's an old story that pops up every so often about a man who loved his car so much he asked to be buried in it. It's the kind of tale that gets better every time it's retold. But when you go looking for the facts, one of the best-known American cases turns out to be quite different.
Here's what really happened. In February 1984, a 28-year-old Chicago man named Willie Stokes Jr., nicknamed "the Wimp," was buried not in a real car but in a custom casket built to look like a Cadillac Seville. And it wasn't his own wish that we know of. The over-the-top funeral was arranged by his father.
A Father Known for Flash
The father was William "Flukey" Stokes, a reputed mobster from Chicago's South Side. He was well known for his silk suits, diamond rings and flamboyant lifestyle, and for his involvement in drug trafficking. He also owned a pool hall.
His son followed in his footsteps and shared his love of gambling. When the younger Stokes was murdered, his father decided he would go out in grand style. Flukey later described his son as a fine young man who was very well liked and did a lot of gambling.
Headlights, Whitewalls and a License Plate
The casket was a showstopper. It was shaped like a Cadillac Seville, with headlights and taillights that actually blinked, whitewall tires, a windshield and a vanity license plate that read "Wimp."
At the viewing, the younger Stokes was propped up inside with his hands on the steering wheel. He wore a flaming red suit, a jaunty gray hat and diamond rings, with several $100 bills sticking out from between his fingers. His mother said he "left like he lived, in a lively manner."
From Newspaper Column to Blues Song
The funeral made headlines around the world. In Austin, Texas, songwriter Bill Carter and Ruth Ellsworth read a syndicated newspaper column about it one morning. Carter reportedly turned to Ellsworth and said it wasn't a column, it was a song.
They wrote it in the two miles it took to drive to the studio. Carter released "Willy the Wimp (And His Cadillac Coffin)" in 1985, and blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan put his own version on his 1986 album Live Alive. Many of the lyrics came straight out of the newspaper column.
The story had a grim ending. In November 1986, Flukey Stokes himself was killed along with his chauffeur while sitting in a Cadillac limousine. He was 48.
Car-Shaped Coffins Around the World
Custom-shaped coffins aren't just an American oddity. In the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, specialized carpenters build what are called fantasy coffins, shaped to reflect the life of the person being buried. They often symbolize the person's job, and some shapes carry special meaning tied to proverbs or family status. They were once reserved for Ga chiefs and priests, but since around 1960 they have become a regular part of local funeral culture.
The Ga people of southern Ghana believe life continues in the next world much as it did on earth, so a fitting coffin matters. Each one takes two to six weeks to make, and many are now displayed as art in museums around the world. Proof that even a final ride can be a work of art.
